ORLANDO, FL (July 29, 2005) – The morning session of the US Youth Soccer National Championships continued Friday with the final day of Preliminary Round play determining Sunday’s National finalists for nine of the twelve divisions at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

The PDA Wildcats (NJ) Under-17 Girls performed last second heroics and got the needed win to advance to the National Championship final in a 3:2 win over the Eclipse Select (IL) team looking to repeat as National Champions (2004). At two goals each in the second half, PDA found a hero in Elisabeth Redmond who gave her side the win.

“I just looked at the clock,” said Redmond with only a few minutes remaining.  “I thought, this is it, it had to be done and it has to be an outside shot.” Redmond’s blast to the left corner set off an explosion of cheers from the team, parents and fans.  “If it wasn’t me, it would have been one of my teammates.”

The CASL Spartan Elite (NC) Under-17 Girls and Eclipse Select (IL) finished today with a rare tie in all categories – wins, losses, ties, goals for and against for a total of four points each.

The tie forced a shootout between the two to see who would advance to Sunday’s National Championship Final and face PDA Fury (NJ) for the Laura Moynihan Cup.

Either team could have earned a spot with a win or tie but both fell to their opponent in what the historic event is known for – the best competition in the country; Eclipse lost to PDA 3:2 and CASL fell to Slammers FC (CA) 3:1. 

Eclipse goalkeeper Wesley Johnson stunned CASL’s Casey Nogueira on the first penalty kick with a save; the Eclipse’s Lauren Switzer made her shot for the one goal advantage. 

“It’s a guess thing,” said Johnson. “Players tend to look the opposite way they’re going to go.  After the first save came, Lauren (Switzer) put it away and I knew we had it.”

In the Under-19 Boys division, former National Champions (2002 Under-16), the Atlanta Fire United (GA) will take on the Sockers FC (IL), who they played today to a scoreless tie.

“That was a while ago (the National Championship),” said Atlanta’s rising-Duke sophomore defender Kyle Helton. “We still have something to prove. This one’s our last one (US Youth Soccer National Championship) together and this one’s for all of the marbles.”

Arsenal FC (CA) Under-16 Boys, the 2004 National Champions, tied Solar 89 SC (TX), 2-2, today. The teams will meet for the National Championship on Sunday at 9:45am EDT, pitting the reigning champs against a hungry contender.

“No one’s got an advantage. We know that Sunday is the big one. It’s going to be great for soccer,” said Solar coach Kevin Smith. “The game will come down to who takes chances or makes mistakes. Someone will show a bit of brilliance or it will be a knock-down drag-out fight to the end.”

Play resumes at 7:00pm tonight with action where the last remaining slots will be won for Sunday’s finals in the Under-18 and Under-15 divisions. 

The 2005 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, providing approximately 129,000 players on 7,200 teams from US Youth Soccer’s 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play, is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament.  The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age brackets. 

2005 marks a special year for the four teams in the Under-19 Boys age group at the US Youth Soccer National Championship as the National Champion will hoist the James P. McGuire Cup, the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships, on the 70th anniversary of the storied cup. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Under-19 Girls Ross Stewart Cup and 20th Anniversary of the Under-16 Girls Patricia L. Masotto Cup. The U.S. Soccer Federation initiated youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup (Under-19 Boys) in 1935. Since its creation in 1974, US Youth Soccer has added 11 divisions to the National Championship tournament, most recently with the Under-14 and Under-15 Boys and Girls divisions in 2001 to create the series current format.

Annually the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation’s top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. In 2004, over 500 coaches attended the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships including the majority of the top 25 men’s and women’s programs based on the final 2004 NSCAA/adidas National Rankings for NCAA Division I schools.

US Youth Soccer National Championships

Day 3 Morning Session Results – Preliminary Matches

Under-14 Boys

So Cal United (California South) 3, Chicago Magic (Illinois) 0

Goal Scorers: Christopher Cummings (So Cal) 40:00, Jeremy Castro (So Cal) 47:00, Chase Niesner (So Cal) 64:00

Potomac Cougars (Maryland) 2, Tulsa Soccer Club 91 (Oklahoma) 0

Goal Scorers: Israel Sesay (Potomac) 57:00, 69:00

Under-14 Girls

So Cal Blues (California South) 1, Beadling (Pennsylvania West) 0

Goal Scorers: Charney Burk (So Cal) 67:00

Edmond Soccer Club 91 Black (Oklahoma) 4, Ohio Elite (Ohio South) 0

Goal Scorers: Caitlin Mooney (Edmond) 33:00, 43:00, Amy Grow (Edmond) 57:00, Samantha Dehart (Edmond) 61:00

Under-15 Girls

PDA Power (New Jersey) 1, San Diego Surf (California South) 0

Goal Scorers: Kiley Williams (PDA) 60:00

Dallas Texans 90 Red (Texas North) 1, St. Louis Soccer Club (Missouri) 0

Goal Scorers: Rachel Shipley (Dallas) 28:00

Under-16 Boys

Vardar (Michigan) 5, FC Delco Black V (East Pennsylvania) 1

Goal Scorers: Bobby Merritt (Vardar) 6:30, 23:00, Alexander Verdi (FC Delco) 8:30, Jonathan Evans (Vardar) 52:00, Kenny Simon (Vardar) 74:00, Justin Meram (Vardar) 79:00

Arsenal FC (California South) 2, Solar 89 SC (Texas North) 2

Goal Scorers: Cesar Macias (Arsenal) 14:00, Armando Rocha (Arsenal) 73:00, Stephen Boecking, Jr. (Solar) 19:00, Scott Wisniewski (Solar) 44:00

Under-16 Girls

Michigan Hawks (Michigan) 2, Greensboro SC Twisters Green (North Carolina) 2

Goal Scorers: Danielle Toney (Hawks) 14:00, Own Goal (Hawks) 55:00, Maria Lubrano (Greensboro) 55:00, Hannah Gonzales (Greensboro) 65:00

Slammers FC (California South) 2, PDA Fury (New Jersey) 0

Goal Scorers: Alyssa Davila (Slammers) 26:00, Christina Murillo (Slammers) 36:00

Under-17 Boys

Dallas Texans Red 88 (Texas North) 1, New Rochelle Raiders (East New York) 1

Goal Scorers: Alfredo Runoo (Raiders) 22:00, William Dworsky (Dallas) 81:00

Real Colorado National (Colorado) 3, Vardar (Michigan) 1

Goal Scorers: Dion Bubar-Hall (Real) 42:00, 45:00, Zachary Fraser (Real) 52:00, Tim Gore (Vardar) 84:00

Under-17 Girls

Slammers FC (California South) 3, CASL Spartan Elite (North Carolina) 1,

Goal Scorers: Alexa Orand (Slammers) 25:00, Lisa Kevorkian (Slammers) 47:00, Threse Farah (Slammers) 54:00, Morven Ross (CASL) 64:00

PDA Wildcats (New Jersey) 3, Eclipse Select (Illinois) 2

Goal Scorers: Jessica Fuccello (PDA) 14:00, 17:00, Lauren Switzer (Eclipse) 21:00, Michele Weissenhofer (Eclipse) 33:00, Elisabeth Redmond (PDA) 83:00

Under-17 Girls Tie Breaker via Penalty Kicks

CASL Spartan Elite (North Carolina) vs. Eclipse Select (Illinois), 2:4 

CASL - Betsy Frederick, Sarah Winslow

Eclipse - Lauren Switzer, Amanda Clark, Emily Maynard, Michele Weissenhofer

Under-19 Boys

Nomads SC (California South) 3, Reston RFC (Virginia) 2

Goal Scorers: Patrick Philbin (RFC) 4:00, Benjamin Gaffey (RFC) 45:00, Adam Ramey (Nomads) 45:00, German Bravo (Nomads) 65:00, Jason Le (Nomads) 69:00

Atlanta Fire United (Georgia) 0, Sockers FC (Illinois) 0

Under-19 Girls

Stars of Massachusetts (Massachusetts) 3, Carmel United Commotion (Indiana) 2

Goal Scorers: J’aime Gilbert (Stars) 7:00, Dianna Mastomauro (Stars) 10:00, 26:00, Jordan Obanion (Como) 75:00, Molly Kruger (Como) 76:00

Dallas Texans Red 86 (Texas North) 0, Colorado Rush Nike (Colorado) 0

Sunday, July 31^st                US Youth Soccer National Championship Finals

7:30 AM     Under-14 Boys: Chicago Magic (IL) vs So Cal United (CA)

7:30 AM     Under-17 Boys: Dallas Texans Red 88 (TX) vs Real Colorado National (CO)

8:00 AM     Under-16 Girls: Slammers FC (CA) vs PDA Fury (NY

8:15 AM     Under-18 Girls: TBD

9:30 AM     Under-14 Girls: Edmond Soccer Club 91 Black (OK) vs So Cal Blues (CA)

9:45 AM     Under-16 Boys: Arsenal FC (CA) vs Solar 89 SC (TX)

10:00 AM   Under-17 Girls: PDA Wildcats (NJ) vs Eclipse Select (IL)

10:30 AM   Under-18 Boys: TBD

11:30 AM   Under-15 Boys: TBD

11:45 AM   Under-19 Boys: Atlanta Fire United (GA) vs Sockers FC (IL)

12:15 PM   Under-19 Girls: Dallas Texans Red 86 (TX) vs Stars of Massachusetts (MA)

12:45 PM   Under-15 Girls: St. Louis Soccer Club (MO) vs PDA Power (NJ)