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Second Round of Play Completes at 2006 US Youth Soccer National Championships |
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Streak still alive for Eclipse Select Under-18 Girls and
Arsenal FC Under-17 Boys DES MOINES, Iowa (July 27, 2006) – The US Youth Soccer National Championships continued Thursday evening with the second night of preliminary round play at James W. Cownie Soccer Park. Each team played its second of three preliminary round games looking to add another tally in their win column. The two teams with the most points at the conclusion of tomorrow’s play will advance to the championship finals on Sunday. The Under-17 girls came into this evening’s matches with the standings tied at one point each. Looking to step away from the crowd, the Eclipse Select met the Dallas Texans 89 Red who both had a large contingency of fans thanks to the numerous teams qualifying to nationals from the two clubs. Getting on the board quick was Eclipse Select’s Erica Iantorno who scored in the 4th. That goal would maintain the lead through the first half until Texans’ Elizabeth Gowda tied things in the 55th. Alex Burzynski sent in the game winner in the 74th to earn three more points in the standings. Brittany Johnson, one of the Eclipse team captains, said,” It doesn’t get any better than this. Each club had their teams in the stands and it doesn’t get any bigger or better than this.” The dramatics continued in the other Under-17 girls match where the Spirit United Gaels (E-PA) beat the Mustang Blast (CA-N) 3:2. The Blast’s Heather Vandevanter scored first in the 30th. Ashley Kershaw, of Spirit United, answered and found the back of the net in the 50th to tie the score. Nicole King (E-PA) took control of the game when she scored in the 60th and 70th. The Blast were not done thanks to a Shannon Lacy goal in the 80th. There were a couple of chances for the Blast, one hit the crossbar. As time expired the Spirit United Gaels took the win and the three points in the standings. “Being at the championships was nerve-racking at first, but
we knew we could play just as well as anyone else,” Spirit
United Gaels’ Nichole King said. “Winning the national
championships would be amazing. It would be proof to everyone
back home that we can do it. This is the best opportunity you
could have as a junior to get signed by a college.” Currently
about half of the team is already committed to collegiate
programs. The current standings for the Under-17 girls have the Eclipse Select and Spirit United Gaels tied for the lead with four points while the Dallas Texans and the Mustang Blast each have one. The Under-18 boys’ age group entered tonight with the Chicago Magic leading the standings with six points. The Chicago Magic won their second match of the week defeating FC Delco Crunch (2:0). The Magic’s Steve Kotzow scored in the 22nd and teammate Steve Sloan followed with the second tally in the 82nd. The reigning US Youth Soccer National Champion, Dallas Texans Red, looked to get back to their winning ways after losing yesterday. They did just that in a 5:2 win over Classic FC Bandoleros. Playing without one of their stars, Jonathan Villanueva, who was asked to miss the U.S. Soccer Under-20 National Team that left today for the 2006 Milk Cup in Northern Ireland, the Texans proved merit. William Dworsky (TX) got his side off to a quick start with three goals (19:00, 38:00, 47:00). Teammates Jan-Michael Guerra and Andre Akpan added to the total in the 50th and 70th minutes. The Bandoleros looked to get back with goals in the 68th (Sean Danzeiser) and 89th (Trevor Cobb). Play resumes Friday at 8:00 AM. Updated game results are available throughout the day at http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org. The 2006 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing over 185,000 players on more than 10,000 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. The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age groups as teams earn their way from the top team in their state to the regional championship tournaments. State Cup champions and selected wildcard teams in most age groups are eligible to compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in the under-14 through under-19 age group from each regional event converge to enjoy the nation’s top competition. 2006 marks the 30th anniversary of the under-16 boys D.J. Niotis Cup and 15th Anniversary of the under-17 girls Laura Moynihan Cup. The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships. The under-19 boys age group as the National Champion will hoist the McGuire Cup. This is the 71st anniversary of the storied cup. On Friday, August 11th, The US Youth Soccer National Championships Highlight Show, presented by adidas will air on the Fox Soccer Channel, US Youth Soccer's official television partner, at 8:00 PM ET. The two-hour show will highlight the national championships providing feature stories, interviews, game highlights and much, much more. In addition to The US Youth Soccer National Championships Show, FC Fox will also highlight the 2006 US Youth Soccer National Championships. FC Fox airs Fridays at 7:30 PM ET. To learn more about the US Youth Soccer National Championships at http://Championships.USYouthsoccer.org. US Youth Soccer National Championships Day 2 Evening Session Results – Preliminary Matches Under-17 Girls Day 2 Morning Session Results – Preliminary Matches Under-14 Boys Under-16 Girls |
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