FOUR OF SEVEN NT TEAMS WIN National championships continue at PHP

Soccer News Net

July 26, 2006
FOUR OF SEVEN NT TEAMS WIN
National championships continue at PHP
By Phil Stephens

Kristin Cummins is about to take it on the head here, but went on to lead her U16 Dallas Texans to a 2-0 win over the Pleasanton Rage of Cal North. Cummins scored the opening goal.
Photo by Phil Stephens

FRISCO, TX—Four of seven North Texas teams started their quest for a national championship with victories Wednesday in the first round of group games at the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championships at Pizza Hut Park.

The U16 Dallas Texans 92 Red scored a goal in each half to blank the Pleasanton Rage of California North 2-0 in a 7:30 a.m. contest to start the victory string. It built to a crescendo in the evening games, when defending national champions Dallas Texans 88 Red beat the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays of Maryland 2-0 in front of packed sidelines at Pizza Hut Park. All of the North Texas teams enjoyed enthusiastic support from their local club supporters and fans watching along the side.

The 7:30 p.m. matches were a clean sweep for North Texas teams, with the U17 Boys Andromeda 90 edging FC Milwaukee 1-0 and the U17 girls Dallas Texans 90 Red outscoring the RSK Richmond Strikers Elite 3-2.

Three of the four North Texas teams in the morning competition lost, but stay in the hunt for a championship. The round robin competition will pit the top two teams of four after preliminary games conclude Friday.

The U18 Solar girls were clipped 2-1 by the Bloomfield Force of Michigan on a last minute goal. The U15 Dallas Texans 92 Red girls lost 2-0 to PDA Fire of New Jersey. The U14 Sting Royal 93 also lost 3-0 to the FC Slammers of California North.

For the U16 Texans girls, Kristin Cummins put the Dallas team ahead with a goal in the 36th minute. Chelsea Geller collected the insurance marker in the 60th minute to pave the way for a Texans victory.

Thursday will be a showdown at 9:30 a.m. when Texans 91 red faces McLean Freedom of Virginia on PHP Field #8. McLean beat the Michigan Hawks 3-0 in its opener.

Andromeda 90 claimed a win Wednesday on a Jason Guehler goal in the 78th minute. It was enough to silence the FC Milwaukee team, but Andromeda will return Thursday in a 7:30 p.m. match against the Real Colorado Nationals at PHP Field #6. The Colorado team will be seeking a way back in the title hunt after losing 2-1 to FC Delco.

The dramatic victory of the day for North Texas goes to the Dallas Texans 90 Red girls, 3-2 winners over the Richmond Strikers Elite. Melissa Henderson quickly put Texas ahead on a ninth minute goal that displayed her talent that made her the 2007 Gatorade and Parade Magazine Player of the Year.

Henderson is known for rising to the occasion with spectacular individual effort to give her team the advantage. She did it in the Texans’ drive to the Regional title. Wednesday, her opening goal included winning the ball just inside the midline and taking it all the way to net. That just seemed to inspire the Strikers, who struck back with the equalizer by April Price just six minutes later. The Texans retook the lead in the 36th minute with a ball in the net by Nicole Crocco.
The Richmond team equalized just three minutes into the second half on a goal by Nancy Wright. That left the game-winner to the Texans’ Jessica Schuveiller in the 66th minute.

Next assignment for the Texans 90 Red girls will be the Michigan Hawks, 7:30 p.m. on PHP Field #5. The Hawks lost its opener 2-0 to the California South Eagles.

For the Dallas Texans boys ’88, Wednesday’s win centered around a fast start on scoring strikes by Bahram Sajjadi in the ninth minute and William Dworsky in the 26th minute. Then it was up to the Texans’ defense to stave off the inventible comeback by the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays.

The Texans will take on the South San Jose San Juan Ruckus Thursday at 7 p.m. on PHP Field #13. The California North team lost 2-1 to Chicago Magic Wednesday.

If there was a bitter pill to swallow Wednesday it went to the U18 Solar girls, who lost 2-1 to the Michigan Bloomfield Force on game-ending score by Amanda Bowery. Solar is the NT Cinderella team, the unexpected regional champion.

The Solar team didn’t start out nervously, taking the lead 1-0 on a goal by Caitlin McDowell in the 23rd minute. The girls did rue missed opportunities because the Force lifted its level in the second half and Solar had a problem matching it, but still protected its net. Laura Heyboer didn’t equalize for the Michiganders until the 78th minute. By the clock, the Force game winner came about 90 seconds after time according to fuming Solar supporters, but it was a stoppage time effort that still counted.

Now Solar will try to get back on the winning track at 9:30 a.m. at PHP Field # 5 against another team on the rebound from a loss, Arsenal World Class of New Jersey. Arsenal was nipped by the California North Slammers 1-0 Wednesday.

The U15 Dallas Texans girls will try to find its winning ways at 7:30 a.m. Thursday against the Illinois Elite, PHP # 11. The Illinois team lost 3-0 Wednesday to the So Cal Blues.

The U14 Sting Royal ’93 will be looking for redemption on PHP Field # 6 against the FC Stars of Massachusetts. It won’t come easy because the Stars beat the CUSC Academy of Indiana 3-1 on Wednesday. The Sting is still smarting from the whipping by the Slammers on Wednesday, a team the Sting beat last summer in the finals of the San Diego Surf Cup. To get a rematch, the Sting will have to get back on the win path Thursday.