SoCal dominates at 2013 US Youth Soccer ODP Championships

The 2013 US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Champions were crowned Sunday at the FC Dallas Stadium Complex in Frisco, Texas.

The teams from California South took the title in each division following several closely contested games, with the Cal South 1996 Girls earning their second consecutive US Youth Soccer ODP Championship. In last year’s final, Cal South defeated Virginia, 1-0, to win the 1996 Girls title.

State-level US Youth Soccer ODP Boys and Girls teams earned their way to the 2013 US Youth Soccer ODP Championships by winning their US Youth Soccer ODP Regional Championships. The format, similar to the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, provides state teams the opportunity to compete against teams from other regions in a championship tournament.

Brief recaps from the championship final and consolation matches are below.

1996 Girls

The Cal South 1996 Girls used an early goal and solid defense to earn their second straight title with a 3-0 win over Indiana. Hailey Harbison opened the scoring with a 4th-minute goal. The teams battled for much of the match before two wonderful strikes in the final 10 minutes of play from Chloe Hemingway and Christina Settles put the game out of reach and secured the championship repeat for Cal South.

The Georgia 1996 Girls battled back from being behind two goals to beat New Jersey in the third-place match. First half goals from New Jersey’s Jamie Delaney and Hana Kerner weren’t enough as Georgia’s Amanda Vocelka netted a late first half goal and two goals in the second half to give her a hat trick and Georgia a 3-2 victory.

1996 Boys

Cal South took the 1996 Boys title thanks to a second-half penalty kicked that proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory over Eastern Pennsylvania. Wyatt Fabian gave Eastern PA an early lead with a 2nd-minute goal, but Cal South responded just before half when Michael Licon scored in the 41st minute. The Region IV representatives earned a 65th-minute penalty kick, and Miguel Acevedo tapped in the rebound following a nice save on his attempt from the penalty spot. The Cal South keeper punched a couple late Eastern PA shots over the bar to preserve the lead and give his side the title.

After a narrow one-goal loss to eventual champion Cal South, North Carolina looked to rebound against Wisconsin. The teams fought hard for 90 minutes, but neither could find a breakthrough as the third-place game ended 0-0.

1997 Girls

The 1997 Girls from Cal South followed up a convincing 5-0 win in the semifinals with a 1-0 win over Eastern New York in the championship game. Stingy defense on both sides of the ball kept the game scoreless going into the half. Cal South came out strong in the second half and got the game winning goal from Kathleen Pingel, who had scored two goals in their previous match. The Cal South defense clamped down and held on for the win and the championship.

In a game full of early action, Michigan defeated North Texas, 3-2. Brenna Lovera quickly gave Michigan the advantage with her 2nd-minute goal. Her teammate, Hannah Jones, added to the lead 10 minutes later. Hope Hyde put North Texas on the board in the 23rd minute, but Brittany Tanner secured one more goal for Michigan before half. Julia Lenhardt scored once more for North Texas in the second half, but Michigan’s three first half goals ultimately gave them the victory.

1997 Boys

Cal South overcame a one-goal deficit while being a man down to defeat Florida, 2-1, in overtime to take the 1997 Boys title. A penalty kick in the first half almost gave Cal South the early lead, but Dmitry Zhuravlev’s shot bounced off both posts and the teams went into halftime scoreless. The tables turned in the second half when Florida earned a penalty kick after a Cal South player was given a red card for a hand ball in the box. Tobin Howell’s kick successfully gave Florida the 1-0 lead. After Cal South’s continuous efforts, Eddie Cabrera’s late-game heroics in the stoppage time gave them the equalizer, taking both teams to overtime where Cal South’s Alexis Diaz netted the game winner.

Michigan claimed third place with a 1-0 victory over Virginia on Sunday. A goal in the 17th minute by Blake Barribeau was the lone goal of the match, and Michigan’s defense would hold strong the remainder of the game to claim a 1-0 win.

US Youth Soccer ODP Championships 

Championship Results 

Consolation Results 

US Youth Soccer ODP, established in 1977, is the original Olympic development program in the United States. Formed to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team could be selected for international competition, selected players are exposed to the nation’s top coaches from collegiate institutions, U.S. Soccer and the professional leagues. Programs exist in each state and with competitions such as the US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships, Interregional Training/Competition, Regional Camps and International play.