US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 4 Recap

Day 4 of 6
Schedules, Scores & Standings
Rosters: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Via US Youth Soccer) — The US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional continued Wednesday in Boca Raton, Fla., as teams in the 1999-2001 age groups competed on the fourth day of play.

The six-day tournament, which runs through Nov. 25 at Spanish River Athletic Park and Florida Atlantic University, features teams in the 1999-2003 age groups comprised of the top female players in the country.

The nearly 400 participating players were selected from US Youth Soccer State Association and Regional level evaluations. Throughout the week, players will attend training sessions and compete in matches against other Regions, in front of U.S. Soccer national staff and collegiate coaches to maximize their exposure for selection to the next level of play.

+Read: US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 3 Recap

“I think ODP has really helped me because you go from your club experience every day, where you play around good players. But you come here and get to play with the best and against the best,” said Madison Myers, a Region II 1999 player and Penn State commit. “You get the best coaching. It helps you get to the places you want to be, like college and national team training camps. From development standpoint, it’s a really good thing and has helped me get to where I am today.”

Highlights from Day 4:

1999s | Region II 2, Region III 1
The Region II 1999 team picked up its second win of the week with a 2-1 victory over Region III. The teams exchanged spells of possession in the first half, with the first real scoring opportunity coming in the 20th minute. Riley Tanner got to the end line and cut a pass back to Brionna Halverson, who forced Region III keeper Sydney Martinez to make a quick reaction save. Tanner’s persistence led to the opening goal, as she placed a left-footed shot around Martinez in the 38th minute to put Region II up, 1-0. Carolyne Davidson pulled Region III even with a goal in the 71st minute, but Region II secured a game-winner when Nicolette Hernandez found the back of the net in the 85th minute.

1999s | Region IV 3, Region I 2
Elsewhere in the 1999 age group, Region IV picked up a 3-2 victory over Region I for its first win of the week. Sara Young put Region IV up in the 25th minute when her shot from distance dipped under the bar. Chelsea Domond equalized for Region I before half, but Kenady Adams put Region IV back on top with a 55th minute goal. Alicia Talancon gave Region IV some breathing room with another strike in the 67th minute, and that proved to be key as Moeko Morse added a late goal for Region I — which capped the scoring the Region IV’s 3-2 win.

2000s | Region III 3, Region IV 2
The Region III 2000 team picked up its first win with a 3-2 result over Region IV on Wednesday. Evanthia Spyredes put Region III up in the 35th minute when she ripped a bouncing ball perfectly to the far post and watched it fly into the upper-90. Five minutes later, Madeleine Moreau finished from in front of goal to put Region III up, 2-0. Lexi Romero pulled Region IV within a goal in the 56th minute, but Region II responded quickly to push the advantage back to two with a Julia Pack tally. Romero added her second goal of the game in the 66th minute, but her side couldn’t create an equalizer — allowing Region III to hold on for the 3-2 win.

+Read: US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 2 Recap

2000s | Region II 2, U.S. U-14 GNT 0
The Region II 2000 squad dealt the U.S. U-14 Girls National Team its first loss of the week, as the Midwest side defeated the U.S., 2-0. Alyssa Bombacino netted a sixth-minute goal to put Region II in front and hand the national team its first deficit of the week. The U.S. responded with several bouts of pressure and came close to equalizing in the 53rd minute when a shot rang off the outside of the post. Region II dealt well with the pressure and added an insurance goal in the 57th minute. Following a corner kick, Hannah Tillett gathered the ball at the top of the box and put a well-placed shot into the left-side netting to extend Region II’s lead to 2-0. Region II keeper Bailee Witt made a couple of big saves in the final 10 minutes — pushing dangerous shots over the bar and wide of the post — to prevent the U.S. from mounting a comeback and sealing the Region II victory.

2001s | Region I 1, Region III 1
The 2001 matchup between Region I and Region III was representative of a tightly-contested age group, as the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. Region III grabbed an advantage in the 21st minute when MacKenzee Vance found the back of the net. That lead held until shortly after half, as Victoria McKnight scored for Region I to level the score. Each back line produced a strong final half-hour of play to keep the teams deadlocked and secure the 1-1 final.

2001s | Region II 4, Region IV 2
Region II is in first place in the 2001 age group following a 4-2 win on Wednesday against Region IV. The early portion of the match belonged to Region IV, as Emily Chiao and Lilli Rask scored two quick goals around the 20-minute mark to put Region IV in front. However, Danielle Wolfe received a ball at the back post in the 25th minute and slid it home to pull Region II within a goal. Region II equalized about 10 minutes later, as Kati Druzina flicked the ball into space and sent a composed finish into the far corner. Hallie Klanke put Region II in front with a 58th-minute goal, and Druzina added her second shortly after to help the Midwest squad to the 4-2 win.