LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS – The final day of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships concluded here with champions crowned in all eight remaining age groups.

Strong performances by girls’ teams from Eclipse Select and De Anza Force punctuated the day’s play and rang in an end to the 2008-2009 season. Read here for details on those feature matches and a complete summary of Sunday’s championship games and award-winners.

U17 Girls: Eclipse Select 4, PDA Fire 0 (Eclipse Select is pictured on front)

In a matchup between two of the heavyweights in US Youth Soccer, Eclipse overpowered PDA, winning by a score of 4-0.  It was an outstanding performance by Rory Dames' Illinois side.

The first 15 minutes of the game though, were all PDA.  Showing some great passing, the New Jersey team put Eclipse under a ton of pressure and was unlucky not to get an early goal.  The first goal did come, but it was for Eclipse and it was completely against the run of play.   

Playmaker Vanessa Laxgang put the ball away in the 16th minute to give Eclipse the 1-0 lead.  Laxgang was brilliant all game long, showing incredible skill on the ball and passing ability.

The second goal came just 5 minutes later.  Center midfielder Kelsey Hough unleashed a hopeful shot from 25 yards out that squeaked by PDA goalkeeper Carley Gallagher to double the lead.  Hough was excellent for Eclipse, playing the defensive midfielder role to perfection, passing the ball, tackling, and helping keep the midfield organized.

Eclipse was firmly in control for the remainder of the half, with the lone PDA chances coming off a couple corner kicks towards the remainder of the half.  Eclipse had a couple of near misses, with one great save in particular from Gallagher to deny a sure goal.  The sides went into halftime with the score 2-0.

The second half began with both sides competing pretty evenly for the first 15 minutes.  There were not many chances with the game being played mostly in midfield.  PDA midfielder Rachel Davitt was doing a very good job in the center of the field.

The third goal came for Eclipse in the 62nd minute.  Erin Pekovitch did well down the right touchline after being released by Laxgang. Her ball into the box was slid home by center midfielder Samantha Scofield to ice the game.  Scofield, who was outstanding all match in midfield, got her well-deserved second and the team’s fourth 10 minutes later.  The move started with a throw in on the left and ended the same way as the previous goal, with Scofield sliding the ball into the net from inside the 6-yard box.

Eclipse's back four, featuring Kecia Morway, Alexandra Heller, Chelsea Grant, and Katie Uyenishi with Kelsey Hough sitting in front and Erin Dees behind in goal, was outstanding, limiting PDA to very few chances.  The New Jersey side’s best chance came from a free kick late in the game.  Defender Kacie Kergides hit a bomb but Dees did well to deal with it.

There were no more goals and the final whistle blew.  Eclipse Select U17 Girls were the well-deserved National Champions.

U16 Girls: De Anza Force 1, Ponte Vedra Storm 0

In an evenly contested matchup between California's De Anza Force and Florida's Ponte Vedra Storm, the Region IV side came out on top with a slim 1-0 win.  De Anza was the slightly better team on the day, though Ponte Vedra played some great soccer and would have been worthy winners as well.

The first half was very low key, with neither team taking too many chances offensively.  As a result, the game was played mostly in midfield and few scoring opportunities were generated for either team.  Morgan Brian of Ponte Vedra was solid, roaming the midfield and showing her skill and creativity.  On the other side of the ball, Lorin Hom was good in the center of the park for De Anza.

The 0-0 score at halftime was a fair one.

The first and only goal of the game came out of nowhere just two minutes into the second half.  De Anza center midfielder Lorin Hom unleashed a fierce left-footed strike from 30 yards out that flew into the top corner.  There was nothing that goalkeeper Sarah Voight could do, despite her best effort, as it ricocheted in off the post before settling into the back of the net.

For the next 20 minutes, De Anza striker Cristina Farrington was very dangerous on the left with her pace and dribbling ability, creating a number of opportunities for the California side.  Fortunately for Ponte Verda, the Region IV side was unable to capitalize.  Throughout the game, but in particular the second half, Ponte Vedra left back Carson Pickett was outstanding, eliminating all threats down her side and showing some good skill on the ball as well.

The best chance for Ponte Vedra came with about 10 minutes left. Kaili Torres was almost in alone, but was thwarted with a last minute stop by De Anza goalkeeper Emily Kruger, who looked solid all game.

Both teams had little left in the tank on this hot Sunday morning and De Anza held onto their 1-0 lead to claim their first national championship.  It was a fitting way to end their outstanding season.

Other Championship Results and Award-Winners (courtesy U.S. Youth Soccer)

Under-16 Boys
Dallas Texans 93 Red (N-TX) 1, Hicksville Strikers (E-NY) 0
DTX - Brandon Perez - (56:00)

Under-16 Girls
De Anza Force (CA-N) 1, Ponte Vedra Storm (FL) 0
Scorers: DAF - Lorin Hom - (42:00)

Under-17 Boys
CZ Elite (CA-S) 3, Triangle United (NC) 2
Scorers: CZE – Daniel Amaya - (4:00), Leonardo Guerra - (21:00), Eder Arreola - (26:00)
TRU - Chad Drimer - (88:00), Sebastian Garner - (90:00)

Under-17 Girls
Eclipse Select (IL) 4, PDA Fire (NJ) 0
Scorers: ECL - Vanessa Laxgang - (16:00), Kelsey Hough - (21:00), Samantha Scofield - (62:00) (72:00)

Under-18 Boys
DSC 90 Green (SC) 2, Javanon (KY) 1
Scorers: DSC - Enzo Martinez - (7:00), Juan Velasquez - (44:00)
JAV - Vinicius Paiva - (50:00)

Under-18 Girls
FC Bucks Vipers (E-PA) 1, Ohio Elite (OH-S) 0
Scorers: FCB - Madlyn Evans - (52:00)

Under-19 Boys
Baltimore Casa Mia Bays (MD) 2, NASA 08 Elite (GA)0
Scorers: BAL - Mark Jaskolski - (45:00+), Brendan Klebanoff - (89:00)

Under-19 Girls
Colorado Rush (CO) 4, Eclipse Select 89-90 (IL) 2
Scorers: COR - Danielle Foxhoven - (83:00) (105:00) (119:00), Kathryn Russell - (98:00)
ECL - Candace Ruff - (90:00+), Jessica Price - (118:00)  

 
adidas Golden Glove and Boot Winners (Most outstanding player and keeper)

Under-14 Boys
Golden Glove: Ricky Brown – West Coast FC (CA-S)
Golden Boot: Donovan Frazier – Dix Hills Thunder (E-NY)

Under-14 Girls
Golden Glove: Beth Ritter – Mustang Blast (CA-N)
Golden Boot: Joanna Boyles –CASL Spartans Elite Black 94 (NC)

Under-15 Boys
Golden Glove: Kyle Jackson – Sereno 94 White (AZ)
Golden Boot: Malcolm Harris – Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 94 (MD)

Under-15 Girls
Golden Glove: Ariana Zargarian – San Diego Surf 93-94 White (CA-S)
Golden Boot: Sarah Adams – San Diego Surf 93-94 White (CA-S)

Under-16 Boys
Golden Glove: Chris Mar – Hicksville Strikers (E-NY)
Golden Boot: Brandon Perez – Dallas Texans 93 Red (N-TX)

Under-16 Girls
Golden Glove: Emily Kruger – De Anza Force (CA-N)
Golden Boot: Alesha Blair – De Anza Force (CA-N)

Under-17 Girls
Golden Glove: Erin Dees – Eclipse Select 91-92 (IL)
Golden Boot: Vanessa Laxgang – Eclipse Select 91-92 (IL)

Under-17 Boys
Golden Glove: Alex Bolowich – 91 Triangle United Gold (NC)
Golden Boot: Jesus Gonzales – CZ Elite (CA-S)

Under-18 Girls
Golden Glove: Gabrielle Pakhtigian – FC Bucks Vipers (E-PA)
Golden Boot: Madlyn Evans - FC Bucks Vipers (E-PA)

Under-18 Boys
Golden Glove: James Gladden – DSC 90 Green (SC)
Golden Boot: Juan Velasquez – DSC 90 Green (SC)

Under-19 Girls
Golden Glove: Kristin Tribbett – Colorado Rush Nike (CO)
Golden Boot: Casey Short – Eclipse Select 89-90 (IL)

Under-19 Boys
Golden Glove: Alex Kann – NASA Elite (GA)
Golden Boot: Chris Klute – NASA Elite (GA)

US Youth Soccer Fair Play Award Winners
Under-14 Girls: Scorpions SC (MA)
Under-14 Boys: Dix Hills Thunder (E-NY)
Under-15 Girls: Chantilly Burn (VA)
Under-15 Boys: Grand Rapids Crew Juniors (MI)
Under-16 Girls: Ponte Vedra Storm (FL)
Under-16 Boys: Campton United (IL)
Under-17 Girls: PDA Fire (NJ)
Under-17 Boys: 91 Triangle United Gold (NC)
Under-18 Girls: Ohio Elite (OH-S)
Under-18 Boys: Javanon 91s (KY)
Under-19 Girls: Colorado Rush Nike (CO)*
Under-19 Boys: Colorado Rush Nike (CO)
*2009 US Youth Soccer National Champion