BEAVERCREEK, OHIO – Just one more day left here at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships, and that is when we’ll see the top teams crowned in 14 age groups.

Of course the landscape is all different these days, with the best older Boys team playing in Greensboro at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs. A number of top girls clubs are also splitting time between U.S. Youth Soccer’s National Championship Series and the relatively new Elite Clubs National League, but this is still a top event for Girls and younger Boys age groups.

A look at the championship matches on tap for Wednesday reveals some traditional club powers in the lineup along with a few upstarts. Teams playing in Tuesday semifinals enjoyed much cooler temperatures, which hopefully provided some relief for young men and women being asked to play their 4th match in 4 days.

Read on for a couple of feature match summaries, and scroll down for Wednesday’s title bout matchups.

The Region II semifinals are over, who will win the finals?

U14 Boys Semifinal: Carmel United (IN) 1, Cincinnati United Premier 0
A 1st half winner from Connor Corrigan lifted Joe Sochacki’s Indianapolis-area squad into the final game.

Corrigan, who only recently returned to action after suffering a broken bone in his foot, is still seeing just limited playing time, but he made the most of his opportunity Tuesday, knocking home a rebound after Cam Lindley’s shot was well-saved by CUP goalkeeper Wesley Mink.

CUP got good performances from Jack Clark and especially the industrious left-sided player Thor Beccdahl, but the team seemed a little out of gas after its 1st three matches. Still, they rallied to put a lot of pressure on the Carmel goal in the closing minutes, sending a lot of high balls into the penalty area. Carmel goalkeeper Collin Stewart was steady between the sticks, and got valiant efforts in front of him from defenders Cameron Taylor, Ethan Smith, Lucas Rowe and Kyle VanderLarshatt.

Going forward, Carmel got some good soccer from the feet and decision-making of Cam Lindley, Brian Martin, Joey Bastion, Bennett Kim and Eric McDougal. Lindley is playing up and looks to have an especially good soccer brain.

Coach Joe Sochaki said after the win that the team is a result of some good things going on at the club.

“Right now we’ve got a combination of good athletes and 5 or 6 guys who are good soccer players. The challenge we face is to try and mold these athletic kids into better players. We’re in the finals at both the U14 and U15 level, so we’re excited about what we have coming through the pipeline,” he said. “Kids are coming over to the club who want to be part of the (USSF) Academy program. We’re beginning to incorporate the younger players in with the 16s in training, so now we throw those guys into the mix and it’s another selling point for us. It’s good for us to get those guys earlier at 14 and 15 so we can immerse them into what goes on in training and those things. Then when they step on the field it’s not this whole new experience for them.”

U16 Girls: Naperville Fury 5, FC Milwaukee 0
Rade Martinovic’s team is absent some of its top players through injury, and they have already qualified for Nationals by winning the U.S. Youth Soccer National League, but the squad doesn’t seem to be missing a beat as it won a semifinal match here comfortably.

The well-coached team controlled most possession and created nearly all the chances in the match, leaving goalkeeper Jordan Ginther just a few rudimentary kicks upfield.

Jessica Bronke scored the first goal for the Chicago-area side, heading in a cross from Courtney McHugh. Naperville doubled the lead when Christina Ordonez headed home from a cross by Lexi Peterson.

A volley from Corinne Harris made it 3-0 and then a free kick by Ali Farkos was redirected into the FC Milwaukee net by one of their own defenders to make it 4-0. Farkos was good in the middle. Winning balls and spraying it around to her teammates to kickstart a number of NSA attacks.

The team took its foot off the gas a bit in the 2nd half, likely with Wednesday’s final in mind, but Courtney McHugh still managed to score a goal, stripping a defender of the ball in the Milwaukee end, walking in on goal and finishing from a sharp angle for a final score of 5-0.

Since NSA were already in Nationals, Minnesota Thunder Academy now qualifies for the event next month in Kansas City by virtue of having won the other semifinal here Tuesday.

Tuesday’s Semifinal Results & Wednesday’s Championship Matches

U13 Boys
Lexington FC (KY 1, St. Louis Scott Gallagher 0
Sockers FC (IL) 7, Heartland FC (IA) 1
Championship Game: Sockers (IL) vs. Lexington FC (KY)

U13 Girls
Michigan Hawks 1,  KC Metro Dynamos 0
JB Marine Wipke (MO) 2, SFSC Lady Bluez (IN) 1
Championship Game: Michigan Hawks vs. JB Marine Wipke (MO)

U14 Boys
Carmel United (IN) 1, Cincinnati United Premier 0
Eclipse Select (IL) 3, Bavarian Juniors (WI) 0
Championship Game: Carmel United vs. Eclipse Select (IL)

U14 Girls
Michigan Hawks 3, Vardar 96 (MI) 0
Sockers FC  (IL) 1, St. Louis Scott Gallagher
Championship Game: Michigan Hawks. Vs. Sockers FC (IL)

U15 Boys
Vardar 96 (MI) 2, Sockers SC (IL) 1
Carmel United (IN) 3, Minnesota Thunder Academy 1
Championship Game: Carmel United (IN) vs. Minnesota Thunder Academy

U15 Girls
JB Marine Wipke (MO) 2, Michigan Hawks 1
Blast FC (OH) 1, Kansas City FC (KS) 0
Championship Game: Blast FC vs. JB Marine Wipke (MO)

U16 Boys
Grand Rapids Crew SC 2, Lou Fusz SC (MO) 1
Waza FC (MI) 3, Cleveland FC (OH) 2 (OT)
Championship Game: Grand Rapids Crew (MI) vs Waza FC (MI).

U16 Girls
Naperville Fury (IL) 5, FC Milwaukee (WI) 0
Minnesota Thunder Academy 1, Kansas City FC (KS) 0 (OT)
Championship Game: Naperville Fury vs. Minnesota Thunder Academy

U17 Boys
WSO United Thunder (KS) 3, Westside United 1 (IN)
St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO) 2, Croatian Eagles (WI) 1
Championship Game: WSO United Thunder (KS) vs. St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO)

U17 Girls
Michigan Hawks 1, Ohio Elite 0
Ohio Premier Eagles 2, Mockingbird SC (KY) 0  
Championship Game: Michigan Hawks vs. Ohio Premier Eagles

U18 Boys
Javanon 92 (KY) 4, Cincinnati United Premier 1 (OT)
Shattuck St. Marys (MN) 3, Kansas City FC Strikers (KS) 1
Championship Game:Shattuck St. Marys vs. Javanon 92 (KY)

U18 Girls
Eclipse Select (IL) 3, CASA (OH) 0
FC Milwaukee 4, Internationals (OH) 3 (OT)
Championship Game: Eclipse Select (IL) vs. FC Milwaukee

U19 Boys
Kansas City Wizards (KS) 1, St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO) 0
Crew Juniors (OH) 3, Waza FC (MI) 0
Championship Game: Kansas City Wizards (KS) vs. Crew Juniors (OH)

U19 Girls
Eclipse Select (IL) 3, Minnesota Thunder Academy 2
Ohio Elite 3, FC Milwaukee 0
Championship Game: Ohio Elite vs. Eclipse Select (IL)