Saturday’s portion of the Cincinnati Cup during Memorial Day weekend featured a balmy mid-70s-degree weather and some elite Midwest soccer clubs participating in the premier showcase. While some teams are competing in a tournament-based setting (U12-U14 Boys and Girls), other teams are playing to see how well they will do in three games during the weekend setting.

Victory Express, from Washington, Penn., had one of the more exemplary performances on the day, winning 6-0 in the early-day U17 match over Sporting Indiana FC SIFC98. Victory players attacked often, putting several midfielders and forwards in the box when given the opportunity. One forward, Aaron Harris, recorded a hat trick on the day, while teammate Adam Pannebaker scored two of his own.

Head coach Earl Pannebaker said he was overall pleased with his team’s performance, especially considering the club only had one substitute player available on the day.

“We went in with a game plan of possessing the ball and not try to run people into the ground,” Earl Pannebaker said. “We controlled the ball in the middle of the field and were able to make our runs. We were also able to stand them still in the defensive third of the field. So I was happy with our performance today.”

The U17 Sporting BV Schalke 97-98 (Kansas) also put on a scoring clinic in its game against Hoosier FC Elite (Indiana), racking up three goals in the first half against the Wolves. Sporting BV possessed the ball often, not allowing its opponent to get many chances at their net. Forward Toby Preyer had an amazing, off-the-chest goal in the first half for Sporting BV while midfielder Connor Heller displayed his excellent ball movement, tripping up opposing players at center field and in the box. Goalkeeper Max Carnes also did a good job directing the team’s backline during the win.

On the women’s side, Cincinnati West CWSC Elite and Indiana Fire Juniors 99G tied their U16 match at 3-3. Indiana Fire scored early in the first half to put Cincinnati West in a hole, but the Bulldogs came out red-hot after the break, bringing the game within striking distance. Cincinnati West’s Whitney White then drew the equalizer late in the game with an arching long-bomb to complete the draw.

Bulldogs coach Jonathan McClung said White’s game-tying goal is a perfect example of why she’s so dangerous.

“She’s done a nice job creating space for herself, allowing us to exploit areas,” McClung said. “She penetrates, taking (opposing) players on to get behind and she gets the ball in the box or goal, shooting from long range if she has the angle and opportunity to do so. She was able to get us out of here with the points.”

The Cincinnati Cup will continue on Sunday at Voice of America Metro Park to wrap up the soccer showcase.

Best Saturday Performances

F Aaron Harris, Victory Express U17- Harris is an aggressive player, both on and off the ball. During his Saturday tilt, Harris won many of his 50/50 battles and outran some of his opponents for play-in balls. Harris was even pulled over by the head referee, warning him of being too physically aggressive after he and opponent collided for a header. The junior from MuGuffey High School (Claysville, Penn.) also displayed excellent dribbling skills and recorded a hat-trick in his team’s win. Speaking of his top player, Victory head coach Earl Pannebaker said Harris is a “high-energy player” and “will run through walls if you ask him too.” He also praised his ability to find open teammates as well as his excellent touch when scoring goals.

GK Anna Money, Blast FC South Elite U17- Money is clearly a vocal leader on the Blast team, conducting the backline while also encouraging the attackers to press often. She is the embodiment of the “head-on-a-swivel” mentality that elite goalies should have. She stopped several opposing shots in her Saturday game, both from close range and long bombs. She did allow a penalty kick and a confusing own-goal to get by her, but she made up for it in the last possession of the game, stopping a barrage of desperate shots to preserve a win for her team. Money’s father, who was professional goalie himself for 31 years, said he personally trains her to make sure she’s ready for the next level. He also added that Money earned First Team GCL (Greater Catholic League) as a goalkeeper during her current year at Chaminade-Julienne High School (Dayton, Ohio).

F/MF Whitney White, Cincinnati West CWSC Elite Bulldogs U16- White is a versatile attacking player, switching from midfielder to a wide forward during her game on Saturday. White scored a long range, arching equalizer late in the game to give her team the draw. She also has a knack for exploiting weak areas of an opponent’s defense, getting the ball inside to her teams at the opportune time. Coach Pat McGuinness said he encourages White to take the long shots often because he knows she’ll put a hard-to-defend spin on it when she kicks it.

F Toby Preyer, Sporting BV Schalke 97-98 U17- Preyer is excellent opportunity-creating attacking forward, finding the right space to be in to hit one-timers off his feet after receiving the ball from his teammates. Preyer had a highlight-reel goal during one of his matches, where he stopped the ball with his chest, spun around, and with the ball yet to touch the ground, fired a shot into the top-right corner of the net. Preyer will need to control the rest goal-scoring chances, however, as he has a tendency to not keep the ball on ground when near the net.

MF Conner Heller, Sporting BV Schalke 97-98 U17- Heller, one of Preyer’s teammates, also had an eye-catching performance during his team’s blowout victory. Heller is an excellent possession-driven player and can really finesse the ball in between opponents. Heller also creates multiple goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates with his on-point passing. But like his teammate Preyer, Heller also needs to work on keeping shots on the ground when he has a chance to score a goal of his own, as he missed at least two shots due to launching the ball.

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