LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – A pair of special goals marked the final day of play here at the Disney Soccer Showcase, presented by Chelsea Football Club.

As I wrote after the boys event, the format here is an attempt to strike a balance between a format with a semifinal and final, which would require two matches to be played in a day, and a pure showcase event with no winners crowned in any age bracket. In the current Disney format, multiple champions, as many as four in one age group, are crowned per flight. While this leaves some questions unanswered about who the best teams are for the week, it takes nothing away from the dramatically good strikes that provided the margin of victory in U15 and U16 title matches played on adjoining fields early Sunday afternoon.

The first came in the U15 match, where CASL Spartan Elite defeated Massachusetts-side Scorpions SC. The winner came late in the 1st half off the foot of U15 Girls National Team midfielder Joanna Boyles. Boyles waited for a ball bounding away from the Scorpions’ goal and met with the sweetest of left-footed volleys that left the goalkeeper with no chance, ripping the net chords just under the crossbar for a gorgeous goal.

Boyles, who said she practices striking from distance all the time, said her team’s best offensive efforts come when they work their hardest.

“What really worked for us was 1-2 touch and getting it back and playing it, plus moving on and off the ball,” Boyles said.

Boyles’ goal held up in large part due to the brave and excellent goalkeeping by CASL’s Taylor Francis. More than once Francis was willing to dive at the feet of Scorpions’ attackers or stop shots with her body at close range. She said her team’s approach to defending and marking assignments is basic.

“We just try to see who’s open and get a player on them,” she said. “If we get someone on them then they can’t do anything. I tell them what to do and they do it. Our 0rganization helps because we’re not necessarily the fastest and strongest team ever, but we are the most intelligent – that’s an inside joke.”

CASL also got good play on the day from Kelsey Reeves, winning balls in midfield. Caroline Brown was aggressive in defense and made some key challenges, while Kathryn Palmer was active in attack.

For Scorpions, Lauren Berman was excellent in attack, as was Mckenzie Meehan. Meehan started the move that proved to be Scorpions’ best chance to score, slipping a beautiful pass to Andrea O’Brien, who fired a shot from inside the area that Francis made an incredible save on. After the ball was served back across the area, Brooke Sweeney hit a shot off the upright with the goal exposed.

On the next field over, it looked like Adrian Solca’s Solar SC team would be going to overtime in its U16 Showcase Final with the Naperville Premier Fury. But with the match scoreless, Quinnie Truong, a top 2012 recruit, hit a ferocious 35-yard strike from open play that ripped the net chords just as Boyles’ goal had earlier. The goal proved to be the margin of victory, but only because Truong also cleared off the line as Naperville went on a full court press to find an equalizer.

Truong, who is still deliberating over her college choice among five finalists, agreed that the goal was a special one for a special team.

“I’d say this is one of the best goals I’ve scored in my career,” she said. “I practice it all the time. This is the best team I could ever be with. I couldn’t ask for a better group.”

In a U18 Showcase Final, Eclipse Select finished a strong week, defeating Minnesota side Woodbury Inferno 2-0 in overtime, with Lynn Froetscher and Natalia Jovanovic scoring in the 2nd 10-minute extra session. Portland-bound goalkeeper Erin Dees surrendered just one goal over the four matches.

Showcase Championship Results

U18 Showcase
Championship: Eclipse Select 2, Woodbury Inferno 0
Championship: Albertson SC 4, Vista Shockwave 1

U17 Showcase
Championship: GSA Phoenix 2, Ohio Elite 1
Championship: PDA Tsunami 4, Syosset FC 2
Championship: Stars of Massachusetts 2, Michigan Hawks 0

U16 Showcase
Championship: Stars of Massachusetts 1, Chantilly Burn 0
Championship: PDA Charge 1, Mclean Strikers 0
Championship: Solar 94 Red 1. NSA Premier Fury 0

U15 Showcase
Championship: CASL Spartan Elite 1, Scorpions SC 0
Championship: Sting 95 1, VSA Heat Blue 0
Championship: North Atlanta SA 2, Charlotte Predator 1