NPL Finals: Action wraps up on Monday

by J.R. Eskilson

July 13, 2021

The NPL Finals were held on Monday from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. The NPL Finals are an annual event bringing together the winning teams from the National Premier League (NPL) across the country. The top teams from each region compete in group play during the week before advancing to the knock-out rounds. The championship games for each age group were held on Monday.

Blitz Academy 04 won the championship in the U17 boys age group. South Carolina Surf 07 won the U14 boys age group. AFC Lightning 07 won the U14 girls age group. Louisiana Fire SC LA Fire 05 won the U16 girls group. Cleveland Cobras 02 won the U19 girls age group.

Boys 2005 (U16)

Southern Chester County SA Dragons 05 (Pennsylvania) defeated Seacoast United Maine SC in the Boys U16 NPL Final on Monday. Jack McCann was the hero of the day for his team. The Southern Chester County goalkeeper stopped a penalty kick in the the second half to preserve the 2-1 victory.

The defense in front of McCann stood strong throughout the second half as Seacoast applied the pressure while trailing by a goal throughout the later minutes of play.

SCC scored the opener early on in the contest. Ryan Barker hit a free kick that went well over 60 yards in the air. Matthew Capretto got his head on it and flicked it past the goalkeeper for the opening goal.

Seacoast answered with the equalizer in the first half from Jack Banks. Jack Moreau started the sequence with a pass into Ethan Njitoh. The forward got to the enplane for a cross to Banks for the tap-in.

SCC regained the lead before the half. Barker converted a kick from the spot for the go-ahead goal.

Seacoast dominated possession and chances in the second half, but SCC nearly sealed the win when Justin ‘Parker’ Wyatt broke loose and hit a screaming shot from inside the 18-yard box. Seacoast goalkeeper Nicholas Phinney made a good diving block on the effort.

SCC held on late with a number of blocks, clearances, and saves from McCann to claim the championship in the Boys U15 age group.

Girls 2004 (U17)

A dominant defensive performance led Midwest Premier Academy (MPA) (Nebraska) to the NPL Championship in the 2004 age group. MPA goalkeeper Jena Schultz recorded the shutout in the game against a strong Team Chicago side. Schultz’s honor came thanks to the work of everyone from her side as it was a complete team effort to cut down passing lanes and limit chances for MPA.

Schultz came up big when called upon. The goalkeeper made a terrific stop on a shot from No. 57 early in the second half. The diving save parried away the best chance of the game for Team Chicago.

MPA scored the lone goal of the game late in the second half on a header by No. 06 off of a corner kick.

Brooke Miller had a chance late on a header off a corner kick but her effort went wide of the goal.

MPA finished the event with only one goal conceded from the five games.

picture: US Club Soccer instagram