MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (June 22, 2011) – Celebrations and emotions were on display Wednesday as 12 teams claimed the US Youth Soccer Region III Championship. Each team not only was crowned Regional champion, but also earned a berth to the US Youth Soccer National Championships July 26-31 at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Ariz.

North Texas dominated again today. Six of the 12 teams advancing to the US Youth Soccer National Championships are from North Texas. Three of those teams are part of the Dallas Texans Soccer Club. Georgia and Florida are each sending two teams to the US Youth Soccer National Championships and Oklahoma and South Carolina are sending one each.

The U-14 girls Region III championship was won by Sting (TX-N) for the second straight year.  Following in the footsteps of two strong teams within the club, Sting 97 faced fellow Texas team Lonestar Red (TX-S). A Lonestar own goal in the thirteenth minute started the scoring for the Sting. Blair Thorpe and Nicole Smith each scored to help Sting continue the tradition of winning and earn a berth in the National Championships by beating Lonestar 3-0.

Defending regional champion Sting 96 (TX-N) successfully repeated as champions with a 1-0 victory over home town rival D’Feeters (TX-N). The two Dallas-based teams traveled to Tennessee to face off in the title game. The score remained at zeros until the last minute of regulation when Sting’s Sydney Kingston slotted one past the keeper and sent her team to Phoenix. Sting will be looking to avenge its loss in the 2010 National Championship Final.
 
In a preview of a potential matchup at the national championships, Hurricane FC (OK) beat Sting 95 (TX-N) 1-0.  Hurricane Jasmine Pascoe chipped one over the keeper’s head sixty-eight minutes in to put her team on the board. Hurricane had already qualified for the National Championships by winning the National League, but today claimed the Region 3 Championship as well. As runner-up, Sting 95 will represent Region III in Phoenix.
 
U17 NASA Elite (GA) knows what it’s like to play on the National stage, having played last year at the National championships as a National League qualifier. This year, they will compete as Region III Champions as they overcame the Tennessee hometown team Brentwood 94 Girl Premier (TN) and the hometown crowd that came out to support the team. During a scoreless first 80 minutes, both teams created dangerous scoring chances. NASA Elite keeper Alyse Scott came up big in goal for her team, keeping a clean sheet the entire 90 minutes. A Brentwood own goal in the eightieth-minute goal was all the Georgia team needed to book a trip back to National Championships.
 
Two Florida teams met on the field today in the U-18 Girls final as Ponte Vedra Storm (FL) looked to return to the national stage by facing familiar foe Team Boca (FL). Ponte Vedra struck first as Havana Solaun scored her seventh goal of the tournament to give her team the 1-0 lead in the thirtieth minute. That lead held for an hour, but in the last minute of regulation, tournament MVP Tatiana Coleman netted the equalizer for Team Boca. Just two minutes into overtime Natalie Punal scored the game winner and sent Team Boca to the National Championships.
 
After a 0-0 game through 90 minutes, the U-19 Girls final between Sting 92 )TX-N) and the Dallas Texans (TX-N) had plenty of drama in the extra time. Sting found the net first as Samantha Howell put her team in front in the ninety-fourth minute. Alyssa Diggs equalized for the Dallas Texans just two minutes later. Less than five minutes from the threat of a shootout, Amanda Frisbie’s individual effort and willingness to take on defenders in the final third resulted in the game winning goal. Dallas Texans beat Sting 2-1 to return to the National Championships.

The U-14 Boys final crowned champion Dallas Texans 97 Red (TX-N) as they beat LAFC Houstonians (TX-S) 3-0. The Texans won their sixth game in six days with a convincing second half of soccer. After a scoreless first 35 minutes, Ivan Alvarado opened the scoring with a fortieth-minute strike. Samuel Valadez added two more late goals, his sixth and seventh of the tournament, to give the Texans the 3-0 victory.
 
After winning a penalty shootout to advance to the finals today, Solar Chelsea 96 (TX-N) needed more late heroics to beat GSA 96 Phoenix (GA). GSA took the early lead off an eleventh- minute strike by Joseph Sandres. Alan Winn scored for GSA in the fifty-fourth to draw level. In the last minute of play, Winn found some space at the top of the box and unleashed a shot that found the upper 90 and the back of the net. The strike proved the game and championship winner as Solar beat GSA 2-1.
 
CESA 94 Premier (SC) started out the week in Murfreesboro with two draws. After a team meeting, CESA rallied four straight wins, the final coming today as they beat Gulf Coast United Dynamo (MS). Nicky Watson’s thirty-sixth minute goal gave CESA the half-time lead. Having given up only one goal all tournament, CESA continued its impressive defensive form, and Watson added another goal in the eightieth minute to seal the 2-0 victory.
 
The U-17 Boys final pitted Florida Rush Nike (FL) against National League Champion, Tulsa Soccer Club (OK). Despite the outcome, both teams would advance to Phoenix, as Tulsa had punched its ticket via the National league. Florida Rush coach Nate Omodt kept this detail from his team to motivate them to advance to Nationals as regional champions. His plan worked, as Florida Rush beat TSC 2-1. Jean Rivaroli, the tournaments leading scorer with seven goals, found the net in the fifth minute for Rush. TSC battled back, and leveled in the forty-eighth.

Adam Tran struck gold for Florida Rush when his ninetieth-minute strike found the back of the net, giving Rush the 2-1 victory.
 
Defending National Champion Alpharetta Ambush (GA) played all week with a target on its back. Every team played its best game against the Ambush, and finals day opponent Tulsa Soccer Club (OK) was certainly up to the challenge. After TSC gave up three goals in the first 15 minutes, Juan Peralta pulled one back when he scored in the thirty-fourth minute. Sean Kelley scored for Ambush five minutes later and the Georgia team took a 4-1 lead into halftime. The teams traded goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half to give Ambush the 5-2 lead. TSC showed great character and fought back, scoring three unanswered goals by Milton Leopoldo, Omar Mata and Joshua Fuhrman to force overtime. The extra time belonged to the defending champs, as Jeffrey Degen added a goal to Karl Chesters’ overtime hat trick to complete the 9-5 victory for Ambush.
 
Cobb FC 92 Premier (GA) scored in the waning moments of the first half to take a 1-0 lead over the Dallas Texans 92 (TX-N) into the half. In the sixty-seventh minute, Brett Helm leveled the score. The teams battled back and forth until Ryan Ritter netted the game and tournament winning goal in the ninetieth minute. The Dallas Texans became the sixth North Texas team on the day to win a Region 3 Championship.

2011 US Youth Soccer Region III Championship Scores: 

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