Group A Preview

A mix of backgrounds and experience among the Group A teams make for some intrigue as to which teams will move on to the knockout rounds and a chance to play for the James P. McGuire Cup. Dix Hills Elite (NY-E) has players from its 2013 National Championships finalist team and the valuable experience that comes with playing on that stage. Meanwhile, Region III Champion OFC 98 (OK) has displayed the type of sound defense that can keep the team in any game. Chicago Fire Juniors South (IL) heads to Frisco after coming out on top of the National League Blue Division, which included two other National qualifiers. FC United (IL) can’t be overlooked, either. After qualifying as the National League Red Division Runner-up, the Illinois side won the Region II Championship and should be ready to make some noise in Frisco, Texas.

Group B Preview

Three of the four Group B teams bring prior National Championship experience to Frisco. OP 97/98 Green (OH-S) features several players who advanced to the 2014 National final, and they’ll also be hungry to improve on their performance at Nationals from a year ago. National League Red Champion Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E) has found success in its previous two trips to Nationals but has yet to finish on top — something it will look to change in 2017. The other National League side, Blue Division Runner-up Challenger Crew Jrs Gold 98 (OH-N), narrowly missed out on the knockout stage a year ago in Frisco and should be ready to try and make a deep run this season. The lone newcomer, West Coast Haney (CA-S), experienced years’ worth of adversity at the Region IV Championships, where it used a huge comeback in the final to capture a well-earned place in the National Championships field.

Region I: Dix Hills Elite (NY-E)

How they got to Nationals
After winning its fifth Eastern New York State Cup in seven years, Dix Hills Elite (NY-E) advanced to the Region I Championships as it looked to qualify for its fourth National Championships. Two wins and a draw helped Dix Hills advance as the second place team out of Group A. In a matchup of former National Championship finalists, the Eastern New York side came away with a 2-1 semifinal victory against Loudoun 98 Red (VA). Dix Hills came up short against Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E) in the Region I final, but with Penn Fusion representing the National League in Frisco, Texas, Dix Hills earned its way to Nationals as the Region I representative.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
Region Finals: 2016, 2017
2016 National Championships: Group Stage (0-1-2)
2014 National Championships: Semifinals (1-2-1)
2013 National Championships: Runner-Up (3-1)
2015-16 National League Blue: 7th (2-4-1)
2014-15 National League Red: 5th (1-4-2)
2013-14 National League Red: Champion (6-0-1)
2012-13 National League Blue: Runner-Up (3-1-3)

Player Accolades
State ODP: Josh Levine, Kyle Honor, Kurt Wesch, James Contino
Region ODP: Josh Levine, Kurt Wesch, James Contino
2013 National Championships Best XI: Spencer Manus, James Contino
2014 National Championships Top Scorers: James Contino (T-3rd)
2013 National Championships Top Scorers: Christopher McAuliff (T-3rd)
2017 Region I Championships Top Scorer: Jimmy Contino (T-5th)

Coach
Phil Bannister

Region II: OP 97/98 Green (OH-S)

How they got to Nationals
With several players who have National Championships experience, OP 97/98 Green (OH-S) is looking to make its mark after advancing to Frisco as the Region II representative. The Ohio South side won Group B at the Region II Championships, as it outscored opponents, 12-to-2, while going 2-0-1. After a dominant victory in the semifinals, OP Green came up short against FC United (IL) in the final. However, with FC United having already qualified through the National League, OP Green earned a spot at Nationals and a shot at winning the McGuire Cup.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
Region Champs: 2016
Region Finals: 2014, 2017
Region Semis: 2013
2014 National Championships: Runner-Up (3-2)
2016 National Championships: Qualifier
2015-16 National League Blue: 5th (3-4)
2014-15 National League Blue: 3rd (4-2-1)
2013-14 National League Blue: Champion (5-1-1)
2012-13 National League Red: 7th (2-4-1)

Player Accolades
State ODP: Brennan Davis, Cole Heilman
Region ODP: Jack Holland
2017 Region II Championships Top Scorer: Jack Holland (T-3rd)
2016 Region II Championships Top Scorers: Brennon Davis (T-1st)
2014-15 National League Top Scorers: Jack Holland (T-4th)
2014 Region II Champs: Cole Heilman (T-4th)

College Programs
Kingsley Amoakohene
Tiffin University
Isaac Arefi
Ohio State University
Lukas Bean
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ian Black
Indiana University, Bloomington
Oscar Carvajal
California University of Pennsylvania
Brennon Davis
Ohio State University
Jarrod Ferstl
Ohio Wesleyan University
Cole Heilman
St. Bonaventure University
Jack Holland
Ohio State University
Matthew Kiley
Ohio State University
Tyler Stills
Capital University
Brady Whittekind
Ohio Wesleyan University
Alex Williams
Wright State University
Brian Woo
Case Western Reserve University

Coach
David Winner

Region III: OFC 98 (OK)

How they got to Nationals
Behind a strong defensive effort, OFC 98 (OK) claimed the Region III Championship to punch its ticket to Frisco, Texas. The Oklahoma side allowed just two goals in Greensboro, N.C., to take the Regional crown. After winning all three Group D games, OFC picked up back-to-back 1-0 victories in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds to advance to the title game. In its final matchup with NTH NASA 98 Elite (GA), OFC left out the drama as it controlled the game en route to a 4-0 win and the Region III title. OFC also just missed out on qualifying for Nationals after finishing third in its division in the National League, so it should be well prepared for the competition in Frisco.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017
Region Champs: 2017
Region Semifinals: 2014, 2015
2016-17 National League Blue: 3rd (4-1-2)

Player Accolades
State ODP: Dante Brigida, Sean Grilley, Carter Noble, Cooper Clark, Daryl Dike
Region ODP: Dante Brigida, Daryl Dike
U.S. Youth National Team Player: Daryl Dike
2017 Region III Championships Top Scorer: Dante Brigida (1st)

College Programs
Stormy Arledge
Oklahoma Baptist University
Joshua Berney
Southern Methodist University
Dante Brigida
Oral Roberts University
Kelvin Chandler
Oklahoma Baptist University
Cooper Clark
University of Tulsa
Sean Grilley
Northeastern State University
Luke Humphrey
Oklahoma Christian University
Gabriel Knight
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Austin Needham
Oklahoma Baptist University
William O'Connor
Lake Forest College
Jaxon Pitt
Rogers State University

Coach
Jesse Faily

Region IV: West Coast Haney (CA-S)

How they got to Nationals
There was plenty of drama for West Coast Haney (CA-S) on its way to Nationals. A few players organized the team in a week and they came together quickly to win the Cal South State Cup. At Regionals in Seattle, West Coast won five of its six games by a one-goal margin, as it showed an ability to find just the right formula to win. No game exemplified that more than the Region IV Championships final, in which West Coast fought back from a 3-0 second-half deficit to win, 4-3, and earn a chance to play for the McGuire Cup.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2017
Region Champs: 2017
Player Accolades
2017 Region IV Championships Top Scorer: Zane Rojas (T-3rd)

College Programs
Manuel Acosta Laurian
University of California, Irvine
Garrett Amador
Loyola Marymount University
Jared Andrews
University of California, San Diego
Bulus Galadima
Biola University
Jacob Huber
California State University, San Bernardino
Daniel Lind
Marist College
Spencer Madden
San Diego State University
Benjamin Martin
Princeton University
Abraham Ordaz
University of California, San Diego
William Ospina
California State University, Fullerton
Dane Rozas
San Diego State University
Jonathan Stoop
University of California, San Diego
Eric Torres
Concordia University Irvine
Kelvin Uribe
University of California, San Diego

Coach
Bryan Haney

National League Blue 1: Chicago Fire Juniors South (IL)

How they got to Nationals
After coming up a penalty kick shootout short of a National Championships berth in 2016, Chicago Fire Juniors South (IL) left no doubt as it secured the National League Blue Division title earlier this year. The Illinois side picked up three wins from four games in the opening weekend to jump out to a quick start. After a draw in its first game in Las Vegas, Chicago picked up a pair of victories to wrap up the season and finish on top of the Blue Division. Having bested a group that included two other National Championship qualifiers, Chicago should be ready to face the competition in Frisco.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2014
State Finals: 2015, 2016, 2017
Region Finals: 2016
2016-17 National League Blue: Champions (5-1-1)

College Programs
Ethan Barangan
U.S. Military Academy
Peter Becht
University of Illinois at Chicago
Jake Farley
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
Noah Kettle
Western Illinois University
Connor Mote
Bentley University
Jacskon Ranck
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
Robert Reichert
Illinois Wesleyan University
John Schuler
Colorado College
Christopher Sullivan
Bowling Green State University

Coach
Mike Skupien

National League Blue 2: Challenger Crew Jrs Gold 98 (OH-N)

How they got to Nationals
A 10-point opening weekend helped Challenger Crew Jrs Gold 98 (OH-N) take control of the National League Blue Division when play wrapped up in North Carolina. A 2-1 win over eventual Region III Champion OFC 98 (OK) on the season’s second day proved to be vital, as the two sides finished level in the standings after the Ohio North side grabbed four points in its final three National League games. The head-to-head win over OFC allowed Challenger to take second place and punch its ticket to the National Championships.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016
Region Champs: 2016
Region Finals: 2014
2016 National Championships: Group Stage (2-1-0)
2016-17 National League Blue: 2nd (4-1-2)

Player Accolades
2016 Region II Champs Top Scorers: Justin Libertowski (T-1st)

College Programs
Chris Brennan
Bowling Green State University

Coach
Oliver Condell

National League Red 1: Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E)

How they got to Nationals
No stranger to the National Championships, Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E) is back for a third trip to Nationals. The Eastern Pennsylvania side set a National League scoring record by finding the back of the net 31 times in the 2016-17 season, as it went 6-1-0 and won the Red Division. It took a different style of games for Penn Fusion to advance to the Region I Championship match, as it scored six total goals in its first four games in Virginia while relying on stout defense to move on. Penn Fusion then combined it all into a dominant shutout win over Dix Hills Elite (NY-E) in the Region I final to take the title and build momentum heading into the National Championships.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
Region Champs: 2013, 2015, 2017
Region Finals: 2012
Region Semifinals: 2014
2013 National Championships: 3rd
2015 National Championships: Semifinalist
2016-17 National League Red: Champions (6-1-0)
2014-15 National League Red Division: Champions (5-1-1)
2013-14 National League Red Division: 6th (1-4-2)

Player Accolades
2015 Region I Champs Top Scorer (Tied 4th): Samuel Brown (3) and Frank DeRosa (3)
2014-15 National League Top Scorer (Tied 3rd): Samuel Brown (4)
2013 National Championships Best XI: Maxwell Zandi

College Programs
Samuel Brown
Loyola University (Maryland)
Charlie Collins
La Salle University
Frank DeRosa
Princeton University
Quinn Dudek
Davidson College
Colin Fagan
Dickinson College
Brendan Hanrahan
University of Pennsylvania
Anthony Marcucci
Connecticut College
Aiden McFadden
University of Notre Dame
James Meals
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Eamon O'Connor
Bucknell University
Cameron Peploe
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Alex Potter
Immaculata University
Erik Recke
Washington and Lee University
Richard Schlentz
Villanova University
Ryan Sholes
Haverford College
Beckham Sibiski
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Conner Weiss
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Maxwell Zandi
Villanova University

Coach
Jamie Scott

National League Red 2: FC United (IL)

How they got to Nationals
A 5-1-1 record in the National League Red Division allowed FC United (IL) to take second place and earn a berth to the National Championships. The team didn’t stop there, however, as it won the Illinois State Cup and put on a dominant display at the Region II Championships. In South Dakota, FC United scored 16 goals and conceded just one, as it captured the Midwest Regional title. With sustained success against the top teams in its region and the country this season, FC United should be well prepared to make a run at the McGuire Cup.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2015, 2016, 2017
Region Champs: 2017
Region Semifinals: 2015
2016-17 National League Red: 2nd (5-1-1)

Player Accolades
2017 Region II Championships Top Scorer: Noah Melick (T-3rd)
2016-17 National League Top Scorer: Noah Melick (T-6th)

College Programs
Alexander Alfaro
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Jaylen Anderson
Xavier University
David (Ben) Brandt
University of Chicago
Jose Castillo-Bahena
University of Illinois at Chicago
Manny Cerritos
University of Illinois at Chicago
Seth Grossman
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Sean Hickey
Denison University
Tim Iscra
DePaul University
Noah Melick
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Jake Nunez
University of Illinois at Chicago
J Nash Pirie
University of Michigan
Jonathan Sanchez
Loyola University (Illinois)

Coach
Yianny Caparos