OXFORD, Ohio – The third and final day of the 2014 adidas Blue Chip Showcase finished in electrifying fashion, with an exciting U15 matchup between NSA and Saltfleet.

The teams battled to a draw during the first half, playing at equal speeds and intensities, but a couple key opportunities from both NSA and Saltfleet indicated that both sides were eager to get on the board first. 

Saltfleet forward Melanie Forbes was a constant threat to NSA’s defense, using her speed and quick footwork to trick the defense and open up scoring chances for her team. Taking the ball inside the right corner of the box early in the game, Forbes managed to get a strong shot in, but without a better angle the shot hit the outside of the net, out of bounds.

Read More: Top performances from Showcase Day Three | Recap of Blue Chip Showcase Day Two | Top Players from Day Two 

NSA forward Kyleigh Dominguez had a scoring opportunity of her own in the first half, taking on Saltfleet goaltender Sabryna Sankar in a breakaway. Unable to bend the ball around Sankar as she rushed off her line, Dominguez’s shot went wide of the goal, keeping the game scoreless entering halftime.

Determined to score for her team, Dominguez finally found the back of the net off a rebound early in the second half. NSA received a free kick just outside the box, which hit the top of the crossbar out of Sankar’s reach. The ball bounced back into play and Dominguez pounced, smacking the ball towards the goal, ricocheting off a Saltfleet defender and hitting the left corner of the net.

Defending against relentless attacks from Saltfleet’s Forbes, the NSA Rockets walked away with a 2-1 win, going 2-0-1 overall this weekend. For head coach Radosav Martinovic, it was more than just his team’s win Sunday that made him satisfied with the showcase.

“In this showcase I see a lot of college coaches, which is really nice for them to see these kids,” Martinovic said. “These kids have a lot of potential that they can introduce to the colleges and I’m happy about that.”

 

Dakota REV 5-2 Classics Eagles (U16)

After giving up five goals to Kings Hammer Academy in Saturday afternoon’s shutout, the Dakota REV U16s were hungry for a win, scoring four goals in the first half and early part of the second half.

In what was quickly looking to be a shutout, Classics Eagles bounced back in the second half, responding with a goal of their own. Forward Jordan Fike sprinted down the right wing of the field, crossing the ball into the center of the box where midfielder Anne Mosca had a one-touch shot that flew past Dakota REV goaltender Lindsay Hoeppner into the net.

Determined to keep the game alive, Classics Eagles racked up a second goal a couple minutes later when forward Alexandrine Cranfield fired a hard shot at Hoeppner, who had rushed off her line to cut the angle to the net. Hoeppner tipped the shot over her head, but being so far off her line the ball stayed in play, allowing midfielder Annika Fowler to rush in and blast the ball into the net to make it a 4-2 game.

All hopes of a comeback for the Classics Eagles were thwarted late in the second half when Dakota REV forward Katherine Brumley won a loose ball that had gotten away from goaltender Miranda Kuhns. Scoring off the rebound, Brumley clinched the 5-2 victory for Dakota REV.

 

Riverhounds 4-0 Tennessee SC (U16)

Despite a slow start to the first half, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds broke down the Tennessee SC defense, scoring three goals on three consecutive plays, all before halftime.

After taking a 1-0 lead, the Riverhounds immediately tallied a second goal when Shawna Zaken flew up the center of the field to receive a cross from the right wing of the field. Pressured by a Tennessee SC defender, Zaken took advantage of her one touch on the ball, placing it into the far corner of the net.

With a dominating 4-0 victory over Tennessee SC Sunday, the Riverhounds sweeped the Blue Chip tournament, defeating St. Croix Fusion on Friday and Minnesota Thunder Academy on Saturday.