COLUMBUS – The Crew Juniors U-19 squad, coached by Crew Technical Director Brian Bliss, defeated Blast FC 3-0 at the Crew's Obetz training facility on Sunday in the State Cup Final. The win marked the fourth-straight State Cup championship for the team and it will soon head to Iowa for regional competition.
Louisville forward Louis Berra found the net and Notre Dame midfielder Connor Klekota netted a brace in the 3-0 victory. In the female division, The Crew Juniors U-20 girls squad began open fields and will soon begin regular summer training. The team is set to compete in Columbus Cup as well as friendly matches throughout June and July.
In the midst of all the action this week, Crew Youth tryouts for the U-6 to U-12 age groups came to a close. Tryouts for the Crew Youth U-13 through U-19 teams commence this week for the 2013-14 season. More information on tryouts can be found via TheCrewYouth.com.
Finally, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy regular season came to a close over the weekend as the Crew Soccer Academy teams travelled to Cleveland to face the Internationals and hosted FC Milwaukee in Obetz, while the CSA Wolves squads took on Vardar SC Freiburg. The CSA Wolves U-16 squad finished the season in first place of the Central Conference with a 2-0 win against Vardar, and the CSA U-18s clinched a wild card spot in the USSDA Playoffs. For a full recap of the weekend action, see the Crew Youth Roundup section below.
CREW YOUTH ROUNDUP
U-16
The CSA U-16 team took on the Cleveland Internationals on Saturday at Pinnacle Sports Complex and drew 1-1. The Crew’s Omar Mohamed netted the lone goal for the Black & Gold. On Sunday, CSA claimed victory in its season finale against FC Milwaukee with a 3-1 result behind goals from Frank Carsonie, Devyn Etling and Silankonet Bayo at the Crew's Obetz training facility. The game was a physical battle as yellow cards were shown to Etling, Meneses-Wallace and Brett Smalley. The U-16s season ended with a 9-12-6 record following the win.
The CSA Wolves U-16s capped their season with a 19-4-4 record following a 2-0 home victory over Vardar SC Freiburg. The Wolves advance to the USSDA Playoffs in Dallas later this month.
U-18
The CSA U-18s tied Internationals 2-2 at Pinnacle on Saturday with goals from Andrew McKelvey and Jacob Atkinson in the 9th and 10th-minutes of the match. On Sunday, CSA defeated FC Milwaukee 2-1 with a tally from McKelvey and help from an own goal. McKelvey’s goal was the game-winner, coming in the 79th-minute. The win gave the Crew the fourth wildcard spot in the postseason and drew its record to 15-8-4. The USSDA Playoff match dates and opponents have yet to be announced.
The CSA Wolves' U-18 squad closed its season with a 5-0 loss to Vardar SC Freiburg, finishing two spots out of playoff contention with a 9-12-5 record.
