Three past national champions qualified for another chance to add to their credentials by clinching age-group titles at the Snickers US Youth Soccer Region I Championship at the University of Rhode Island. The boys and girls champions in divisions Under-16 though Under-19 advance to the Snickers US Youth Soccer National Championship, July 25-30 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports( in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The two-time national champion Northport/Cow Harbor (E-N.Y.) Piranha Under-19 girls clinched their fourth regional title, defeating the FC Greater Boston Bolts (Mass.), 3-2. Northport/Cow Harbor is one of three Eastern New York teams to advance, including the West Babylon Panthers Under-17 boys and FC Westchester Under-16 boys. One of the region’s most successful teams, FC Delco Dynamo (E-Pa.), qualified for its fourth consecutive National Championship by overwhelming the Colonia FC Bulldogs (N.J.), 8-0, in the Under-19 boys final. The 1998 Under-17 national champions will be joined by the FC Delco Black Under-18 boys, who won their second regional title in three years. Weston Wild Thing (Conn.) will try to win its second national title in three years after defeating the Rochester Jr. Rhinos, 4-1, in the Under-18 girls final. Weston claimed the Under-16 crown in 1998. Virginia qualified two girls teams for the National Championship in matches decided by penalty kicks. In a heated match that was decided after 10 rounds of penalty kicks, the Under-17 Chantilly Hotspurs defeated HBC Magic (E-N.Y.) to claim their first regional title. The Under-16 Prince William Sparklers also won their first regional title, edging five-time finalist Bethesda Fury (Md.). In the younger age divisions, the Langhorne Strikers (E-Pa.) Under-14 girls and the Chantilly Milan (Va.) Under-13 girls repeated as regional champions. Overall, nine state associations captured at least one age-group championship, led by Virginia with four (all girls) and Eastern New York and Eastern Pennsylvania with three each.
FINALS
Under-19 Girls Northport/Cow Harbor Piranha (E. N.Y.) 3, FC Greater Boston Bolts (Mass.) 2 Goals: (NP) Beth Totman (6), Chanda Sneed (70), Erin Zambelli (86); (GB) Caitlin Butler (49), Carly Williamson (67) Under-18 Girls Weston Wild Thing (Conn.) 4, Rochester Jr. Rhinos (N.Y.-W #1) 1 Goals: (WW) Jodi Quaranta (8, 67), Hannah Stauffer (49), Erin Sheehan (80); (RJ) Shibaughn Stevens (43) Under-17 Girls Chantilly Hotspurs (Va.) 2, HBC Magic (E. N.Y. #1) 1 (PKs, 10-9) Goals: (CH) Nicole Blume (18); (HBC) Lauren Bracco (60) Under-16 Girls Prince William Sparklers (Va.) 2, Bethesda Fury (Md. #1) 1 (PKs) Goals: (PW) Elizabeth Mumley (43) Under-15 Girls Pride of McLean (Va.) 2, Torpedoes Red (N.J. #1) 0 Goals: Tiffany Chudoba (36, 46) Under-14 Girls Langhorne Strikers (E. Pa.) 2, Beadling (Pa.-W) 0 Goals: Amanda Lebo (22), Kimberly Kelty (63) Under-13 Girls Chantilly Milan (Va. #1) 1, Braddock Road Aurora (Va. #2) 0 Goals: Lauren Kelly (70) Under-12 Girls Western United (Mass.) 1, Somerset Hills Wildcats (N.J.) 0 (OT) Goals: Colleen Kenney (79) Under-19 Boys FC Delco Dynamo (E. Pa.) 8, Colonia FC Bulldogs (N.J. #2) 0 Goals: Joseph Steffa (10), Ryan Gibbs (16), Kristofer Bertsch (40), Timothy Parisi (45), James Costello (53), Phillip Swenda (55), Douglas Lawver (62), Michael Wade (67) Under-18 Boys FC Delco Black (E. Pa) 4, South Jersey Outlaws (N.J.) 2 Goals: (DB) Vicente Bastides (18), Eric Chapman (55), George Holiday (98), Jeremiah White (112); (SJ) James Nelson (53, 86) Under-17 Boys West Babylon Panthers (E. N.Y.) 1, Kirkwood Blast (Del.) 0 Goals: Shane Arikian (82) Under-16 Boys FC Westchester (E. N.Y.) 1, FC Delco Arsenal (E. Pa.) 0 Goals: Christopher Richards ( 71) Under-15 Boys Beadling (Pa.-W) 2, Hockessin Blizzard (Del.) 0 Goals: Conor Lee (68), Brad Frye (73) Under-14 Boys Syracuse Blitz Samba Beat (N.Y.-W) 5, FC Delco Dynamo (E. Pa) 1 Goals: (SB) Brian Scruton (8), Brandon Oot (11), Bryan Arnault (19), Brian Kolva (43), Patrick Overton (60); (DD) Josh Monty (3) Under-13 Boys Clark Conquistadors (N.J.) 3, Rochester Jr. Rhinos (N.Y.-W) 0 Goals: Giuseppe Rossi (5, 7), Andrew Gagliardo (15) Under-12 Boys SC Baltimore ’88 Bays (Md.) 2, Oakwood SC (Conn. #1) 0 Goals: Matt Beckman (48, 57)
