USL News Release
Thursday, December 8, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. – After five days of competition involving 131 boys and girls teams from across the United States and Canada, Tuesday saw 12 champions crowned at the USL Super Y-League North American Finals at the JC Handley Complex in Brandon, Fla.
Ironbound SC took its second consecutive championship, winning the Boys U17 Division in dramatic fashion after their penalty shootout against the Kalamazoo Kingdom went to 10 rounds. Goalkeeper Ryan Baird proved the hero, first making his penalty to open the 10th round before making a diving stop to give his side victory.
There was also drama in the Boys U16 Final, where TSF Academy defeated defending champion Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC 2-1 on a last-minute penalty by Steven Zamudio, who had both goals for TSF. Coquitlam had taken the lead early in the second half, but Zamudio scored in the 66th minute to tie the game before firing home to earn his side a championship.
The Girls U15 Final was also a thriller, where Seacoast United needed overtime to take a 4-3 victory against TSF Academy, with Jackie Ham scoring the decisive goal. Seacoast had built a 3-1 lead through a pair of goals by Ham’s twin sister, Kendall, but TSF came back to force overtime through goals by Kendall Machak and Jillian Sprong. Jackie Ham halted TSF’s momentum in overtime, though, heading home from Susannah Gray’s free kick.
Seacoast United also took victory in the Girls U16 Final, with Abby Smith scoring the decisive goal against the Long Island Rough Riders, while the MPS Renegades completed an outstanding weekend with a 3-1 win against the Northern Virginia Majestics in the U17 final. The Kalamazoo Kingdom took a convincing win in the Girls U14 Final, as did the Atlanta Fire United in the Girls U13 Final and Long Island in the Girls U12 Final.
In the other boys divisions, Princeton Soccer Academy’s Julian Antal had the decisive goal in their 1-0 win against Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC to take the U15 title. The host Brandon Flames took both the U14 and U13 championships, while the Cleveland Internationals took the U12 championship.