Atlanta Fire Captures National Title.
Championships (SNICKERS® Cupat the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD, with a 2-1 win over FC Delco Dynamo II from Downingtown, PA. It was the Atlanta team’s first national championship
Joe Howie gave the Fire a first-half lead with a goal in the 39th minute. Domenick Raimo tied the score with FC Delco Dynamo II’s only goal of the game 13 minutes into the second half. The game-winner was scored by Jonathan Leathers in the 76th minute.
In the Under-19 boys final, Texans 82/83 (Houston) won its second
consecutive title by handling Far West champion Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.), 4-1, to win the James P. McGuire Cup. The McGuire Cup has been awarded annually to the Under-19 champion since 1935, except during World War II.
The Atlanta Fire and Texans 82/83 were the only Region III championship teams.
The Far West Regional (Region IV) teams cornered the gold market, winning eight of 12 age-group titles at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
Sizable crowds throughout the day saw Far West teams dominate the girls division, sweeping all six age groups, and adding two boys titles.
California-South accounted for six of the Far West champions, with
California-North and Colorado teams winning one title apiece.
The San Diego Surf Under-19 girls won their second national championship in three years, avenging last year’s loss to the Michigan Hawks in the Under-18 final with a 7-2 romp in the rematch. San Diego also won the Under-17 crown in 2000.
Far West girls teams also swept the titles when there were four age groups (Under-16 through Under-19) in 1996 and 2000.
The Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite, the youth arm of the A-League
Rochester Rhinos, claimed New York West’s first national championship, 1-0, over the Aiken (S.C.) Fire in the Under-15 boys final.
Like the Texans club, two FC Delco (Downingtown, Pa.) boys teams split their finals. The Under-18 Arsenal swamped Texans 83/84, 5-1, to win the club’s sixth US Youth Soccer national championship. FC Delco Dynamo II fell short of a second straight national title, losing to the Atlanta Fire, 2-1, in the Under-16 boys final.
Region I (East) and the Southern region (Region III) each won two age-group titles.
2002 SNICKERS US Youth Soccer
National Championships
SNICKERS Cup
Championship Final Results
Sunday, July 28
Under-14 Boys
La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads 2, Maryland SC 88 Bays (Baltimore) 0
Goal Scorers: Rhett Bernstein 3, Andres Leon 47.
Under-14 Girls
Slammers FC (Newport Beach, Calif.) 2, Bethesda (Md.) Eclipse 1
Goal Scorers: (S) Krysten Bradshaw 23, Alexa Orand 34; (B) Brooke Bumbry
15.
Under-15 Boys
Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite 1, Aiken (S.C.) Fire 0
Goal Scorer: Jamey Loucks 11.
Under-15 Girls
Laguna Hills (Calif.) Eclipse 3, Chantilly (Va.) Milan 0
Goal Scorers: Jenesa Bradshaw 30, Kasey Moore 40+, Kiki Bosio 70.
Under-16 Girls
West Valley Samba (Northridge, Calif.) 2, Busch SC (St. Louis) 1
Goal Scorers: (WV) Shari Summers 18, 24; (B) Ashlee Pistorious 44.
Under-16 Boys
Atlanta Fire 2, FC Delco Dynamo II (Downingtown, Pa.) 1
Goal Scorers: (A) Joey Howie 39, Jonathan Leathers 76; (D) Domenick Raimo 53.
Under-17 Girls
Pleasanton (Calif.) Rage 2, Tsunami Sota (Minneapolis) 1
Goal Scorers: (P) Tina Estrada 59, Kelsey Quane 67; (T) Caroline Smith 18.
Under-17 Boys
Irvine (Calif.) Strikers 5, Chicago Magic SC 0
Goal Scorers: Kevin Long 32, Jonathan Bornstein 43, 65, Matt Basin 50, Joe Salinas 75.
Under-18 Boys
FC Delco Arsenal (Downingtown, Pa.) 5, Texans 83/84 (Houston) 1
Goal Scorers: (D) Freddie Chambers 11, Ashley Kozicki 17, Kevin Coleman 43,
Jeff Larentowicz 49, Dominic Poplizio 69; (T) Mpoki Tenede 56.
Under-18 Girls
Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (Littleton) 4, Atlanta FC 88 Lightning White 1
Goal Scorers: (C) Marian Dalmy 22, Kathryn Grandinetti 42, Amber Swinehart 56, Lisa Steepleton 90; (A) Keri Pendergrass 55.
Under-19 Boys
Texans 82/83 (Houston) 4, Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.) 1
Goal Scorers: (T) Mira Mupier 8, Sandy Gbandi 28, Andres Rota 65, Marcus Storey 70; (B) Adolfo Gregorio 69.
Under-19 Girls
San Diego Surf 7, Michigan Hawks (Livonia) 2
Goal Scorers: (SD) own goal 2, Brenna Mullen 5, 70, Laura Greenberg 20,
Krystal Sandza 61, Kim Castellanos 83, 86; (M) Amanda Lentz 16, Lindsey Gusick 51.