Featuring a number of players from The North Shore Weekend/DailyNorthShore.com area, the Red Stars U19 girls turned in a blue-ribbon performance at the 2016 US Youth Soccer Region II Championships.
On June 29, the Red Stars defeated CUP Gold of Ohio 3-0 to win a U19 regional title in Westfield, Indiana. Lake Forest High School grad Lucy Edwards (DePaul University) scored in the 37th minute. Meredith Tunney and Jenna Szczesny scored the other goals.
Prior to the title, the Red Stars, who are coached by Bonnie Young, were involved in some tight battles. In the semifinal round, they edged Iowa Rush 2-1 on a pair of goals by Karly Stuenkel.
And, in the preliminary games, the Red Stars claimed one-goal victories over Cleveland FC 1-0, LSC Maroon of Nebraska 2-1 and the KC Metro Dynamos of Kansas 2-1.
The squad also features Lake Forest High School grad Carly Hoke (Arkansas), Highland Park’s Grace Quirk (Wisconsin) and Loyola Academy’s Aspyn Repp (Northwestern).
The other roster members include Michele Chernesky, Hannah Davison, Caroline Dempsey, Morgan Egan, Ashley Ingolia, Alexis Jakuszewski, Megan Kalkofen, Morgan Kemerling, Maureen Kerr, Erin Morgan, Alexis Pelafas, Madison Pogarch, Brooke Polonus, Kayla Sharples and Dannah Williams.
The USYS National Tournament will be held in Frisco, Texas on July 26-30.
Natalie Laser (left), seen her playing for New Trier, tallied five goals in the Region II tournament for FC United U17. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER
FC United
U17 Girls: Natalie Laser was one of the star forwards in the U17 Division at the 2016 Region II Championships in Westfield, Indiana. The rising New Trier senior tallied five goals in the tourney, including the opening score in the championship game on June 29.
But Laser’s efforts weren’t quite enough for FC United. The squad ended up losing the final to EGA 98 99 of Nebraska in overtime 3-1. EGA forced overtime when it tallied the tying goal in the 87th minute.
FC United advanced to the title match by downing FC Kansas City Forte Elite 3-2 in the semifinals. Laser scored twice in the contest, including the game-winner in the 76th minute. The team’s other score came on an own goal.
In the preliminary games, FC United topped Javanon 99 of Kentucky 2-1, WAZA FC East of Michigan 3-0 and the Michigan Hawks 2-0.
Lauren Kaplinsky and Maia Celia scored goals against Javanon. Laser (2 goals) and Michayla Herr found the net versus WAZA, while Avery Schuldt, a rising senior for New Trier, tallied both goals against the Michigan Hawks.
FC United, which was coached by Loyola Academy’s Craig Snower, had six New Trier players on the roster: Laser, Schuldt, Hannah Arment, Hope Baisley, Megan Murdoch and Samantha Urban. The roster also included six LA players: Maggie Avery, Bella Broccolo, Riley Burns, Kayleigh Purcell, Stephanie Ramsey and Allison West. The other team members were Highland Park’s Maile Lunardi, North Shore Country Day’s Kaplinsky, Evanston’s Celia and Olivia Gwilliam, Deerfield’s Mirelle Haas, Niles West’s Taylor Isirov, Barrington’s Herr and Maggie Miller.
U17 Boys: Coached by Yianny Caparos, the FC United U17 boys squad went 1-1-1 at the Region II tourney in Westfield, Indiana.
Things started out very well. FC United used goals from Jose Aguilar and Alexander Alfaro to top Challenger Crew 98 of Ohio 2-1 in the first preliminary game. Then, after finishing in a 1-1 tie against Blast FC Red of Ohio, the team fell to St. Louis Gallagher 1-0. Deerfield’s Matt Grady scored FC United’s goal against Blast.
FC United’s roster included New Trier’s Matthew Gallo, Glenbrook North’s Seth Grossman, Evanston’s Dylan TerMolen, Deerfield’s Grady and Evan Gerke and Loyola’s Julian Hilpuesch, David Gripman and Sean Hickey. The other members were Alfaro, Aguilar, Cristopher Aguirre, Ben Brandt, Jose Castillo-Bahena, Joshua Kiler, Sahil Modi, Jake Nunez, Jonathan Sanchez, Matthew Underwood, Reilly Walsh, Sam Warden and Osvaldo Zariana.
U15 Girls: This FC United squad wound up 1-1-1 in the tourney. Sophia Doerr (Loyola Academy) scored the team’s lone goal in 1-0 victory over Vision Soccer Academy Premier.
Six Loyola players were on the roster: Doerr, Emily Chrisman, Faith Craddock, Lauren Daffada, Samantha Holton and Katherine Jaros. The other schools represented included New Trier (Lily Conley and Julia Hamill), Highland Park (Jolie Carl), Glenbrook North (Samantha Cramin), Glenbrook South (Makayla Stadler), Evanston (Annika DeStefano, Keara Kerr), Stevenson (Hannah Lapeire) and Maine South (Francesca Faraci). The team also has three players from the 2020 graduating class in Victoria Caparos, Cami Esplin and Ellie Zern.
Lake Forest Soccer Association
U14 Girls: LFSA Select went 1-0-2 in the Region II soccer tournament in Westfield, Indiana.
The offense certainly came alive in the team’s finale — a 4-0 victory over the Kentucky Fire Juniors. Malori Killoren ended up with a hat trick. Alicia White also had a goal.
Goals were a little harder to come by in the first two matches. LFSA, coached by Oktay Akgun, wound up tying WAZA FC East of Michigan 1-1 in the opener. The second match against Sporting J.B. Marine SC also ended in a 1-1 tie.
Ingrid Falls scored against Sporting J.B., while Killoren had the goal against WAZA.
The other members of the squad include Sarah Bires, Paige Copeland, Sophia Divagno, Nicole Doucette, Grace Heery, Julia Kempf, Julia Loeger, Dakota Lyons, Emma Manolovic, Alyssa Marquis, Bridget Mitchell, Calista O’Connor, Emily Paton, Gabi Sipe, Quinn Sokol and Emerson Waddle.
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