2013 USL Media gUide - United Soccer Leagues

U14 girLS
Cleveland wins title in penalty shootout
Mequon United could not reproduce the shootout
magic that got them through the semifinals in
the championship match against the Cleveland
Internationals in a 5-3 loss at the 2012 Super
Y-League North American Finals at IMG Academy.
The two Midwest division rivals traded chances in
the second minute of the final. Cleveland’s Grace
Bahr got to a ball that beat a Mequon defender,
faked a shot at the top of the box, and sent a shot
into the awaiting grasp of Kelli Ausman.
Mequon’s Courtney Wiencek then gained
possession at midfield from Ausman’s punt and
raced through five Cleveland defenders. She
made it to the penalty area before her shot was
saved by Gabrielle Kouzelos, who mishandled it.
Wiencek got to the ball and ran around Kouzelos
but slipped before she could attempt to score.
Bahr had another chance in the opening minute of
the second half when she went around ausman,
but was beat to the ball by the Mequon defender,
whom she fouled.
Wiencek combined with Jieun Heo to set up Gaby
Zabala with a shot that missed wide a few minutes
later.
Cleveland had a three-on-one opportunity in the
50th minute, but the final pass was played offside,
though Cassandra Field did put the ball in the
back of the net.
Isabelle Thomsen’s corner kick in the 52nd minute
produced the game’s opening goal. Kouzelos
misjudged the ball and Wiencek capitalized, giving
Mequon the lead.
Cleveland pushed players forward for the
remainder of the game, but it was Bahr’s solo work
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in the last minute that proved vital. With the ball
in the box, Bahr was pushed by a defender and
still managed to get a shot off, which beat a diving
Ausman into the corner of the goal.
The celebrations were short-lived, however, as the
Internationals realized that the game was going to
extra time. The teams could not be separated after
two 10-minute halves, so the championship match
went to penalty kicks.
Mequon’s first shot by Thomsen hit the crossbar,
giving Cleveland an early advantage after Bahr’s
opening kick. In the fourth round, with Mequon
down 4-2 and needing a goal to advance to a fifth
round, the team’s only goal scorer, Wiencek, shot
high and Cleveland took the win.
“It’s two very good teams and both battled to the
bitter end,” Cleveland head coach Keri Sarver
said of the Division rivals. The teams traded wins
during the regular season. “There really are no
losers in this game, both teams deserve to be in
the final, and both teams played a good, hardfought
game.
“Our club has been here from the beginning and
we’re always looking for the best competition we
can find, especially in world-class events like [the
Super Y-League North American Finals].”
Meqoun’s first loss of the tournament came in a
penalty shootout, but it did not make it any easier
to take.
“It’s hard to lose the way we lost,” Mequon
assistant coach Lito Zabala said, “especially with
20 seconds to go and being 1-0 up. But being here
is great and I think the girls learned something,
which is great.”
U15 BoYS
Bramble’s Winner Gives vSI Back-To-Back
Titles
Robert Bramble scored the winning goal as
2013 USL MEDIA GUIDE - 104