| |
Admin
Boca Juniors '91
Pete
Sacramento, California
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 Boca News: Boca Juniors '91 Are National Finalists |
|
Monday, November 28
Boca Juniors '91 Are National Finalists
TAMPA, FL -- The River City United Boca Juniors '91 girls reached the Super Y League North American Finals Championship game before falling to the Cleveland Internationals 2-1.
"It was truly an amazing run by these girls against the top competition in North America," said head coach Gabriel Bolton. "I'm really proud of the girls and the effort and energy they put into this event. We were one of the few teams at the event that was actually a team rather than a collection of All Stars from all over their state or region."
Boca Jrs. opened the event against pre-tournament favorite Match Fit Academy. Match Fit is a collection of players from many different clubs in New Jersey who played Super Y League together. The team had not lost a game (10-0) coming into the event. After a scrappy first couple of minutes which saw Boca goalkeeper Erin Rost make a couple of outstanding saves and central defender Alex Del Agua make a spectacular clearance to save a goal the team settled down.
Forward Natalie Perez opened the scoring when she pressured Match Fit's sweeper and poked the ball past the goalkeeper approximately 25 minutes into the game. Boca Jrs. took a 1-0 lead into hafltime. Perez, who led the team in goals with 5 on the week, assisted the second goal of the match when she slipped a pass with the outside of her right foot to forward Rachel Mercik to converted to give Boca a 2-0 advantage early in the second half. Perez then struck again she followed a rebound from a shot by forward Timery Mueller and placed it in the back of the net. Mercik scored again on a tremendous shot from 20 yards to give Boca Jrs. the 4-0 victory.
On Saturday in the second match of the competition Boca took on the Cleveland Internationals. They were also an "All-Star" team made up of players from nine different clubs all over Northern Ohio. Again, Rost was forced to make numerous outstanding saves early in the match. Boca Jrs. struck first midway through the first half when forward Mallory Creamer blasted a shot off of the cross bar from 25 yards out. Midfielder Danielle Lovato followed the shot and put it past the Cleveland goalkeeper. Cleveland tied the match moments later on a corner kick. However, just before the half was to expire Mercik, who led the team in assists on the weekend with six, hit a corner kick to midfielder Courtney Strombeck who headed it home. Boca Jrs. struck again in the second half on a direct free kick from Creamer to give them the 3-1 victory and clinch a spot in the semi-finals.
"It was great to clinich a spot in the semi-finals after the second day," said Bolton. "I thought our back line was amazing the entire tournament. Alli and Alex were awesome at center back, Nicole, Rodman, Stephanie and Bri did a great job at outside back. That group deserves a lot of credit for our performance. It was the most consistent they have played the entire season."
Sunday Boca Jrs. took on Del Ray from Tampa. Less than three minutes into the match Boca Jrs. converted on a corner kick from Mercik to Alli Kelly. It would be a sign of things to come. Boca Jrs. converted three more corner kicks, all scored by Perez, and all assisted by Mercik. Mueller scored the lone goal in the run of play, a shot from the right side that deflected off of a Del Ray defender. Boca won the match 5-1.
While Boca was the top seeded team heading into the semi-finals, they ended up drawing the number three seeded team and not the wildcard because Cleveland advanced as the wildcard. That meant Boca would take on the Atlanta Silverbacks, another All-Star team. Earlier in the week Atlanta had eliminated Northern California State Cup Champions the Mustang Spirit from the competition with a 2-1 victory.
Boca Jrs. opened the match with a lot of energy and intensity and dominated the entire first half of play. Kelly hit the cross bar on a header, again on a corner kick from Mercik. Boca Jrs. also had numerous other opportunities before heading to halftime tied 0-0. The second half was much more evenly matched however with 15 minutes remaining in the game Boca finally struck. Mercik beat a defender down the left flank and hit a bending cross to Creamer who ran onto the pass and finnished it.
"It truly took a team effort to win this match," said Bolton. "Our goalkeeper and back line was amazing. The forwards and midfielders did a great job of creating chances and defending. In the last 10 minutes we even changed our formation. The midfield of Stephanie Collins, Strombeck, Lovato, Teagan Seman, and Mercik were vital in closing out the game."
In the finals Boca took on Cleveland again. For the second time Rost was forced to make some early saves before the game settled down. Late in the first half Mercik scored on a set play to give Boca a 1-0 advantage at the half. However, two goals in the second half proved too much as Cleveland prevailed 2-1.
"While it is going to take us a while to get over this loss we can all take a lot of comfort in knowing that we showed a lot of competitive greatness in this tournament," said Bolton. "We played our best when our best was needed and that's all you can ask of yourself and your teammates."
|
|
