U-19 boys first in USA Cup soccer
Alexandria finished tops in the "B" playoff bracket
- U-19 soccer
The Alexandria Area Soccer Association’s U-19 boys’ team put together an impressive run to take first place in the “B” playoff bracket in one of the country’s premier tournaments this summer.
Alexandria competed in the USA Cup Tournament in Blaine on July 21-25 in the Gold Flight. The team suffered two key injuries early during a 5-2 loss to Cruz Azul Minneapolis on July 21. Goaltender Brett Maloney was lost to a broken thumb and starting center Dirk Maloney was lost to a torn ACL.
The team rebounded from that by taking a 4-1 game over Inver Grove Heights the next day. They followed that up with a 3-1 loss to Yukon, Canada.
That 1-2 record in group play advanced them to the B playoff bracket where they caught fire. Alexandria ran off three straight wins to secure first place. They started the single-elimination playoffs with a 2-1 win over the St. Paul Blackhawks. Once in the semifinals, Alexandria faced the NSSA White Knights and took a 5-3 win.
The championship game pitted them against a team from Mexico City, Mexico. The two teams found themselves tied at one apiece in the final minute before Alexandria scored in the last 30 seconds to secure a 2-1 victory and the title.
The win was special for the Alexandria team because of the venue it came in. The USA Cup Tournament hosted 13,000 players this year on 841 teams. Those teams came from 12 different countries and 26 different states. A total of 1,500 games were played during the event.
“Overall, we had a very up and down season, and I am so proud to have coached such a determined group of guys that never quit,” coach Tom Maloney said. “It was amazing to end the year on such a high note, and I look forward to seeing this talented group continue their winning ways into the fall season.”
Tags: alexandria sports, sports, alexandria, soccer, usa, cup
More from around the web
RSS Feeds