Showcases, tournaments and playoffs have made it a busy few weeks as we near the end Riverhounds Development Academy spring season, and the Hounds have been making a splash up and down the East Coast.
Two ECNL showcases — ECNL Virginia for the boys and ECNL North Carolina for the girls — turned out to be great events for some of our sides.
The 2005 Boys might have gotten more out of Memorial Day weekend than anyone, as consecutive wins, 3-0 over Maryland United and 4-2 over Loudoun Soccer (Va.), put them in a very likely position to get qualified for the ECNL Champions League. Dylan Janoski was exceptional in net in the shutout victory, while Oliver Daboo netted three goals in the two matches.
On the girls’ side, it was also the 05 age group that had the memorable weekend. A 2-0 win over Phoenix Rising FC with goals by Ava Boyd and Alexis Tylenda might have been the best result, however, it was a crazy, 5-5 draw with the Tampa Bay United Rowdies that will be hard to forget.
The 05 Girls tied the game after trailing 1-0, falling way behind, 4-1, and again giving up a lead, 5-4. Fiona Mahan scored twice, including a laser of a free kick, and Boyd added two more, but it was Ella Bulava who headed home the last goal on the final play of the game to get the Hounds celebrating.
Elsewhere, the RDA East nabbed a quartet of trophies at the Gettysburg Blue/Gray Cup.
The 08 East Boys won in huge fashion, as Cole Radcliffe and Kollin Maxey each had hat tricks in a 9-1 championship game win over Central Carroll (Md.). The 08 East Girls also won big in the final, 6-0 over Elizabethtown United (Pa.).
The 09 East Girls were winners in much tighter fashion, as Rylee Leasher nabbed both goals in a 2-1 victory over Hanover (Pa.). The Hounds also got the better of Hanover in another final, as the 10 East Boys were crowned champions, 3-0.
Last weekend also brought playoffs in the Great Lakes Alliance, and two Hounds sides, the 09 Boys and the 09 East Girls, won semifinal matches Saturday before each was narrowly beaten in the Sunday finals matches.
Details from the GLA playoffs and scores from every event, including the FC Delco Players Cup and Pacesetter Soccer Invitational — where the 09, 10 and 11 Girls all reached the knockout rounds — can be found on the Live Results page, which will have results this weekend from the final match days of the ECNL regular season.
