With a holiday weekend behind it, the Riverhounds Development Academy got back out with a full slate of action last weekend.
The marquee trip of the weekend was the 2002, ’03 and ’04 Boys teams traveling to California for the Boys ECNL San Diego tournament, and all three teams making the trip came away with at least one win.
The 03 Boys finished with six points from a 2-1 record, bouncing back from a shutout loss to a Slammers FC (Calif.) team that went undefeated and did not concede all weekend. The 03s topped Mountain View Los Altos (Calif.), 2-1, and the Real Salt Lake-Arizona Academy, 1-0, with Gabe Norris, Luke Hammerle and Matt Lucas accounting for the team’s three goals.
The 02 Boys were undefeated at 1-0-2, sandwiching hard-fought draws around a 4-2 win over Pride SC of Colorado. Luke Petal and Luke Peperak both had two goals for the weekend, while Nino Civitate provided an important strike in the opening game to help the RDA rally for a 1-1 draw with Texans FC out of Houston.
As the boys competed out west, the RDA’s girls teams traveled to Indianapolis for a two-day ECNL road trip against FC Pride on Saturday and the Indiana Fire on Sunday.
Making the most of the road swing were the 03 Girls, who started the trip with a commanding 4-0 win that was powered by goals from Emily Kirkpatrick, Casey Breier, Sarah Schupansky and Tessa Dellarose. On the second day, Tatum Gretz scored the opening goal, and the Hounds’ backline was impressive against the Ohio Valley Conference-leading Fire with center back Emily Gross leading the effort. The conference leaders eventually found a tying goal, but the 03 Girls held on for a 1-1 road draw.
Even before the weekend’s action, it was a busy week for the Academy. 2004 Boys player Anders Bordoy participated Wednesday at the U.S. Youth National Team’s Identification Center in Ohio, and the RDA announced the addition of goalkeeping coach Will Marshall, a local product and 2018 NCAA Division II finalist, to the club’s staff.
The pro team, meanwhile, left it until the closing minutes to keep an unbeaten record at home, as they scored in the 88th minute and stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw against Nashville SC.
For all the results from the RDA’s weekend, including the 03 East Boys stepping up in competition at the Puma Blue Chip Showcase, check out the club’s Live Results page.
Sunday, April 28
At the Boys ENCL San Diego tournament:
• The 02 Boys completed the weekend undefeated after falling behind in the first half, scoring twice in the second half and then conceding a late tying goal in a 2-2 draw against Solar SC (Texas). Luke Petal had both RDA goals, as the team finished the weekend 1-0-2.
• Matt Lucas had the game’s only goal, and the 03 Boys got their second win in as many days with a well-rounded performance that earned a 1-0 result against Real Salt Lake’s Arizona-based academy team.
• The 04 Boys had a rough ending to their weekend, falling 9-0 to RSL-Arizona and finishing the tournament with a 1-2 record.
In ECNL league play in Indianapolis and Westfield, Ind.:
• The 00/01 Girls played some high-quality soccer and got a deserved result, 4-1, over the Indiana Fire. Alaina Karin, Elaina Longjohn, Adeline Roman and Emily Clopp accounted for the RDA’s scoring.
• The 00/01 Composite Girls also put together a comprehensive win over the Fire, 5-1. Chloe Kuminkoski, Helina van Bibber, Emma Hoffman and Blair Echnat scored for the Hounds, who also benefitted from a own goal.
• Madison Vukas recorded the clean sheet, and Katelyn Kauffman scored to give the 02 Girls a 1-0 win over the Fire. The Hounds were more in control than the score indicated, but squandered chances kept the RDA from pulling away.
• The 03 Girls nearly stole a road win against the conference leaders, but missed chances of their own allowed the Indiana Fire to salvage a point with a 1-1 draw. Tatum Gretz had the goal for the Hounds, and Emily Gross stood out along the back line by managing the defense from her center back position.
• Mary Kate Lape put the 04 Girls ahead early in their game against the Fire, and the Hounds maintained their defensive shape for a 1-0 win.
• The younger teams had a tougher day in the Hoosier State, as the 05 Girls dropped a 2-1 decision after only Alexis Tylenda was able to find the net for the Hounds despite multiple good chances. The 06 Girls were topped, 6-0, while the 03 Composite Girls got a goal from Isabella Dapra but fell, 5-1.
At the Puma Blue Chip Showcase:
• The 03 East Boys continued to be tested against high-level competition, as they fell to the Madison 56ers (Wisc.) by an 8-1 score in wet, sloppy conditions.
Saturday, April 27
For all the youth action of the day, the Pro Team might have had the most exciting match by coming back from two goals down in the 88th minute to grab a 2-2 draw against Nashville SC. Read about the comeback HERE.
At the Boys ENCL San Diego tournament:
• Gabe Norris and Luke Hammerle found the net, and the 03 Boys shook off a disappointing Friday performance to take a 2-1 win over Mountain View Los Altos (Calif.).
• Luke Peperak scored twice, and Darek Panucci and Nolan Agostini also had goals in a high-scoring contest won by the RDA’s 02 Boys, 4-2, over Pride SC (Colo.). The 02 Boys will try to complete the weekend as the RDA’s lone unbeaten squad Sunday against Solar Soccer Club of Texas in a battle of 1-0-1 teams.
• The 04 Boys took a hard 1-0 loss against Florida Elite, but they have a chance to bounce back Sunday against Real Salt Lake’s U-15s.
In ECNL league play in Indianapolis:
• The 03 Girls turned in a commanding performance in a 4-0 that turned out to be the highlight of a difficult road trip against FC Pride. Emily Kirkpatrick, Casey Breier, Sarah Schupansky and Tessa Dellarose accounted for the RDA goals in the win.
• The 05 Girls were topped 1-0 by FC Pride after conceding in the first half and being unable to finish one of a handful of chances on a rough playing surface.
• Danielle Dominick did all she could in net to keep the Hounds’ 06 Girls in striking distance, but FC Pride added what turned out to be an unneeded insurance goal on the final kick of a game that ended 2-0 for the hosts.
• The 00/01 Girls took a result after finding ways to get behind FC Pride in a back-and-forth affair that ended 3-3. Chloe Kuminkoski scored twice, and Elaina Longjohn had the third goal to put the Hounds ahead, but Pride salvaged the tie at the end of stoppage time.
• It seemed as though the 02 Girls might be able to pull out at least a point, as well, against an FC Pride team that sits in first place in that age group in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Hounds kept the game scoreless until the final 10 minutes, but the league leaders finally broke through and won, 2-0.
• The 04 Girls also fell to a conference-leading FC Pride side, 2-1, as Mary Kate Lape’s goal wasn’t quite enough. Meanwhile, the 00/01 Composite Girls suffered a 3-0 defeat.
• The last game of the day saw the 03 Composite Girls fall by a 3-2 score in driving rain that hindered the quality of play from both sides. Bella DaPra and Anastasia Crisante had the Hounds’ goals, but the hosts were able to find a winning goal with only a minute remaining.
At the Puma Blue Chip Showcase:
• Justin Novotney scored, but the 03 East Boys conceded a pair of goals off corner kicks in a 3-1 loss to CUSA (Ohio).
Friday, April 26
At the Boys ECNL San Diego tournament:
• Bubby Towns and Alex Hauschrect — the latter of whom playing up an age group for the weekend — each scored twice, and Anders Bordoy also found the net in a comprehensive 5-1 victory for the 04 Boys against the New Mexico Rush.
• Nino Civitate scored the equalizer after the 02 Boys trailed at halftime but came away with a 1-1 draw against Texans SC of Houston. The RDA boys left some chances on the table, but the shared result was a fair one between two evenly matched teams.
• The 03 Boys didn’t have a strong defensive performance in their West Coast opener, and it cost them dearly in a 4-0 loss against a highly regarded Slammers FC (Calif.) club.
