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The RDA has put the year 2019 to rest, but not without one last big trip for the Academy’s boys sides.

The 2001/02, 2003 and 2004 ECNL Boys competed last weekend at the ECNL Florida Showcase, where they closed out the year with some warmer weather and some stiff competition from up and down the East Coast.

In total, the three teams posted a combined 3-2-4 records, as close games were the order of the weekend just north of Orlando.

Two of those wins belonged to the 03 Boys, who defeated South Carolina United, 3-2, and the N.C. Fusion, 3-0, before falling in their Monday finale, 1-0, in a game that could have gone either way against Maryland United. Gabe Norris and Lucas Hammerle each had a pair of goals on the weekend, and goalkeeper Michael Francus earned one clean sheet for the weekend that included a penalty kick save against the Fusion.

The 04 Boys, meanwhile, came out of the gates flying with a 7-1 win over Alabama FC that wasn’t as lopsided as the score would indicate, but the Hounds couldn’t miss the net.

Bubby Towns had four goals in the 04s’ win, but scoring became harder to come the rest of the weekend. The team battled in rough weather with only 10 men to get a 0-0 draw with the Charlotte Independence, and it closed the weekend falling behind by two goals, only to power back for a 3-3 draw with the Boston Bolts behind two goals from Caden Carpenter.

The 01/02 side couldn’t snag a win, but they bounced back from a 1-0 loss against Manhattan SC (N.Y.) on Saturday to draw with FC Alliance (Tenn.), 0-0, and with FC Bucks (Pa.), 1-1.

Monday, Dec. 30

At ECNL Florida in Sanford, Fla.:

• The 03 Boys were tripped up for the only time on the weekend in a 1-0 loss to Maryland United, a game that could have broken for either side in a high-quality matchup.

• A poor first half saw the 04 Boys trailing by two goals, but the Hounds battled back for a 3-3 draw against the Boston Bolts. Caden Carpenter and Johnathan Dragisic scored to tie the match at 2-2 before Boston pulled ahead again with a long-range strike. Carpenter got his second of the game late to allow the RDA to share the points.

• The 01/02 Boys let a week-ending win slip away on a defensive error in stoppage time and settled for a 1-1 draw with FC Bucks (Pa.). The Hounds had the better of play and led through a Nino Civitate goal assisted by Austin Rocke, but they couldn’t find a second goal to pad their advantage.

Sunday, Dec. 29

At ECNL Florida in Sanford, Fla.:

• The 01/02 Boys battled a strong FC Alliance (Tenn.) side and sloppy field conditions, which made finishing a tall order that neither side could accomplish in a 0-0 draw.

• The 04 Boys also ended up with a scoreless match against the Charlotte Independence, as they not only battled the conditions, but also some dubious officiating that left the team battling to the finish with 10 men.

• Lucas Hammerle scored twice, and Gabe Norris scored for the second straight day to send the 03 Boys to a 3-0 victory over the N.C. Fusion. Goalkeeper Michael Francus provided the critical moment of the match when he stopped a penalty kick with the score at 2-0, preserving the shutout and keeping N.C. at bay.

Saturday, Dec. 28

At ECNL Florida in Sanford, Fla.:

• The 04 Boys opened the weekend with a flourish against a good opponent, as they raced to a 7-1 win over Alabama FC in which the Hounds couldn’t seem to miss the net. Bubby Towns scored four times for the RDA, while Caden Carpenter added a pair and Luke Lenz also notched a goal.

• While the 04s couldn’t stop scoring, the 01/02 Boys were on the other end of the spectrum, creating chance after chance in the second half but eventually falling, 1-0, to a Manhattan SC (N.Y.) team that made its first-half goal stand up.

• The 03 Boys were the last of the teams in Florida to take the field, and they came away as 3-2 winners over South Carolina United. The Hounds were strong in the first half with Ross Hartley, Will Sangpachatanaruk and Gabe Norris scoring, Norris’ goal coming from the penalty spot after drawing the foul himself. The team took its foot off the gas after the break, allowing S.C. back into the match, but the boys held on for the victory.

It’s the season for giving, but the Riverhounds Development Academy’s girls took an awful lot of the points for themselves last weekend.

Competing at the girls’ weekend of the PA Classics Winter College Showcase in Central Pa., eight RDA teams went a combined 13-2-9 in 24 matches at the event, and four of the eight teams competing finished atop their group.

The pacesetters were the 2005 Girls and the 2003 Girls, both of which finished 3-0-0 in the two-day event.

The 05s were dominant with wins of 3-0, 4-0 and 6-1 for a combined 13-1 goal difference. Ava Boyd was the lone player to score in all three wins, while Lola Abraham netted a hat trick in the finale against West-Mont United (Pa.) to give her four goals total. Also scoring her first RDA goal was Kate Friday, who knocked home a volley from outside the penalty area for a memorable first strike in the opening win over N.J. Premier.

The 03s didn’t find things quite as easy, and it took a late goal by Honora Armfield in their final match to get a 1-0 win over SAC/BA Pre-Academy (Md.) and clinch the group. All totaled, the team still finished with an 11-1 goal difference as Sarah Schupansky and Tessa Dellarose paced the scoring with three goals for the weekend, while Jess Molitoris and Jayden Sharpless both had a two-goal game.

Still coming out on top of their group with 2-0-1 records were the 04 and 05 Regional League Girls. The 04 RL side did the job getting two wins Sunday by scores of 3-0 and 3-1 after an opening draw, and Katy Tain showed quite the scoring touch with a weekend-best five goals. The 05 RL side were held scoreless in their Sunday opener after winning Saturday, but a 2-0 win over the East Penn Knights clinched the group.

The 01/02 Girls also finished the weekend 2-0-1, but a 2-2 draw Saturday with Northeast Attack (Pa.) left the two teams level on seven points, and the Eastern Pa. side topped the group on goal difference.

Away from the showcase, some of the RDA East sides began competing in the Pro Performance Winter League, including the 04 East Boys, who put out two valiant efforts against strong local sides. The team fell, 1-0, against Arsenal on Saturday before pulling out a 1-1 draw with Century on a Tyler Chemisky goal.

Sunday, Dec. 15

At the PA Classics Winter College Showcase in Manheim, Pa.:

When the dust had settled for the weekend, the Riverhounds Development Academy ended with a combined record of 13-9-2 across 24 matches, and four of the eight teams in action topped their group.

• The 05 Girls were flying on Sunday, starting with a 4-0 win over FC Europa (Pa.) fueled by goals from Ava Boyd, Lola Abraham, Minah Syam and Fiona Mahan, Mahan scoring directly from a corner kick. The momentum continued through a comfortable 6-1 win over West-Mont United (Pa.) that ended a perfect weekend with a hat trick by Abraham and goals from Mahan, Boyd and Sophia Spatafore.

• You can’t have a weekend played much tighter than what the 04 Girls had, as they finished 0-0-3 after a scoreless draw with HMMS Eagle FC (Pa.) and a 2-2 draw with FC Bucks (Pa.).  The Hounds led twice in the final game, first on a Sydney Gray goal on a pass slipped in by Audrey Bianco, and later on a Mary Kate Lape goal on the counter. FC Bucks salvaged the draw to finish atop the group, despite the Hounds hitting the bar late.

• Honora Armfield clinched top honors for the 03 Girls, as her goal in the waning minutes grabbed a 1-0 win over SAC/BA Pre-Academy (Md.) and put a bow on another 3-0 weekend.

• Izzi Boyd scored, and Taylor Hamlett converted a penalty kick to give the 01/02 Girls a 2-1 win over the Smithtown Slammers (N.Y.), finishing the weekend 2-0-1.

• The 01/02 Composite Girls were tripped up for the first time on the weekend, losing their one match of the day 2-0 to the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals.

• An own goal put the 03 Regional League Girls behind to start, but Carly O’Connell volleyed home from a corner kick to take a 1-1 draw against Coppermine SC (Md.).

• The 04 Regional League Girls shot to the top of the group after Saturday’s draw with a pair of Sunday wins. The Hounds topped PSA Elite (Pa.), 3-0, with two goals from Katy Tain and one from Paige Rizzer, plus a strong defensive outing let by Tess Pappas and Alena Taladay. Game two saw the team get a 3-1 win over Harford SC (Md.) with Tain scoring two more and Rizzer tallying again.

• The 05 Regional League Girls were held to a scoreless draw by Montgomery United Juventus (Pa.) in their first match of the day, but they made it 2-0-1 for the weekend by wrapping up with a 2-0 win over the East Penn Knights.

Saturday, Dec. 14

At the PA Classics Winter College Showcase in Manheim, Pa.:

• The 01/02 Girls got a long-range strike from Gina Proviano and some timely stops by goalkeeper Madison Vukas to begin their weekend with a 1-0 win over Athletes for the Cross (Pa.). Proviano replicated her goal in the team’s second game, but the Hounds fell behind in the first half before Blair Echnat pulled the team level for a 2-2 draw with the Northeast Attack (Pa.).

• It was a dominant day for the 03 Girls, who started out with a 5-0 win over Jersey South FC. Tulasi Syamala stood out leading the defense in the shutout, while Sarah Schupansky and Jess Molitoris scored twice each, and Tessa Dellarose also found the net. The second match was almost as good, a 5-1 win over PA Rush. Dellarose and Jayden Sharpless scored twice, with one of Sharpless’ strikes being a rocket from 25 yards out, and Schupansky also scored.

• Mackenzie Dupre scored with five minutes to play, as a late shift in tactics helped the 04 Girls salvage a 1-1 draw with NJ Premier FC. The Hounds had fallen behind on an excellent header from a corner kick, but the team grew into the game after a sloppy start.

• The 05 Girls fared better against NJ Premier FC, as they took a 3-0 win on goals by Bella Vozar, Ava Boyd and Kate Friday. Friday’s goal was a memorable first in her RDA career, as she netted a volley struck outside the penalty area.

• The 05 Regional League Girls also played well in their only match of the day, a 3-1 win over PWSI Courage (Va.). The Hounds got a strong second half and excellent goalkeeping from Rowan Phillips, making goals by Allison Burns, Maria Pasquinelli and Amber Roth more than enough to claim victory.

• Credit Makenna Sansotta and Katy Tain with a goal and an assist each in a 2-2 draw for the 04 Regional League Girls against Montgomery SC (Md.). Tain and Morgan Reilly both stood out in their debuts for the team.

• The 03 Regional League Girls rallied for a 1-1 draw with FC Bucks (Pa.) after Carly O’Connell equalized from a corner kick, and they nearly stole the win when Jenna Shuman struck the post late. The team wore down a bit in their second game of the day, falling 3-1 to Sting PA despite a goal from Alyssa DeLeonibus.

• The 01/02 RDA II Girls put themselves in position to top their group with a win tomorrow after a 2-0 win over the PWSI Courage (Va.) and a scoreless draw with Southern Chester County SA (Pa.).