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For the second year in a row, one of the Riverhounds Development Academy’s (RDA) teams will take part in one of the nation’s biggest tournaments.

The 2007 Boys team, coached by John Rotz, will compete this week at the 40th edition of the Dallas Cup, an annual invitational tournament that gathers top youth teams from the around the globe.

A glance down the lineup of clubs sending teams to Dallas shows not only familiar academy outfits affiliated with MLS and USL clubs, but also top Mexican clubs like Pumas and Tigres, as well as some globally recognizable names, such as Barcelona, Liverpool and Everton. Simply being accepted to compete in the event is an achievement for everyone involved, from players and coaches to the referees accepted to participate.

Competing in the Under-12 division — the youngest age group at the tournament — the RDA players will get an opportunity to match up against possibly the toughest competition they have ever faced, while also seeing top teams in older age groups from other countries and continents, and experience that could be an eye-opener to the young Hounds.

“The boys are prepared as best they can be without knowing what we’re going to see,” Rotz said. “We’re playing a team from California, a team from Central Texas and Toronto FC’s academy, so they’re going to get an exposure to different cultures, different styles, especially being from the East Coast, we’re seeing West Coast teams for the first time. I think the boys getting exposed to this level of competition at such a young age can really transcend their desire and willingness to be the best, whether that’s on or off the field.”

Rotz is confident in the ability of his young group, a team that amassed a 20-1-2 record in 2018 and won the top division in their last tournament outing, the Ultimate Cup in Richmond, Virginia, in February.

Last year, the Hounds’ 2004 Boys were accepted to the tournament and were eliminated after their three group matches, but Rotz and Academy Director Scott Gibson both were cautiously optimistic that the 07 Boys could push for a spot in the quarterfinals, which are made up of the six group winners and top two second-place teams.

“I’m excited to see where we are amongst the nation and the world,” Rotz said. “They’ve not trailed very often, so their ability to start the game has been pretty refreshing to me, as well as the discipline. Their communication level has really grown, and I believe [so had] their tactical knowledge of when to keep tempo and when to push forward with numbers and counter-attack. With having success, the desire to change and transform when adversity hits is going to be evident.”

As much as wins in Dallas would be great for the 07 Boys, the biggest thing the coaches want their players to take away is individual and team growth.

From the level of competition, to Dallas being the team’s longest road trip to date, to playing at the expansive MoneyGram Soccer Park, where all the U-12 matches will be held, the Dallas Cup can serve as a first step for the young players who aspire to one day play at the college or pro level.

“It’ll be a real good opportunity. We’ve worked hard. The [other] teams are going to be tough, but if we train how we need to and perform, it’s going to be a good experience,” left back Justin Walsh said. “We’re playing some good soccer teams, and they’re going to be used to [the heat], and we’re not, so we just have to adjust.”

Fortunately, the heat might not be a concern. The forecasted high for the week is just 81, and thunderstorms have kept the temperatures down and interrupted the schedule in the older age groups, which began last weekend and play in venues such as FC Dallas’ Toyota Park and the historic Cotton Bowl.

The RDA boys’ first match will be 10 a.m. Wednesday locally (11 a.m. Eastern Time) against the Pumas USA Kickers, a Southern California club under the umbrella of Mexico City-based Pumas UNAM. The team continues Group A play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against the Dallas Texans and finishes at 3 p.m. Friday against Toronto FC. Should the team advance, the quarterfinals and semifinals are Saturday, and the final is 11 a.m. Sunday.

Regardless of the outcome, taking part in this week’s Dallas Cup will be a memorable event for the 07 Boys to enjoy and learn from during their spring break from school.

“I’m expecting good competition, better than we’ve gotten around here, in Ohio and around the area,” center midfielder Ethan Voight-Cherna said. “It’s going to be challenging, and it’s going to be fun.”

RDA 2007 Boys roster: 41-Max Bond, 47-Wyatt Catchen, 48-Brayden Davin, 49-Sam Wessel, 50-Daniel Moya-Gibbons, 51-Finn Kichi, 52-Billy Kowalkowski, 54- Justin Walsh, 55-Nathan Katari, 56-Josh Endler, 57-Dante Sartori, 58-Leonardo Yu, 59-Ethan Voight-Cherna, 60-JJ Vozar, 62-Michael Miller, 63-Aidan Thomas, 64-Milo Chiu, 65-Nicholas Scueglia; Not attending Dallas Cup: Kharai Leinbach, Graham Kunz, Owen Mollenauer, Tyler Sidhom

Saturday, April 20

• The Dallas Cup run is over for the 07 Boys after they missed out on the quarterfinals by goal difference. The two runner-up spots went to FC Dallas South (+7) and the Dallas Rebels (+4), teams that also finished 2-1 in their groups. 

Friday, April 19

• Toronto FC kept the 07 Boys from finishing atop Group A at the Dallas Cup, as the Canadian side took a 3-1 win. Nick Scueglia had the lone goal for the Hounds, who now have to wait and see if six points and an even goal difference is enough to qualify for the quarterfinals as one of the top second-place teams. Toronto qualifies as the group winner.

• The young pups have done it again, as the 07 Boys won their second match at the Dallas Cup by a 1-0 score over the Dallas Texans. J.J. Vozar scored his second goal in as many matches for the Hounds, and the back line was flawless to improve their mark to one goal allowed in two matches.  The win sets up a massive afternoon match at 4 p.m. against Toronto FC, which also won its first two games. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals as the Group A champion, while a draw would make Toronto the group winner on goal difference with the Hounds likely to advance as one of the top two runner-up teams.

• It’s a big, busy day for the 07 Boys at the Dallas Cup. Kickoff for yesterday’s make-up game against the Dallas Texans is set for 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and the boys will only have about 4 hours — not to mention 90 minutes less than their opposition — to rest up for their Group A finale against Toronto FC at 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 18

• Play stalled at the Dallas Cup as matches were postponed due to weather. The 07 Boys, who were scheduled to face the Dallas Texans, will take up action again on Friday, playing the make-up game against the Texans in the morning and facing Toronto FC in the afternoon. Game times have yet to be finalized.

Wednesday, April 17

• The 07 Boys defeated Pumas USA Kickers FC, 2-1, in their first match of the Dallas Cup. J.J. Vozar notched a goal in the first half, and the squad were beneficiaries of an own goal in the second half. Pumas posted its tally with 15 remaining in the match. On the defensive end, Justin Walsh, Milo Chiu and goalkeeper Max Bond helped hold down a strong performance.

Another full weekend of Hounds action saw teams traveling in both directions, as some of the younger teams from both RDA and RDA East traveled to New Jersey for the PDA Spring Kickoff Tournament, while Boys ECNL teams went west to Indianapolis and Girls ECNL teams stayed in Coraopolis for a two-day homestand.

The 06 Boys came back from the Garden State as champions after by making their way to the final with a 2-1 record in group play. There were no easy wins along the way, either, as their victories came by 2-0 and 1-0 scores with a 2-1 defeat lodged in the middle. The goals finally started pouring in during the championship game, however. Zach Nash had a pair of goals, and Xavier Mwaura and Carter Turk added the other two as the Hounds took a 4-1 victory over New York Elite FC.

The 00/01 through 04 Boys teams played league matches Saturday against Indianapolis’ Pride FC, and the two clubs split the four matches. Picking up wins for the Hounds were the 02 Boys, who won 7-0 with four goals from Luke Peperak, and the 04 Boys, who battled for a 2-1 win thanks to a Johnny Dragisic penalty kick and a Pride FC own goal created by a Ben Feinstein free kick.

The ECNL action came locally on the girls side, where the Hounds hosted Ohio Premier on Saturday and Ohio Elite on a rain-soaked Sunday. The 05, 03 and 02 Girls teams all picked up wins during a highly competitive weekend, while the 04 Girls and 00/01 Composite Girls each came away with a draw during the two-day slate of games.

The professional team also opened its home schedule Saturday with a 3-1 win over Hartford Athletic, spurred by a goal and an assist from longest-tenured Hound and academy coach Kevin Kerr. Click HERE for more about the big win, which came in front of a Highmark Stadium crowd of 5,182.

The RDA will be keeping busy throughout Easter Week, most notably with the 07 Boys heading to the prestigious Dallas Cup, where play begins Wednesday. For complete updates from the weekend’s games and for RDA action going forward, don’t forget to check out the new Live Results page.

Sunday, April 14

At the PDA Spring Kickoff in New Jersey:

• The 06 Boys are champions of their division with a 4-1 win in the final against New York Elite FC. Zach Nash had a pair of goals, as the Hounds took a 2-1 lead to the break and only grew the advantage from there. Xavier Mwaura and Carter Turk recorded the other two tallies in the final. To get to that point, the 06 Boys needed a win earlier in the day and got it courtesy of a Jason Sims goal, the only score in a 1-0 win over Quick Touch Futbol (N.J.).

In ECNL matches in Coraopolis:

• A 90th-minute winner by Melissa Riggins from 30 yards out decided a deadlocked match and gave the 02 Girls a 1-0 win over Ohio Elite. Madison Vukas provided excellent goalkeeping late in the game to give the Hounds the edge in a game that could have been won by either side.

• The 03 Girls picked up a 1-0 victory in less-than-ideal conditions against Ohio Elite. Tessa Dellarose was played in toward goal by Sarah Schupansky, and Dellarose needed only to get around one defender before firing the winning goal.

• The 00/01 Composite Girls team battled back and forth with Ohio Elite, and Gianna Griffin and Abigael McEnroe had goals for the RDA in a 2-2 draw.

• The 00/01 Girls trailed by a goal after an evenly played first half against Ohio Elite, but a lack of substitute depth caught up with the Hounds in the second half of a game that finished 4-0.

• Heavy rain put a damper on a tightly contested 05 Girls game that saw Ohio Elite strike first. The teams battled evenly through most of the match, but the visitors added two more late in the game as the Hounds pushed in search of a tying goal, resulting in a 3-0 defeat for the RDA.

• The 04 Girls also played a skilled Ohio Elite team, and they did so while shorthanded due to injury. Two second-half errors led to easy finishes for Ohio, however, and the Hounds fell, 3-0.

• The 06 Girls, coming off a rough outing, showed resiliency but were unable to find the net in a 2-0 loss. 

Saturday, April 13

• The day ended on a thrilling note with the pro team scoring a 3-1 win over Hartford Athletic in front of a regular-season record crowd at Highmark Stadium. Read all about that match HERE.

At the PDA Spring Kickoff in New Jersey:

• The 06 Boys were able to take down one of the host club’s teams by a 2-0 score. Jason Sims converted the spot kick after PDA was whistled for handling in their own penalty area, and Jackson Suski netted the insurance goal midway through the second half. Suski also struck in the team’s second game of the day with the Hounds trailing against one of the PDA’s Jersey Shore-based teams, but they were unable to complete the comeback in a 2-1 defeat.

• Another PDA side was the opponent for the 05 Boys, and the hosts’ high pressure hindered the Hounds’ ability to build out from the back. The Hounds fell, 2-0, after costly turnovers in the middle of the field led to both goals. The team took the field later for their second game against Elite Soccer Club (N.J.) and fell behind by a goal despite controlling play. Kyler Miller and Jake Gretz finally put the 05 Boys on the board, and they came away with a 2-1 win.

• The 05 East Boys got locked into a defensive struggle and never cracked along the back line, despite playing the match with zero subs. The end result was a 0-0 draw with Soccer For Life (N.J.). That defensive group held once again for a second consecutive scoreless draw later in the day, ending 0-0 against FC Westchester (N.Y.).

• The 07 East Boys didn’t back down in their opener against a Toronto FC side that next week will play at the prestigious Dallas Cup. Ian DeCerb put the Hounds on the score sheet, but TFC had too much firepower in taking the contest, 6-1. Perhaps worn down by the first match, the team got off to a sluggish start in its second contest against MWUSC Lightning (N.Y.) and was topped by a 4-0 score.

• The 10 East Girls picked up a competitive 1-0 win over the PDA Shore team. Gabriella Kim scored the only goal late in the first half, and Sarah Tinkey made some critical second-half saves to preserve the shutout win.

In ECNL matches in Coraopolis:

• The 05 Girls put together an all-around team performance for a 2-1 victory over Ohio Premier. Bella Vozak scored on a free kick, and Alexis Tylenda netted the second goal. The Hounds remained organized and stuck to their game plan to hold on for the victory to open the day’s action.

• The 04 Girls were put under heavy pressure by Ohio Premier in the first half but found their way into the game after the break. Aleena Ulke headed in a late goal to make the better play pay off and give the Hounds a 1-1 draw.

• Two goals conceded on first-half set pieces put the 03 Girls in a hole, and missed opportunities to score prevented the Hounds from getting back into a game that ended 3-0 in Ohio Premier’s favor.

• Coming off their big weekend in Arizona, the 02 Girls found themselves in a battle against one of Ohio Premier’s top teams. Despite a strong defensive showing led by Angelina King on the back line, the Hounds fell 1-0 in a high-level matchup.

• The 00/01 Girls were topped 5-1 in their outing against Ohio Premier. Chloe Kuminkoski tallied the lone RDA goal.

• The 06 Girls suffered an 8-0 loss against Ohio Premier.

In Boys ECNL matches in Indianapolis:

• The 04 Boys got on the board when Johnny Dragisic converted a penalty kick, and FC Pride put the ball into their own net from a Ben Feinstein free kick to give the Hounds a 2-1 win.

• Luke Peperak set the tone with four of the Hounds’ seven goals, and the 02 Boys cruised to a 7-0 win over FC Pride. Anthony Rowan and TJ Cherry also scored for the RDA.

• The 03 Boys were the first to be tripped up in the Hoosier State, falling 2-0 to FC Pride.

• The 00/01 Boys seemed on their way to a second Hounds loss for the day, as they trailed by three goals at halftime. But behind a two-goal game from Nate Dragisich, the RDA boys rallied all the way back for a 4-4 draw with Jacob Adams and Gabriel Haines rounding out the scoring. 

Thursday, April 11

• Tryouts for the new year are just around the corner, with the first tryout sessions starting on May 6. For complete information about RDA tryouts, click HERE. For the RDA East tryouts, which begin the following week, click HERE.