Published: June 20, 2008 07:24 pm      

ESC teams battle at regionals

After sweeping through the state competitions, four Edmond Soccer Club teams continue their push towards the national tournament this week at the 2008 U.S. Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships in North Carolina.

ESC sent three girls teams to the regional, with 91 Black, 94 Black and 90 Black competing this week. The 92 Black team is the lone boy’s team competing in the six-day tournament which takes place in Raleigh and Wilson, N.C.

The ESC 90 Black team shut out Concorde Fire South 90 (Ga.) 2-0 in their first action of the girl’s Under-18 tournament. Kyndall Tredwell put ESC 90 Black up 1-0 when she scored at the 22-minute mark. Caitlin Mooney doubled their output, when she scored early in the second half.

The ESC 91 Black girls team opened the U-17 tournament with a 2-0 win over BUSA Lady Jets 91 Blue (Ala.). Deer Creek’s Amy Grow scored both of the team’s goals.

Things did not go as well for the ESC 94 Black girls team in the girls U-14 tournament, as they opened pool play with a tough 1-0 loss to the MSC Lakers (La.).

On the boys side, the ESC 92 Black team fell behind early, but bounced back to earn a 2-1 victory over Columbia United FC 91 Elite (S.C.) in the first day of the boy’s U-16 tournament.

Zachariah Acree put the Edmond squad in a hole when he scored 12 minutes into the contest. ESC 92 Black later tied things up with a goal by Elias Smith at the 64-minute mark. Steven Groh then kicked the game winner six minutes later, making it a 2-1 game.

All four Edmond teams will be back in action Saturday, for day two of pool play. The ESC 90 Black and 91 Black girls both play at 10 a.m. at WRAL Soccer Park. The 90 Black team will play 89 CASL Spartan Elite (N.C.), while the 91 Black girls will take on FC Dallas 91 (Texas). The ESC 94 Black girls will play DFeeters 94 (Texas) at 10 a.m. at Wilson Gillete Soccer Park.

The Edmond boys team return to action at 2 p.m. when they play GSA 92 Phoenix Red (Ga.) at WRAL Soccer Park.

Pool play continues through the weekend, and the final rounds will begin on Monday, with the finals scheduled for Wednesday.