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Soccer tourney wraps up
East New York East Fishkill Thunder players Jake Keegan and Matthew Forester celebrate after their 1-0 win over the New Jersey PDA Cruyff during the U-18 Boys Championship Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at the Barboursville Soccer Complex.
Purchase this photoRelated:
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- Gallery: Final Day Of US Youth Soccer
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BARBOURSVILLE -- The East Fishkill Thunder U-18 soccer team had dominating performances throughout the 2009 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships, but on Tuesday it was the underdog against New Jersey powerhouse PDA Cruyff.
That didn't matter. The Thunder stunned tournament-goers Tuesday when it defeated PDA 1-0 at the Soccer Complex inside the Barboursville City Park. Thunder coaches and players expected the much larger PDA to defeat the small club based in East Fishkill, N.Y.
Thunder Coach Eddie Evans said his squad, which normally has 35 players, was left shorthanded coming into the tournament because 20 players had college commitments and orientations. The team brought 13 players Region 1 Championships, and three were injured during a tough week of games, Evans said.
Evans said the team played PDA with 10 healthy boys and another who "gutted it out."
The Thunder's story was one of many compelling developments during the six-day tournament, which concluded Tuesday.
Nearly 5,000 soccer players representing about 280 teams from 13 states competed in the tournament that started Thursday. The Thunder was one of 36 teams that battled Tuesday to be the winner in 18 separate divisions.
PDA, which stands for the Player Development Academy, has more than 20 teams with large facilities based in Zarephath, N.J. The Thunder is a small-town team that brought the minimum number of players and had only three supervising adults, Evans said.
Thunder forward Jake Keegan knew PDA's reputation coming into the final game and knew the team was going to have to step up big to go home with the trophy.
"PDA is an incredibly skilled team and we knew we had to defend first and take our chances when we got them," Keegan said. "It could be them (with the victory) just as easily as us."
Keeper John Bryant made a crucial save in the second half during a penalty kick to secure the victory. Bryant downplayed his game-winning save and said the Thunder has a lot going for it that helped the team beat PDA, a feat it never accomplished before. The club even got a little help from the rough fields in Barboursville, they said.
"For regional games, people might have had trouble playing on them," Bryant said. "A field like this worked toward our advantage. We're used to playing on patchy fields; these guys are used to playing on turf."
Evans seconded Bryant's thoughts by saying, "For us it was great because if we played a team like PDA on a better surface, it probably would have been a different result."
The players and coaches agreed that their bond on and off the field has made them successful. Keegan said some boys on the squad have played together for eight years.
The parents, coaches and players even stayed together in Marshall University dorms in Huntington during the tournament.
When not playing soccer, the team stayed in the dorms and performed skits, dances and even sang to build team unity and camaraderie. They joined nearly 1,600 other players, coaches and referees staying at the dorms.
"They bonded as a group this week," Evans said. "It's been a great experience for our boys."
"We stuck together, kept this little town name and pulled it out," Bryant said.
When not inside the dorms, the team wandered the campus and visited the new recreation center. They spent a lot of time recovering from the days' games at the pool.
"The City of Huntington has been tremendous to us, Marshall University has been tremendous," Evans said.
"It's a nice place, the people are really nice," Keegan said.
The Thunder now prepares for a trip to Lancaster, Mass., for the US Youth Soccer National Championships beginning July 21. The Thunder will face the top teams in the nation.
"This is big for us. It's the first time anyone from our area has ever gone to nationals," Evans said. "We expect an even higher level of competition."
