Print |
E-mail to a friend
SPORTS
Play begins today for US Region I teams
HUNTINGTON -- It began with 10,000 teams playing at the US Youth Soccer state level. From there, 926 teams advanced to one of the four regional tournaments.
US Youth Soccer Region I Championships begin today for 268 teams playing at the Barboursville Soccer Complex (16 fields) at Barboursville City Park and the Scott Orthopedic Soccer Complex (six fields) at the Huntington YMCA Kennedy Center.
Champions and select runners-up from 15 state associations in 13 states sent teams to the Region I event.
About 5,000 soccer players are on Region I teams and an additional 16,000 family members, coaches and game referees are visiting the Tri-State. Hotel rooms are booked from Charleston to Portsmouth, Ohio, and the estimated economic impact on the Tri-State is $12.5 million.
Region I age-group state champions include nine teams from the host West Virginia Soccer Club.
Other state associations represented are Connecticut, Delaware, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Boys and girls teams play in age groups Under 12 through Under 19.
Round robin games are today through Sunday, with semifinal matches Monday. Champions will be crowned Tuesday.
Regional winners of the U-14 to U-19 brackets earn a berth to the US Youth Soccer National Championships coming up July 21-26 in Lancaster, Mass.
Competition in Region II, III and IV is complete.
