U-13 Girls Final

Crossfire Premier 5 - NW Nationals 0

In a game with two teams that truly play a similar style of controlled passing. Crossfire showed why they won regionals last year, and made P-1 playing a year up at U-14 this past year. In my opinion the Nationals team is well coached and a fine team. Today at Memorial Stadium, it just wasn't meant to be for them. Nemesis hold your heads high, you never gave up and showed the spirit and capabilities to challenge Crossfire for years to come.

The game started off fairly fast for Crossfire with Maggie Graham taking a ball on the right wing and racing down the line and hitting a crisp cross into the box. Kate Bennett got on the end of the cross from Graham and hit the first shot of the game. Not a goal, but a sign of things to come. Minutes later a ball was played wide left to Emily Hurd. Hurd took the ball and made a quick inside out move getting a step on the defender as she raced down the line just outside the 18 yard box. Hurd calmly angled slightly in and at the end line cut a cross back across the grain and Bennett slotted it home for a 1-0 lead.

It was only minutes later that Crossfire sent a diagonal ball to the right edge of the box and an on coming Maggie Graham met it in full stride, took a touch and hammered it hard and high for a 2-0 lead. It seemed like maybe 5 minutes later Crossfire got some nice combination play. Maggie Graham took a ball on the right after getting a feed from Erin Bourguignon. Graham found Hurd and she hit her shot far post for a 3-0 lead.

The teams went to half this way, with Crossfire having most of the play. The Nationals did have two chances go just wide by Candice Osei-Agyemang. Candice did a fine job up front most of the half for the Nationals.

The second half was much like the first half with Crossfire having a lot of the play. Midway thru the half Crossfire received a free kick on the right side 20 yards out. Emily Hurd took the kick and struck it hard at the goal. With a bit of luck on a slight mishandled ball it found the back of the net for a 4-0 Crossfire lead. No more than 10 minutes later on a similar free kick but centered on the goal. Hurd hit it low into the wall, and the ball deflected perfectly to the feet of Allison Risa who calmly hit it low and hard far post for a 5-0 Crossfire lead.

The game ended and most knew they'd just seen a team that should have a legitimate chance at repeating as Regional Champions in Denver. A team that in some National polls is ranked #1 in the Nation for their age.

U-13 Boys Final

Crossfire Premier 1 - Eastside FC 0

This was a final that put two clubs that compete for many of the same players against each other. Crossfire the 2-time defending State Champions against a big, strong, and fast Eastside team. The game started out fairly fast and you could tell it would be a game of direct attacking and counter attacks.

Crossfire drew first blood early when Oliver Hurtin played a diagonal ball across the goal from left to right. As he played it Jose Garibay had the ball slip past him, almost looking like a dummy move and finding the foot of Bradley McIntosh. McIntosh wasted no motion in hitting the ball incredibly hard to make sure it found the back of the net for an early Crossfire 1-0 lead. Minutes later Greg Stock found Oliver Hurtin on a long direct ball and Hurtlin took the ball in stride, but hit it hard over the goal. Crossfire then drew a corner moments later, in which Stock sent it in and found Hurtins head. The header deflected off a defender and came to Adam Zeman of Crossfire who hit a bullet that the Eastside keeper blocked from point blank range.

Eastside wouldn't be left out of the action though. They had numerous long balls find forwards and pressured Crossfire into giving up a corner. On their first corner of the game Junpei Tsuji hooked in a nice ball that found the head of Gabriel Banfi. Banfi just missing wide after getting up strong. This was followed by a Hayden Meriwether shot near post minutes later in which the Crossfire keeper made a diving save to his left. Eastside wasn't done though, with another shot by Junpei Tsuji from the top of the 18 that sailed over.

Eastside after a slow start was making it a good game and continued to get chances and deep balls and runs into the Crossfire defensive third. As the game came to halftime, they seemed to be more composed and finding their rythm. Crossfire on defense though seemed to have answers for everything Eastside did, and they closed the half at 1-0.

To start the second half Eastside had a nice chance on a cross that found Gabriel Banfi in the box, his header going over. There were many times Eastside seemed dangerous in the air and on longer balls in the first stages of the second half. The half continued on with neither team truly taking control of the tempo or play of the game.

Crossfire almost sealed the deal late in the second half. Oliver Hurtin received a ball 35 yards out from the goal and drove at one of the last defenders as his teammate made a run to the left of him. Hurtin drew the defender and slotted a nice ball to Bradley McIntosh diagonal. McIntosh was in behind the defense with just the keeper to beat. The Eastside keeper made a fantastic save getting down and knocking the ball away, in what would have wrapped up the game for Crossfire. In the end Crossfire didn't need the extra goal, as the one they put in early held the whole way.

As the whistle blew and Crossfire had won their third straight State Championship, it was obvious to many Eastside had played well enough to win. Eastside did a fabulous job and should be proud of the way they played.

WPS Staff