‘02 CASL Academy Juniors
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Alphabetical Order: Robert Alphin, Adam Armour, Jack Balint-Kurti, Jackson Burkhart, Kameron Clemens, Connor Dail, Robert Frame, Harrison Herbst, Luke Hille, Ian Holdaway, Lewis Maciel Madera, Blake Maclauchlin, Aaron Messer, Jackson Newman, Garrett Olson, Calik Parham, Zachary Peterman, Lucas Pleasants, Jason Smith, Oliver Weaver, Benjamin Wu Coached by: Mark Jonas, Timothy Evans, Sean Nahas, Daniel Popik | Team Manager: Julie Frame
02 CASL Academy Juniors (NC) earned the National Championship title with a 2-1 win over Strikers FC Chingirian (CA-S). The Under-13 Boys championship match started off with urgency from the first whistle, and the play never slowed down from there. Previously in group play, Strikers defeated CASL, 2-0, on Thursday, and the Cal South team had gone undefeated in the three games. CASL claimed the early lead in the fifth minute when Jason Smith stood on the back post during a corner kick and headed the ball into the net. Strikers immediately retaliated when a ball bounced over, catching the CASL defense off guard, for Reagan Wortmann to run on and slot into the goal. CASL stole the lead right back as Ian Holdaway took the ball down the sideline and found Adam Armour in the middle of the 18-yard box to slide his shot past the Strikers’ goalkeeper.
The second half featured gutsy performances from both teams, as they were both hungry for a goal. Strikers nearly tied the match when they had a follow-up shot that was called back for offside, and CASL generated a few close opportunities right in front of the goal, which either hit the goal post or skimmed right over the crossbar. Although the Strikers applied high pressure in the final minutes of the match, CASL’s defense and goalkeeper Trace Alphin remained solid and made some crucial saves to hold the lead. “I couldn’t be more blessed,” CASL head coach Mark Jonas said. “I’ve had some of these boys since they were six or seven years old. It’s surreal at this moment. I’m so proud of them. It’s incredible. Time couldn’t have moved any slower, and the boys fought to the end.”