Eagles SC Down Richmond Strikers Elite
By Steve Hunt-special contributor to www.championships.ussoccer.com 

Not even an hour weather delay could keep Eagles SC from a 5-2 win over the Richmond Strikers Elite in the Under-17 Girls division of the 2007 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships on Field Four at Pizza Hut Park on Thursday night. Five different Eagles scored,  three in the first half and two in the second.

Eagles head coach Vince Thomas was obviously pleased with the victory. “We played better than last night and that was one of our goals,” he said. “The girls showed a lot of character tonight. I’ve always said that’s our team-that all 11 players can score at any time. That’s one of the things that makes this team so exciting to watch.”

Thomas also liked how well his team responded after each Richmond goal. “We were confident that we were going to get a goal back,” he said. “We have a lot of attacking personalities on our team that can change a game. To our girls’ credit, this is probably one of our best attacking performances going all the way back to state cup.”

Much of the first half was played in windy conditions with light rain. In the third minute, the Eagles’ Kelsea Smith noticed that Strikers goalkeeper Lindsey Rowe was far from the goal and attempted a lob from about 65 yards out. Her effort bounced in front of Rowe, then went over her head, and into the back of the net for a goal.

With the wind at their back, the Eagles controlled the run of play for the entire opening frame. Those efforts paid dividends again in the 23rd when Samantha Greene found Kelse Owen and Owen punched one into the left side of the goal, making it 2-0.

In the 37th, the Strikers cut the lead to 2-1 when Kathleen Russell scored on one of her side’s few chances of the opening half. But just one minute later, the Eagles answered as Amanda Lisberger scored from near the top of the arc to make it 3-1.

Things remained quiet until the 61st minute when Richmond’s April Price connected on a strike from about 35 yards out to make it 3-2. But once again, the Eagles answered as Emily Cressy scored far post in the 73rd to make it 4-2. And just four minutes later, Chloe Johnson scored off a deflection following a free kick just outside the Strikers box and it was 5-2.

Richmond had several chances to make a game of it late in the match when Kristin Lescallet took free kicks from outside the Eagles box in the 74th, 80th and 83rd minutes, but her first two efforts went high and the last was right at the opposing ‘keeper.          

Both teams play again on Friday evening at 7:30 PM. The Eagles will meet Dallas Texans 90 Red on Field Eight while the Richmond Strikers Elite and the Michigan Hawks 90 square off on Field Nine.