RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – It was a total team effort employed by Scorpions it their 2-0 U15 Championship final win Sunday over Chantilly Firecats, but twin sisters McKenzie and Madison Meehan made a very nice contribution.

Late in the first half, McKenzie Meehan made a great run down the left, and after beating her marker to the end line, resisted the temptation to blindly whip the ball in with her left foot, which would have likely resulted in the ball being collected by the goalkeeper. Instead she hesitated for a moment and poked the ball with her right peg to twin sister Madison Meehan, and Madison finished well to make it 1-0.

If you thought McKenzie’s reluctance to use her left meant that she can’t, you would have been relieved of that notion quickly afterward, when she collected a ball in front of net, faked right and went to her left foot with which she rifled a shot into the lower corner of the net to make the score 2-0. McKenzie nearly made it 3 moments later, but her shot was denied by a good save from Chantilly goalkeeper Caroline Collier. Collier then made a fabulous kick save from a shot by Scorpions’ Lauren Berman and a point blank save on McKenzie Meehan.

Chantilly got some good offensive moments from Cassie Smith, Niki Clark and especially the lightning-quick and determined Danielle Fitzgerald. The Virginia side’s back line of Madison Smith, Meghan DiPippa, Kara DeGuisto and especially Kaylee Hohein, with help from subs Adelle Clinton and Smith, was impressive for most of the match. They cleared their lines well and kept the explosive Scorpions’ attack under wraps most of the way.

Scorpions got a good match from defenders Jill Clapp and Kendall Andrew, plus goalkeeper Bridget Conway. Andrew was solid in the middle while Clapp got forward on the outside to show a lot of speed and skill.

The 2nd half featured Scorpions weathering a resurgent Chantilly attack, and the Massachusetts side lifted the trophy.

Scorpions got some additional good news just after the match ended, when a result from the U.S. Youth Soccer National League play in Las Vegas meant Fred Marks’ team will be at the nationals this summer in Kansas, as league champions.

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Other Games
Showcase games in the U16-U18 age groups wrapped up Sunday as well, with a good number of college coaches still on hand watching the action.

One of the best performances overall came from a player who has been committed for a while now, Albertson SC junior Karin Simonian was on fire for her team, scoring one goal and creating another in a 3-2 win over fellow Long Island side HBC Intense.

I’m used to seeing Simonian in a regional or national team playing a defensive midfield role, which she does well for due to her tenacity, but Sunday I was reminded she can be a skilled attacking player as well. She really did well in getting forward, beating players 1v1, distributing the ball and basically driving her team’s offense while she was on the field. Simonian will be playing her college soccer for Randy Waldrum at Notre Dame.

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