PHOENIX, ARIZONA - This time the tables were turned for Cal South.

A year after losing 2-1 to New Jersey in the 1994 Girls’ title game in heartbreaking fashion, Cal South willed their way to a title by the same 2-1 score at the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program National Championships here Sunday.

After a goal by New Jersey’s Gabby Galanti in the 87th minute, it looked as if Cal South would be the bridesmaid once again.

But a gritty goal just three minutes later by Makenzy Doniak tied the game and forced overtime, where Taylor Alderete gave Cal South the lead and the win. The coveted ODP national championship was finally theirs.

“The team as a whole is a little bit stronger than last year,” Cal South head coach Michelle Myers said.  “For our kids to battle back and get that [late] goal back, it was all them and it was all heart. They wanted it so bad and it showed.”

Myers said the win was a complete team effort and that all 18 players on the roster deserve credit for the victory. The team included the nucleus of last year’s team, along with a few new faces on the roster.

“The ones that were here last year wanted it even more,” she said. “And the ones that joined us know how important it is. They all wanted to be a part of it.”

The loss by New Jersey prevented a sweep on the Girls’ side as the 1995 New Jersey girls’ team pulled through for a national title of their own.

An early goal by New Jersey’s Katelyn Walters proved to be the difference against Cal South as they held on for a 1-0 win.

Although leading at halftime, New Jersey head coach Glenn Crooks was unhappy with his team’s lack of possession of the ball. Crooks’ fiery halftime speech led to a tighter defensive game and a shutout for the win.

“We were losing all of the air game and were permitting things to happen in the middle of the field [in the first half]. It wasn’t acceptable,” Crooks said.

“In the second half we got better in those areas. We did a lot of nice things in this match against a very good Cal South team.”

While the Girls’ national title games were tight, one-goal affairs, the championship matches on the boys’ side were a little more lopsided.

Iowa may not get all the recognition of being a breeding ground for top soccer talent, but maybe now it should. Their 1994 boys’ team can now call themselves national champions after they knocked off Cal South 4-1 on Sunday.

With Iowa up 1-0 at halftime, both teams traded goals in the second half before Iowa iced the game with two late goals by Danton Ireland and Gabe Christianson, who had two tallies on the day.

“Coming from a state like Iowa, it’s perhaps not the most fashionable state for soccer,” Iowa head coach Andrew McKnight said. “To come here and to not only win, but beat a perennial powerhouse is a big deal. We have a lot of good players in Iowa.”

The 1995 boys’ national championship went to Virginia, who defeated a tough Washington team by a score of 3-1.

After their semi-final win on Friday, Virginia head coach Matt Badiee voiced his displeasure with his team’s play and vowed changed would be made.

His players received the message loud and clear. Virginia got two goals from Peter Pearson (40th and 75th minutes) and another by Francesco Amorosino in the 54th minute.

Jacob Hauser-Ramsey scored the lone goal for Washington in the 67th minute.

“We had a good session yesterday and went over a lot of stuff we were trying to get across,” said Badiee, who called this a “World Cup’ for his squad.

“We started with these guys when they were 11 and 12 years old. This was the national championship for us and it was a big [win].”

In the 1994 girls’ consolation game, Georgia beat Michigan 4-3 while Illinois defeated North Carolina 2-1 to grab third place in the 1995 girls’ bracket.

Eastern Pennsylvania knocked off Florida 2-0 in the 1994 boys’ consolation game and in the 1995’ boys third place game Illinois beat Georgia 1-0.