BOISE, Idaho. (June 24, 2011) – Of the 232 teams that began the tournament, the dreams of 64 remain alive in the 2011 US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships as the quarterfinal round was completed today. There was a heightened sense of intensity as games kicked off at the Simplot Sports Complex in Boise, Idaho, for teams were competing for one of four spots in the semifinals.

Among the field of teams at the Region IV Championships are three defending national champions, Under-15 Girls Foothill MVLA Lightning (CA-N), Under-18 Girls So Cal Blues Dodge (CA-S) and Under-19 Boys Eastside United FC 91 Liverpool Red (OR). Only two remain in contention for a repeat championship as the first defending champ, MVLA Lightning, was knocked out in a penalty shootout today in the Under-15 Girls. So Cal Blues Dodge and Eastside United FC 91 Liverpool Red are still in the hunt to become back-to-back national champions.

Teams that competed in the 2010-2011 US Youth Soccer National League continued their success in the Region IV Championships.  Eleven of 12 National League teams that entered the tournament advanced to the quarterfinals, and nine of those teams have now moved onto the semifinal round.

A few highlights from today's matches...
 
Under-16 Girls Legends Breakaway (CA-S) just missed out on a direct path to the National Championships through the US Youth Soccer National League as they finished second to the 2011 Region III champions Hurricane FC (OK). But Legends took one step closer to gaining entry to Nationals as a regional champion as they defeated SC Del Sol (AZ) 8-0 in their quarterfinal matchup. Seven Legends goals in the first half included a hatrick from Tanya Samarzich, a double from Nicolette Martino and one each from Taylor Vargo and Kylie Sincox before Sincox added the eighth in the second half.
 
Defending Region IV champion Real Colorado National will take on Legends in the semifinals after downing Forza FC 95 Premier (UT) 4-1. Alex Anthony led the way for Real with three goals in a 20 minute span during the second half after Brianna Toelle opened the scoring in just the 3rd minute. Forza tried to claw back into the game with a Paige Coles goal in the 62nd, but Real held strong to move closer to defending their title.
 
Colorado Rush Nike 94/95 wasted no time in asserting themselves versus Las Vegas Premier 95 White (NV) as they scored in the opening minute en route to a 4-1 victory. Danica Evans put Rush on the board in the 1st minute, the first of her three first half goals. Premier pulled one back two minutes into the second half through Falon Miller, but Rush struck again nine minutes later from Morgan Stanton to lead Rush into the semifinals.
 
Mustang Blast (CA-N) are looking for redemption after dropping the 2010 Region IV championship match to Colorado Real, and they are back in the semis thanks to a 3-0 blanking of San Diego Surf White (CA-S). Ryan Walker started things off with the first of her brace in the 12th minute and Tyler Cunningham put Mustang up two just before the halftime break. The Blast backline held strong in the second half before Walker sealed the game with a stoppage time goal as Blast take on Rush tomorrow for a spot in the final.
 
Three Under-16 US Youth Soccer National League participants have advanced to the regional semifinals and Eastside FC 94 Red (WA) will have even more motivation in their matchup after eliminating La Roca 95 (UT) 1-0. In the final game of the National League season, semifinal opponent Albion SC (CA-S) defeated Eastside to take the automatic ticket to the National Championships. La Roca gave Eastside all they could handle, but a dramatic goal from Joseph Mancini in stoppage time won the game for Eastside and set up the rematch with Far West Regional League and National League rival Albion.
 
Downtown Rapids 95 Gold (NV) joins fellow National League competitors Eastside and Albion in the semifinals after defeating the Colorado Rapids 4-0. Juan Carlos Regalado Jr. posted a hatrick with goals in the 18th, 26th and 51st minutes before Antonio Velaquez sealed the game in stoppage time. Downtown will face defending Region IV champion Mt. Hamilton PAC Tigres (CA-N) in their semifinal match.
 
In a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal, Under-19 Girls Super Nova 91/92 (ID) reversed the score to take down United Neon (OR) 2-1. United lost by a goal in last year’s semifinal to the eventual national champion Laguna Hills Eclipse (CA-S), but this year Nova will get a chance to move on after Shalese Miller completed a second half comeback for Nova with her winner in the last eight minutes. United went on top in the 18th from Daniella Solis, but Nova leveled in the 67th from Amanda Soderlund to set up Miller’s game winner.
 
Super Nova will face So Cal Blues Dodge (CA-S) tomorrow thanks to a 4-1 win over East Fresno United (CA-N). After Lynn Williams put Fresno up in the 8th, the Blues exploded for three goals within 11 minutes, starting with Tawni Martino’s strike in the 14th. Greer Zerboni added another in the 21st and Jennifer Barrientos capped the spree in the 25th for a sudden 3-1 lead. Zerboni added her second in the 70th to put the game away and send So Cal into the semifinals.
 
Complete scores from the quarterfinal matches...

 

Under-12 Girls
USA Red 99 - GT	UT	0		Surf Girls 98 - 99 White	CA-S	4
Santa Rosa United ICE	CA-N	2		Colorado Storm Royal	CO	1
Northwest Nationals 98 Red	WA	1		Eagles	CA-S	4
Scottsdale '99 Blackhawks	AZ	2		Blitz FC Orange 99G	HI	3
Under-12 Boys
Mt. Hamilton YSL PAC Atlas	CA-N	3		Crossfire Premier 98 James	WA	0
Full Force 99B	AK	0		Banat 99B Gold	AZ	2
Idaho Rush - White	ID	1		Pateadores	CA-S	4
CFC Real Madrid	OR	5		Arsenal RL	UT	1
Under-13 Girls
Elite F.C. Brazil	NM	0		Arsenal FC	CA-S	3
LV Premier 98 White	NV	1		Santa Rosa United Freeze	CA-N	5
Sereno 98 White	AZ	3		Avalanche 98 Black	UT	0
Crossfire Premier 97A	WA	1		Real Colorado National 97/98	CO	2
Under-13 Boys
Arsenal Colorado Gold	CO	0		Alum Rock PAC Impact	CA-N	2
Crossfire Premier 97 James	WA	2		NM Rush Nike 98	NM	1
SCdelSol 98 McNaughton	AZ	0		South Bay Gunners	CA-S	4
Vegas United 98	NV	0		Sparta 98 Premier JK	UT	2
Under-14 Girls
SoCal Blues U14 Dodge	CA-S	1		Leahi 97 Premier	HI	3
Crossfire Premier 96 A	WA	1		LV Premier SC '97G White	NV	0
RVFC Zia 97	NM	0		Real Colorado National 96/97	CO	3
Arsenal	FWRL	1		West Coast FC	FWRL	0
Under-14 Boys
Colorado Storm 97B Royal	CO	0		Cosmos Academy West 96	CA-S	3
Crossfire Premier B96A	WA	1		Real SoCal	FWRL	2
Sparta 97 Premiere PR	UT	0		Fullerton Rangers B96 White	FWRL	1
LV Premier 97 White	NV	1		CCV Star 97 Black	AZ	0
Under-15 Girls
Washington Premier FC ECNL	WA	3		Foothill MVLA Lightning	CA-N	2
So Cal Blues-Draluck	FWRL	2		Sereno 96 White	AZ	1
Leahi 96 Premier	HI	1		Slammers FC G95	CA-S	3
Beach G95 White	CA-S	2		Eastside FC 95 Red Bialek	FWRL	1
Under-15 Boys
Neusport 96 Green	NV	2		Diablo Futbol Club 95	CA-N	1
La Roca Premier-FD	UT	6		Scottsdale 96 Blackhawks	AZ	3
Colorado Storm Copa '96	CO	2		Laguna Niguel SC Blue (2011)	FWRL	1
San Diego Surf Academy	CA-S	1		95-96 Real National Boys	CO	0
Under-16 Girls
95 SC Del Sol Armstrong	AZ	0		Legends Breakaway	FWRL	8
Forza FC 95 Premier RP	UT	1		Real Colorado National	FWRL	4
San Diego Surf White	CA-S	0		Mustang Blast	CA-N	3
Colorado Rush Nike 94/95	CO	4		LV Premier 95 White	NV	1
Under-16 Boys
NM Rush Nike 95 Stingers	NM	0		Mt Hamilton PAC Tigres	CA-N	1
Colorado Rapids	CO	0		Downtown Rapids 95 Gold	NV	4
La Roca 95-PO	UT	0		Eastside FC 94 Red	WA	1
Eagles white	FWRL	0		Albion White	CA-S	3
Under-17 Girls
Oregon Rush 93 Nike	OR	2		Mustang Rampage	CA-N	1
Crossfire Premier G93	WA	1		So Cal Blues - Dido	FWRL	2
Rio Vista FC 94 Eagles	NM	2		LaRoca PT	UT	0
Legends FC	CA-S	2		Super Nova Elite	ID	0
Under-17 Boys
Las Vegas Surf 94	NV	0		LA ROCA PREMIER 94 AO	UT	1
Santa Clara Sporting 93	CA-N	2		Pride SC Predators 94	CO	0
Pateadores U17B	CA-S	0		Rush Nike 94B	FWRL	1
Sereno 94 White	AZ	3		Idaho Rush Nike	ID	1
Under-18 Girls
Washington Premier FC ECNL	WA	1		Pride Predators 93	CO	2
MVLA Avalanche	CA-N	0		CO Rush Nike	CO	2
Eagles Soccer Club	FWRL	0		Real So Cal White	CA-S	1
So Cal Blues Dodge	FWRL	1		SC Del Sol 93 Maxwell	AZ	0
Under-18 Boys
Blue Knights 93 Premier	UT	0		Palo Alto 93B Blue	CA-N	1
Irvine Soccer Academy Matrix	FWRL	1		Neusport FC 93	NV	2
Boise Nationals U18 Premier	ID	1		Strikers F.C. 93	NM	3
United FC Black	CA-S	3		Sereno 93 White	AZ	1
Under-19 Girls
Sereno 92 White	AZ	1		Real Colorado National 91/92	CO	3
SLAMMERS FC	CA-S	1		Storm Academy Copa	CO	2
East Fresno United	CA-N	1		So Cal Blues Dodge	CA-S	4
United Neon	OR	1		Super Nova 91/92	ID	2
Under-19 Boys
Sereno 92 White	AZ	2		Oxnard United Soccer Club	CA-S	1
Inter FC 92 Premier	UT	2		Rio Vista FC 92	NM	3
Arsenal Colorado Gold	CO	0		ESUFC 91 Liverpool Red	OR	1
Newark Argonauts	CA-N	1		Las Vegas Premier 92	NV