Indiana University Athletics
Five Hoosiers Help Carmel United to Under-19 National Championship
7/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
July 29, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Six members of the Indiana women's soccer team led their club teams to the national championship game, with five players helping the Carmel United Cyclones to the Under-19 United States Youth Soccer Association National Championship on Sunday, July 29.
Five players - Kristin Arnold, Nikki Bonacorsi, Jessica Boots, Christie Kotynski and Natalie O'Bryan - helped the Carmel United Cyclone Under-19 squad to the championship. Taylor Fallon's Slammers FC Under-18 team finished second in its division.
Carmel took the title with a 2-0 victory over previously unbeaten PWSI Cardinals of Virginia and Region 1. Carmel scored six goals and allowed just four in its four games at the national championships.
Fallon's Slammer FC Under-18 squad finished as the runner-up in its division, falling in the championship match in penalty kicks, 2-1. Christen Press got Slammers on the board in the 79th minute to take a 1-0 lead, but Bloomfield's Amanda Bowery notched the tying tally in the 90th minute, and Bloomfield won 6-5 in PKs to take the championship.
Carmel United advanced to nationals by emerging as the champions at the Region 2 Championships at the end of June. In the preliminary round in Texas, Carmel went 1-1-1, winning its opening match and then clinching a spot in the finals with a 3-3 tie with the Cardinals.
Fallon and her Slammers teammates found their way to the finals with a victory in their opening game, topping Arsenal World Class 1-0. The Slammers then tied Bloomfield before shutting down Solar 89 Girls in their final contest to post a 2-0-1 mark in the preliminary round, matching Bloomfield's record.
The USYSA Championships are held annually at Pizza Hut Park, the home of Major League Soccer's FC Dallas.
Players Mentioned
