Union Academy teams remain unbeaten in 2017 after successful road trip

A pair of wins and a draw in Maryland along with a sweep at home for the U12 team over PA Classics gave the Philadelphia Union Academy another unbeaten weekend in U.S. Soccer Development Academy play.

The U18s made it four wins out of four for 2017 thanks to a 41st minute strike from Darius Lewis, who has scored in three straight games, two of those game-winners in 1-0 wins.

Jahmali Waite recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season behind the back line of Freeman Dwamena, Evan Godfrey, Nykolas Sessock and Brandon Golden.

The U18 team improved to 13-2-1 on the season while maintaining a firm grip on the top spot in the Atlantic Division and the overall league lead with 2.5 points per game.

Kristopher Shakes recorded his second clean sheet of the season in the U16 game but they had to settle for a scoreless draw against a Bethesda SC team they beat 4-0 at home in November.

The U16s (8-3-5) lost ground on Atlantic Division leaders Baltimore Armour in the process, and now sit 10 points back of the leaders with three games in hand.

In the U14 game, Aboubacar Camara continued his goal-scoring tear with his second straight hat trick in a 4-2 win over Bethesda SC. He leads the team with 19 goals on the season and has three hat tricks, eight multi-goal games and five game-winners.

Selmir Miscic added a goal, his third of the season for the U14s to go with seven goals for the U13 team while goalkeeper Chay Kaplan recorded his third clean sheet of the season.

The U13s picked up a 2-0 win over Bethesda SC on first half goals from Anthony Zucchero and Jack Roberto and a clean sheet by goalkeeper Jason Grandizio. Zucchero’s goal was his first of the season and Roberto’s was his team-leading eighth of the season.

The U12s swept PA Classics with 7-0 and 6-0 wins over the Lancaster County club at YSC Sports.

Nicholas Rubio had a brace in the first six minutes of the first game and Anthony Derk, Samuel Fenton, Nelson Pierre, Logan Oliver and Jackson Gilman added goals.

In the second game, Jason Barrigan had a pair of goals inside 15 minutes and Dylan Lacey, Andrew Johnson, Marcello Mazolla and Beckham Aiman added goals.

The sweep extended the team’s shutout streak to five games, a span that has seen them outscore opponents 28-0. Pierre leads the team with 28 goals and Mazolla is second with 21.

The U12 team is back home to host Continental FC at YSC Sports on Saturday at 12:30 and 2 p.m. before heading to Frisco, Texas for the Generation adidas Cup U12 tournament.

The U18, U16, U14 and U13 teams return to Development Academy play on April 22 (U18 and U16s host Baltimore Armour; U14 and U13s travel to New York to play Met Oval).

The U16 team travels to Frisco, Texas for the GA Cup finals beginning this Friday.