Eastern Pennyslvania Youth State Cup champions crowned in Downingtown

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. — Daytime fireworks were a frequent site on Saturday at United Sports Training Center as state cup champions and finalists took to the stage to celebrate being the last two teams standing in their age groups.

Twelve state cup champions were crowned at the 12U-17U age groups for NCS State Cup and 16 Presidents Cup champions from 12U-19U celebrated a state championship and booked their ticket to the regionals for each competition. Four ODP State Cup championships at the 12U and 13U age groups were also celebrated.

NCS winners punched their ticket to the Eastern Regional Championships in Loudoun County, Virginia June 23-29 while Presidents Cup winners won’t have to leave the state to play in the Eastern Presidents Cup June 16-20 at The Proving Grounds in Conshohocken and Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting.

“It’s a great day every year to bring all these championship teams together and State Cup winners and give them the opportunity to move on to regionals,” said Chris Branscome, chief executive officer of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. “It’s a great facility, we got to play on great fields and teams got to experience quality officiating so it was it was a great representation of everything eastern Pennsylvania has to offer.”

Four teams celebrated back-to-back state cup championships: FC Revolution Reds were the lone repeat winner in NCS State cup with their 2-1 win over Keystone FC in the 17U girls final. Three Presidents Cup teams repeated: Lancaster Elite Sprinters (18U Girls), Hulmeville SC Dortmund (18U Boys) and Vereinigung Erzgebirge SC Gunners (19U Boys).

YMS Spirit were looking for their third straight state cup championship but were dethroned by FC Europa Elite in the 15U Girls final in a tight contest decided by a penalty kick after a handball was whistled in the box.

Reading Rage teams knocked off defending NCS State Cup champions in two girls age groups. Reading Rage Press outlasted Keystone Athletic Black in penalties after a 2-2 draw in the 16U girls final and Reading Rage Pugh notched a 2-0 win over defending champions Penn Alliance Select Elite in the 14U girls final.

Steel United PA lost 1-0 to Warrington SC Storm in their repeat bid in Presidents Cup.

Penalty shootouts decided several games on the day.

Philadelphia SC Coppa beat Penn Fusion in penalties after a thrilling 3-3 game, YMS Celtic  and YMS Premier Blackout both won on penalties, Keystone FC Premier bested YMS Premier United via kicks and Reading Rage Press were victorious in penalties in NCS State Cup.

Lehigh Valley United bested Southern Chester County Dragons in penalties in the 14U Boys Presidents Cup final after a back-and-forth 3-3 match.

The complete list of winners and scores is below.

NCS State Cup

Presidents Cup