Euclid Soccer Shines at Memorial Classic
The Memorial Day weekend marked the highlight of Euclid Youth Soccer Organization’s (EYSO) season as the group hosted its annual Memorial Classic soccer tournament. This was the 17th year for the tournament, and with more than 40 teams from throughout Northeast Ohio and from areas up to two-hour drive time from Euclid, the EYSO tournament is the showcase event for the volunteer run soccer group that organizes a local league for children ages 5-17.
“This is the one fundraiser that Euclid youth soccer puts on every year. We invite teams from all over to compete,” said tournament director Fraser Hamilton. “The level of competition is very high with some very good travel teams and all-star teams assembled to represent their local program.”
Teams were placed in one of 18 age- and gender-based divisions competing in a round-robin format with the top two teams meeting in a championship game Sunday afternoon. All the games were played at Memorial Park fields.
“This event brought close to 3,000 people, including entire families, to Euclid for the weekend this year. It really is a showcase event for Euclid youth soccer, and for the city in general,” said Hamilton, a native of Scotland who has lived in Euclid for approximately 15 years. He further commented that the tournament could not happen with the dedicated volunteers or the crews from the city parks and recreation department and the Board of Education. Several area businesses also showed their support with in-kind donations or by purchasing advertising in the tournament program.
Euclid teams were able to capture championship trophies in several divisions. In the U-11 boys division (boys under age 11), Euclid Elite, a travel team that is 7-1 in its regular season, won on penalty kicks after the regular playing time and two overtime periods left the teams tied. The win over the Twinsburg team avenged Euclid Elite’s only loss of the tournament to the same Twinsburg on Saturday.
In the U-18 girls division, the Euclid Blue Streaks included a group of girls who played travel soccer together for several years in addition to a few friends from EYSO’s recreation league. The reconstituted Euclid team faced an experienced team from the Team Metro soccer club from the Warren area in the championship round. The teams were tied 2-2 after two overtime periods. After five penalty shots by each team had the squads still tied, sudden death penalty kicks resulted in Euclid’s team capturing the championship 3-2.
In the boys U-18 division, the Euclid Eagles, a team of boys who had played together on various teams throughout their Euclid playing careers, entered the finals 3-0 against the competition. A hard-fought 2-0 victory over a squad from the Team Metro soccer club left the Euclid team as undefeated tournament champions.
Proceeds from the tournament help keep the Euclid Youth Soccer Organization finances strong. The organization closed out its 2010 season the weekend of June 5 with a picnic for all the players at Memorial Park. Registration for the 2010 - 2011 season, with play in the fall and the spring, is currently open at www.euclidsoccer.com.