Four area players win USYS national title

Four players from NewsHerald coverage area squads emerged as U.S. Youth Soccer national champions with their club side this past weekend.

The Cleveland FC girls 17-and-under squad won its division’s USYS national crown in Overland Park, Kansas, going 5-0 and punctuated by a 6-2 victory July 28 over Maryland-based side Pipeline 02 Pre-Academy Spirit.

Cleveland FC has three Gilmour players — defender Julia Pangonis, goalkeeper Kaitlin Grady and striker Emma Adams — along with versatile Lake Catholic defender/midfielder Kennedy Rieple. Pangonis, Adams and Rieple will be juniors this fall, and Grady will be a senior.

In pool play, Cleveland FC defeated Nationals Union 02 Black (Mich.), 4-1, Pipeline 02 Pre-Academy Spirit, 6-2, and HMMS Eagle FC Impact (Pa.), 3-1.

In the semifinals, the side topped North Shore United 2002 Blue (Wisc.), 3-1.

Adams scored in the 10th minute of the victory over HMMS Eagle FC Impact.

Cleveland FC was the lone Ohio champion or finalist, boys or girls, in the USYS national tournament.

In high school season, Pangonis is one of Ohio’s premier center backs, regardless of division.

Last fall, she was a firstteam News-Herald allstar and second-team Division

II All-Ohioan, contributing three goals and two assists for t h e D-II district finalist Lancers.

Rieple, who can thrive as an outside back or outside mid in Coach

Chris Hastings’ Cougars side, was a second-team News-Herald honoree with 11 goals and three assists in 2018. Lake was D-II state runner-up in 2017 and a state final four side last fall.

COURTESY JACKIE PANGONIS From left, Cleveland FC’s Julia Pangonis, Kennedy Rieple, Emma Adams and Kaitlin Grady pose with the U.S. Youth Soccer 17-and-under national championship July 28 in Overland Park, Kansas.