Darlington School Soccer Academy players had a strong showing at the Disney Presidents Day Festival at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, ultimately bringing home three championship trophies.
"What a tremendous weekend," said Chad Liddle, director of the Darlington School Soccer Academy. "Our Soccer Academy players came to one of the biggest sports stages in the country and performed incredibly well."
The U18 Girls finished at 4-0-1 and outscored their four opponents 7-2. In the team's final game of the showcase, the Darlington girls scored 2-1 in regulation against the Florida Rush, which is a part of the larger Rush Worldwide comprised of over 50,000 players.
Several thrilling highlights marked the Soccer Academy boys' successful performances on the field.
The U18/19 Boys' winning game ended with a goal by senior Noah Teplitzky with one minute left on the clock, proceeding into penalty kicks. The team finished 3-0-1, outscoring opposing teams 9-2.
The U17 Boys were tied at 0-0 in their final game against Bayside OMEGA with one minute remaining, and won the game with penalty kicks. The team ended at 4-1 and outscored opponents 9-5.
“Goalkeeper freshman Russell Shealy played tremendous all weekend long and finished as the hero,” said Liddle. “He saved three out of four penalty kicks to secure the championships.”
The U14 Boys also advanced to the semifinals but did not make it to the championship, falling to Orlando City - MLS Youth Academy, 4-0, with a final standing of 1-2-1.
“I think it is a great testament to the players and coaches when a small player pool of 50 to 60 players can come and win three championships at Disney versus clubs that have 4,000 to 6,000 registered players to choose from,” said Liddle.
Click here for more photos from the Disney tournament.
Click here for more information about Darlington School Soccer Academy.
FINAL SCORES
U18 Girls: Champions
