Hoosiers help club teams to victory at U-19 championships

Six members of the IU women’s soccer team helped their club teams to championship games at the Under-19 United States Youth Soccer Association National Championship.\nFive sophomores – forward Kristin Arnold, midfielder Nikki Bonacorsi, defender Jessica Boots, midfielder Christie Kotynski and midfielder Natalie O’Bryan – were part of the national champion Carmel Cyclones, who defeated the previously unbeaten PWSI Cardinals of Virginia 2-0. Sophmore defender Taylor Fallon competed for Slammers FC Under-18 team, which was defeated on penalties 2-1 in its divisional championship game.\nCarmel allowed only four goals over four games en route to the title. The Cyclones scored six goals during the competition.\nBoots has played with Carmel throughout her club career, and said she was thrilled to win a championship with the Cyclones in her final year of club-level competition.\n“It was amazing,” Boots said. “We’ve been working toward this for several years and every year we get close ... to finally make it this year ... all the girls are incredible and we’re just so close.”\nKotynski, who joined Carmel this summer, said “it was just awesome to be a part of” the team’s championship.\nKotynski said the success these Hoosiers found this summer shows they can compete at the highest level of soccer, both at the club and collegiate levels.\n“It just shows that we can compete at the highest level,” Kotynski said. “compete and finish well and show what we can do.”\nSeveral of IU’s players joined Carmel because of their connection to Boots, who said the girls made great sacrifices driving long distances to practice and gave a lot to the team during their championship run.\nBoots said she thinks it will be important for returning players to come back to school in top form to get the season off to a good start. She said playing together at the club level benefits that goal.\n“I think it just helps that we were together and playing together more,” Boots said. “I think playing this late in the summer, playing this high intensity, playing with such good players ... we’re just that much fitter.”\nKotynski said all the work the players put in this summer has made them better individually and as a team.\n“We’ve been practicing and practicing, and it seems like we’ve all been playing together and playing a lot better than before,” Kotynski said.\nThey advanced to the finals as the Region 2 champions in June in Texas.\nSlammers FC lost to Bloomfield in their divisional championship game. They lost a 1-0 lead in the 90th minute, and finally had their run ended in a 6-5 penalty shootout loss.\nCarmel posted a 1-1-1 record in divisional play, and Slammers FC notched a 2-0-1 record in their division.\nBoots said she believes the team will build on their summer success and continue to improve as they progress through the 2007 collegiate season.\n“I think were going to keep building every year,” Boots said. “Each year, we’re going to keep improving, and I think this year will be a really good year for us.”\nThe USYSA Championships are held annually of the MLC club, FC Dallas, Pizza Hut Park.