U-17 Roadrunners reach title game in Spain
Hogan MVP of championship game

Pictured: front row left to right are Michael Pyle, Kyle Wolf, Evan Trychta, Joe McLean, Nick Henry, Tom Budnik and Eric Garcia;  back row left to right are Paul Hogan, David Pyle, Tim Herlihy, Alex Vogler, Matt Paprocki, Jakob Mousel, Azmi Sharif, Mike Leahy, Brian Morefield, Conor Kelch, and Coach John Hannan. The boys attend the following high schools: Hogan, Vogler, Mousel, Budnik, Sharif, Garcia and Paprocki attend Downers Grove North High School.

Kelch, McLean, Herlihy, Wolf and Leahy attend Downers Grove South High School. Michael and David Pyle attend Glenbard South High School. Trychta attends Naperville North High School. Henry attends Hinsdale South High School. Morefield attends Benet High School.

Press release:

The Downers Grove Roadrunners U-17 boys’ team became the first team from the USA to ever make it to the championship game of the 2010 Valencia C. F. Cup held on July 20-24, 2010 in Valencia, Spain. 

The Valencia Cup is a prestigious international soccer tournament involving top European youth soccer teams held each Summer. The Championship Game was played in the 60,000 seat Valencia pro soccer Mestalla Stadium.  The Roadrunners finished as runner-up overall after a heart breaking loss decided by a penalty kick shootout in the Championship Game against Fotos Navarro of the Spanish Canary Islands.

The regulation game ended in a 2-2 tie after the Roadrunners held a 2-1 lead with just 10 minutes to play but could not hold on. Paul Hogan of the Roadrunners (who attends Downers Grove North High School) was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship -- a tremendous honor considering the large number of talented international players at the Valencia Cup. Hogan shined in the Championship Game.

In the first half, Hogan dribbled past three Spanish defenders, avoided a charging goalkeeper, and managed to cross the ball to a charging  Jakob Mousel (also from Downers Grove North), who headed the ball into the back of the net. 

After Fotos Navaro tied the game, Hogan worked his magic again by beating a couple of defenders at midfield, crossing the ball across the field to Joe McClean (Downers Grove South High School). McLean one touched the ball to Michael Pyle (Glenbard South High School) who then crossed the ball back to Hogan who for a volley made at full running speed past the diving goalkeeper to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead. The Roadrunners eventually lost the penalty kick shootout by 4-2.

In pool play, the Roadrunners finished with 2 wins and 1 loss, good enough to place them second in the pool and qualify them for the championship playoffs as one of the top two teams in their pool. In game 1 of pool play, the Roadrunners lost 4-1 to Vallbonense in a game that was tied until the final 12 minutes. David Pyle (Glenbard South High School), the twin brother of Michael Pyle, scored the lone Roadrunners goal on a fantastic header off of a corner kick.

In the next must win pool game, the Roadrunners eked out a 1-0 victory on a goal by Nick Henry (Hinsdale South High School) after receiving a great pass from Conor Kelch (Downers Grove South High School. Kelch played a great game in the midfield, and Matt Paprocki (Downers Grove North High School) was excellent as the goalkeeper, making several critical saves.

The Roadrunners then defeated a talented C. F. B. La Eliana team from Spain by 3-1 to qualify for the playoffs. The Roadrunners jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead on two goals by Evan Trychta (Naperville North High School) and a goal by Michael Pyle on a header after receiving another header from his brother David off of a throw-in.

In the first playoff game, the Roadrunners played the top seeded team from the other pool -- Sporting Boadilla from Madrid Spain. The game turned into a defensive tussle with neither team able to score during the regulation play. The Roadrunners defenders, Tom Budnik (Downers Grove North High School), Brian Morefield (Benet High School), Michael and David Pyle, and Alex Vogler (Downers Grove North High School) were fantastic on defense against the high powered Spanish team that averaged 4 goals per game.

After 0-0 regulation, the game went into penalty kicks. The Roadrunners won the penalty kick shootout by 4-2 with Paprocki making two great saves as goalkeeper and penalty kicks being converted by Hogan, Azmi Sharif (Downers Grove North High School), Kelch and Morefield. Morefield's goal was the game-winner setting off a wild celebration joined by the British and other teams watching the game and sending the Roadrunners into the Championship Game.

The Roadrunners dedicated their performance to their teammate Alec Kubica (Lake Park High School) who could not make the trip due to illness. The Roadrunners are coached by John Hannan and assisted by Greg Vogler. The same Roadrunners U-17 team will get back to immediate action and will be playing for the U. S. Club National Championships on July 30 through August 2 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is the first Downers Grove Roadrunners team to qualify for a National Championship.