Cup Red U18 Boys Capture State Cup for the Third Straight Year!
The Cincinnati United Premier Red U18 Boys captured their third straight State Cup Championship by defeating the NCSL Eagles Blue 4-1 in the finals. After trailing 1-0 at halftime, Cup Red scored four unanswered goals in the second half to secure the victory. Pat McGrath scored the first on a cross from Austin Berry. After Cory Larkin ripped a shot off the top cross bar that came straight out, Aaron Osborne headed the ball to the back of the net for the second goal. Bryan Kanu scored the third goal on a head ball over the keeper’s hands and Matt Telting scored the final goal with a diving head ball off a cross from Jon Obial.
The defense lead by keepers Ryan Dalton and Scott Cacchiotti and defenders Brett Gregory, Austin Berry, Michael Deyhle, Jon Myers, Andy Haberman and Aaron Miller combined to allow only 1 goal in the four state cup games. The midfield including Austin Spohn, Nick Yeager, Kevin Deitsch, Jon Obial, Matt Telting, Jose Fajardo Josh Albers, Ryan Winkler dominated play throughout the state cup competition. The midfield along with strikers Pat McGrath, Mark Minevich, Cory Larkin, Aaron Osborne and Bryan Kanu combined to outscore opponents 16-1 in the four state cup games.
In 18 games in the fall and spring season, Cup Red U18 Boys has a 13-3-2 record with 46 goals for and only 6 against while notching 13 shut-outs on the way to the U18 Boys State Cup Championship and the U18 Boys Disney Showcase Championship.
Cup Red U18 has enjoyed significant success since their inception at the U15 age group. In addition to this State Cup Championship, they have won both the U16 and U17 Ohio South State Cup Championships, Disney Showcase Championship, Tampa Bay Sun Bowl Championship, MRL Region 2 League Championship, went undefeated and did not allow a goal in the Blue Chip Showcase in Cincinnati at the U17 age group and won the John Talley Invitational two times. They have compiled an impressive 89-24-12 record since inception with 313 goals for, 102 goals against and 53 shut-outs in the 125 games.
The CUP Red U18 is coached by Terry Nicholl and managed by Tom Gregory with a roster including twenty-one players representing fifteen different high schools and one returning college player all from Cincinnati. Sixteen of the nineteen seniors on the team have committed to continue their soccer careers on the collegiate level next year.