The Boys 1991 South ODP team made ENYYSA ODP history in Kirkwood, Delaware by winning its second consecutive Region I Championship. As a result, the team will return to Frisco, Texas in March 2008 to compete again for the ODP National Championship.

All odds seemed to be against ENYYSA returning to Kirkwood when they lost their first game to Massachusetts at Rider College with a score of two to one. It seemed like they had no chance of advancing out of their bracket. The boys along with their coaches never gave up and with two key wins over Penn West and New Hampshire advanced over MA.

The return to Kirkwood found ENY facing New Jersey in the semi-finals who ENY had defeated in the finals last year on penalty kicks. The game was very intense with both teams having early scoring opportunities. ENY struck first with a goal in the 30th minute, a powerful header by Kadeem Dacres on a cross-ball by Omar Edwards. ENY took the one goal lead into the second half. The second half found both teams playing more of an open game with NJ pressing hard to find the equalizing goal. While ENY’s midfielders; Karl Rumph, Jimmy Mulligan and Michael Valencia pressed forward, ENY’s defenders; Marby Velasquez, Arnulfo Castillo, Jimmy Nealis, Jared Hedglin and goalkeeper Brendan Lafferty kept NJ scoreless. ENY advanced to the finals with a score of one to zero win over NJ.

ENY found themselves facing a very strong and determined Maryland team who had defeated Eastern Penn with a score of three to one in the semi-finals. MD scored first with a hard low shot that bounced in off the far post. ENY continued to press and Dacres found the equalizing goal in the 35th minute. Ahkeel Rodney put ENY ahead with a goal in the 70th minute but MD leveled the game in the 77th minute to send it to overtime. Both teams battled to find the winning overtime goal however, after 110 minutes of soccer the score remained tied at two.

Once again ENY found themselves in the situation where the Region I Championship would be decided by penalty kicks. Players from both teams stepped up to the spot, the one on one battle between field player and goalkeeper had begun. It was very intense with both teams scored on their first attempt. ENY goalkeeper Lafferty made his size and presence felt with MD missing three of their next four shots. With one penalty shot left ENY was tied with MD. Rodney placed the winning goal left of the MD goalkeeper settling the score at three to two on penalty kicks. ENY advanced to the National Championships for the second consecutive year making history along the way.

ENY-South – 1991 Boys ODP Team: (Kirkwood & Rider)
ARNONE, TYLER

BERGER. IAN

CASTILLO, ARNULFO

DACRES, KADEEM

EDWARDS, OMAR

HEDGLIN, JARED

HOWARD, AKIL

LAFFERTY, BRENDAN

MASHRIQI, IDRIS

MULLIGAN, JAMES

NAPLES. ALEXANDER

NEALIS, JIMMY

PARELLI, DOMINICK

REICHMANN, RYAN

RODNEY, AHKEEL

RUMPH, KARL

TOUROS, PETER

VALENCIA, MICHAEL

VELASQUEZ, MARBY





ENY-South – 1991 Boys ODP Coaches:
MANFRED KAPPER and FIDEL BEDOYA