Europe
D-III soccerAFNORTH teams remain small-school favorites
Stars and Stripes
May 20, 2024
Alconbury goalkeeper Abigail Hudson leaps in front of Sigonella’s Joseph Eck to stop his goal attempt during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. Eck managed to navigate past her to score. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
LANDSTUHL, Germany – Unbeaten in divisional play during the regular season, the girls and boys soccer teams from AFNORTH won their only matches Monday and watched the competition knock each other off.
The Lions girls squad earned a 5-0 victory over Brussels in the smallest of the DODEA-Europe soccer championship tournaments. There are only four schools who field girls teams in Division III, so those teams are playing a round-robin format Monday through Wednesday, with the top two teams squaring off again Thursday for the title.
If AFNORTH and Sigonella each win again Tuesday, then the field will be already set after the Jaguars topped Ansbach 4-0 Monday. Ryleigh Denton scored three times for Sigonella and Charlize Caro added another goal.
Logan Simmers of Spangdahlem attempts to pass the ball past Ansbach’s Lucas Rudy, right, and Ethan Serna during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. Ansbach won the game 4-1. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Lucas Rudy of Ansbach takes a shot on goal against Spangdahlem’s three-man defense during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. Defending are, from left, Troy Truscott, Logan Simmers, and Mason Tieyah. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Nathan Hermanson of Sigonella pushes past Alconbury’s Isabella Palomino, right, and Aaron Dudley during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. Sigonella lost to Alconbury 2-0. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Ansbach’s Daymien Abitua, left, and Spangdahlem’s Logan Simmers, right, look on as Mason Tieyah lies on the ground after a foul during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Jayden Reed of Sigonella drives past Alconbury’s MJ Hash, left, and Taye Vickerstaff during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Isabella Guest of AFNORTH pushes past Brussels' Taegan Muller during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. AFNORTH won the game 5-0. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella Jaguar Mikolaj Czernielewski pushes past Alconbury’s Taye Vickerstaff during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Victories by either Ansbach or Brussels on Tuesday would make Wednesday’s matchup between AFNORTH and Sigonella more meaningful.
In boys action, the Lions shut out Sigonella 7-0. Alconbury, playing in the same three-team pool, also defeated the Jaguars, 2-0. So Tuesday’s Alconbury-AFNORTH meeting is for seeding purposes as both teams have already reached Wednesday’s semifinals.
Ansbach’s Abbi Ackles leads the congratulatory handshakes after her team’s 4-0 loss to Sigonella during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Ryleigh Denton of Sigonella takes a shot at goal outside the Ansbach penalty zone as Ansbach’s Oliolisaga "Oli" Cormier tries to intercept during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Charlize Caro of Sigonella runs past Ansbach’s Abigail Castillo during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. Sigonella won the game 4-0. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Players from Brussels and AFNORTH crowd the Brussels goal as Maggie Masse scores during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024.a (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Madison Hoy of Sigonella navigates past Ansbach’s Annika Asbury, from left, Kylah Tuazon, and Victoria Ortiz, before passing the ball to a teammate during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Charlize Caro of Sigonella takes a shot at goal as Ansbach's Kennedy Lange prepares to jump for the ball during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
In the other pool, No. 2 seed Ansbach defeated Spangdahlem 4-1, but then drew with Brussels 1-1. If Anbach tops Baumholder and Brussels wins its matchup against Baumholder Tuesday, it’ll come down to tiebreaking formulas to determine seeding. The Sentinels are still alive in case one of those teams falters.
Alconbury, Spangdahlem and Baumholder are all fielding co-ed teams competing in the boys bracket as those schools didn’t have enough players to field both boys and girls squads.
Baumholder goalie Elijah Washington slides to grab the ball from the feet of Spangdahlem’s William Crofton during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Eugene Lewis of Baumholder sprints past Spangdahlem’s Mason Tieyah, right, and James Idems during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Baumholder’s Samuel Senatus runs past Spangdahlem defenders William Crofton, left, and Mason Tieyah during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. Spangdahlem won 5-0. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels’ goalie jumps to grab a goal shot during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. The shot slipped through her hands and was later scored by AFNORTH’s Maggie Masse. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Blanca Diaz Hernandez of AFNORTH is squeezed between Brussels defenders Emilia Day, left, and Taegan Muller during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Selah Skariah of AFNORTH takes a shot at goal as Brussels goalie Lucia Martinez prepares to jump during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Logan Swearingen of Sigonella drives past Alconbury’s MJ Hash during the 2024 DODEA European Soccer Division III Championships in Landstuhl, Germany, on May 20, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
