European High School Soccer Roundup

Regardless of how the race officially winds up, the Alconbury Dragons, representing one of the smallest schools in Europe, can claim to reside atop the Region I season points table.

Behind two goals by Yul McGrath and a goal and an assist by Jimmy Luong, the Dragons downed Menwith Hill 3-0 on Saturday for their fifth Region I victory. That translates to 15 points, a total no other Region I team is in position to equal.

However, the regional title is not cut and dried. The reason: The Dragons played more regional games than many of their rivals because of the Region I Small Schools festival April 24-25. They went 3-0 in the event to give them a seven-game regional season, while most of the other teams played five or fewer.

Alconbury lost to Region I teams Lakenheath and AFNORTH, and did not play the International School of Brussels or SHAPE.

AFNORTH, which throttled Brussels 8-1 on Saturday, has a shot at four Region I victories. The Lions are scheduled to conclude the regular season on Saturday at SHAPE, where a victory will give them 13 points.

ISB, which blanked fellow Division I Lakenheath 3-0 on Saturday as All-European Jambaar Stills scored twice, is unbeaten in the region at 2-0-1, and closes its regular season Saturday at D-IV Brussels. But even a victory would leave the Raiders with 10 points. Lakenheath, 1-1-2 in the region after Saturday’s loss, finished with five points.

The official Region I champion will be decided after the season by DODDS-Europe athletic director Karen Seadore.

In other boys games of note Saturday:

Baumholder 4, Bamberg 1: At Bamberg, Edgar Acosta and Alassane Doukoure each scored two goals as the Bucs stayed unbeaten in a non-regional game. Baumholder is scheduled to close the season Saturday with a Region II game against visiting Bitburg and will probably need a victory to tie Ramstein for the Region II crown. Ramstein downed Wiesbaden 3-0 on Saturday to keep pace with Baumholder at 3-0-1 in regional play. Ramstein hosts Kaiserslautern, 0-4-0 in regional play, in Saturday’s regular-season finale.

Hohenfels 2, Patch 1: At Hohenfels, the Tigers of D-III dumped Patch out of the regional race behind two goals by Nino Jessup.

In improving its Region III record to 3-2-0, Hohenfels dropped Patch to the same league mark, leaving Heidelberg and Black Forest Academy atop the league standings with 4-0-1 records. BFA closes against visiting Bamberg (1-5-0) on Saturday, and Heidelberg plays at Patch.

BFA 8, Ansbach 0: At Kandern, Germany, BFA scored a courtesy-rule victory over the 12-strong Ansbach team behind three goals by Serge Ukety.

In light of Ansbach’s manpower shortage, the teams agreed before the game to shorten the halves from 40 minutes to 30. When the score reached the courtesy-rule cutoff of 7-0, the teams agreed to play 10 more minutes.

Heidelberg 5, Vilseck 1: At Vilseck, Kyle Ulses scored twice to lead the Lions to the Region III victory.

Ramstein 2, Wiesbaden 0: Aat Wiesbaden, Alex Lee and All-Europe selection Glenn Verley provided the goals, and goalkeeper Taylor Shepard portected the shutout as Ramstein kept pace with Baumholder for the Region II lead. Ramstein, 3-0-3 overall, is 3-0-1 in the region; Wiesbaden fell to 2-3-1, 1-3-0 in a game Wiesbaden coach Ben Arcila termed very rough.

Aviano 7, Florence 3: At Aviano, Italy, Reuben Gonzalez had three goals and Brandon Johnson two in the Saints’ first victory of the season against winless Florence.