128 Teams Competed over Memorial Day Weekend in the Sixth Annual Ukrainian Nationals Invitational Youth Soccer Tournament

Horsham, Pa. – The Ukrainian American Sport Center – “Tryzub”, County Line and Lower State Roads, hosted its sixth annual Ukrainian Nationals Invitational Soccer Tournament. The competition not only drew a strong representation from local Southeastern Pennsylvania clubs, but also had a decided interstate and international character. Nearly half of the 128 teams competing in this year’s Memorial Day Weekend tournament haled from Canada, North Central Pennsylvania, Northeast Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Long Island, NY and other areas of New York State.

The Ukrainian Soccer Club “Karpaty” from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, sent three boys’ teams to the UNI tournament. A dynamic soccer club from North Central Pennsylvania, “Second to None”, on the other hand, sent 18 strong teams into the competition.Ukrainian Nationals President, Taras Kozak, and Tryzub’s Vice President of Public Relations, Gene Luciw, presented both Clubs with Tryzub’s pennant.

Notably, the Tryzub pennants were from a series of banners that Tryzub had prepared for exchange during its years as a professional soccer team, formally representing the City of Philadelphia. The Nats had presented similar momentos to opponents in its multiple U.S. Open Cup and American Soccer League Championship games and, more recently, to its opponents in significant U. S. Amateur and Open Cup games.

Tournament play in age brackets from Under-8 through Under-19, boys and girls,  progressed over the weekend on not only the Ukrainian Nationals’ six home fields at “Tryzubiwka”, but also on 12 more fields located at Windlestrae Park/Zehr Fields (Montgomery Soccer Club’s home) and Igoe Porter Wellings Fields (Nike) (Warrington Soccer Club’s home).

The competition began on Friday night under the lights of two Tryzubiwka fields, progressed throughout the day on Saturday and culminated in a long sequence of “finals” on Sunday. A soccer Mom’s and Dad’s appreciation night with free food donated by local hotels and free entertainment also highlighted the event as hundreds of parents and competitors gathered in the Ukrainian American Sport Center’s clubhouse and lighted festival grove and pavilions.

A group of referees enjoying homemade pyrohy exchanged a sentiment: “Wow! What a thrill it is to ref such good teams from such distant places. Its not just ‘the same old teams’. All of the players are digging really hard and showing their best stuff.”

Second to None Club’s head trainer, Rob Eaton, added. “Our Club has been to a great number of tournaments throughout the United States.” This is quite simply the best. The Ukrainian Nationals have given us the privilege of enjoying great fields, great referees, and a very high caliber of competition. The Ukrainian Nationals pennant will have a place of honor in our clubhouse.”

Tournament director Dan Nysch described it all as “Simply Awesome”. “When we gathered so many months ago to plan this event, we never dreamt of these dimensions. I thank the tournament committee and all of the volunteers from the depth of my heart.”

Ukrainians fared quite well in the competition. The Ukrainian Nationals won two championships and reached the finals four more times. USC Karpaty won the U-12 boys competition in overtime against the Ukrainian Nationals. The tournament results are as follows:

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