Oklahoma

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Boston Avenue AC wins another Oklahoma title, qualifies for USASA Region III Finals

February 28, 2013 by Michael Berton

The Boston Avenue Athletic Club Reserves are Oklahoma Open Cup champions for the fourth year in a row after defeating Los Lobos 1-0 on Sunday. BAAC dominated the six-team tournament, outscoring its opponents 12-2.

The tournament, which sends the winner to the USASA Region III Open Cup Finals, began on Sat., last Saturday, Feb. 23 with BAAC being placed in Group A with the Oklahoma University club team and Boulder FC.

BAAC and Boulder, which are both teams named after streets in Tulsa located two blocks apart, were first up, with BAAC coming out 2-0 winners. Carlos Zuta and Dave Leung scored for the derby winners.

The BAAC Reserves then took on Oklahoma University in a rematch of last year’s final, which BAAC had won 3-2. This year, BAAC clinched the group with a 5-2 win over the Sooners.

In the final game, Oklahoma narrowly edged out Boulder 3-2 for a place in the semifinals. After falling behind 3-0, Boulder scored twice to make things interesting. Several more chances came close for Boulder, but they couldn’t find that last goal to tie things up.

Group B featured Los Lobos, Guerrero, and Sporting OKC. In the first game, Los Lobos scored three times in the final 15 minutes to defeat Guerrero 3-0. In game two, Los Lobos won the group with a 3-2 victory over Sporting OKC. In that match, Los Lobos had a player sent off, and Sporting OKC lost two of its players for its later match.

Despite losing two players, Sporting OKC booked a spot in the semifinals with a 2-2 tie against Guerrero, who last won the Oklahoma Open Cup title in 2001. Sporting had to come back from 2-0 down to earn the stalemate.

The semifinals were lopsided affairs. Los Lobos, who qualified for the US Open Cup three years in a row from 1997-99, earned a spot in the finals for the first time in seven years with a 3-0 victory over Oklahoma University. BAAC took out Sporting 4-0.

The final was much closer, with only one goal scored between the sides. Leung scored in the 27th minute for BAAC. Los Lobos missed several chances in the second half, and BAAC claimed the state title.

With the victory, BAAC Reserves moves on to the Region III tournament where they will try to advance to their first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Last year, BAAC finished third in their group in a year when two teams from Texas advanced out of the tournament. The Region III Finals will be held April 12-14 in New Orleans.

2013 Oklahoma Open Cup tournament (Feb. 23-24)

Group A
Boston Avenue AC 2:0 Boulder FC
Boston Avenue 5:2 Oklahoma Univ. Club Team
Oklahoma Univ. Club Team 3:2 Boulder FC

Group B
Los Lobos 3:0 Guerrero
Los Lobos 3:2 Sporting OKC
Sporting OKC 2:2 Guerrero

Semifinals
Boston Avenue AC 4:0 Sporting OKC
Los Lobos 3:0 Oklahoma Univ. Club Team

Final
Boston Avenue AC 1:0 Los Lobos

2012 US Open Cup qualifying: Boston Avenue rallies twice to repeat as Oklahoma USASA champions

March 14, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

Despite coming in as the defending state champions, returning to the USASA Region III Tournament was not an easy task as Boston Avenue Athletic Club needed to come from behind twice against the Oklahoma University club side. And at the end of the contest, BAAC owed everything to former University of Tulsa striker Ashley McInnes, who tallied all three in a 3-2 victory.

OU wasted no time opening the scoring with a surprising free kick sublimely placed into the side netting from 30 yards out.

It appeared that the game was going to be a wide open affair when BAAC responded a mere six minutes later. McInnes capped the move and notched his first tally of the match.

The frantic pace did settle down and it wasn’t until the 41st minute that the deadlock was again broken. Goalkeeper Dan Mason kept out the initial attempt only to see the rebound neatly slotted home, giving the Sooners the 2-1 lead at the break.

“OU were doing a good job of pressuring in the opening half and with the conditions as poor as they were (40 mph winds), we knew that scoring an early goal in the second half would be crucial” said BAAC coach Justin Cook.

McInnes again answered the call in the 51st minute when Greg Connor’s inch perfect cross found the Scotsman lurking in the penalty area. His clinical finish put the teams back on level terms.

At this point, BAAC began to hit their stride. After several close misses and two top notch saves, McInnes gave his side their first lead of the match in the 72nd minute when he found a bit of space in the Sooners’ box. His strike completed the hat-trick and in doing so, gave the Athletics a lead that was not to be relinquished.

“The lads put in a real sturdy effort in the second half, we were creating chances and it was just a matter of time before we were rewarded,” said McInnes.

McInnes, a trialist with the Chicago Fire after going surprisingly undrafted a year ago, returned to Oklahoma, where he has had his greatest success. The Aberdeen youth product was a star at the University of Tulsa, finishing his career there in 2010 ranked sixth in assists (22), ninth in goals (30) and 10th in points (82) among TU’s all-time career leaders.

“Also, these new boots helped,” he joked.

The victory gives the BAAC their third state title in as many years and a berth in the Region III tournament in Houston.

2012 Oklahoma Open Cup championship
Boston Avenue AC 3:2 Oklahoma University men’s club
South Lakes Soccer Complex – Oklahoma City, OK
Sunday, March 4, 2012

Scoring Summary
OU: #20 3rd minute
BAAC: Ashley McInnes (Matt Thomas) 9th minute
OU: #17 41st minute
BAAC: Ashley McInnes (Greg Connor) 51st minute
BAAC: Ashley McInnes (Corey Albertson) 72nd minute

Lineups

University of Oklahoma: not available

BAAC: GK- Dan Mason, LB- Randy Randolph, CB- Daniel Dittus, CB- Jordan Gaines, RB- Greg Connor, LM- Blaine Gonsalves, CM- Matt Thomas, CM- Jason Rogers, RM- Stephen Brocks, FW Corey Albertson, FW Ashley McInnes, Subs: Justin Meade, Sonny Dalesandro

2012 US Open Cup qualifying: Boston Avenue, Sooners meet Sunday for Oklahoma USASA title

March 2, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

Boston Avenue Athletic Club is looking to return to the Region III tournament. This Sunday, March 4 at the South Lakes Soccer Club in Oklahoma City, BAAC will have to get past Oklahoma University Men’s Soccer Club at 3 p.m. in the Oklahoma Soccer Association’s Open Cup Championship for a berth to the USASA Region III tournament held in Houston at the close of April.

BAAC is out to represent Oklahoma for a second consecutive year, but will have to defeat the club program from the university, which has taken the Oklahoma Collegiate Club Soccer League title five of the last 11 years. Last year, BAAC traveled to Tuscaloosa only to come up empty in a four-team group with three losses.

Teams from the state of Oklahoma trying to qualify for the US Open Cup, let alone earn a berth, is not a common occurrence. According to TheCup.us records, this year will mark only the seventh time in the last 18 years where a team from the Sooner state has entered the Region III tournament. Prior to 2010, the last team to enter from Oklahoma was a club called Guerrero finished last in Region III group play back in 2001.

Guerrero had lost its opening two contests against Vikingos of South Texas and Florida’s Uruguay SC, who qualified for the US Open Cup with a sweep of their opposition that year. They would earn the win in the finale, 4-0, against Internationals of Alabama.

Los Lobos of Tulsa represented the state three straight years beginning in 1997. The club fell short against D-3 Pro club Central Jersey Riptide (third division), 1-0, in their first trip to the tournament. The following year, they lost another one-goal game to a D-3 club, the Charlotte Eagles, 4-3. In 1999, Los Lobos advanced to the Region III Final when opponent Guadalajara of Tennessee forfeited the contest in the semifinal round. The club would take their third straight Region III title with a 4-2 victory against the McAllen Sun Devils, only to get blown out by the Wilmington Hammerheads (D-3 Pro) in the opening round of the Open Cup.

USASA clubs that have qualified
three years in a row (1995-present)

Los Lobos (Tulsa, OK | 1997-99)
Mexico SC (Fresno, CA | 1999-02)
Arizona Sahuaros (Phoenix, AZ | 2008-10)

The following year Los Lobos would lose to Uruguay SC (Florida) in the Region III final, and would not return to the competition. The club still competes out of the Tulsa area.

The eight-year absence came to a halt in 2010 when FC Tulsa, now members of the National Premier Soccer League, advanced to the Region III tournament. FC Tulsa finished second in the group with a 1-1-1 record, taking eventual group and tournament winner CASL Elite to a 2-2 draw in the opening game. They then posted a 2-0 victory over ASC New Stars, qualifiers in 2011, before falling in a 3-2 decision against Atlanta FC.