The 15-under boys elite team of the Santa Barbara Soccer Club has earned a spot in the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Championships next week in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The 16-team regional is the last stage before the USYS National Championships in Frisco, Texas.
Santa Barbara opens the regionals against Arsenal Colorado Academy on Monday, June 18. Its other group games are against Seattle United ’03 Copa A on June 19 and ECFC Salinas United ’03 on June 20.
The top two teams from the four four-team groups advance to the quarterfinals on June 22. The semifinals are on June 23 and the final o June 24.
The SBSC 15U elite team was part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy during the 2016-2017 season. While competing in the annual Academy Showcase against clubs from different parts of the country, the team recorded a perfect 3-0 record.
This year, the squad played in the Coast Soccer League Premier Division and won the Premier Championship with an overall record of 10-2-2. The team also played in the California Regional League and won this competition with an overall record of 11-0-1 against the top teams in Cal South.
The team includes Travis Babineau, Cason Goodman, Luke Goodman, Erick Guerrero, Erick Hernandez, Sebastian Hernandez, Christian Jimenez, Ruben Melero, Miguel Mondragon, Rene Pacheco, Jesus Perez, Ricky Romero, Joey Scaduto, Jorge Silva, Yair Vasquez, Ulises Velez, Caden Vom Steeg, Jared Vom Steeg, and Kevin Weslow.
“I am proud of these young men,” said head coach Rudy Ybarra. “They come to training ready to work hard and with a love and passion for the game. They each are committed to becoming the best player they can be and, most important, they are developing to become future role models in our local communities.”