Albion SC Hawaii, a youth soccer club based on Maui, participated in the 2019 US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships on June 17 through 23 in Boise, Idaho.
Kauai players Jacob Grossmann and Kauli‘a Shiroma played for Albion SC Hawaii at the regional tournament. Shiroma is from Kapaa, and Grossmann is from Kekaha.
Albion SC Hawaii 2005 Boys and Bella, winner of the 2019 State Cup Soccer Championship, recorded a 2-1 record in group play and qualified for the quarterfinals.
On the first day of play, Albion defeated Spokane Sounders 05 Boys, 3-0, behind goals score by each Grossmann, Shiroma and Bailey Hofman. Spokane Sounders was a state cup finalist, was ranked No. 5 in Washington state and ranked No. 160 in the US and Canada.
On day two, they fought a hard match but fell short against LAUFC/Olympiacos 05 Boys, California’s top-ranked team and the No. 8 nationally ranked soccer club. Duke Romanchak scored Albion’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss.
On day three, the Hawaii team went back and forth with Oregon’s state cup champion Eugene Timbers FC 05 Boys, which is ranked No. 426 and ranked No. 3 in Oregon. Albion SC Hawaii won, 4-2, behind two goals scored by Grossmann and a goal each by Hofman and Bella Ayau. Shiroma provided a 20-yard slip assist to Grossmann to open the scoring.
In the quarterfinals, Albion SC Hawaii lost, 4-1, to Nevada’s LVSA 05 Boys, which is ranked No. 1 in Nevada and No. 25 in the US and Canada. Grossmann scored the lone goal.
Albion SC Hawaii entered the tournament ranked No. 1 in Hawaii and No. 1,287 in the US and Canada. The Maui team competed in a group of 18 teams in the boys 14-and-under division.
Albion SC Hawaii players are Shiroma, Grossmann, Ayau, Hofman, Romanchak, Kaz Kinoshita, Evan Llanes, Apiki Daniels, Sevy Sconfienza, Caleb Yap Texeira, Jadon Valdez, Jaiden Barbosa, Brayden Barbosa-Briones, Ryan Merchant, Owen Riecke, Logan Juliano and Cy Murayama. Coaches are Brent Nunes, Matt Llanes, Craig Kinoshita and Erik Ayau.
About 224 boys and girls teams played at the regional tournament representing Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington state, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
