GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (November 10, 2021) — The US Youth Soccer Great Lakes Conference saw the final games of its Fall 2021 season played this past weekend, as three teams clinched division titles to join the nine teams who clinched in the previous window.

The winners of the Premier II Divisions in the 14U age group will be promoted to Premier I for the Spring 2022 season to fight for berths to the 2022 USYS Midwest Regional Championships and 2022-23 season of National League P.R.O. Meanwhile, the winners of the 13U Premier Divisions are guaranteed promotion to the 13U Premier I Division, where they will attempt to do the same.

Some notes from the weekend’s Team vs. Team action:

• SCS United 2008 Boys Black (PA-W) fell at the final hurdle in its pursuit of winning the 14U Boys Premier I Division, losing its final two games of the season. A single point from either of these games would have seen them clinch the division title but losing both games opened the door for PSC '08 Gold (OH) to win its final game on Nov. 6 to leapfrog SCS United to the top of the table and win the Premier I Division.
• GTFC Impact Girls 08 Premier (OH) earned the 14U Girls Premier I title with two games to spare thanks to TFA G08 Elite (OH) drawing its final game of the season. Knowing the division was already clinched, GTFC went about its business and won its final two games of the season to finish the season with a perfect six wins from six.
• Beadling 2008 Boys Pre-MLS NEXT (PA-W), having already finished its season back on Oct. 17, could only wait for results to come in over Halloween weekend to see if Liverpool Clarkston 08 B Academy (MI) would pass it in the standings and finish in first place to earn promotion to Premier I for Spring 2022. The Michigan side needed to win its final three games of the season to do so, but after winning its first two games of the weekend, Liverpool was held to a 0-0 draw by Team Challenger FC B08 Black (OH) in its final game of the season — meaning Beadling finished in first place in 14U Boys Premier II White.
• MI Burn 09 Black (MI) got the two wins it needed to lift itself to second place in the 13U Boys Premier Blue Division. Its two wins, paired with a win for SCS United 2009 Boys Black (PA-W), left those two teams — plus Team Challenger FC B09 Black (OH) — all tied on 15 points in second place. The Michigan side finished ahead of SCS United and Team Challenger FC thanks to a superior goal differential over SCS United in the head-to-head-to-head matchups and by defeating Team Challenger FC in their meeting on Oct. 23. The second-place finish puts them in an automatic promotion slot to Premier I for the Spring 2022 season.
• A wild finish in 13U Boys Premier Yellow saw Liverpool Central 09 B Academy (MI) leapfrog Club Ohio 09B National (OH) into second place to finish in the final automatic promotion slot to Premier I for the Spring 2022 season. Liverpool Central won on Oct. 29 to put itself a point ahead of Club Ohio, with the Ohio side to play the next day knowing a win would see it go back up to second place. However, Club Ohio could only tie its last game, finishing level with Liverpool Central on 11 points and the Michigan side finishing ahead thanks to its superior goal differential.

What they’re saying:

Mike Aubry’s team, GTFC Impact Girls 08 Premier (OH), are excited with how they performed this Fall 2021 season after finishing in third place in Premier I in the Spring 2021 Great Lakes Conference season.

“Our first game at the 2021 USYS Midwest Regional Championships in the summer was so disappointing,” said Aubry. “We took that experience for granted. That night, we talked a lot about greatness as it pertains to life, not necessarily soccer. That was a moment of tremendous personal growth for our team. I believe the results this fall season were a product of that experience.”

“They really had to work hard to accomplish going 6-0-0, and I think that has made them feel really good,” Aubry continued. “However, our first National League P.R.O. event is this weekend in Texas, so we have to stay focused. We will definitely celebrate winning the division when we get home.”

The Great Lakes Conference is one of 13 Conferences in the National League, and it consists of teams primarily from New York West, Pennsylvania West, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Kentucky.

To follow the Great Lakes Conference results and standings, click here.

Click here for more information on the Great Lakes Conference. For more information on all 13 of the National League Conferences, the National League Showcase Series, and National League P.R.O., click here.