Soccer titles on the line in Sylvania

6/26/2002

It started with 196 teams representing a dozen states and dozens of soccer clubs.

Only 28 teams remain alive in the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Regional tournament that concludes today at Sylvania's Pacesetter Park.

With 14 championships at stake, the Chicago Magic soccer club is represented in four of the seven boys age-division title matches that begin today at 8:30. Seven teams from Ohio, including four girls teams, will also be participating in championship matches.

The Chicago Magic's under-19 team leads the way against a tough Nebraska bunch.

Ned Grabavoy heads the Chicago Magic's under-19 squad. The New Lenox, Ill., native is a member of the U.S. national under-20 team and was a member of Indiana University's men's soccer team that reached the NCAA championship match last fall.

Grabavoy, a 5-7, 155-pound forward, was also a key member on the Chicago Magic's under-17 boys team that won the U.S. Youth Soccer national championship a year ago.

Besides the under-19 team, the under-17, under-14 and under-13 boys teams representing the Chicago Magic are vying for regional titles.

Ohio teams will be playing in the under-13, under-14, under-16 and under-18 girls championship matches, while Ohio boys teams are set to play in the under-14, under-15 and under-18 boys championship games.

Team Dayton will represent Ohio in the under-18 boys title match against a team from Nebraska.

A total of 3,300 males and females participated in the five-day regional tournament.