A week after beginning their seasons with a win and a draw apiece, the MNUFC Development Academy U13 and U14 boys teams traveled to Michigan this past weekend to face Crew SC Academy Wolves on Saturday, September 16 and Vardar on Sunday, September 17.
MNUFC U13 vs. Crew SC Academy Wolves U13
In their first match of the weekend, the U13 boys fell behind early to the Wolves when Ali Jaffer scored just three minutes into the first half. Eric Zhao doubled the lead with another goal in the 29th minute. The Loons battled back to score after halftime, with Abdulsalam Akinola putting it in the back of the net in the 50th minute, but it would ultimately be a consolation goal in a 2-1 loss.
MNUFC U13 vs. Vardar U13
Sunday came early for the U13 boys with a match against Vardar kicking off at 9 a.m. No one from the Loons could get on the scoresheet though, and the team fell to Vardar 2-0 after goals by Cole Ericson and Diego Mendel in the 16th and 45th minutes, respectively.
MNUFC U14 vs. Crew SC Academy Wolves U14
The Saturday match for the U14 team against Crew SC Academy Wolves found the teams fairly evenly matched. The Wolves opened their account first on a strike by Jackson Ambroza in the 23rd minute. The Loons’ Daniel Lainsbury struck back with a goal in the 39th minute, leveling the teams at 1-1 through halftime. Things heated up after the break, with Ambroza scoring again in the 49th minute to pull the Wolves ahead. The Loons’ Joseph Highfield answered back in the 74th minute to make it 2-2, but the tie would only hold for five minutes before the Wolves’ Alexander Wenske would score what would go on to be the match-winner in a 3-2 victory for Crew SC Academy Wolves.
MNUFC U14 vs. Vardar U14
The next day’s match against Vardar saw the scoring opened by Vardar’s Wesley Franco in the 14th minute. That 1-0 lead fell in short order, though, when Lainsbury found the back of the net twice in quick succession in the 34th and 37th minutes, giving the Loons a 2-1 lead. Just before the break, though, MNUFC surrendered a penalty kick that Lukas Rohloff drove home to bring the teams level. It would be Tarik Kareem who would give Vardar the lead for good in the 54th minute, handing the U14 boys a 3-2 loss.
Next weekend, the U13 and U14 teams head back out on the road to face Sockers FC in Chicago. The U13s will play first on Saturday, September 23 at 9:00 a.m. CT with the U14s following at 10:30 a.m.
