Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo came back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime to win 3-2 at North Shore United the Wisconsin State Champs. With the win Botafogo is back on top of the MRL Premier Division with a 5-0-1 record.

The game got off to a poor start for Botafogo as they conceded a 3rd minute goal off a defensive miscue. Missing three 100% chances over the next 15 minutes Botafogo squandered the opportunity to get back in the driver’s seat, and with 15 minutes left in the half matters got worse as North Shore went up 2-0 off a free kick.

However, it was a fired-up Botafogo team that came out after the break. Playing with far greater intensity and sense of urgency, they created chance after chance. Dana Miller got a goal back off Rachele Armand’s corner 10 minutes in, and when Zoey Goralski scored off another Rachele Armand corner with 18 minutes to go, it seemed to just be a question of time before they would find the deserved winner.

Three great shots off the crossbar, and two more 100% chances missed, made for a nervous finish, but with four minutes left Zoey Goralski got the game-winner with a great strike from 20 yards out.

Team Chicago Academy-Eagles took first place in the Nike Fall Classic this weekend at Olympic Park in Schaumburg, IL. They scored 12 goals and only let up 1 in the four games played.

The boys played extremely well all weekend, and especially in beating FC Citadel from Indiana in the final.

Team Chicago Academy-Internacional took out TCSA in tonight’s MRL match-up. Sam O’Brien finished a cross from Kiley Czerwinski in the 1st half to give Internacional a 1-0 lead going into half time.

Internacional came out on fire in the 2nd half with Lauren Penkala driving the ball far post from 20 yards out giving them a 2-0 lead. TCSA struck back with 12 mins left in the game, but the Internacional defense of Sophia Moreau, Nikki Molino, Abby Fynn, Meg Buchanan, Tori Adomshick, and Tati Espinoza along with goalie Hannah Parrish completely shut down TCSA after the goal. Final score 2-1 TC International.

With the win Internacional moved into 3rd place in the MRL First Division, 2 points behind the first place Michigan Jaguars.

Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo midfielder Gianna Dal Pozzo has accepted a great athletic scholarship from the University of Miami to continue her soccer career in the Hurricanes’ ACC program. Dal Pozzo will be part of new head coach Tom Anagnost’s first true recruiting class, as he is rebuilding the program into an ACC contender.

Dal Pozzo plays her prep soccer for Joe Moreau at Neuqua Valley, and she will join her Region II ODP teammate Gracie Lachowecki at Miami.

Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo and Internacional took on Eclipse Select in MRL play this past Friday night, and both teams emerged victorious in tough field conditions.

Botafogo took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Darby Moran’s goal from Dana Miller’s cross. Eclipse got an equalizer 2 minutes into the second half, but co-captain Jenna Romano headed in the game-winner from Meegan Johnston’s perfect free-kick halfway through the second half, and Zoe Swift got her 5th goal in 5 MRL Premier Division games to put the game out of reach for Eclipse off Meegan Johnston and Dana Miller’s assist.

With the win Botafogo is 4-0-1 in MRL play with an upcoming game in Kenosho, WI on Saturday at 4pm v. North Shore United followed by a 3-game MRL weekend in Michigan at the end of the month.

In the second game of the double-header, Team Chicago Academy-Internacional defeated Eclipse East 1-0. After possessing the ball for most of the match, Internacional’s style of play paid off when Miranda Lambert connected with Alena Sidwell who found Kiley Czerwinski isolated 1v1 at the top of the box. Czerwinski easily beat her defender, and drove the ball low to the far post for the game-winner.

Goalie Hannah Parrish along with defenders Abby Flynn, Nikki Molino, Sophia Moreau, Tati Espinoza, Tori Adomshick, and Meg Buchanan shut down the Eclipse attack earning a shutout.

With the win Internacional is 2-2-0 in MRL play, and still in contention for promotion. Next up is a big MRL match-up at TCSA at 6pm this Thursday.