PSC U12 Cobras Win Season, Tournament Titles

The Pasadena Soccer Club U12 Cobras boys soccer team followed up a stellar regular season with a trophy-winning performance at the Mountain Road Soccer Tournament in mid-November.

Playing this fall in the Anne Arundel Youth Soccer Association U12 Division 2, the Cobras team of Evan Geho, Cole Gorham, Sawyer Grant, Dylan Grove, Ethan Johnson, Asher Kopf, Luke Phelps, Dylan Pratt, Ayden Simms, Dalton Smith, James Sparenberg III, Killian Stvartak, Trevor Webb and Shane West started 2-3 but rallied for five straight victories to win the league at 7-3 overall. The Cobras avenged all three of their losses by beating Annapolis Soccer Club, Severn Athletic Club and LAS Cassa Viper during their win streak. PSC scored the most goals, 24, of any team in the division, led by Johnson’s team-high nine, four apiece by Simms and Grove, two apiece by Geho and Gorham and scores by Stvartak, Sparenberg III and West. Phelps, Pratt, Stvartak, Webb and West created many goal-scoring opportunities, while center back “brick wall” Grant led the defensive unit along with Kopf, Smith, Sparenberg III and Gorham. Sparenberg III and Smith were outstanding in splitting goalkeeper duties.

The Cobras fortified their roster with the addition of Ethan Kiniry and Aidan Richter for the Mountain Road Tournament and went on to defeat Arundel Soccer Association United FC 3-2 and South River Youth Association 4-0 in addition to notching a 2-2 tie against Soccer Association of Columbia Lightning FC. Simms, Johnson and Grove scored in the victory over ASA. Simms and Johnson scored to lead PSC’s comeback from 2-0 down in the tie against SAC. Kiniry (2), Richter and Geho scored in the 4-0 shutout over SRYA, with Sparenberg III making a penalty save and Smith maintaining the clean sheet in the second half.

The team was coached by head coach Jimmy Sparenberg and assistants Brandon Webb, Billy Grove and Ronnie Geho.

Coach Sparenberg said the team made a formation change midway through the regular season and focused on enjoying the experience over winning games, which led them to claim the regular-season title.

“I debated about telling the players that if we win our [last] two games we could win the division,” he said. “I wanted them to go play and have fun, and not put any pressure on themselves. They did just that they went out and won the last two games of the season.”