Bayside Thunder Wins Birmingham Liberty Cup Shootout

RC Hillis

>The Bayside U18 boys' soccer team, the Thunder, under Coach Ken MacDonald took home the championship for the Liberty Cup Elite Classic Aug 15/16 in Birmingham. The Thunder swept through their bracket with a combined score of 5-1, beating North Atlanta 3-1, Tennessee United 2-1, and playing to a 0-0 tie with Rapids. The Thunder advanced to the Championship game against a physical Gadsden Nighthawk team and prevailed 2-1.

CHAMPIONS AT LIBERTY CUP

>During Saturday's first game the Thunder controlled the pace against Rapids but was unable to put the ball in. Landon Scheffler made a quick short pass behind the defender to a charging Chance Winn but the shot just missed the mark. In the win over Tennessee United forward Doug Overlade took a header ball from a series of passes between Jack Shows and Max Gerke and flicked it to the back of the net for the lead with one minute elapsed. The Thunder added another goal early in the second half with Mitch Hagood following up on a strong bounce off the top bar after a Max Gerke free kick.

>Shows and Overlade teamed up again in the third game for an early lead against North Atlanta where Overlade made a sharp cut to the net that pulled the keeper out of position. Danny Gibble followed that score up with one of his own from an Eric Mayfield pass seven minutes later. Nathan Jensen and Derek Borgsteede brought the ball the length of the field and crossed it in front of the goal, but were stopped by the keeper's sliding save. Atlanta was rallying in the second until goalkeeper Tyler Willets placed a free kick near the goal that Mitch Hagood headed in to secure the win.

>The Thunder continued to dominate offensively in the championship game. Nick Green took a pass from the opening kick and shot on goal only to have it bounce off the right post. The Thunder scored three minutes later with a perfect chip shot over the charging goalkeeper by Overlade off a Ryan Schuler set up. The final score came in the second half when Overlade passed the ball to a streaking Nathan Jensen for a strong shot to the net. Tenacious defensive support by Hunter Hillis, Ryan Schuler, Josh Suelfow, Steven Vernali, and Zach Woodson kept scoring to two goals in four games.