25th St. Pat’s Soccer Tourney A Big Success

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department’s 25th Annual St. Patrick’s Soccer Tournament concluded last weekend after hosting over 150 teams from all over the mid-Atlantic region for the last month with champions crowned in the signature men’s and women’s open divisions.

Roughly 150 teams and hundreds of players from all over the mid-Atlantic region have been converging on the resort area the last four weekends for the annual St. Patrick’s Indoor Soccer Tournament. From modest beginnings 25 years ago, the annual tournament has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and is now one of the largest events of its kind. The 2013 tournament hosted over 150 teams competing in 12 divisions over four weekends starting in late February.

The tournament got started on the weekend of February 22-24 with the under-18 boys and girls divisions. For the record, in the boys’ under-18 division, the Baltimore Spurs beat the Red Storm in the championship game to win the 2013 title, while Rommel’s Ace out of Salisbury beat Storm to win the girls’ under-18 division this year.

The following weekend, the boys’ and girls’ under-10 and under-14 tournaments were held. In the boys’ tournament, the FSC Five defeated Real Rockville, 5-4, in the title game, while on the girls’ under-10 side, the PHWM Fury edged the FSC Chaos, 4-3, in the championship. In the under-14 boys’ tournament, the Titans beat D.E. Select, 4-3, to win the title, while on the girls’ side, the Fruitland Panthers edged the Riverward Sharks, 4-3, in the championship game.

In the boys’ under-12 championship, the Union Blues beat the Fruitland SC Bombers, 3-2, in the championship game, while the Pipeline Black took the girls’ under-12 championship, beating the SFC Lightning, 2-1. In the boys under-16 tournament championship game two weeks ago, the FCB beat the RSU Mustangs, 6-4, to win the championship, while the Rommel’s Ace team won the girls’ under-16 title, beating the Storm, 2-1.

Last weekend, the men’s and women’s adult open tournaments were held to bring the annual event to a successful conclusion. On the men’s side, Three Brothers cruised past the Bull on the Beach, 8-1, in the championship game. In the women’s championship game, Casey’s Bar and Restaurant edged the Taphouse, 3-2.