Soccer
'Invasion' barges, subsea cable cutters and surprise naval drills
In the space of just five weeks, China held live-fire drills on the doorsteps of Australia, Taiwan and Vietnam. It tested new landing barges on ships that could facilitate an amphibious assault on Taiwan. And it unveiled deep-sea cable cutters with the ability to switch off another country’s internet access – a tool no other […]
In the space of just five weeks, China held live-fire drills on the doorsteps of Australia, Taiwan and Vietnam. It tested new landing barges on ships that could facilitate an amphibious assault on Taiwan. And it unveiled deep-sea cable cutters with the ability to switch off another country’s internet access – a tool no other nation admits to having.
China has been flexing its maritime muscle in the Indo-Pacific to send a message of supremacy to its regional neighbours, experts say. But it’s also testing the thinking of a bigger rival further afield: Donald Trump.
Since Trump took office in January, he and his cabinet members have focused their China strategy on tariffs and have launched an escalating trade war with Beijing. They had been largely silent on China’s growing acts of aggression in the Indo-Pacific’s seas.
That’s starting to change.
On April 1, the US state department condemned Beijing’s “aggressive military activities and rhetoric” in relation to unannounced military drills in the Taiwan Strait, which have become bigger in scale in recent months and are increasingly resembling actual invasion. That came on the heels of a visit to the region by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, where he assured Japan and the Philippines that America would continue to defend them against China. He clarified the US had not changed its status quo stance on Taiwan, and the Pentagon reiterated China remained the US’ biggest threat.
But the US’s Indo-Pacific allies will want to hear those assurances from Trump, who has not shown his cards on issues like Taiwan. When asked by a journalist in February for his stance, Trump refused to be drawn and has said nothing on Taiwan since. He’s not afraid to diverge from his senior advisers, and his haphazard approach to Ukraine ceasefire talks – and tariffs – gives little confidence the president has a consistent, long-term strategy on any given global affair.
“The Chinese are watching what’s happening with the Trump administration and seeing how far they can push things,” said Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
And in their testing of Trump, the seas around China are likely to become more restive, Davis said, adding that China will keep ratcheting up its drills in the Taiwan Strait and target countries with which it has territorial disputes, including the Philippines and Japan.
“China will be more willing to impose the risk of casualties on the Philippines through ramming ships and so forth. It might go from using water cannon to something a bit more aggressive,” Davis said. “The goal is to intimidate Manila into accepting China’s interests.”
How heavily involved the US military should get in the Indo-Pacific and how far the US should go to protect Taiwan from China are issues that have divided Trump’s most senior officials, according to a former state department staffer who worked in Trump’s initial weeks in office.
“There are definitely different competing camps that you could liken to a royal court, all competing for the last word and influence with Trump,” the former staffer said. “There is definitely a split over Taiwan policy between traditional NatSec folks like (Marco) Rubio and (Mike) Waltz versus Maga folks.”
But which side Trump is on isn’t clear.
Sam Roggeveen, director of the Lowy Institute’s international security program, said it was known that a faction of the Trump administration wanted to turn away from Europe. “But it’s not at all clear that he agrees with the second part of it – doing more in Asia,” he said.
What is clear from Trump’s posture in Ukraine talks is that he is open to putting deals on trade and major geopolitical issues on the same table. He also has a tendency to change his stance on a subject in a matter of days.
Beijing will be watching to see how Trump sways. If Russia’s Vladimir Putin can strike a grand bargain with Trump by using economic incentives in exchange for Ukrainian land, Beijing may look to do the same with Taiwan.
And that’s causing anxiety among the US’s closest allies in the Indo-Pacific, said Jenny Schuch-Page, managing principal in energy and sustainability with the Washington-based Asia Group. “Even the prospect for a ‘grand bargain’ with China will make countries in South-east Asia wary about how they will fare,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, did not comment on whether Beijing was looking for such a deal, but he said China “deplores” the US’ criticisms of its drills near Taiwan, calling them “a mischaracterisation of the facts and truth and an interference in China’s internal affairs.”
What Trump is likely to focus on is staying competitive with China, which is ahead in areas including artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles and 6G internet.
The lack of a long-term China strategy is problematic, according to Danny Russel, a former US diplomat and vice-president of international security and diplomacy with the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington.
He points to mass firings in the country’s intelligence services, which included laying off dedicated China researchers from the CIA, as a dangerous move in terms of security and the US’s bargaining position in trade talks.
China will probably try to recruit those laid off for its own intelligence gathering on the US, he said. A Reuters report suggests it already is.
“We’re blinding ourselves at a moment when the national security and economic interests of the United States and our allies call for clarity,” Russel said.
The defunding of Radio Free Asia – a sister organisation of Voice of America – is another own-goal, Russel said, cutting off a valuable source of information from China and other countries that are difficult to report from, like North Korea.
“It’s a kind of unilateral disarmament in the information space at a time when China, Russia, and North Korea are ramping up,” Russel said of the cuts. “Why are we voluntarily giving up our best tools of competition? There’s a big difference between belt-tightening and self-sabotage.”
That may become a security concern for countries like Australia, which has a long tradition of sharing intelligence back and forth with the US. China is likely to ramp up its missions in international waters near Australia, Davis and Roggenveen said, so a reliable flow of information on China is crucial.
A Chinese research vessel making a loop around Australia is a case in point. The Tan Suo Yi Hao has been cruising international waters off Australia’s southern and western coasts for two weeks surveying subsea communication cables – critical infrastructure that allows Australians to send everything from emails to military secrets.
“I’d prefer it wasn’t there,” is about as much as Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese could say when asked by journalists for his thoughts.
Without a strong signal on the region from Trump, there could be more Chinese ships to come.
College Sports
Out
Luke Steward, 21, had a full-ride scholarship playing baseball at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, but he didn’t get enough playing time and experienced vision problems in his first two years. El Camino College Warriors assistant baseball coach Kyle Mora saw Steward’s potential and convinced him to play baseball at ECC and pitch […]
Luke Steward, 21, had a full-ride scholarship playing baseball at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, but he didn’t get enough playing time and experienced vision problems in his first two years.
El Camino College Warriors assistant baseball coach Kyle Mora saw Steward’s potential and convinced him to play baseball at ECC and pitch for them. Mora met Steward in Kansas playing in a minor baseball league.
Steward said coming to ECC was a fresh start for him.
“Playing here has helped me with my confidence, the coaches have been there for me. I’m glad that I got an opportunity to play and do what I love,” Steward said.
Warriors coach Grant Palmer said recruiting out-of-state and international athletes is case by case, and when they get the opportunity to recruit, they take advantage of it.
“For us having two out-of-state, international players is a high number for us,” Palmer said.
The number of out-of-state and international athletes playing at community colleges have been growing over the past five years.
Experts say athletes choose the community college route because of the age gap and more opportunities. At community colleges, athletes usually are 18-22, while the age range at four-year universities is expanded to 18-25.
Next College Student Athlete College Recruiting coach Luis Cortell said the community college level benefits out-of-state and international athletes in many ways.
“At the four year universities, athletes go up against others who are older and are not prepared. Also it’s more expensive for international athletes as well and at the community college level it’s less expensive and athletes are in their age range,” Cortell said.
Several community colleges such as ECC, Cerritos, Long Beach, East Los Angeles, Orange Coast, Santa Rosa, Mount San Antonio and Riverside all have out-of-state and international athletes in their athletic programs.
At ECC, the number of international and out of state athletes have increased in several sports.
Steward is one those athletes, having gone on to play in the Rocky Mountain League, a Colorado-based minor baseball league in 2024. He also played pitcher for the Liberal Bee Jays, a team from Liberal, Kansas in 2024.
This season, he helped the Warriors achieve a (32-14) record and make the second round of the 3C2A SoCal Super Regionals. He pitched 84 innings, had 72 strikeouts, started in 15 games and had a (8-2) record.
Out-of-state and international players pay a different tuition than the average student.
For a non-California resident at ECC, the tuition is $391 per unit. Non-resident students taking 12 units per semester have to pay $9,384 in tuition and annual fees.
Non-resident students also pay for health and student representation fees, medical insurance, parking, and other costs.
These trends mirror what is happening in the professional leagues, which have seen increases over the years in international athletes on team rosters.
The National Basketball Association, National Football League, Major League Baseball, Women’s National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer have all seen increases in international players.
According to the NBA’s website, in the 2023-2024 season there were 125 international players from 40 different countries. Canada led with 26 players, the most in the league, and France came second with 14 players.
For the last six years, the MVP of the NBA has been an international player, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Canada, Nikola Jokic from Serbia, Joel Embiid from Cameroon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece.
Men’s basketball
The Warriors men’s basketball team has seen an increase of 64% in out of state/international athletes over the last five years.
In the 2022-2023 season, there were four out-of-state or international athletes on the team which was the highest amount in the last five years.
Robert Uphoff, coach for the Warriors men’s basketball team, said he looks for very tall and athletic players who fit their playstyle.
“What I look for when I’m recruiting is players six [feet] six [inches] and above and if they’re willing to play in California. Also, if they are willing to pay, some athletes pay $15,000-$20,000 to come to El Camino,” Uphoff said.
Out-of-state and international athletes can still apply for the Free Application for Financial Aid and athletes who have a parent in the military can get grants.
One of the players Uphoff recruited is Yel Deng, 22, an international player from South Sudan who is 6-feet-9-inches tall and has been in the United States for a few years.
Deng said he thought he was good enough when he first came here to the US.
“It’s a huge difference playing in the United States, I thought my game was already there, but I had to keep working to get better,” Deng said.
Uphoff also said California community colleges don’t offer scholarships to athletes but some do have housing, whereas community colleges in Utah offer scholarships to athletes and have dorms.
California community colleges don’t offer scholarships because of the low cost of tuition, Uphoff said.
Santa Monica College interim men’s basketball coach Malik Bray said out-of-state and international players have an edge and want to work harder on and off the court to improve their skills.
This season for Santa Monica College, 13 out of 15 on the men’s basketball roster were out-of-state or international athletes.
“A lot of these guys don’t have the scenery we have in California and they appreciate the opportunity more. They have a different playstyle as well as West Coast basketball players,” Bray said.
Bray said their playstyle is more rough and physical, but that the way they take their time playing the game of basketball is fundamental.
Long Beach City College men’s basketball team saw a 25% increase in out-of-state and international athletes on its roster.
The Union had a scheduled phone interview on Wednesday, May 20, and didn’t get a call back, and also on Thursday, May 21, and did not get an answer from Long Beach City College men’s basketball coach Barry Barnes.
East Los Angeles College’s men’s basketball team saw a 30% increase in non-resident athletes in the past five years.
East LA’s men’s basketball was highlighted in a show on Netflix called “Last Chance U: Basketball,” which showed behind the scenes of their men’s basketball program.
The most out-of-state or international athletes on their roster was five, but in previous years they had only one.
Orange Coast College and Riverside City College have had the most out-of-state and international athletes for men’s basketball.
Riverside College saw a 70% increase in the past five years and Orange Coast had a 75% increase.
Orange Coast College is another community college that has housing for out-of-state and international athletes.
The cost for out-of-state and international athletes is $11,916 a year, not including an additional $14,031 for books, supplies, incidentals and medical insurance.
Riverside College also has housing and it’s $9,000 a year through the University of California, Riverside.
Women’s basketball
ECC’s women’s basketball team also gained an increase with out-of-state and international players over the last several years.
Of the women’s basketball programs reviewed, ECC’s women’s basketball saw the greatest increase in non-resident athletes in the past five years.
The team started five years ago with zero out-of-state or international players, and ever since they have had one or more, showing a 0.18% increase.
Steve Shaw, women’s basketball team coach at ECC said it can be difficult to recruit out-of-state and international players for the women’s team.
“Last season we had two out of state/international players, this season we had none. It’s a process that can be a factor as well but we would love to have them come,” Shaw said.
He said he would like them to come because international players are prepared at a young age and they are very fundamental with their footwork and playstyle.
International players start to play professionally at a younger age than US players.
In the 2025 WNBA draft, 10 international players were drafted and three were top 10 picks, according to the WNBA website.
Some women’s sports in community colleges haven’t had any out-of-state or international athletes.
Of the colleges The Union reviewed, there were two programs who haven’t had any out-of-state or international athletes for women’s basketball.
Long Beach City College and Cerritos College were the two programs that The Union reached out to through email and phone calls several times and didn’t get an interview.
On the other hand, East Los Angeles College and their women’s program had an increase in out-of-state and international athletes in the past five years.
They had an increase of 0.15% in their women’s basketball program with three athletes being the most in the past five years.
Santa Rosa College only had one out-of-state or international athlete in the past five years out of all of their women’s sports programs.
Santa Rosa is one of three community colleges The Union reviewed with housing.
The cost of housing for out-of-state and international athletes is $15,797, including placement fees, security deposit, and a hall for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For in-state athletes, living in the resident halls with a roommate is about $1,020 per month, but a single room is $1,277 per month. A deluxe single with a private room and bath costs $1,597 per month.
Football
ECC’s football team had a 32% increase in out-of-state state and international athletes over the past five years.
In the 2018-2019 season, the team started with 14 out of 37 on the roster being either out-of-state or international students, compared to the 2023-2024 season with 23 out of 37 on the roster, according to the ECC Warriors website.
Warriors football coach Gifford Lindheim said when he recruits he looks for players who can help the team in many ways.
“I look for talent, and talent comes in all shapes and sizes. We’ve had players from all over play for us and moved on the Division 1 level and the professional level,” Lindheim said.
At Cerritos College, the football program has seen a significant decrease in these players since the 2018-2019 season. Their numbers of out-of-state and international athletes have decreased by 53% in the past five years.
Long Beach City College also saw a significant decrease with their out-of-state and international players over the last five years. The decrease was 44% in the last five years with their football program.
The most on their team in the 2019-2020 season was 10 and the lowest was four after the 2021-2022 season, which was impacted by COVID-19.
According to the NFL‘s website, 88 foreign players recorded a snap in the 2023 season. The NFL Heritage Program saw over 330 players, coaches, and owners represent over 70 countries in 2023.
ECC wide receiver Mark Baker, 19, is an out-of-state student from from Burien, Washington, who has had success at ECC.
Baker appeared in 11 games this season and finished with 195 yards and 20 receptions.
Baker said he never heard of ECC until he got a call from two of the coaches.
“I remember getting a call from coach Lindheim and offensive coordinator Tim Kaub, and they saw my highlights and wanted me to come to ECC. They gave me and my family a tour of the campus and I knew it was the right fit for me,” Baker said.
He had offers from Eastern Washington University , a Division 1 school, and Central Washington University, a Division 2 school.
Baker said his game has elevated since being at ECC and improved a lot.
“My game has matured, I’m faster than I was and I’ve got stronger. Also I put on some weight and gained ten pounds,” Baker said.
Men’s soccer
The Warriors men’s soccer team has benefited from out-of-state and international players, as the team won the National State Championship in 2023 with six non-resident athletes on the roster.
ECC soccer coach Michael Jacobson said he is always looking for good players to play for the college and who will fit its system.
“We are a nationally-ranked program and we had a lot of international players come to us, especially from Japan and Germany. This is what makes our country great. We give people opportunities to show their talent,” Jacobson said.
Women’s Soccer
Not only women’s basketball, but women’s soccer at community colleges has had gains in out-of-state and international athletes on its roster.
Cortell said soccer is one of the most international sports in the world.
“Soccer is huge and the game is global. I am a soccer recruit as well, and we find a lot of players and recruit them,” Cortell said.
ECC and Cerritos College saw a 0.05% increase in non-resident athletes in the past five years. Both teams had at least one out-of-state or international athlete in the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 seasons.
Orange Coast College saw a big increase in the past five years with out-of-state and international athletes.
In the past five years they have seen a 25% increase with women’s soccer. Orange Coast has dorms for their athletes and has increases in men’s sports and women’s sports.
On the other hand, Santa Rosa College has seen a 10% decrease in the women’s soccer program with only one out-of-state or international athlete in the last five years.
Riverside College doesn’t have a women’s soccer program nor a men’s soccer program.
Cortell said athletes go to community colleges that they feel like they have an opportunity at.
“Athletes want to make a name for themselves, compared to four-year universities there are more athletes they have to compete with. At a community college they have a better chance,” Cortell said.
College Sports
Eight Flagler Palm Coast athletes participate in the Bulldogs' final signing celebration of 2025
Eight Flagler Palm Coast High school athletes participated in the Bulldogs’ final college signing ceremony of the school year on Tuesday, May 27. In all, 27 FPC graduating seniors signed letters of intent this year to play collegiate sports. Mikhail Zysek, the Bulldogs’ career receiving leader, became the seventh FPC football player to sign with […]
Eight Flagler Palm Coast High school athletes participated in the Bulldogs’ final college signing ceremony of the school year on Tuesday, May 27.
In all, 27 FPC graduating seniors signed letters of intent this year to play collegiate sports.
Mikhail Zysek, the Bulldogs’ career receiving leader, became the seventh FPC football player to sign with a university. Zysek will play for NAIA school Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens. One of Zysek’s high school teammates, Corinthians “RJ” Watson, will play for Florida Memorial’s cross-town rival, St. Thomas University.
The others who celebrated their signings on May 27 were girls wrestlers Ana Vilar and Tiana Fries; boys wrestler T.J. McLean; boys soccer players Jace Zecca, Noah Daily and Felipe DeCampos; and girls basketball player Alexandra Perez.
Fries and McLean will both wrestle at NAIA program Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia.
Vilar will wrestle at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, which is also an NAIA school. William Penn has a competitive program, finishing fourth at NAIA nationals this year.
“They have a lot of solid girls,” said Vilar, who placed second at the state girls wrestling championships in the 135-pound weight class.
“I’m strong and fast, but I want to work on my technique,” Vilar said.
Vilar and Fries joined FPC teammates Mariah Mills (West Liberty University), Christina Borgmann (Felician University) and Kendall Bibla (Lindsey Wilson College) to sign with college women’s wrestling programs. The five seniors helped the Bulldogs win the state championship this year with Borgmann and Bibla each winning a state title for the second time.
Daily signed with Trinity Baptist College of Jacksonville, which competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association. Zecca signed with the University of Fort Lauderdale, which also competes in the NCCAA. De Campos signed with Word of Life Bible Institute of Pottersville, New York, which competes in the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association.
Daily, Zecca and De Campos join teammates Jack Moberly and Evan Papadakos in signing to play college soccer.
Perez signed a women’s basketball letter of intent with Trinity Baptist College.
FPC 2025 COLLEGE ATHLETIC SIGNEES
Christina Borgmann, Women’s Wrestling, Felician University (New Jersey)
Tiana Fries, Women’s Wrestling, Brewton-Parker College (Georgia)
Ana Vilar, Women’s Wrestling, William Penn University (Iowa)
Kendall Bibla, Women’s Wrestling, Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky)
Mariah Mills, Women’s Wrestling, West Liberty University (West Virginia)
TJ McLean, Men’s Wrestling, Brewton Parker College (Georgia)
Alexandra Perez, Girls Basketball, Trinity Baptist University (Jacksonville)
Marcus Mitchell, Football, Missouri Valley College (Missouri)
Carson Kato, Football, Webber International University (Babson Park)
Mikhail Zysek, Football, Florida Memorial University (Miami Gardens)
Colby Cronk, Football, North Carolina State University
Roman Caliendo, Football, Shorter University (Georgia)
Corinthians Watson, Football, St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens)
Jemon Little, Football, Anna Maria College (Massachusetts)
Skylar Ludovici, Softball, Montreat College (North Carolina)
Ashleigh Pigeon, Softball, Flagler College (St. Augustine)
Sadie Schell, Softball, Keiser University (West Palm Beach)
Jack Moberly, Men’s Soccer, Toccoa Falls College (Georgia)
Evan Papadakos, Men’s Soccer, Toccoa Falls College (Georgia)
Noah Daily, Men’s Soccer, Trinity Baptist College (Jacksonville)
Felipe De Campos, Men’s Soccer, Word of Life Bible Institute (New York State)
Jace Zecca, Men’s Soccer, University of Fort Lauderdale (Lauderhill)
Brenin Striplin, Baseball, Pennsylvania Western Clarion University
Nathan Pertoso, Baseball, Mitchell College (Connecticut)
Logan Shudy, Baseball, Lesley University (Massachusetts)
Alana Throne, Women’s Lacrosse, St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens)
Ashley McPhail, Women’s Lacrosse, Coker University (South Carolina)
College Sports
John's Journal
Not long ago, Joshua Kyei-Baffour had dreams of glory on the soccer pitch. Now a senior at Rochester Century, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound all-around athlete has been playing soccer for a long time, and on a soccer recruiting website a while back, Joshua wrote in part, “I have been in love with sports since kindergarten. I […]
Not long ago, Joshua Kyei-Baffour had dreams of glory on the soccer pitch. Now a senior at Rochester Century, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound all-around athlete has been playing soccer for a long time, and on a soccer recruiting website a while back, Joshua wrote in part, “I have been in love with sports since kindergarten. I tried football and basketball but soccer was the one sport that I fell in love with when I reached middle school. Since then I’ve developed an ambition to play college soccer because I want to play at that high level.”
Oh how things can change. A member of the Century track and field team – as well as the soccer team — throughout his high school years, Kyei-Baffour has made a name for himself as one of the state’s best hurdlers. And he solidified that fact by setting an all-time Minnesota high school record on Saturday.
Kyei-Baffour won the 110-meter high hurdles at the Section 1AAA championships with a blazing time of 13.58 seconds. That bested the previous state record of 13.66 by St. Croix Lutheran’s Jon Tollefson in 2015.
“It’s amazing,” he said a few minutes after crossing the finish line on a sunny, warm day at Lakeville South. “At the beginning of the season my coaches were like, ‘Let’s put our name in the record books.’ I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘OK.’ But I didn’t expect I was going to get to this moment. I’m super happy and grateful.”
Those dreams of playing college soccer have been replaced; Kyei-Baffour will join the track and field program at North Dakota State later this year.
“My joy for track and field has gone up 100 percent,” Kyei-Baffour told the Rochester Post Bulletin’s Pat Ruff earlier this spring. “It was competing at high levels that did it for me. When I went to visit NDSU, (hurdles and sprints coach) Reece Vega hooked me right away. I also loved the campus, the coaches and the guys on the team. I’ll be putting down my cleats and putting on my spikes next year.”
One of his Bison track teammates, as well as his roommate, will be current St. Charles senior Christopher Hilton. In Class A, Hilton qualified for state in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 200 meters and triple jump. (Read about Hilton by clicking here: https://shorturl.at/hVI1t)
“We’re going to hang out soon, but we text here and there and encourage each other,” Joshua said of his friendship with Hilton.
Kyei-Baffour’s evolution as a hurdler has been steady. He ran a time of 15.22 as a sophomore and got down to 14.13 last season. He finished fourth at the Class 3A state championships in 2024 with a time of 14.28, and will return to chase a championship when the state meet is held June 10-12 at St. Michael-Albertville.
“I’m keeping my head down, staying humble, just preparing mentally and physically for the next week,” Joshua said.
He also ran the 300-meter low hurdles Saturday and was a member of Century’s 4×200 relay team; in both events the Panthers came up short of qualifying for state.
In Thursday’s section preliminaries, Kyei-Baffour had a first-place finish of 14.23 seconds. Knocking that time down to 13.58 two days later, and setting a state record in the process, was a mixture of preparation, focus, speed and power.
Earlier Saturday, Joshua said he told his friends, “I can feel the all-time record being mine.”
Afterwards, he said, “I just kind of remembered, ‘Get out of the box fast, stay clean, and it’ll all connect.’ ”
He came off the start ahead of the pack and was clean over every hurdle. As he reached the finish line he dipped his head and threw his arms back. After crossing the line he lifted his head and put his right hand over his heart in appreciation.
“This was perfect weather, a perfect day,” he said with a big smile.
Indeed. Everything was perfect.
–MSHSL staff member John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Bluesky at johnmilleamn and listen to “Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at [email protected] or [email protected]
College Sports
U
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team opened Group A play at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship with a convincing 8-0 win over Guyana. Forward Izzy Engle led the team with four goals, becoming the eighth player in team history to score four goals in a U-20 Concacaf Championship match. Midfielder Kennedy […]
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team opened Group A play at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship with a convincing 8-0 win over Guyana.
Forward Izzy Engle led the team with four goals, becoming the eighth player in team history to score four goals in a U-20 Concacaf Championship match. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller also had a standout performance, converting a penalty kick and providing three assists.
The USA will now face Puerto Rico (June 1 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1) and Costa Rica (April 3 at 4 p.m. ET on FS2) with two more wins guaranteeing the USA a spot in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The USA wasted little time getting on the score sheet. In the fifth minute, defender Aven Alvarez, the only player on the U.S. side with U-20caps coming into the match, slipped a pass to Fuller, who juked around her defender into open space five yards outside the penalty box and ripped a shot that smacked the right post. The rebound fell right to Engle, who easily converted the first goal of the match.
(+READ: U-20 USWNT to hold training camp with roster full of 2005 birth year players)
Fuller would get her goal in the 13th minute after converting a penalty kick. Engle drew the foul in the box when her defender slid across her body and took her down while fighting for the ball in the box.
Then came the first of two Fuller-to-Engle connections. In the 24th minute, Fuller sent an in-swinging cross toward the back post and found the head of Engle, who calmly redirected the ball past the diving ‘keeper to make it 3-0.
One minute after the Engle set piece goal, midfielder Linda Ullmark drove down the left channel, then cut around her defender toward the box before sending a centering pass into the middle. Midfielder Sealey Strawn got to the end of the pass and snuck the ball inside the left post on her first touch to make it 4-0.
Ullmark then made it 5-0 in the 37th minute. After receiving a pass from Fuller on the left side of the box, Ullmar kturned and fired a right-footed strike from about ten yards away to beat the ‘keeper into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Engle bookended the six-goal first half in the 41st minute. With the ball at her feet and between two defenders, Engle danced around her opponents to give herself space at the top of the box and then stung a shot into the top right corner of the net to close the half with three goals and a 6-0 lead.
Just two minutes into the second half, Engle notched her fourth goal of the match. Fuller assisted her for the second time of the match, slipping a pass through the defender to get Engle who was charging into the box. The forward cut her shot across her body and placed the ball inside the far-right post to make it 7-0.
Midfielder Emma Johnson finished off the USA scoring in the 78th minute. Defender Kate Scott ripped a shot from just outside of the top of the box and forced the Guyanese ‘keeper into a diving save. But the rebound fell right to Johnson, who calmly finished to give the U.S. the 8-0 lead.
The USA outshot Guyana 34-2 and did not allow a shot on goal.
Additional Notes:
- Fifteen players earned their first U-20 international caps: Bella Ayscue, Edra Bello, Izzy Engle, Emma Johnson, Kennedy Fuller, Sonoma Kasica, Peyton McGovern, Abby Mills, Leena Powell, Ashlyn Puerta, Grace Restovich, Kate Scott, Sealey Strawn, Mya Townes and Linda Ullmark.
- Bello, Fuller, Powell, Scott and Townes all had caps at the U-17 international level.
- Aven Alverez earned her third U-20 international cap.
- Five players scored their first U-20 international goals: Engle, Johnson, Fuller, Strawn and Ullmark.
- Engle became the eighth player in U.S. U-20 history to score four goals in a World Cup qualifying match. The last player to score four goals in a match was Avery Patterson in a 7-0 win over Puerto Rico in 2022.
- Kasica picked up the shutout in goal for the USA, but did not face a shot on goal.
- Midfielder Grace Restovich, who hails from St. Louis, captained the U.S. U-20s for the first time.
-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team vs. Guyana
Date: May 30, 2025
Competition: 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship
Venue: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto; Alajuela, Costa Rica
Attendance: 76
Kickoff: 11 a.m. local (1 p.m. ET)
Weather: 80 degrees, cloudy
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| GUY | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USA – Izzy Engle | 5th minute |
| USA – Kennedy Fuller | 13 |
| USA – Izzy Engle (Kennedy Fuller) | 24 |
| USA – Sealey Strawn (Linda Ullmark) | 25 |
| USA – Linda Ullmark (Kennedy Fuller) | 37 |
| USA – Izzy Engle | 41 |
| USA – Izzy Engle (Kennedy Fuller) | 48 |
| USA – Emma Johnson | 78 |
Lineups:
USA:21-Sonoma Kasica; 15-Leena Powell (14- Emma Johnson, 72), 17-Edra Bello, 4-Abby Mills (5-Bella Ayscue, 46), 3-Aven Alvarez; 6-Grace Restovich (Capt.), 8-Kennedy Fuller (13-Peyton McGovern, 60), 10-Linda Ullmark (18-Ashlyn Puerta, 46); 11-Sealey Strawn, 9-Izzy Engle, 20-Mya Townes (2-Kate Scott, 46).
Substitutes Not Used: 1-Caroline Birkel, 7-Chloe Ricketts, 12-Kealey Titmuss, 16-Kennedy Ring, 19-Mary Long
Head Coach: Carrie Kveton
GUY: 1-Kymora Chung (18-Alexix Mars, 46); 3-Heike Clarke (Capt.), 4-Jaida Tucker, 5-Sarah Dasilva (19-Sydney Glean, 31), 14-Liyah Menilek; 8-Naomi Benjamin, 10-Alexis Bayley, 12-Anya Joseph; 7-Myanne Fernandes, 17-Jayda Schoburgh (13-Devi Sookdeo, 32; 6-Maliya Gangadin, 46; 16-Shareina Langevine, 79), 20-Se-hanna Mars
Substitutes Not Used: 2-Akeelah Vancooten, 9-Nydel Nelson, 11-Allia Henry, 15-Kimora Edwards, 19-Sydney Glean, 21-Deena Fredericks
Head Coach: Paul Deabreu
Stats Summary: USA / GUY
Shots: 34 / 2
Shots on Goal: 20 / 0
Saves: 0 / 7
Corner Kicks: 8 / 0
Fouls: 3 / 12
Offside: 4 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Amairany Garcia (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Mayra Mora (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Aranza Quero (MEX)
Fourth Official: Shandor Wilkinson (SKN)
College Sports
Prattville Lions' Soccer Has Record Eight College Signees
By Scott Nickerson Elmore Autauga News The Prattville Lions soccer team finished the 2025 season with a record of 18-4-1. They were ranked #3 in Class 7A in the final post-season poll. The Lions defeated Hoover in the 1st round of the Class 7A playoffs and fell on the road to nationally ranked Oak Mountain […]
By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
The Prattville Lions soccer team finished the 2025 season with a record of 18-4-1. They were ranked #3 in Class 7A in the final post-season poll. The Lions defeated Hoover in the 1st round of the Class 7A playoffs and fell on the road to nationally ranked Oak Mountain in the Elite 8.
The Lions had a record eight players to sign college scholarships on signing day.
Porter Sutton, Ben Green, Adam Green, and Bryce Espinola all signed with Southern Union Community College
Ben Green was recently named 1st Team Super All-State, made up from teams of all classifications. Adam Green was named to Class 7A 1st Team.
Sutton and Espinola explained why they chose Southern Union and discussed their goals.
“I picked Southern Union because it felt welcoming and a good fit for my future soccer desires,” said Sutton. “After Southern Union, I plan to transfer to a four-year college to continue my soccer career in the NCAA level and get a degree in project management.”
“I chose Southern Union for multiple reasons,” said Espinola. “I think JUCO is a great opportunity to get college level experience on the field. I really like the Auburn/Opelika area. The SU coach put in the effort to stay in touch with me during recruitment, and I have several teammates who will be going as well. My goal for college is to maintain a good GPA and put in the work and effort to ultimately move on to a four-year university.”
Levi Smith and Isaiah Mayers signed with Earlham College in Indiana
“I chose Earlham College because it was a smaller school with a very personal feeling and a high emphasis on making sure I can be the best student and athlete I can,” said Smith. “My college goals are to graduate with a degree in environmental science and make a big impact while I play for Earlham’s soccer team.”
Smith was named Class 7A 2nd Team All-State.
Richard Byard signed with Dean College in Massachusetts
“I chose Dean because of the coaching staff and their sports business connections in the city of Boston,” said Byard. “They’ve just appointed a new coach and I love the idea of being a part of a rebuild for the program. My goal as a freshman is to earn a starting spot on the team. With my work ethic and discipline, I know it’s achievable.”
Byard was named Class 7A Honorable Mention All-State.
Devin Woods signed with Pensacola Christian College
“I chose my college because it allows me to be closer with my dad, play in my home state, and be closer with God,” said Woods. “My college goals are to be a great student-athlete and learn to become a successful CNC programmer.”
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