2009 US Youth Soccer Goal and Save of the Year announced
Texas’ Annalyn Kumar and Virginia’s Paul Hegedus honored at Awards Gala
See the videos [Goal] [Save]
FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 26, 2010) - The recipients of the 2009 US Youth Soccer
Goal and
Save of the Year were announced tonight at the
US Youth Soccer Awards Gala, held in conjunction with the 2010
US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The Goal of the Year was awarded to Annalyn Kumar of Dallas, and the Save of the Year was awarded to Paul Hegedus of Ashburn, Va.
Hilary Kennedy, host of The US Youth Soccer Show on Fox Soccer Channel, set the stage for the night as the master of ceremonies for the more than 1,000 in attendance. Boys and Girls
Recreation and
Competitive Coaches of the Year,
Administrator of the Year,
Volunteer of the Year,
Male and Female Young Referees of the Year,
TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year and the
Dr. Thomas Fleck Award were also presented during the Gala and the
US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame inductees were honored as well.
Annalyn Kumar, of Dallas, was a guest player for Sting Royal 94, a team two to three years older than she is, when she netted the 2009 Goal of the Year. She scored the game winning goal in the final minutes of play by speeding past defenders to meet a pass that she chipped in over the keeper’s head. Winning the Goal of the Year award adds to Kumar’s personal confidence and inspires her to keep working hard toward all of her soccer goals. She is appreciative of the positive influence her coaches, teammates and parents have on her soccer career.
Paul Hegedus, of Ashburn, Va., started focusing on goalkeeping when he was 12, crediting his father as a major influencer toward his passion and success in soccer. He made the 2009 Save of the Year in the Bethesda Thanksgiving Tournament. His team was winning 1-0 when the other team beat his defenders; Hegedus then sprinted out and took the ball off the striker’s foot just in time. Hegedus likes making critical saves to help set the tempo of the game for his team, Great Falls Soccer Club Blue 92. He plans to continue developing his skills with the hopes of playing at the collegiate level.
2009 top 10 nominees for Goal of the Year:
|
Name
|
Age
|
Club
|
Hometown
|
|
Austin Hanzlik
|
Under-16 Boys
|
GFA 92 Blue (VA)
|
Warrenton, Va.
|
|
Deena Desilva
|
Under-12 Girls
|
MSC Coyotes Green (MD)
|
Gaitersburg, Md.
|
|
Tim Mulgrew
|
Under-16 Boys
|
GFA 92 Blue (VA)
|
Sterling, Va.
|
|
Jacob Risser
|
Under-8 Boys
|
Carmel United (IN)
|
Indianapolis, Ind.
|
|
Brandon Perez
|
Under-16 Boys
|
Dallas Texans 93 Red (N-TX)
|
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Annalyn Kumar*
|
Under-13 Girls
|
Sting (N-TX)
|
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Oliver Bihuniak
|
Under-12 Boys
|
KCFC Dragons (KS)
|
Leawood, Kan.
|
|
Ryan Copley
|
Under-17 Boys
|
Arlington Premier 92 (VA)
|
Woodbridge, Va.
|
|
Jon-Paul Perez
|
Under-17 Boys
|
Dallas Texans-Houston (S-TX)
|
Houston, Texas
|
|
Elia Louis
|
Under-16 Boys
|
Synergy United (VT)
|
Essex Junction, Vt.
|
2009 top 10 nominees for Save of the Year:
|
Name
|
Age
|
Club
|
Hometown
|
|
Paul Hegedus*
|
Under-16 Boys
|
GFA 92 Blue (VA)
|
Ashburn, Va.
|
|
Margaret Simpkins
|
Under-19 Girls
|
Freestate Shooters (MD)
|
Bowie, Md.
|
|
Natalie Smith
|
Under-15 Girls
|
CSA Elite (OH-N)
|
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
|
Jaron Bradley
|
Under-15 Boys
|
SCSA 93 Gold (NC)
|
Charlotte, N.C.
|
|
Ari Zargarian
|
Under-15 Girls
|
San Diego Surf (CA-S)
|
San Diego, Calif.
|
|
Adrian Garcia
|
Under-17 Boys
|
CZ Elite (CA-S)
|
La Canada, Calif.
|
|
Abby Smith
|
Under-15 Girls
|
Dallas Texans (N-TX)
|
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Britt Eckerstrom
|
Under-16 Girls
|
FC Frederick (MD)
|
Boyds, Md.
|
|
James Gladden
|
Under-18 Boys
|
DSC90 Green (SC)
|
Rock Hill, S.C.
|
|
Taylor Hafling
|
Under-17 Boys
|
Javanon 92 (KY)
|
Louisville, Ky.
|
*denote national US Youth Soccer Goal or Save of the Year Award winner.
Winners were chosen based on the greatest percentage of online votes.
For more information about the US Youth Soccer Awards Gala and award winners, go to
USYouthSoccer.org/workshop/galaawards. 
