The U14 Red Bulls began the group stage of the U-14 National Championship with a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Fire Jrs. in Chicago, IL. New York opened up play with a flurry of goals, scoring four times in the first 15 minutes against Chicago. The Fire, a club from Mississippi that won the Southern region, quickly responded with two goals of their own, bringing the score to 4-2.
The Red Bulls would respond, however, striking twice more before the end of the first half to give the New York squad a 6-2 lead heading into halftime.
Following the break it was all New York yet again, scoring three more times in the second half while shutting out the Fire to secure the 9-2 result.
The Red Bulls were led by Ethan Lochner, who scored twice and assisted on two goals. Rafeal Terci provided a spark off the bench for New York, collecting the hat trick.
The U-14 Red Bulls will return to the pitch Saturday, as they square off against Eastside Union FC before completing group play on Sunday against the Chicago Sockers.
