Under the leadership of coaches Craig Wolfe and Rick Lindstedt, the U14 TUSA Newcastle United challenge soccer team achieved substantial success in their first year together — not least of which was winning three straight games to reach the championship final of the Wilmington Seaside Classic tournament in May and going 2-1-1 at the Charlotte First Strike tournament in April. The Wilmington final was perhaps the most nerve-wracking; Newcastle played CF Breakers through 70 scoreless minutes of regulation and two overtimes, and after seven rounds of penalty-kick shootouts, CFB pulled out a one-goal win.

Left to right: (back row) coach Rick Lindstedt, Blake Svendsen, Jacob Hoerger, Josue Pena, Mike Stephenson, Matt Mitchum, Robbey Lindstedt, Stanley Alumasa, coach Craig Wolfe; (middle row) Ben Summers, Travis Bordley, Jacob Streilein, Jesus Hernandez, Samuel Johnson, Jordan Latta; (front row) Seth Rose, Pablo Heitman, Oscar Romero-Sanchez, Dylan Abolafia, C.J. Wolfe. Send your best sports shots to chnsports@nando.com.