Three Maine teams were among the 72 teams that advanced to the semifinals at the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships, with one team earning the right to play in the finals for a trip to the national championship in Texas.

The tournament brought over 5,000 players, coaches, parents and tournament officials to Maine. Over 280 teams participated in the tournament, and 72 advanced to the semifinals across the various boys’ and girls’ divisions.

The U-17 team from Maine’s Coastal Soccer Club won its pool outright with a 3-0-0 record. Scarborough’s Eddie Jones scored the team’s only goal in Coastal’s win on Sunday against Century V of Pennsylvania. Coastal roared through pool play, scoring 11 goals in the three games while giving up none.

Coastal took on Connecticut’s South Central at Bowdoin College on July 2. The game remained scoreless through regulation and went into overtime. Jones won the game for Coastal by heading in a goal with just one minute remaining before the game was forced into a penalty kick shootout. Coastal lost the championship game to FC Delco of Pennsylvania 1-0 on July 3.

In the girls’ U-19 division, Black Bear United finished tied for the top in pool play with a 2-0-1 record. The team faced the PSWI Cardinals of Virginia on July 2 in Falmouth and lost a tough game 6-1.

In the boys’ U-12 division, the team from Maine’s Coastal Soccer Club finished tied for the top of its pool with a 2-0-1 record. Coastal played the Dix Hills Thunder of New York on July 2 in Falmouth, losing 4-1.

Regional winners of the U-14 through U-19 brackets earn a berth to the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championships to be played July 24-29, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.