FCA after defeating Madlax Nationals U15, 9-3, in the 15U National Championship Game. With the victory, the FCA program earned its fourth national title in five years.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Last year, FCA had its 15U national title hopes dashed in the first round in a shocking upset loss at the hands of eventual champions Six Nations Thunder Tribe. This year, FCA would leave no doubt.

FCA defeated Madlax Nationals U15, 9-3, in the 15U National Championship Game at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions presented by Pasco County, earning the program its fourth 15U National Championship in five years.

MVP Alec Van de Bovenkamp

Six different FCA players scored, but it was FCA goalie Alec Van de Bovenkamp who took home Championship Game MVP honors. Van de Bovenkamp allowed only three goals in four games during pool play, but he saved his best for last, denying Madlax on 11 of 14 shots, while also chipping in an assist on a play where the netminder carried the ball all the way down the field before dumping it off to Chris McLallen for the goal.

That goal was McLallen’s second of the game, and he would also add an assist, tying him with Reilly Walsh — who also had two goals and an assist — for the game high in points. Matt Gavin added a pair of goals for FCA, while Ryan Gochar, Jack Miller and Jared Nugent each added a goal apiece. Cole Landolt and Jimmy Watson each picked up an assist.

Madlax peppered Van de Bovenkamp with shots all game long but seldom found twine. Kyle Richbourg beat the FCA goalie unassisted midway through the first to knot the game at 1-1, but FCA pulled back into the lead a minute later. Darian Matini’s late first half goal on an assist from Jack Peele gave Madlax a spot of hope, cutting the FCA lead to 4-2. However, that goal would set off a 25-minute scoring drought for Madlax, ended with just over two minutes left on the clock by another unassisted goal from Richbourg.

For FCA, the championship victory was the culmination of an impressive tournament performance. In four pool play victories, FCA averaged seven goals per game and allowed only three goals total. The four teams FCA beat — Northern Lacrosse, Stampede LC, Copperheads and Grand River Ironmen — finished with a cumulative 9-3 record against all other teams. After earning the top seed in the 15U bracket by virtue of allowing the least goals, FCA met Copperheads again in the quarterfinals of the playoffs and again emerged victorious, 12-5. FCA went on to defeat Cinderella 12-seed Atlanta Crush in the semifinals, 15-3, setting the stage for another national championship game appearance.

Madlax Nationals U15 faced a much tougher road, entering the playoffs as a 6-seed after dropping a pool play game to Palm Beach Storm. Madlax did not get a chance to exact revenge against Palm Beach Storm, who fell to upstarts Atlanta Crush in the opening round, but did put together an impressive run of its own. Madlax downed two of the division’s three undefeated teams en route to the title game, beating 3-seed Florida Elite, 7-3, and narrowly ousting 2-seed Burnaby Mountain Selects in a semifinal thriller, 4-3. Unfortunately for Madlax, pulling off the trifecta proved to be too tall an order.

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