Though the First Team had their weekend match cancelled, the West Michigan Bearings family still had some exciting soccer to be celebrated on Sunday. The U23 team went down to Kalamazoo Riverfront Park and returned with the Kalamazoo Invitational Title.
In Group Play action over the past month, the Bearings went 3-0. They defeated Azteca FC 2-1, the Michigan Rebels 2-0, and Reign FC to advance to the Championship match against Inter Detroit.
Inter scored the first goal of Sunday’s game on a penalty kick five minutes in. Fifteen minutes later, Thomas DeVries responded with a headed from a corner to even the count.
The Bearings took a 3-1 lead after two goals by Ryan Flynn, the most impressive strike coming off a nice volley from a cross. Olee Olson would extend the halftime count to 4-1 Bearings rifling a shot past the keeper from 18 out.
In the second half, Paulo Alcala bent the ball around the keeper from outside the box to push the lead further out. Ty Morgan curled the ball above the outstretched keeper to move the game to its final 6-1 tally.
Ethan Jansen and Jackson Strabel held down the fort defensively, limiting a potent Inter attack.
