Team Chicago Academy-Palmeiras midfielder Max Graf and Team Chicago Academy-Internacional midfielder Erin Johnston are headed to Phoenix this weekend to represent Illinois in the National ODP Championships at the Reach 11 complex.

Max is a member of the Illinois Boys 1998 State Team which will face Cal-South in Friday’s Semi-Final, and then either Maryland or Florida in the Final or the 3rd place game on Sunday.

Erin is a member of the Illinois Girls 1998 State Team which will face Cal-South in Friday’s Semi-Final, and then either Georgia or Virginia in the Final or the 3rd place game on Sunday.

Follow the match results here: http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/201…

We wish them all the best!

Below is the IYSA press release:

The Championships for the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program spotlight the future stars of United States soccer. State teams first compete in a regional event to determine which teams will vie for the top spot in the nation. The winners will compete in Phoenix for the right to be crowned US Youth Soccer ODP Champion. Three Illinois State Select Teams will compete for the National title this weekend at The Reach 11 Soccer Complex in Phoenix, AZ.

1997 Girls Illinois State Select Team
Coaches: Frank Mateus & Eddie Amaral
Madeleine Chalifoux (Champaign/Illinois Fusion)
Michele Chernesky (Wauconda/Sockers FC)
Kathryn Coseglia (Willowbrook/Oakbrook SC)
Grace Dunker (Rockton/Sockers FC)
Karla Hernandez (Chicago/Firebirds SC)
Emily Hess (Batavia/Eclipse Select)
Amanda Hoglund (Spring Grove/Sockers FC)
Carly Hoke (Lake Forest/ FC United)
Mariah Katzenberger (Freeport/Rockford Raptors)
Julia Kenney (Evanston/Team Evanston)
Kelsey Kraft (Oswego/Panthers SC)
Drew Moulton (Sycamore/Eclipse Select)
Claire Neibergall (Springfield/St Louis Scott Gallagher)
Elizabeth Parrilli (St. Charles/Rockford Raptors)
Emily Scott (Machesney Park/FCX)
Sophia Snyder (Ottawa/Chicago Inter)
Jenna Szczesny (Hoffman Estates/FCX)
Emily Valentine (Rockford/ FCX)

1998 Boys Illinois State Select Team
Coaches: Tony Kees & Jamie Martin
Tyler Anstrand (Naperville/Ajax FC)
Luis Arreola (Wheeling/FC Athletico)
Dalton Bruso (Bloomington/Illinois Fusion)
Jack Dilger (Homer Glen/Southwest SC)
Jake Farley (Plainfield/Chicago Fire YSC)
Hamada Freese (Edwardsville/Edwardsville SC)
Maxwell Graf (Aurora/Team Chicago)
Remy Hasinger (Morton/Morton Blaze)
Michael Juarez (Bloomington/Illinois Fusion)
Adam Masters (Evanston/Team Evanston)
Sam McLachlan(Berwyn/Berwyn Blazers)
Dorian Moreno (Romeoville/Roadrunners SC)
Matthew Napolitano (Bloomington/Illinois Fusion)
Mitchell Palmer (Belleville/Gateway FC)
Christopher Schwaiger (Naperville/Galaxy SC)

Emerson Wells(Downs/Chicago Fire YSC)
David Young (Grayslake/Libertyville FC 1974)
Arjun Zutshi (Aurora/Chicago Fire Academy)

1998 Girls Illinois State Select Team
Coaches: Ryan Snyder & Jo Hearn
Emily Bollman (Coal Valley/Moline United)
Paige Bourne (Lake Forest/FC United)
Alyssa Frazier (Towanda/St Louis Scott Gallagher)
Ryan Gareis (Naperville/Sockers FC)
Erin Johnston (Grayslake/Team Chicago)
Natalie Joyce (Lake Forest/FC United)
Amanda Kowalski (Arlington Heights/Eclipse Select)
Lauren Long (West Chicago/NSA)
Ashley Nensel (Wauconda/Ela Elite)
Katia Novi (Glenview/Sockers FC)
Olivia Peters (Glenview/FC United)
Shannon Powers (Gurnee/FC United)
Riley Riggs (Ingleside/Ela Elite)
Peyton Roehnelt (Germantown Hills/Illinois Fusion)
Samantha Salay (Glenview/Eclipse Select)
Senger Eda (Lake In The Hills/Sockers FC)
Adrian Walker (Lake Forest/FC United)
Madelyn West (Crystal Lake/FCX)