Akron Royals Make History with Kick It First Championship

The Akron Royals U16 Girls made history earlier this month, capturing the championship title at the 25th annual Akron Kick It First Tournament – becoming the first Akron-based team in recent memory to win the club’s own tournament.

Held May 9-10, the long-running event welcomed nearly 100 teams from across the region. Hosting the tournament while also competing in it made the accomplishment even more meaningful for the Royals players, coaches, and families.

The Royals powered through pool play with three decisive victories to earn a spot in the championship game. Throughout the opening rounds, Akron’s offense showcased its depth with goals scored by Rylie Irish-Baker, Clara Bogdan, Abby Gerstung, Hannah Liss, Morgan Marcinkowski, Abigail Schlabach, and Brooke Warren.

Waiting for Akron in the championship was a talented and physical Kenmore BlueBomBers squad. Kenmore entered the final with an impressive résumé, having played year-round through winter leagues where they were crowned champions, in addition to winning the Division 1 title in the BWNYJSL 2025 season.

The championship match proved to be a hard-fought battle from the opening whistle.

Akron struck first in the opening half when center midfielder Clara Bogdan delivered a goal from the right corner of the 18-yard box, sending a shot into the top left corner of the net to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Kenmore responded late in the half with a top-corner finish of its own, knotting the match at 1-1 heading into halftime.

The game remained tight into the second half before Kenmore committed a foul inside the penalty area, awarding Akron a penalty kick. Bogdan stepped up once again and calmly buried a low shot into the bottom left corner to give the Royals the lead once again.

From there, Akron’s defense took control. The Royals back line played one of its strongest matches, limiting Kenmore’s scoring opportunities and keeping the BlueBomBers out of the 18-yard box for much of the game. Goalkeeper Reagan Luck added six saves to secure the championship victory.

Having clinched the tournament championship, the Royals will look to carry that momentum into their 2026 season.