A Look Back on the 2023 Academy Season
editor: This is part 1 of a 2-part article about OCSC II. Check out part 2 here: Final Thoughts with Head Coach Didier Crettenand
The conclusion of the 2023 USL Academy Season in early December officially spells the end of the calendar year for Orange County SC. With the senior team bowing out in the second round of the playoffs, the focus shifted to that of its academy team who were wrapping up their regular season at about the same time.
The last time that we had covered the II team was all the way back in July, after their 7-0 victory at home against the Ventura Fusion academy team. That victory brought OCII to 3-3 on the year at exactly the halfway point of the season. It was expected to be the turnaround the team needed, playing Ventura twice and winning both games, but in their next game at Arizona Arsenal SC, Orange County was shelled 1-5. It would be the last time OC would travel outside of California for the regular season.
To finish the regular season, Orange County played five straight games in the friendly confines of the Orange County Great Park. They were originally scheduled to play four home games, but their one away game against Ventura County switched venues. (This game will be mentioned in detail later.) If there is a trend to be followed in the USL Academy league, it is this: The home team will always have the advantage. Visiting San Diego Loyal Select, OC fell to the hosts. However they were able to defeat the same Loyal squad both times at home. When Orange County traveled to Arizona to play FC Tucson’s academy, they lost 0-4. Against the same Tucson squad at home, OC won 7-0. Then the floodgates really opened in that aforementioned Ventura game. On September 19th in an away game played in Irvine, the OC II team defeated the Ventura County Fusion academy by a scoreline of 12-0. Orange County then finished the year with another two wins at home against Arizona Arsenal and San Diego Loyal Select to cap off a five game win-streak. Then officially on October 30th, Orange County SC II clinched the Southwest division and a spot in the 2023 USL Academy Playoffs.
Orange County SC II’s Near Cinderella Run
Officially, OCII would finish the year with a 8-4-0 record. Playing in the Southwest division, Orange County would finish the year with 24 points and a goal differential of +25. Didier Crettenand’s boys came away with four clean sheets in their last five games, thanks in part to a strong defense anchored in the back by Ashton Miles. There are 13 divisions in the Academy league so you get 13 division winners with 3 wildcard teams to make a single-elimination 16 team tournament. Orange County earned the 10-seed overall.
Bryce Jamison with fastest hat trick in USA Academy Final History.
In their first round game, Orange County faced Ironbound SC Academy. Ironbound SC are a USL League 2 side based out of Newark, New Jersey and winners of the Metropolitan division. Being a USL Championship side has its perks when facing a lower league side, and one of those perks for OCII was Bryce Jamison. The 17-year old spent most of the year with the senior side, and his skills were on full display on a national stage. In Orange County SC II’s first ever playoff game, Jamison scored a hat-trick in just 17 minutes, setting a record for the fastest hat trick in USL Academy Playoffs history.
It was a convincing 5-0 win and a starting lineup that was out to win. With notable players like Nico Ruiz, Bryce Jamison, Benjamin Barjolo, Ashton Miles, and Juan Santana, it was really light work for the Little Oranges. Next came a date with a fellow USL Championship side Indy Eleven, who boast a very respectable Academy themselves. Indy Eleven’s Academy were victors of the Valley division and were yet to lose a game all year; good enough for the two seed. The game was much more competitive than the first, and required extra time to separate the two sides. OCII midfielder Taj Easterton was sent off, and OCII played down a man for the entirety of extra time. Indy Eleven would score first, but OC would earn a kick from the spot, deep in stoppage time, which would be comfortably slotted home by Tarek Hamideh, one of the underrated players on the side with a bright future ahead of him. After 90 minutes of action (for the tournament they played 35 minute halves) the game would require a shootout. This is when Juan Santana would shine the brightest, as he saved two of the five penalties faced to lead OC to the semifinals. It was a massive upset that saw one of the best academies bow out in the second round.
This is where Orange County SC II became one of the bigger talking points throughout the tournament. They had reached the semifinals for the first time in academy history. In their semifinal appearance, they would take on the academy of another USL League Two side from AC Connecticut. AC Connecticut were the champions of the Northeast division and had compiled a 9-2-1 record during their regular season. But the Northeast champs were unable to break through the strong OCII back line. Nico Ruiz made his appearance known in the 30th minute with a goal, and then Amir Dawkins put the game to bed with a late second half goal. With their 2-0 victory, Orange County SC II were through to the USL Academy League Finals.
For a team that started off their season 1-3, making the playoffs would be considered a pipe dream. To the excitement of many, Orange County SC II were able to make the finals as the 10-seed in the entire tournament. In the finals they would face the academy of Charlotte Independence. The Independence themselves had a roller coaster just to get to the finals. They advanced from their semifinal with a dramatic late goal.
In the end, the Charlotte Independence defeated OCII with a goal early in extra time. It would only be the second goal allowed all tournament for OC, but the Charlotte defense was able to keep the boys in orange off the scoresheet. There were plenty of positives to take away from OCII’s first appearance in the academy playoffs.
For their efforts Bryce Jamison took home a joint golden boot for most goals scored during the tournament thanks to his first round hat trick. Juan Santana would also take home a joint golden glove for his efforts as well.
The senior side and the development mirrored each other in 2023, with slow starts followed by long streaks of impressive results. And while the academy fell just short of a first-ever USL-A title, the future looks bright for the Orange and the Black.