GREENFIELD — Typically rivals on the high school boys soccer field, Greenfield-Central’s Bryce Kinnaman and New Palestine’s Elliott Canova joined forces this summer and nearly earned a national championship.
The Hoosier Heritage Conference soccer foes train in the off-season with Indy Phoenix FC on the U16 2005 team and traveled to the U.S. Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup tournament in Des Moines, Iowa this month.
The national event ran from July 7-11 with Kinnaman, Canova and the Indy Phoenix FC 2005 squad finishing as national runners-up in their division at the James W. Cownie Soccer Park.
“When we’re talking nationals, there are only four teams, and we were one of those four,” Kinnaman said. “We were super close to winning, but it was still such a great experience, coming from Indiana and you go all the way to Des Moines, Iowa and you play these big teams.”
This was the first year Kinnaman competed with the Indy Phoenix FC 2005 team after spending time with Indiana Impact Soccer Club in Hancock County.
Kinnaman, an incoming junior at Greenfield-Central, left his former club a season after the unification between USF Real, Sporting Indiana FC, NP United and Greenfield Area Soccer Club.
Canova, a sophomore this fall at New Palestine High School, had family ties with the Indy Phoenix FC previously, particularly his father, Brett, who is also the varsity boys soccer coach for the New Palestine Dragons.
Brett Canova served as an assistant coach for Indy Phoenix FC 2005 and is currently the director of coaching for the soccer organization.
“I got to go (to Iowa) as the DOC of Indy Phoenix and assistant coach for the team,” Brett Canova commented. “It was a fantastic experience. I sure hope it’s not a once in a lifetime, but if it is, it was a great one.”
The path to Des Moines required a two-step process for Indy Phoenix FC 2005, including winning the Indiana Presidents Cup followed by the Midwest Presidents Cup in West Chester, Ohio in mid-June.
The four regional champions earned invitations to the national tournament where the Indy Phoenix FC 2005 team faced opposing clubs from North Texas, Las Vegas and Northern Virginia.
“You definitely learn that there’s always a bigger fish. You can come into that tournament as a team feeling super good, and personally, you think you have all your skills atoned and you feel like you’re fluid on the ball, but then you see those guys from Virginia and North Texas and Las Vegas, and you say, ‘that’s the point that I want to get to, to be that good individually so we can all connect as a team,’” Kinnaman said.
“I gained tons of experience, personally, knowing that I can always strive to be better, and that’s the point where I can get to in my game.”
Kinnaman was a forward for Indy Phoenix FC 2005, learning how to attack after logging several minutes previously at center-mid in his soccer career.
His father, Brian, a former Greenfield-Central soccer player in his youth, was primarily a defender, but the younger Kinnaman brings the same intensity to the offense end.
“It’s really fun when the game is on your shoulders and they pass you the ball and they are expecting you to score. Those are the goals you’re supposed to make. If you’re in the 18-yard box, that’s where forwards are expected to put the ball in the back of the net,” Kinnaman said. “It was super fun and exciting to be in that position, especially at the national stage.”
To win the Indiana Presidents Cup, Indy Phoenix FC 2005 swept through their bracket play and later scored two more key wins, including in the semifinals, 2-0, over the Hoosier FC 2005 Wolves, and in the finals, 3-2, against the Indiana Fire Juniors South 05B Premier Red.
At the Midwest Presidents Cup tournament, Indy Phoenix FC 2005 finished 3-0 in bracket play through the first three days of the event from June 17-19 before winning a pair on June 20.
Indy Phoenix FC 2005 defeated DASC 2005 out of South Dakota in the semifinals 1-0 on the final day before pushing past the Lagrange Celtics First XI 05 of Illinois in the finals, 2-1.
“The Indy Phoenix 2005 team took a wild extra-time game to win the Indiana Presidents Cup and just never looked back,” Brett Canova said. “Indy Phoenix FC didn’t win the (national) championship, but they competed on the field and carried themselves off the field like champions.”
Each stage, Kinnaman said, provided preparation for the next and beyond with the 2021 high school season set to begin next month.
“It helps a lot and mainly because a lot of these games weren’t blowout wins. These teams are so good, it’s not like you can walk into these games and win handily 4-0. All of these games were 1-0, 2-0, 1-1, they’re just really close games and obviously, very stressful,” Kinnaman said.
“If you lose, then you might be out, which really sort of sets up a sectional feel like in high school to where there’s pressure and the game in on the line. You really have to come through. It’s win or go home.”
At nationals, Indy Phoenix FC 2005 won its first game 3-1 over Doradus FC 05B Premier from Virginia, then tied DKSC 05B Jimenez of North Texas 1-1.
The Indy Phoenix bounced back and shut out Albion SC Las Vegas 2005, 2-0, to setup a rematch with North Texas in the finals.
The game went back-and-forth, but North Texas found a goal off a penalty and held on to beat Indy Phoenix FC 2005, 1-0, for the title.
“All of the games were decided by one mistake or one good play,” Kinnaman said. “It just gets me excited for Greenfield-Central soccer this season because I can put all the experience and what I’ve learned into what I’m passionate about and improving for my school. It will be super fun to show out for my teammates and school mates.”
Resuming the rivalry between Greenfield-Central and New Palestine will have a different feel to it as well, Kinnaman emphasized.
“I practice with (Elliott) all the time, so I know his moves and he knows my moves, so when we get to season in that New Pal versus Greenfield-Central game, I’m going to mark it down on my calendar because he’s such a great guy and fun to play with and fun to predict what he’s doing. And, he can do the same for me,” Kinnaman said.
The Greenfield-Central Cougars finished the 5-8-1 in 2020 after claiming four straight sectional championships from 2016-19 and a regional finals appearance in 2019. The Cougars were 5-2 in HHC play, tying Yorktown for second overall behind champion Shelbyville.
The Dragons were 2-13 in 2020 and 1-6 in the HHC. New Palestine hasn’t beaten Greenfield-Central since 2015-16.
“It’s such a big rivalry, even when we’re practicing for Phoenix because we’ll make jokes about how we’ll see that in season or something like that,” Kinnaman said.
