A long series of state competitions culminates in this—the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region I Open and Amateur Cups, with the winners of each tournament qualifying for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Open CUp begins this weekend (April 6) with the quarterfinal round, while the Amateur Cup competition kicks off a week later.

This will be only the second year Region I has used this format, which features 17 teams, two of which are playing in both competitions. Last year, Icon FC won the Open Cup and New York Greek American Atlas won the Amateur Cup, and both teams will represent Region I in the 2014 US Open Cup. This also marks the first time in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) that one of the regions has elected to send the Amateur Cup champion into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

2014 USASA Region I Open Cup

The play-in game and quarterfinals will be played April 6 and April 13. Semifinals are scheduled for May 4, and the final will be played on June 15. Icon FC (NJ) is the reigning champion and one of two 2014 US Open Cup entrants from USASA Region I.

AC Blaugrana (RI) at Mass Premier Soccer (MA)

April 6, 2 p.m. – Framingham State University, Framingham, MA

It’s Rhode Island versus Massachusetts in the region’s sole preliminary round game. AC Blaugrana advanced out of the nation’s smallest state by winning the Southern New England Super Cup over Dinamo Morbeza. Competitors in the Southern New England Super League, Blaugrana will look to win its first-ever game in Region I Open Cup play.

Mass Premier Soccer (MPS) competed in the 2013 US Open Cup, where they lost to the PDL’s GPS Portland Phoenix 2-0 in Round One. They faced off with Icon FC (NJ) in the regional final last year, but lost 2-1. Had they won, they would have qualified for the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The last time the Bay State Soccer League side hosted a Region I contest was in its 2013 run, demolishing Connecticut’s Newtown Pride 6-0.

Newtown Pride FC (CT) at Lansdowne Bhoys (East NY)

April 6, 2 p.m. – Tibbets Brook Park, Yonkers, NY

Newtown Pride FC was established in 1998 and have played numerous charity matches to raise money for the Newtown Parent Connection, which has the goal to educate and empower its community in the prevention of substance abuse and to embrace families in crisis. Newtown was originally scheduled to compete in its state final, but its opponent had to pull out.

Last year, Newtown took part in their first-ever Open Cup qualifying tournament and they kicked off their debut cup run with a controversial situation. They lost to the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (East NY) 1-0, but they filed a protest claiming New York had used an ineligible player. In the end, it was determined that the player in question was ineligible, but a mistake was made in the roster evaluation process and that player was approved in error. A replay was called for and Newtown won 1-0. However, the club would fall one game short of a berth in the 2013 US Open Cup, as they lost to Mass Premier Soccer 6-0.

Lansdowne Bhoys qualified for the Region I tournament in its first-ever attempt, beating four-time US Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas in the process. Lansdowne competes in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, which is one of six leagues that have “elite” status according to the USASA.

Oak Avalon (PA West) at Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (DC/VA)

April 6, 3 p.m. – Maryland SoccerPlex (Field #15), Boyds, MD

Oak Avalon is the first team to attempt to qualify for the US Open Cup out of Western Pennsylvania for quite a while. Western Pennsylvania teams, most of them based in the Pittsburgh area, were regulars competitors in the pre-modern era, but the region has not produced an Open Cup team since professional leagues re-joined the tournament in 1995. Oak Avalon did not have to qualify for the Region I tournament as it was the only team that entered. Avalon competes in the Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League.

The Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks have qualified out of the Metro DC/Virginia region in seven of its last eight attempts. One of two teams competing in both the Amateur Cup and Open Cup, the Aegean Hawks will host both of their quarterfinal matches. Dulles Sportsplex missed out on the 2013 Open Cup after losing on penalty kicks to Icon FC in the regional tournament. The last time the Hawks hosted a Region I game was in 2012 (a 2-0 win over the Maryland Bays), which was also the last time they made the Open Cup. They won their first Open Cup game in club history, beating the Carolina Dynamo (PDL) 3-1, but fell in the second round to the Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) 4-0.

Maryland Bays (MD) at West Chester United (EPA)

April 6, 2 p.m. – West Chester Area Sports Association Complex (WCUSC Turf Field), West Chester, PA

Maryland Bays are state champions for a third time in four years, but have yet to host a regional game. The Bays, who took out Spartans FC, Christos FC, and Screaming Eagles in the Maryland tournament, are also looking for their first win at the regional level.

Another team looking for its first Region I victory is West Chester United, out of Eastern Pennsylvania. United took the EPA championship for a third year in a row this year, defeating the nearly-90-year-old club Vereinigung Erzgebirge in the final. West Chester last hosted a Region I game in 2013, but fell 4-2 to Icon FC.

Icon (NJ) at AC Blaugrana/Mass Premier Soccer

April 13 – Time and location TBD

The fourth and final quarterfinal will be played a week later due to AC Blaugrana and Mass Premier Soccer competing in the preliminary round game. Last year, Icon became just the second USASA team from New Jersey, and second team in a row, to qualify for the Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era. After defeated Mass Premier Soccer in the Region I Open Cup Final, they win are the 2013 champions and thus qualify for the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

2014 USASA Region I Amateur Cup

The quarterfinals will be played on April 13. Semifinals are scheduled for May 11, and the final will be played on June 15. New York Greek American Atlas is the reigning champion and under the region’s new qualifying format, by winning the Amateur Cup, the Greeks earn a spot in the following year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (2014).

Manzanillo Deportivo (NH) at Danbury United (CT)

April 13, 1 p.m. – Immaculate High School; Danbury, CT

For the first time New Hampshire is sending a team to the Region I Amateur Cup. Manzanillo Deportivo competes in the state’s only USASA sanctioned league, the Latino International Federation Association (LIFA). All 10 teams in the league attempted to qualify, with Deportivo emerging as champions.

Danbury United will be happy not to have to face a New York team. After qualifying for the US Open Cup in 2007 (a 3-2 overtime loss in the first round to USL-2 side Western Mass Pioneers), United has fallen to New York clubs in two straight Region I competitions (2011-12). Danbury competes in the Connecticut Soccer League, and won the Connecticut Amateur championship over Poloniahawk Falcon FC.

New York Greek American Atlas (NY) at Mass United FC (MA)

April 13, 5 p.m. – Manning Stadium; Lynn, Mass.

New York Greek American Atlas is no stranger to the US Open Cup. The club won the championship four times (1967-69, 1974), and in 2014 will compete in its fifth Open Cup in the Modern Pro Era. The Greek Americans are reigning champions of the Region I Amateur Cup, defeating the Italian American Sport Club 5-1 last year. New York last qualified for the Open Cup in 2012, where it lost 2-1 in the first round to Reading United of the PDL.

Mass United FC was formed in 2009 and began play in the NPSL in 2011. United also plays in the Bay State Soccer League. The club will move to the newly-formed American Soccer League later this year. Mass United is competing in its first Region I tournament.

Maryland Bays (MD) at FC Motown (NJ)

April 13, 4 p.m. – Montclair State University (Turf Field), Montclair, NJ

After traveling to eastern Pennsylvania in the Open Cup tournament, the Maryland Bays will hit the road to New Jersey a week later. The Bays’ last Region I game against a New Jersey opponent never actually happened. In 2012, after losing its semifinal match, Maryland was supposed to play a “Win & You’re In” contest against Jersey Shore Boca. However, the Bays had to forfeit due to a lack of player availability. This allowed Boca to become the first USASA team from New Jersey to qualify for the Open Cup in the Modern Pro Era. The Garden State hasn’t looked back since, with Icon FC qualifying in 2013 and 2014.

FC Motown will hope to continue New Jersey’s qualifying streak into 2015. They compete in the Garden State Soccer League Semipro Division, and are representing the state for the first time in a regional tournament.

Vereinigung Erzgebirge (EPA) at Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (DC/VA)

April 13, 2:30 p.m. – Maryland SoccerPlex (Field #18), Boyds, MD

UPDATE: VE defeated Phoenix SC to win the Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Cup title

The Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Cup championship won’t be decided until April 6, giving the winner just a week to get ready for the Aegean Hawks. VE was founded in 1931, and is looking to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time since 2002. Phoenix SC was founded even earlier, in 1926, and made its first Open Cup appearance in 1936. Phoenix last made it to The Cup in 2011, losing 2-1 to the Rochester Rhinos of USL Pro in the first round.

The Aegean Hawks host a Pennsylvania team for the second week in a row when it begins Amateur Cup play. They may face a tougher challenge in this tournament however, as Eastern Pennsylvania has much more Open Cup experience than its western counterpart, Oak Avalon.