Which boys division titan will win the 2026 crown?
August 3, 2026 by Josh Katz in Preview
The U-20 Boys D-I final will be contested on Monday morning between top seeded Oakland SmOAK and third seeded Boston BUDA. If you had been told that before the Youth Club Championships started, you probably would’ve shrugged and said, “Yep, that makes sense.” But hidden underneath that statement are the wonky, unexpected, strikingly similar paths that each team took to get here. Both finished second in their pool after losing a game on universe somewhere in pool play: SmOAK fell against Raleigh Triforce, BUDA against Minnesota Superior. Both won their prequarter on Sunday morning by a 13-10 score. Both took down a more rested opponent in quarters. Both won convincingly in semis to set up this finals matchup.
SmOAK are playing in their fourth final in the last five years, looking for a second consecutive title after last year’s thrilling win over Philadelphia SEPDA. Muhammad Awais is their most talented player and the centerpiece of the offense. He’s most often the initiating cutter on the line, and after a quiet start to the tournament, he turned up the heat in SmOAK’s semifinal win. Despite being the focal point of Texas United’s defensive game plan, Awais scored four goals and added a further three assists, using his rapid speed and quick feet to get open with ease. Jasper Graf has also impressed, using his size and speed to serve as SmOAK’s top deep threat and release valve on offense. So too has Nicholas Rusa, who has emerged as one of the best young throwers around. His throwing talent is easily evident to anyone who watches him play, but his maturity and restraint with the disc is so impressive for a youth player. As for defense, Son Mai-Clark has taken a lot of the toughest matchups and been a key part of break conversions for Oakland.
BUDA, meanwhile, are in the final for the first time since their co-championship with Atlanta ATLiens in 2019. Those who watched this year’s HSNI saw Max Coe score a boatload of goals for Lexington (MA), and I’m pleased to report he’s doing it again for Boston. His 20 goals are enough for second in the division, and he’s added in 10 assists as well. His partner in crime for Lexington was Arnav Manchala, but Manchala has mostly been leading BUDA’s defensive units this weekend. Instead, it’s Kolin Broderick who has thrown the plurality of assists for the O-line, with additional contributions from Zach Phan, Russell Herbert, Nathan Thompson, and Zeke Spector. The offense as a whole has an incredibly high ceiling: in their quarterfinal win over Atlanta, they turned over the disc exactly once and were never broken. Reaching that standard again is an unrealistic ask, but if BUDA’s offense can get anywhere near that level in the final, they’ll win.
If SmOAK win, they’ll be the first program to go back-to-back in the Boys division since Utah Swarm did so in 2022-23. Though BUDA have that shared title in 2019, they haven’t won an outright title since 2015. Either SmOAK will cement their place as the best youth program of the 2020s, or BUDA snap a drought that’s gone on for too long.
