June 15 (1952 and 1958)

What is essentially the same team from St. Louis wins the U.S. Amateur Cup in 1952 as the Raiders and in 1958 as Kutis. Formed by Nick Jost and Gene Thumm in 1947, the team went through a dizzying number of name changes before acquiring the sponsorship of Kutis Funeral Home following the 1951-52 season. Playing as the Raiders in 1951-52, the team defeats the Ludlow Lusitanos, 3-1, in Ludlow, Mass., marking the first time a St. Louis team wins the U.S. Amateur Cup. With the game tied, 1-1, Al Fink (pictured) scores twice in the second half to secure the victory. Eighteen-year-old Tom Schultz opens the scoring in the 15th minute. Raiders center back and future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Harry Keough “was hailed by soccer veterans as the best to show at Ludlow in many, many years,” according to the next day’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Keough and many other members of the Raiders are in the lineup for Kutis as it defeats Pittsburgh Beadling, 2-1, in 1958 in Pittsburgh to win Kutis’ third consecutive Amateur Cup. Kutis comes from behind on second-half goals from Bob Rooney and Bob Whitehead. Whitehead’s winner comes with two minutes remaining on a hard drive set up by a pass from Rooney. Beadling had won the 1954 U.S. Amateur Cup by defeating Simpkins Ford of St. Louis in the final.