Two youth soccer teams representing the Hampden-based Blackbear United Football Club have qualified to compete in the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships to be held beginning June 26 in Greater Portland.

Blackbear United’s Under-12 boys and Under-12 girls squads both earned berths in the Region I championships by winning the recent U.S. Youth Soccer Maine State Championships in their age divisions.

The U12 boys team, coached by Dean Mekelburg and Chris Parsons, includes players Garrett Allen, Eric Babbitt, Josh Bombero, Kenny Colpritt, Logan Dyer, Ben Foster, Isaac Foster, Nick Gilpin, Joe Kacer, Madlin Mekelburg, Wil Mekelburg, Drew Parsons and Kyle Rogerson.

The Blackbear United U12 girls team, coached by Laura Harper, Jay Pyne and Mike Saulter, includes players Amanda Allen, Maddie Page, Amanda Levasseur, Angelyn Masters, Claire Peterson, Abby Pyne, Kristina Reichel, Hanna Renedo, Molly Roy, Kaitlin Saulter, Naomi Shearer, Emily Smith, Diana Tyutyunnyk and Alex Winchester.

This marks the first time in Blackbear United history the club has sent two teams to the Region I event, though the club has advanced one team to the regionals in each of the previous four years.

The Blackbear United FC teams will be among more than 270 top boys and girls U.S. Youth Soccer teams from 15 state associations competing for the regional title at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Falmouth Park and Falmouth High School.

In addition to Maine, other state associations represented at the Region I event will be Connecticut, Delaware, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Teams ranging from Under-12 to Under-19 will compete in the regionals, with small-sided play (eight-on-eight competition) for the Under-12 boys and girls divisions.

Opening ceremonies for this year’s Region I championships will be held June 26 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. Round robin competition runs June 27-29, with semifinals in each age group June 30 and the championship matches July 1.

Regional champions in each age group advance to the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships to be held July 22-27 at Little Rock, Ark.

After this year’s event, the Region I championships will move to Barboursville and Huntington, W.Va., for the 2009 and 2010 events.