|
|
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
FORT MYERS, Fla. - FGCU freshman Shannen Wacker’s
goal in the 107th minute of double-overtime broke a scoreless tie and
sent top-seeded FGCU to a 1-0 win over sixth-seeded Mercer to claim the
2011 Atlantic Sun Women's Soccer Championship on Sunday afternoon at the
FGCU Soccer Complex. FSU Beat WFU For ACC Title On PKs CARY, N.C. – The series of firsts continued for Florida
State (14-6-1) in Cary at WakeMed Soccer Park as the Seminoles captured
their first ACC title after downing fifth-seeded Wake Forest (14-3-4)
3-1 in penalty kicks. FC Dallas will travel to Tampa, Fla., March 10-16 for the
club’s second preseason trip with matches scheduled against Major
League Soccer’s expansion Philadelphia Union and the Tampa Bay Rowdies
of the North American Soccer League, the team announced today. Former University of South Florida men’s soccer standout
Zak Boggs was recently named the recipient of the 2010
Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award. The award was presented by the Athletes
for a Better World (ABW) at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga. “I just have to thank my head coach George Kiefer, our coaching staff and players, (Assistant Director of Athletics) Justin Miller and everyone in academics, and people in the athletics department and across campus that helped me realize my dreams. I am truly honored.” Throughout his entire collegiate soccer career Boggs scored 18 goals and recorded eight assists for a total of 46 points. He also helped USF win its first BIG EAST Championship in 2008. Boggs started in all 44 games for the Bulls the past two seasons and
was second on the team in scoring during the 2008 season with 15 points. New owners announced a throwback to earlier times with the return of the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team to the USL First Division. Speaking for the ownership group, which included two other partners, local restaurateur David Laxer and Boston resident Hinds Howard, Rowdies President and CEO Andrew Nestor gave a synopsis of what soccer fans can expect. Also at the press conference held at Raymond James Stadium was co-owner Gerald Trimble. A fifth member of the Rowdies ownership group, Jeff MacDonald, was not in attendance.
"Soccer is a family-friendly sport and the plans of this group are impressive. We think the time is right and the ownership is committed to bringing a quality product to the USL family,” said Holt. "We have long wanted to have a USL-1 franchise in our home town and have been very particular with any potential ownership scenarios over the years before the current group came to the forefront just over a year ago. Their stature and plans for building a full soccer club and a privately financed stadium will take Tampa soccer to new heights in North American soccer. The club has named Perry Van Der Beck as its technical director and director of community development. Van Der Beck is a well-known former Rowdie with strong local youth soccer ties. He was the first Rowdie ever drafted out of high school and was captain of the 1980 US Olympic team. Van Der Beck later coached the Tampa Bay Mutiny and has coached numerous youth teams as a Tampa resident. "The ownership group is serious about the game and have a wonderful respect for the traditions that were established here in the 70’s. I am proud and happy to be a part of it all, especially with so much local support and expertise," said Van Der Beck. The Rowdies will play in a stadium to be built in northwest Hillsborough County, with easy access from Pinellas and Pasco counties. Plans and renderings will be shared before the end of summer, according to Nestor. The familiar logo, which featured Ralph Rowdie, is currently being fine-tuned, although the team will retain the colors green and yellow. A Web site is also under construction, but fans can still log on to register for updates at www.tbrowdies.com. "We are really interested in connecting with former Rowdies, Loudies, and Fannies," said David Laxer, who grew up as a young player at Campkickinthagrass and was an original season ticket holder along with his family. "We are hoping they’ll find us online so they can become a part of our now larger family." After the North American Soccer League (NASL) disbanded in the mid-1980s, the Tampa Bay Rowdies were among the teams that helped give birth to what is now the USL First Division. The Rowdies were founding members of the eastern-based American Soccer League, formed in 1988. The league later merged with the Western Soccer League (born in 1986) to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The APSL donned the abbreviated “A-League” name and in 1997 merged into what is now United Soccer Leagues, the system of soccer leagues founded and headed by USL founder Francisco Marcos, a public relations executive with the original NASL Rowdies and several other NASL clubs. The A-League was renamed to USL First Division in 2005. The Rowdies last played in what is now the USL from 1988-93 and made four playoff appearances in six seasons. The Rowdies won the division title in 1989 and reached the APSL Championship Game in 1992. “I am thrilled to see everything come full circle,” said Marcos. “The Rowdies have been in my blood since my early years in Tampa, which was among the reasons I moved the USL headquarters here from Dallas in 1996. It is perhaps fate that my former team is returning to the USL First Division – after so many years – in a time in which the sport in this country is experiencing a level of success it has not seen since the peak of the NASL. The league itself has advanced greatly from what it was during the late eighties and early nineties when there were a handful of teams trying to keep the sport going at the professional level despite the difficulties. They represent one of many teams and numerous owners who have played a part in getting the sport to this point, and that is why this is such a triumphant return.” The Rowdies will not be the only former NASL name present in the USL
First Division. The league is currently home to the Portland Timbers,
Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders. In addition, the San Jose Earthquakes
(currently an MLS side) were originally reborn as a member of the Western
Soccer League in 1985, and played through 1988. The Sounders were reborn
in 1994 in the APSL, and although Seattle will be leaving USL-1 after
2007, the name will continue in MLS after resounding fan support in a
public vote. The Whitecaps name returned in 2001 when the veteran team
previously known as the 86ers was re-named. The Timbers joined the USL
First Division in 2001. * 1975: The Rowdies joined 19 other teams in the North American Soccer
League and were owned by George Strawbridge, a wealthy Philadelphia businessman
whose vision was sparked by the fact that Tampa had no professional sports
teams at the time. In that first year, playing in the old Tampa Stadium,
the Rowdies were a huge success on the field, going 16-6 and winning the
NASL championship, 2-0 over the Portland Timbers in San Jose in front
of 17,483 fans. The Rowdies were also a relative success in the stands
at home, drawing an average of 10,728. The spirit is still alive as the Rowdies join the USL with plans to build a new stadium -- with no taxpayer money. Yamaguchi Leaves FSU To Turn Pro Florida State University and head coach Mark Krikorian has announced that junior forward Mami Yamaguchi will forgo her senior season to pursue a professional soccer career. Yamaguchi, the 2007 Hermann Trophy winner, has signed a contract to play with Umea IK of the All-Swedish League. Umea IK is a member of UEFA, the Union of European Football Association. Umea IK captured the UEFA Women’s Cup in -to-back seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04. “We are thrilled for Mami,” stated Krikorian. “It has been a goal and dream hers to be a professional soccer player. In a way, I hope that Florida University has contributed to her success.” Yamaguchi led the country in points (66) in 2007, while finishing second in goals (24) and assists (18). The Tokyo, Japan native was recognized as the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American. The junior forward played a vital role in leading the Seminoles to the national championship game for the first time in school history. In the 2007 Tournament, she paced the Seminoles with three goals and eight assists. Her eight assists rank as both a single-season and an all-time postseason school record. Following a record-breaking season for Yamaguchi, she ranked first all-time in career assists with 30 and sits second in points (94) and goals (32). She began the season registering a point in her first 10 games, while setting the school record by scoring at least one goal in seven consecutive games. Yamaguchi registered a point in 22 of 27 games for the Seminoles in 2007. The Orlando Sharks made franchise history getting the first Major Indoor Soccer League win of their inaugural season in front of an elated crowd at the Amway Arena, beating the California Cougars 16-13. The win snapped a 16-game losing streak to open the 2007-08 season. Dominating California from the opening kick, defenseman JP Rodrigues’ three- point goal with two minutes remaining sealed the win. Goal keeper Paul Nagy, had a career game, and was a key factor in the Sharks defensive success. The victory hungry Sharks swam into the shark tank in attack mode as midfielder Miki Djerisilo struck first with a goal in the opening five minutes of play. The offense refused to let up as defender Bill Sedgewick capitalized on a hole in California’s defense scoring with less than three minutes remaining in the period. The quarter ended with the score Sharks 4 Cougars 0. The Cougars roared back, as midfielder Marcelo Santos scored early in the second period. Orlando answered quickly as midfielder Eric Vasquez found the back of the net off a pass from forward Mauricio Ruiz. At the half, Orlando’s lead was 6 – 2. For the first time this season, Orlando’s halftime lead transferred into the third and final periods. California tried to come back with a score from midfielder Craig Scheer. The Sharks lead was 11-6 at the end of three quarters. Cougar’s forward Enrique Tovar tied the game at 11 all, with five minutes left, but Sharks forward Damien Pottinger put Orlando back on top to stay. Though it was a nail-biter to the finish, the Orlando Sharks showed great character in holding the lead for their first win. Tampa Captures D-2 National Title Tampa University has had a women’s soccer team for
10 years, and now the school has a national championship. Seminoles Come Up One Win Short Florida State players and coaches celebrated winning their
first game in a NCAA Division I College Cup semifinal on Friday afternoon Tough Love In Westwood A good side story to the championship was that of USC’s
first-year head coach Ali Khosroshahin. When he took
the job, USC athletics director Mike Garrett told him
that the school’s programs were only measured by national championships. Seminoles Are Making Progress There was a lot of disappointment on the faces of the Seminoles
as the final seconds were counted off at game’s end, but by anybody’s
standard, they had a great season. Florida State Advances To Championship Game Amanda DaCosta scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute to help Florida State advance to its first NCAA Women's College Cup final with a 3-2 win over Notre Dame on Friday night. Florida State faces Southern California in the NCAA championship at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday (Dec. 9). DaCosta also assisted on Mami Yamaguchi's goal 15 seconds into the game, helping the Seminoles (18-5-3) avenge a loss to the Irish in last year's semifinal. Yamaguchi also had an assist and Sanna Talonen had a goal and an assist for Florida State, making its third consecutive appearance in the event, the Final Four of women's soccer. Carrie Dew and Elise Weber scored for Notre Dame (19-5-2), which had a 17-game unbeaten streak snapped. The Irish were playing in the College Cup for the ninth time in 14 seasons, but lost in the semifinals for the third time. Yamaguchi, the nation's second-leading goal scorer, touched the ball to start the game, then ran straight up the field. DaCosta fed her a perfect pass between defenders and Yamaguchi beat Irish goalkeeper Lauren Karas with a low shot for a 1-0 lead. Yamaguchi's 24th goal of the season was the fastest in school history. The Irish got their first corner kick in the 15th minute, and Kerri Hanks sent a high pass to Dew at the far side of the goal. Dew hit a shot that ricocheted off a Florida State defender to tie the game. Hanks finished the season with 21 assists. The Seminoles regained the lead in the 33rd minute, with Yamaguchi providing the pinpoint pass this time. Talonen, a freshman forward, got the ball without breaking stride and sent a low shot under Karas. Her 18th goal of the season made it 2-1. Florida State goalkeeper Erin McNulty saved a hard shot from Hanks three minutes into the second half as Notre Dame generated early pressure. In the 56th minute, Weber sidestepped a Florida State defender and launched a high, hooking shot into the left corner to tie the game again. The Irish kept the ball at the Florida State end most of the second half, but the Seminoles used another quick strike to score again. Talonen split two defenders and found DaCosta cutting toward the net. DaCosta slid a shot under Karas to put Florida State ahead for good. Florida State has outscored its opponents 17-4 in the NCAA tournament. The USC women snapped an 11-match winless streak against crosstown rival UCLA with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory in the NCAA semifinals at Aggie Stadium. Amy Rodriguez scored both goals for the Women of Troy, notching her first career multiple-goal game, and USC goalkeeper Kristin Olsen had a career-high eight saves. The University of Florida soccer program was picked by the league coaches to defend its Southeastern Conference team title in 2007. Florida earned nine first-place votes, while Georgia, Kentucky and Vanderbilt each received one vote. The Gators claimed their seventh SEC title in 2006 with a 7-1-3 league record. In the preseason voting for the SEC East title, Florida led with nine first-place votes and 57 points. Tennessee was second with 47 points. The other East teams receiving a first-place vote included Vanderbilt (34 points), Georgia (30 pts.) and Kentucky (27 pts.). In the West, Auburn was first with 58 total points (eight first-place votes) compared to Mississippi's 50 points (four first-place votes). Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division, though each coach was not allowed to vote for his of her own team. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion. "The level raises every year in the SEC and I expect 2007 to be
very challenging league season. There are no off-nights in the SEC - we
will need to be ready for every match," UF Head Coach Becky
Burleigh said. Florida will be tested in a pre-season exhibition match versus Texas
A&M, set for Saturday, Aug. 25. Match time is set for 6 p.m. at the
James G. Pressly Stadium. Saturday's exhibition match features two NSCAA
Preseason top-15 teams, as Texas A&M is No. 5 and Florida checks in
at No. 13 on the list released Aug. 14. Both teams are the defending champion
in their conference, as Texas A&M took the Big 12 crown with its 9-1
record. WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- The Palm Beach Pumas have announced the signing of Gerry Queen as their new Head Coach of the PDL Program. Gerry Queen has spent the past six seasons with the Cocoa Expos where they won five division titles. Executive Director Bobby Lennon who has coached the Pumas the past six years is stepping down to assistant coach. Lennon said, "I have the utmost respect for Gerry on and off the field. I think his track record as a player and coach speaks for itself. I am proud to work under Gerry Queen in our program." Queen added, "I am excited to be back in the area and the opportunity to work with the Pumas. We have had some great games against each other in the past and developed strong ties. I cannot wait to get started." Prior to the Expos, Queen also coached the Orlando Nighthawks of the USL Second Division and the Boca Raton Sabres. He played professionally in Scotland, England and South Africa. The Pumas are currently conducting tryouts. Please contact pumasfc@aol.com for more information. Palm Beach will start the season May 6th at Nashville. FSU Lose to Notre Dame In Semifinals "I hope we have laid a foundation. I hope that we're back each and every year. I hope that we set the cornerstone and the The fifth-ranked FSU soccer team returned to the College Cup for the third time in four years and vowed to make this trip different. After suffering shutout losses in both previous trips, the 2006 Seminoles lived up to their word, but fell just short of advancing to the school's first ever National Championship game. Notre Dame (25-0-1) ran out to a 2-0 lead on Florida State (18-4-4) and then held on during a furious second half attack for a 2-1 victory. "I thought it was a very good soccer game," said FSU Head Coach Mark Krikorian. "The two teams were very interested in playing good soccer. The first half I thought that Notre Dame was in more control of the game, in the second I felt our team was. But very hard fought and credit to Notre Dame for protecting the lead. Good game, tough result for us but that's the way this game goes." For FSU the 2006 national semi-final started to play out in an all too familiar fashion to the 2005 game versus UCLA. The Seminoles once again played an opponent to a 0-0 tie before allowing two goals in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Last year versus the Bruins, FSU could not get back in the game but this year was different. India Trotter cut the Fighting Irish lead in half just 6:22 into the second period. The Seminoles then continued to pressure Notre Dame but could not cash in and score the equalizer. "A two-goal lead in probably the most dangerous lead to have," said Notre Dame Head Coach Randy Waldrum. "You're probably better off to only be up one often times. We didn't want to give up an early goal in the second half and we didn't want to sit and we wanted to continue to attack. But then they got the goal early." The goal came when FSU moved Trotter up top in the second half. The first team NSCAA All-American started the game in the back to try and deal with Notre Dame's M.A.C. Hermann Trophy finalist Kerrie Hanks. After Florida State fell behind 2-0, Krikorian changed the formation and pushed Trotter into the attack. "We know that India's going to be a National Team back, we've trained her there some and she's played for us some there. We thought in the match-up today the tactics might suit us best to start that way and then read the game as it went on." The energy Trotter provided was evident immediately and lasted the entire 45 minutes. The Seminoles out shot the Irish 8-6 in the second half and took three corners to none for Notre Dame. Six-year senior Ali Mims recorded seven saves in the game and kept FSU in the contest early on as Notre Dame found some success attacking. Courtney Rosen got Notre Dame on the board in the 36th minute. The Seminole defense played a ball towards its own goal and the freshman out raced Libby Gianeskis to the loose ball. Rosen turned and fired in the right side of the goal putting Notre Dame in front 1-0. Just three minutes later the Irish struck again. The second goal started with a corner kick from Hanks. The All-American played a ball in at the near post on to the head of Brittany Bock. Her header was redirected on to the goal and passed Mims by Jill Krivacek. "We're down 2-1, if we don't get a goal back the game's over," said Kelly Rowland speaking of the FSU effort in the second half. "We're fighting for our lives out there. I think we had chances and that's all you can ask for. It just wasn't our day finishing. We got chances when we needed them, with Notre Dame maybe they go in and maybe they don't. At the end of the day I thought we played well and I'm proud of our team." For FSU's five seniors that were a part of three College Cups, the ending was once again bitter but with an 11-3-2 record in the NCAA Tournament and 67 wins in four seasons, the class leaves FSU as the most successful group in program history and one of the most successful senior classes in the nation in 2006. "It's very frustrating actually," said Trotter of how her career
ended. "Having our team play well and not be successful and win the
game is like coach says its how soccer goes. Credit to Notre Dame for
protecting the lead. It's very frustrating being my senior year but I
had a great four years and I couldn't ask to play with anyone else than
who I played these last fours years and we had a good run. Fleck, Beddingfield Out At USF, L-R University of South Florida women’s soccer coach T. Logan Fleck will not have his contract renewed, according to USF director of athletics Doug Woolard. “We decided our women’s soccer program needed new direction,” Woolard said. “We are confident the position will draw interest from a deep pool of talented coaches and we look forward to finding the very best candidate possible. Our national search will begin immediately.” Fleck coached the USF women for 11 seasons, compiling an 86-90-18 record. Also, Lenoir-Rhyne College has announced the resignation of Will Beddingfield, head women's soccer coach, effectively immediately. Beddingfield, a 1992 graduate of Carson-Newman College, compiled a 56-68-10 mark over the past seven years (2000-06). He led the team to two berths in the Food Lion SAC Tournament Finals (2002 and 2005) and his best season came in 2002, when he compiled a 13-5-2 mark on the year. Beddingfield also coached 12 players to All-South Atlantic Conference
honors and leaves Lenoir-Rhyne as the school's winningest coach. Top of PageRomario’s Hat Trick Leads Miami FC On a beautiful afternoon in South Florida, Miami FC played the current USL champions, Seattle Sounders, at Tropical Park Stadium, coming away with an exciting 5-3. The game was televised live on Fox Soccer Channel. Former Brazilian World Cup star Romario led the winning effort with a three-goal hat trick. The first half ended with a 2-1 lead for the South Floridians. Miami FC got on the board first thanks to a great shot inside the box by Mike Adeyemi. It was the first goal of the season for the Nigerian midfielder. Seattle played a man down since the 26th minute when Andrew Gregor was given a red card for violent conduct in a play with Brazilian Diego Walsh. However, Seattle tied the game in the 31st minute on Weaver’s 5th goal of the season. Shortly after in the 45th minute, Romario was taken down in the box by two Sounder defenders and was awareded a pentaly kick. The USL’s top scorer, Romario, converted it for his seventh goal of the season. At the beginning of the second half, Keel tied the game for the Sounders. Later on, Romario gave Miami FC the lead back after capitalizing on a brilliant pass by Mario Rodriguez. But a minute later O’Brien tied it for Seattle on a penalty kick. Then again, Romario was not done and with two minutes left in the game he made a spectacular diving header on a cross by Ziinho. That was the game winner for Miami FC; 4-3. With that goal, Romario brought his goal total to nine goals with Miami FC. To close the deal for Miami FC was Colombian Oscar Gil’s goal during injury time that solidified the score to 5-3. Next up for Miami FC is the Portland Timbers, at PGE Park on Sunday, July 2. Miami FC 5, Seattle Sounders 3 Summary: Top of PageFive return from Rollins to Kraze ORLANDO, FL -- The Central Florida Kraze have re-signed five players from Rollins College to compete in the upcoming 2006 season. The players are Tres Loch, Danny Robertson, Anthony Santiago, Chris Cerroni, and Dennis Chin. Three were members of the 2004 PDL championship team. Rollins College finished third in the Sunshine State Conference in 2005 behind Saint Leo and Lynn University with a conference record of 6-2-0 and an overall record of 10-5-0. Loch and Robertson were both named to the 2005 All-SCC Men’s First Team while Chris Cerroni was named to the Second Team. Robertson was also named SSC Defensive Player of the Year for both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. All five players have previous playing experience with the Kraze. Kraze Head Coach Joe Avallone says, "I have high expectations for these returning players. They will be expected to lead the team into the playoffs and create a strong showing in the US Open Cup. I’ve worked with all of these athletes for several years now and I’m looking forward to a great season." Tres Loch is a Lake Mary High graduate and Rollins College team captain
at midfield. He started 18 games as a sophomore for Rollins, recording
two assists and 17 shots on goal and was named to the All-South Region
second team. He finished his freshman season with one goal and one assist
for three points in 19 games. This will be his fourth season with the
Kraze. He has two goals in 35 games with the club. Top of PageFlorida State Upsets UNC On PKs The last time FSU and UNC played, the Seminoles outshot the Tar Heels and recorded a series-high four shots on goal. They lost that game 4-1. Friday night it was the Heels who dominated the stats, but FSU who is going to its second College Cup in the last three years. After a 1-1 tie, No. 11 FSU (20-3-1) eliminated the second-ranked Tar Heels (23-1-1) 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout. India Trotter scored FSU‚s lone goal in the 1-1 tie and Minna Pyykko saved Heather O’Reilly’s PK in the shootout to help eliminate the Tar Heels. Portland eliminated defending national champion Notre Dame 3-1 to reach
the College Cup semifinals, while Virginia was shutout 5-0 by 2004 runnerup
UCLA. The fourth semifinal spot goes to Penn State, which edged Santa
Clara 2-1. Florida State will now take on another No. 1 seed in UCLA (21-1-2) who
defeated Virginia 5-0 in Los Angeles Friday night. The game will be played
Friday, December 2 at 4:30 pm EST and will be shown live on ESPNU. A tape
delayed broadcast will be shown on ESPN2 Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Top of PageUSL SoccerFest coming to Tampa TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, announced Monday the inaugural USL SoccerFest will be held in Tampa, the home of the organization’s headquarters, in the fall of 2005. The USL SoccerFest is comprised of the USL 2005 Annual General Meeting and the Super Y-League North American Finals. The USL SoccerFest is expected to become an annual event in Tampa with
a multi-year partnership between USL and the TBSC being finalized that
would make Tampa the home of the USL SoccerFest through 2008. Future editions
of the USL SoccerFest are expected to feature the USL AGM and SYL North
American Finals being held concurrently. “We could not be more excited to form this dynamic partnership with United Soccer Leagues,” said TBSC Executive Director Rob Higgins. “This announcement will have a tremendous economic and social impact on our incredible soccer community.” 2005 USL AGM Every year, over 300 team owners, executives and other important figures in the soccer community meet at the USL AGM to discuss important soccer issues. This three-day conference will feature representatives from each of USL’s senior teams as well as other soccer dignitaries. 2005 SYL North American Finals The SYL North American Finals, regarded as the top youth soccer event in North America, is a five-day tournament that includes over 140 of the best youth soccer teams in the US and Canada from U13 to U17 for boys and girls. Teams will qualify from their respective regions and will face the best from around North America in a quest to become league champions. The event will include over 5,000 players, parents and spectators. The 2004 finals featured teams from Vancouver to Miami with teams representing some of the top professional clubs in the nation such as Major League Soccer’s DC United and MetroStars. The Super Y-League is a professionalized system that is the first step for developing youth soccer players in North America. Affiliated with US Soccer, the league is designed for talented youth players destined for professional or international careers such as Freddy Adu, who played for the DC United U14 squad at the age of 12. Through Olympic Development Program status events such as the SYL North American Finals and SYL ODP Camps, the nation’s top players are selected for National Team programs. Grand Hyatt – Tampa Bay Ed Radice Soccer Complex Francisco Marcos and Tampa Soccer History United Soccer Leagues Tampa Bay Sports Commission Top of PageNew FSU Coach Successful At Each Stop Mark Krikorian has had a commitment to
excellence everywhere he has coached. Top of PageTAMPA, Fla. - Tom Fitzgerald came home to Tampa a year ago, back to a job he had previously held for 10 years, coaching the men’s soccer team at the University of Tampa before heading to the pros and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. In 2003 he left UCLA, where he had led the Bruins to the NCAA Division I championship in 2002 to return to Tampa. At the time he said the move would enable him to spend more time with his family, wife Debi and sons Jesse and Shane. Sadly, Fitzgerald lost his life in a motocycle accident on December 4 while on his way to scout players at the Nike friendlies in Bradenton. He was 53 years old. A automobile, driven by Ann Critcher, 44, of Tampa, pulled away from a stop sign into Fitzgerald’s path causing the accident. It was reported that Fitzgerald called his wife, Debi, shortly following the collision, and was in critical, but stable, condition at Tampa General Hospital in the early afternoon. However, he was taken into emergency surgery as his blood pressure dropped, and he died of a ruptured aorta during surgery. Fitzgerald began his coaching career at Jesuit High School in Tampa, and then took over the men’s head coaching position at the University of Tampa, leading the Spartans to a NCAA Division II national championship in 1994. His career took him to Major League Soccer as an assistant coach with the Columbus Crew in the inaugural MLS season in 1996 and he was appointed interim head coach with 10 games left in the season. He was elevated to head coach at the end of that season after leading the team to a 9-1 record and a playoff spot. Fitzgerald returned to the University of Tampa this year after coaching the Spartans from 1987-96, leading them to the Division II championship in 1994 and the Final Four three times. When he led UCLA to the 2002 NCAA national title he became only the third person to win a championship in the top two divisions. About 50 people, most of them current men's and women's players, gathered at midfield in a tribute at the school stadium Saturday night. Fitzgerald coached Columbus from 1996-01, leading the team to three straight conference titles. "Tom was an integral component in the organizations early development
and left a lasting impression," Crew interim general manager Mark
McCullers said. "He was an active member of the Columbus community
and will always be a part of the Crew family." Top of PageRivera Has Become A Solid FSU Defender When Teresa Rivera committed to Florida State while the Seminoles were down in South Florida to play FIU in 2001, it was a big deal. Any time a Gatorade Player of the Year commits it is huge but when the player is your first Gatorade Player of the Year from Florida, it is even more special. The defender from Parkland, FL was set to play next to Katie Beal in the middle of the FSU defense for three years and that is the way things started in 2002. “It has been exciting for me and it started with the recruiting process,” recalls Rivera. “Coach Baker is a great recruiter and I was happy to come to FSU. My expectations were to just do my best. I didn’t come here expecting there would be a lot of pressure on me to step out and start immediately. I was fortunate to win a starting job my first year as a freshman.” While she feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to start now, stepping in as a rookie defender in the ACC is one of the most pressure filled roles in college soccer. That season Rivera saw action in 21 of FSU’s 23 games. She made 12 starts and those 12 starts all came in the first 14 games of her career. She started against Clemson’s Deliah Arrington, Florida’s Crystal Frimpong, Duke’s Casey McCluskey, Wake’s Alena Thom and Alyssa Ramsey and Lindsay Tarpley of North Carolina to just name a few. “It was a big jump from high school,” said Rivera. “Everything is faster and the game is quicker. On an individual level the players are smarter and that is what I have learned the most from the college game. As a position player in the back, you have to not only know what you should be doing but what every player at every position should be doing as well.” “It was pretty intimidating. You hear so much about Tarpley, Arrington, Ramsey, (Lori) Lindsey (Virginia) and the list just goes on. Outside of a little bit of video, you don’t even get to see them play before you have to defend them as a freshman. As the years go on you start to gain the confidence that you can play with them because you have in the past. Hopefully you become one of those intimidating defenders that those forwards don’t want to go against.” Rivera is getting to that level but there have been ups and downs along the way. The central defender has been moved to the left side, she has lost her starting job on two separate occasions in 2002 and 2003 and has battled against her own confidence along the way. She has had to fight to regain her spot each preseason but outside of the rare player, those struggles are normal for a defender playing in the nation’s most dangerous soccer conference. “It is very difficult to be a freshman defender when you consider the talented forwards we have in this conference,” said head coach Patrick Baker. “T (Teresa Rivera) came in and didn’t just play outside back her freshman year, she played center back. She did a great job under difficult circumstances. I don’t think she struggled as much as she was adjusting to the level of the college game at a difficult position.” “That was a life lessons in itself when I lost my job last year,” said Rivera. “I learned not to give up. I now know how it is not to start and understand both sides. It taught me a lot. I learned to appreciate that starting job because you never know what can happen. Someone is always competing for your position. When my name flashes up on that scoreboard in the starting 11, it means so much more to me now. At my best I just want to be consistent.” That consistency Rivera is searching for is a product of confidence. The junior knows that her level of play is directly tied to her confidence level. It may not be an ideal situation but it is one she is dealing with. “Confidence is huge,” said Rivera. “Definitely with me, it plays a huge role. The game is so mental for me. When my confidence is up I play well. It isn’t good, but my game does depend a lot on my confidence and emotions. I have done better at controlling my confidence level and trying to keep it high. I have always looked for motivation from others. Now that I am in college and on my own, I have to find that motivation and confidence in myself. I struggled getting a grasp on that my freshman year. Now I do a better job of keeping myself motivated day-by-day and play-by-play.” There was no lower point for Rivera than FSU’s 3-1 loss at Kansas last year, which sent the team to 1-4. After starting the first five games, Rivera was once again out of the top 11 after the Jayhawk loss. It was a tough blow for a player that thought she had made it over the hump winning back a starting spot in the preseason of her sophomore year. “The Kansas game last year is one I would like to change,” recalls Rivera. “That’s definitely one I would like to get back. That is when I lost my starting position. It gave me a chance to see the games outside of the white lines. That helped me and that is the positive that came from a negative situation. It helped me better understand what I could do better and what I did well. It also gave me the drive and motivation to not be satisfied with my role on the bench, to regain a starting spot.” Rivera got that starting spot back a month later although it wasn’t the way she hoped it would happen. When four-year starter and team captain Kristin Boyce broke her foot in the 12th game of the year, Rivera was called on to step back in to the line-up. The Tribe was in the midst of a streak in which they had posted a 7-1 record and had climbed out of the hole from a 1-4 start. Now Rivera’s teammates were once again looking to her to step in and start. “At first I was down after losing my spot,” said Rivera. “I knew I had to keep my head up because if I wanted to get back in, I couldn’t keep my head down. I had to build myself up. The people around me were always encouraging me. My roommates, my family and my teammates kept pushing me to keep working. Unfortunately, Boyce got hurt and the team needed me to step in. I had the opportunity to finish off the season the way I wanted to, on the field and being fortunate enough to start in the final four.” “Her being able to solidify that left back position after Boyce’s injury really allowed us to continue the season without missing a beat,” said Baker. “I thought the true test was Wake Forest. Although we didn’t win, that game ended up a tie, the fact we shut them out at their place for 110 minutes and T did a good job, I just knew we’d be fine. At that point in time she had started and then wasn’t starting. She realized it was a great opportunity for her and she grabbed it and never let it go. That is a credit to her.” That stretch run turned out to be a blessing for Rivera. She was thrown back into the fire in the most difficult stretch of games on the Tribe schedule. She faced No. 1 North Carolina twice, and started every ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament game. She was on the field versus West Virginia in the Sweet 16, Florida in the Elite Eight and finally UConn in the final four. “It was very exciting starting in the College Cup and the nerves
from freshmen year came back that day because it was unchartered territory
for us,” said Rivera. “To play in the final four was just
an amazing experience. We wanted to get to the national title game but
it goes didn’t go our way that day. A great experience nonetheless.
Now we know what it takes to get there and we want to get back. If the Seminoles are going to get back there Rivera will have to play a huge role. In a defense that is coming off one of the best seasons in ACC history and the best season in school history, Rivera is now a junior who has started for at least 12 games each of her first two seasons. She is no longer the freshman thrust into the fire and she is being counted on as a leader in 2004. “There is more of an understanding of what you need to do and what is expected of you as a junior compared to my rookie year,” said Rivera. “Freshman year you are always on an emotional high because it is the beginning of your college career. Now the nerves have definitely settled and there is more focus on what your job is instead of just being excited to play. I am still excited everyday but it is more controlled.” That experience is helping Rivera as she regained her starting spot in the preseason and she is looking to once again contribute to a special defense. Despite her time on the bench, Rivera started 16 of 24 games on that record-setting backline last year and it is an accomplishment she is very proud of. “We took a lot of pride in what this defense accomplished last year and it helped us get as far as we did,” said Rivera. “We defended well not just in the back four but as a team. Coach Baker has stressed that since I have been at FSU. The back four needs to be strong and we can’t give up easy goals. I was very proud of this team last year, the back four and Joy (McKenzie). We worked hard and accomplished some special things. “We are very cohesive group. We understand each other. We know each other’s tendencies and there is a sense of comfort back there. We trust each other and would do anything for each other on and off the field. It is so comforting knowing the person next to you or behind you is there for you all the time” That comfort and trust that has been built up in the back four is a key if FSU is to return to Cary, NC for the 2004 College Cup. Coach Baker has stressed to his team that the journey to get back to the final four is tough and many teams that get there one year don’t get back but Rivera thinks FSU has already cleared one major hurdle on that long road back. “Last year we didn’t really believe deep down that we could
do as well as we did,” said Rivera. “We all come to FSU to
win a National Championship but I am not sure we all believed it could
happen. Everyone just took it one step at a time and we kept surprising
ourselves. Coach Baker was the only one who really knew we had what it
took. Now we have that understanding. We know we are good enough, we know
what it takes and we know how hard you have to work to make it a reality.
We all believe now. We are one of the best teams in the country.” Top of PageCentral
Florida Wins 2004 PDL ORLANDO, FL -- The Central Florida Kraze captured the 2004 PDL National Championship Saturday night in Orlando as they downed the Boulder Rapids Reserve 1-0 on a goal from Justin Cook in the 88th minute. Central Florida star forward Orville 'Villa' Mullings got the ball from Xavier Delgado in the middle at the top of the box and as he cut to the right side, he let off a shot that deflected off the defender marking him. The floating ball glanced off the fingertips of the outstretched hands of diving Rapids Reserve goalkeeper Luis Robles and to the feet of Cook, who put the loose ball away for the game-winner. The game, broadcast live on FOX SPORTS WORLD, was delayed an hour due to a thunderstorm. Kraze President/GM,Greg Brick stated” It was a tremendous sight to see hundreds of fans lined up and in the rain to watch the match. I would like to personally thank our Central Florida soccer community for their support this season as this is truly an honor to bring the National Championship trophy to our hometown.” The game was finally underway and the visiting team had most of the play and took it early and often to the Kraze, however the Central Florida defense held strong with Robert Gibbon leading the way. The Kraze only had a few chances in the first half but managed to come away with a 0 – 0 score at halftime. Coach Joe Avallones’ halftime speech must have been motivational as the Kraze came out strong and right at the Boulder Rapids Reserve. It looked as if it was only a matter of time before the Kraze would score but the Boulder’s goalkeeper came up with several big saves including a one-on-one breakaway by Villa Mullings. The game was destined for overtime and a “golden goal” situation until Justin Cook’s heroics and Ryan McIntoshs’ superb goalkeeping secured the PDL National Championship for the Kraze and the Central Florida Soccer Community! Coach Avallone stated “Every single player sacrificed so much over the summer in order to bring this title to the Central Florida area. The coaches, staff, volunteers and fans that have been with us since the start of the season should understand it was a total effort which enabled this dream to come true!” Top of PageIs A-League Coming To Lockhart The U.S. Under-20 team will return to Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium next month for a game against Brazil, and the word is out in Broward County that soccer will return to Lockhart on a regular basis in the summer of 2005. Soccer promoter Eddie Rodger, who is handling the game with Brazil, is in discussions with a number of potential investors to put an A-League team in Lockhart next summer. Since the loss of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny, Florida has been without professional soccer of any kind. Rodger has been involved in soccer in South Florida for the last two and a half decades, and another familiar personality has also been involved in the A-League discussions. Ray Hudson, the former Miami Fusion head coach who moved back home in Fort Lauderdale after being released earlier this year as head coach at D.C. United, has been involved in the discussions, but has declined suggestions that he is a prime player in the formation of a professional club. Rodger and Hudson have had a connection since the days of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and the NASL. One indication of Hudson's seriousness about the A-League effort is that he recently turned down an opportunity to become the television color commentator for the San Jose Earthquakes. This apparently is the second time Rodger has explored the possibility of putting an A-League team in South Florida. This one might just have a chance of being successful. One of the biggest obstacles is the question of travel. Without another A-League team in Florida, a Fort Lauderdale based club would incur large travel expenses since the nearest A-League team is in Atlanta, with the next closest being in Charleston. Rodger and other organizers of the game between the U.S. and Brazilian Under-20 national teams are hoping that D.C. United will release first-year pro Freddy Adu. It is likely that he will be allowed to join the U.S. squad, as he needs games since is has gone back to being a second-half reserve for D.C. United. Last month Rodger organized two friendlies at Lockhart, which involved
the U.S. U20s, and each drew in excess of 9,000 fans. Top of Page2004 Florida All-State Soccer Teams The 2004 Florida State high school All-State teams, selected by the Florida Sports Writers Association, have been released and the Class 6A first team is headed by three players from state champion Miami Sunset High School. Those include senior D Andres Osorio and senior striker Luis Perea, and junior midfielder Martin Nunez.Douglas HS, winners of the Girls Class 6A state championship, also placed three players on the first team all-state team, all of whom are sophomores. The three 10th graders are defender Jackie Giffon,midfielder Brianna Schooley and forward Toni-Marie Hudson. Boys
All-State Teams Second Team Girls
All-State Teams Top of PageFitzgerald Returns To University of Tampa The University of Tampa men's soccer program got a holiday
present a couple of weeks late this year, but it was a good one! Top of PageFlorida Rallies For Four Goals To Advance Junior striker Ashley Kellgren's second consecutive
NCAA tournament golden goal capped # 7 Florida's rally from three goals
down to a 4-3 triumph over Mississippi before 1,223 who witnessed the
thrilling second-round match at Percy Beard Stadium. Top of PageThe #22 ranked Florida State Seminoles (7-5-0, 1-1-0) not only had to fight a tough University of Central Florida squad (9-4-0) trying to protect a five game winning streak, but they also had to take on mother nature. After a 1:45 delay for lightning, the Tribe scored three goals and recorded its second shutout of the season as they won their sixth game in seven outings. Three different Seminoles scored goals in the 3-0 win. Sophomore Leah Gallegos notched her eighth of the season to put FSU up 1-0. Two defenders then got into the act as Katie Beal and Kristin Boyce both recorded goals. Beal also had an assist to lead FSU with three points. The only goal of the first half came in the 25th minute. Amber Tollefson, who had two assists versus Virginia, recorded her fifth assist of the year. The senior found Gallegos just to the left of the keeper about 10 yards out. The sophomore striker took a touch as the goalie rushed out. Before she could get to Gallegos, the Los Angeles, CA native hit it past her staking FSU to the 1-0 lead. The goal was the eighth of the year for Gallegos, which surpasses her freshman total of seven. It also gives her 15 career goals and moves her into a tie for fifth place on the Florida State career goal scoring list. All eight of her goals in 2003 have come in just the last nine games and she now leads the team in points and has twice as many goals as anyone on the team. In the 50th minute Gallegos set up another goal. Her dangerous run across
the top of the box resulted in the UCF defense taking her down, which
led to an FSU free kick. Beal lined up for the set piece on the right
side about 20 yards away. The junior who had already scored on three free
kicks this year sent a beautiful shot to the far post that caught the
iron and bounced in. Boyce finished the scoring in the 82nd minute off another FSU set piece. Beal took another free kick but drove this one along the top of the 18. Freshman Rachel McDowell flicked the ball back to Boyce who one-timed the shot from 18 yards out. The Seminoles return to action at home Friday, October 10 versus #13
ranked Duke. Top of PageUSF's
Fleck Has Unique Women's TAMPA - University of South Florida women's soccer coach Logan Fleck has some keen insights to share regarding the Women's World Cup this month, the folding of the WUSA league, and soccer in general. As an instructor at the U.S. Soccer National Coaching School, he first met current U.S Women's coach April Heinrichs. And as a U.S. Soccer Federation National staff coach, he has often consulted with Heinrichs regarding soccer at the highest level of competition. "When you're at the top like that, you're never in want of opinions," Fleck said. "Everyone seems to know how to do things better. Yet, it's a very lonely seat you sit on. There's such pressure riding on every decision." Fleck said he has offered Heinrichs his opinions on players and tactics, but only when asked. "If she wants my opinion, she'll call me," he said. The USF coach, now in his ninth season at the Conference-USA school in Tampa, has seen his share of top players, including current Norwegian World Cup team member Kristina Edner. Edner played center midfielder from 1996-98 for the Bulls and still holds several school records. She is the sixth player that Fleck has coached to make a World Cup team. As the USF men's coach during the mid-1990s, Fleck coached Mark Chung and Jeff Cunningham, both of whom have gone on to star for the MLS and U.S. Men's National Team. However, the pressure on the U.S. women's team is far greater than that on the men's team, Fleck said. "The men are playing for money and contracts. But the women are playing for the very survival of their league. That's incredible pressure," he said. Fleck said the timing of the announcement about the WUSA shutting down operations due to lack of funds just before the World Cup was intentional. And he believes the WUSA can be revived because of it. "If you're going to be told bad news, do you want it to be at the beginning of your birthday party or the end?" he said. "Just as that league was born after the '99 World Cup-and I was there when they exceeded the capacity of the Rose Bowl-this will absolutely be a financial impetus (for the league). With his college team's schedule in full swing, Fleck said he doubts he'll be able to make it to any of this year's World Cup games. His twin sophomore sensations, fullback Mindy and midfielder Jenny Mulvihill of Lake Howell, said the World Cup inspired them. Both have won a pair of high school state championships and FYSA State Cups, as well as played for the state ODP team. But soccer at the highest level still captivates them. "It makes you want to work harder," Mindy said. "It's hard being a college athlete, going to school, and juggling your life, family, everything. Adding national team training to that would be almost impossible, but it's still definitely something I'd like to aspire to." "It's a lot of work-a lot more than I've put in. You have to be very dedicated," Jenny said. Both said their biggest dream in high school was to make a Division I team, but to play for the WUSA someday was always in the back of their minds. Now, with that possibility seemingly out of the question, one has to ask if World Cup will be enough to reinvigorate women's professional soccer. "Did they go too high too quick?" Fleck asked. "No, they
had their shot and they went for it. Now, they're going to have another
chance, and maybe they'll make it this time." Top of PageTough
Field In Puma Tournament Locals did not fare as well as usual in the 8th Annual Puma Invitational high school soccer tournament that took place Dec. 20-22 at Tampa’s Ed Radice Park, but one team from Florida still took home top honors. As the Puma Invitational has grown, it has taken on more of a national flavor. When it began eight years ago, most of the teams were from the Tampa Bay area. Then, it began to draw from among the best in Florida. Recently, it has begun attracting top-ranked teams from all over the nation, as evidenced by this year’s field. Twelve of the 32 teams were from out of state, including several from California. Despite the move toward more far-flung teams, some local favorites such as Gaither, Bloomingdale, and co-host Jesuit have still done well in recent years. In fact, Gaither won the Elite bracket last year as Bryce Wegerle was named offensive MVP. This year, however, no area team fared better than Gaither’s fifth-place finish. The Cowboys (9-3) got a goal from David Caldwell to beat Brother Martin (La.) 2-1 for fifth place in the Elite bracket. One Florida team, however, still held the banner high for the state amid the stiff competition. The Elite bracket championship went to penalty kicks before offensive MVP Bryant Salter booted the winning goal to give Miami Coral Reef a 2-1 win against Santa Margarita (Calif.). Salter’s teammate, Mario Franca, was named the defensive MVP. Miami Sunset finished third in the Elite bracket with a 3-2 win against Juniperro Serra (Calif.). Gaither lost to Miami Sunset 2-0 in the Elite quarterfinals. The Cowboys beat Sunset 1-0 in overtime last season in the state semifinals. The Cowboys bounced back with a 4-3 win against Bishop Verot, however, setting up their final match against Brother Martin. In the Premier bracket, Bellarmine (Calif.) College Prep beat Houston Strake Jesuit (Texas) 4-1 to win the championship. Lake Mary beat Jacksonville Bolles 2-0 to finish in third, and Oviedo beat Nogales (Calif.) 4-2 to earn fifth place. Tampa Jesuit and Brandon both lost in the consolation finals of their respective brackets. In the Elite bracket, Jesuit (13-2-1) cut into the lead of El Camino (Calif.) in the second half, but ended up losing 3-1. In the Premier bracket, Brandon (11-3) fell 3-1 to Clearwater Central Catholic (13-2), which earlier in the tournament had taken top-ranked Bellarmine (Calif.) College Prep to the wire before falling 2-1. CCC had quite an eventful tournament. It took a 1-0 lead early against Bellarmine when Pat Beliveau headed a ball to Joey Ijjas for the finish. The Bells (12-0) answered midway through the second half as McKenzie Plank headed in a corner from Nick Hatzke, and Mario Cordero finished the scoring on another assist from Hatzke with 10 minutes left. CCC coach Jim Harte credited his team’s offensive pressure in the first half with the early goal. But it couldn’t keep it up the whole game. “We weren’t trying to sit on (the lead),” he said. “To be honest, I think we got a little tired. We were very successful taking their game away from them in the first half. If the game had been 50 minutes long, we might have won.” Twenty minutes into Clearwater Central Catholic’s game against St. Francis (Calif.), CCC goalie Brad Parker went to the bench with back spasms, but he came back 10 minutes later and helped the Marauders to a 2-1 win with two saves after the game went to penalty kicks. That put CCC into the consolation final against Brandon. Other Holiday Tournament Action Coca-Cola Lady Warrior Classic Sarasota Classic Top of PageChris Andaur (Kendall) and Michael McCarty (Maitland) have been named to Coach Ken Lolla’s 24-player roster for the U.S. U-16 national team camp Feb. 24-March 3 Cory Gibbs (Plantation), former Brown University All-America, has become a fixture in the stating lineup with his German professional team, St. Pauli. However, Gibbs recently picked up his fourth caution in seven matches (fifth of the year), and will sit out a one-game suspension. Gibbs was drafted by Los Angeles in the fourth round of the MLS draft, and the Galaxy will hold MLS rights to him until the end of the 2002 season .Jacobi Goodfellow, an All-American defender from Barry University, was selected by the Hampton Roads Mariners in the A-League draft Two University of Florida seniors who were not selected in the WUSA draft are headed in different directions. Keisha Bell is moving on to life after soccer, while Andi Sellers hopes to catch on with one of the eight WUSA teams as a free agent. If that doesn’t happen she too will move on to graduate school. Sellers has a 3.6 gpa in Sports Management, as was Verizon’s Women Soccer Player of the Year. Bell is recuperating after tearing an ACL last fall Lake Highland soccer coach Chip Layson picked up his 100th coaching victory during the team’s run to the Final Four Tavares HS sophomore DeAnne Fanta set a new county scoring record with 64 goals this past season. Her high school coach is her Dad, Gary Fanta Cally Morrill (Sarasota HS) is one of nine players who have signed to play soccer at the University of Alabama Forward Ashley Willis (Winter Haven) has signed to play soccer at Auburn University Auburndale’s Megan Morton, a midfielder, has signed to play collegiate soccer at the University of Mississippi ..Florida will have two teams this summer in the newly consolodated USL W-League. Those are the Jacksonville Jade and Tampa Bay Extreme. Both will play in the Atlantic Conference of the Central Division Clarke Central senior defender Taylor Daniel (Athens) has signed to play soccer with Elon College (NC), a Division I member of the Big South Conference The last time Pinellas County won a Senior Soccer Challenge by a 2-0 score against Hillsborough, the coaches (David Sica and Juan Pablo Pinzon) of this year’s teams were playing. That was in 1995. A pair of penalty kicks by Buster Wiand (Clearwater) won the boys game. The Hillsborough girls won on PKs after a scoreless tie. Top of PageFSU Sets 69 Records/Program Firsts The 2000 soccer season was a break through campaign for the Seminole soccer program. The team went to its first-ever NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16. The 2000 Seminoles beat five ranked opponents, got their first All-American and set 46 team and individual records and program firsts. It was hard to imagine how this year’s squad could top that but they did. Despite falling one goal shy of back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, the 2001 Florida State soccer team established 69 more program records and firsts on its way to the most successful regular season and ACC Tournament run in program history. The 2001 squad posted the most wins in team history (15), the best regular season in team history (13-6), its first-ever undefeated home season (8-0-0) and made its first-ever appearance in the ACC Championship game. Florida State finished the season ranked in all five college soccer polls, had its best ACC campaign ever (third place) and placed four players on either All-American or freshman All-American teams. Over the last two seasons under head coach Patrick Baker, FSU has now totaled 115 records and program firsts. All 69 of FSU’s 2001 records are listed below. TEAM RECORDS (29)
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS (16)
PROGRAM FIRSTS (24)
Top of PageFlorida Advances To Final Four The Florida Gators only got three shots off against the UCLA Bruins, but one went in the net and the Gators are back in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I playoffs. The Gators snapped third-ranked UCLA’s 26-home winning streak and handed the Bruins a 1-0 loss in double overtime. Florida, 21-3-1, will play Santa Clara in the NCAA College Cup on Friday. UNC will take on Portland in the other semifinal game. Florida freshman Monica Hoyles carried the ball into the Bruin penalty area and at the game’s 119:04 mark fired a shot that went off the side of a UCLA defender and into the goal past Bruin goalkeeper CiCi Peterson. "You can outplay teams and still lose," said UCLA head coach Jillian Ellis. "Our goal was to win the national championship, and we fell short." Jordan Kellgren, the Florida goalkeeper, set a school record for saves with 16 against UCLA. Her own record of 11 was set a year ago. Portand (20-3-0) reached the semifinals with a 4-1 win over Texas A&M (17-4-1). Ironically, Florida had not won a playoff game the last two years, following the Gators’ 1998 NCAA championship victory over UNC. The same four teams that were in that College Cup, Florida, UNC, Portland and Santa Clara, are back this year in Dallas, TX. Top of PageFlorida Tops Clemson In Third Round Three goals from three different Gator players gave the #6 seeded University of Florida (20-3-1, 8-1 SEC) a 3-1 win over Clemson (15-5-1, 4-3 ACC) in NCAA Third Round action held Sunday in front of a Percy Beard Stadium crowd of 1,027. Florida now advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the third time in the program's seven-year history. UF will meet No. 3 seeded UCLA (20-2) next weekend, with the date and site to be announced by the NCAA Soccer Committee later Sunday evening. UCLA defeated Dayton 3-1 Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles. Senior Keisha Bell scored her first goal of the season to put the Gators up 1-0 in the first 10 minutes. The ball came into the box off a Casey Hamel corner kick and freshman Christine Johnson sent the ball left where Bell won the ball from a CU player. She chested the ball down, then hit a five-yard shot that hit the lower edge of the crossbar, then rebounded into the goal at 7:27. Florida's second goal of the opening half started when Hamel sent the ball from the Florida half to Abby Wambach, who took the ball down the right side of the field deep into the CU box. Wambach passed the ball through two CU defenders to the top of the box, where Crystal Frimpong took a one-touch shot. The ball nipped the crossbar and fell into the goal at 25:00. It was the first goal for Frimpong since the season opener vs. Utah. The Lady Tigers were without the services of one of its leading scorers, Lindsay Browne, in the second half because of a knee injury. Clemson's Deliah Arrington narrowed the Gator lead to a single goal early in the second half when she took the ball from Kate Clifton to hit a 10-yard right shot at 48:12. Florida scored its final goal at 63:39 when Wambach took a shot and CU goalkeeper Katie Carson made the save, but the ball was still loose in the box. Sophomore Robin Fulton scored her second goal of the season when she put the ball in at the left post from three yards at 63:39. "That was our back breaker," said Clemson Head Coach Todd Bramble. "It seemed that we rattled their cage a little bit by making it a 2-1 game. I thought we were being dangerous and showing a lot more life in the second half by scoring a goal and creating a little havoc. We had the momentum at that point of the game when they scored their third goal. "I just want to congratulate Florida," continued Bramble. "They are a quality program and I wish them success in the tournament. Right now I am feeling a lot of pain, especially for our seniors who have all had great careers at Clemson. As times goes on, I think we will feel good about what we accomplished this season. But right now it hurts." Florida's three goals were not from its usual scorers, but that wasn't a surprise to UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh. "This team is more then just a couple people, when you cover Abby (Wambach) and Andi (Sellers), other players will step up and make plays for us," Burleigh said. For the match, Florida outshot CU 13-10. UF goalkeeper Jordan Kellgren turned in five saves and CU's Carson posted four saves. Match: Clemson vs. Florida Competition: NCAA Division 1 Second Round Venue: Percy Beard Stadium (1,027), Gainesville, Fla. Scoring Summary: 1st 2nd Final
Scoring:
Statistical Summary: CU UF
Top of PageLet’s face it……. we all love the story of the walk-on athlete who beats all the odds and goes on to become a star. We love to hear about an underdog who gets a chance and makes good. Seminole soccer player Christy Peacock is that athlete. Despite the fact that she has started just one match and appeared in only 24 games in three plus seasons, teams don’t win without players like Christy. The Seminole soccer program doesn’t go from being the low-man on the ACC totem pole to the Sweet 16 without teammates like her. Peacock’s contribution to Florida State soccer can never be measured in goals, assists or starts because what she brings to the table will never show up in her statistics. This former non-scholarship walk-on from Lilburn, GA has taken a somewhat unconventional route to being the captain of a Sweet 16 team. In fact, she wasn’t even sure that she wanted to play college soccer when she arrived on the campus of Florida State. “I didn’t think I wanted to play soccer anymore,” said Peacock. “I had played for so long and I thought I was kind of tired of it. I was coming to Florida State anyway and I got an opportunity to try out and I made the team as a walk-on.” Peacock learned a lot from the way her Florida State career started. You don’t play ACC soccer unless you were a star in high school but that alone doesn’t guarantee you anything. Everyone in this conference was a great high school player and it is a whole new playing field in the nation’s top soccer conference. “Every player on this team was a star,” said Peacock. “We were lifted up and told we were great soccer players but now we are all competing for positions and time. All of us want to be out there. I think each one of us will have our time on the field but until we do we need to push each other but I know from personal experience that is easier said than done. “Everyone could learn something though from starting their careers as a walk-on. People should get the opportunity to see what its like to start out not being seen as a very good player and getting no scholarship money to earning a scholarship and earning playing time. You really appreciate every minute you are on the field. It makes you feel like the hard work has paid off. There are so many benefits and great things that come from taking that path.” That is the path Peacock has taken. Not only did she walk-on and eventually earn a scholarship and playing time but this year she was voted one of three captains by her teammates. That is an honor that isn’t usually awarded to a player who doesn’t start or to a player who on occasion doesn’t even play. “I sometimes think about why I was voted a captain,” she said. “It probably started when I was a freshman. I took a lot of different roles as a young player on the team. I tried to be a team player from the beginning and get to know everyone on the team. I never judged people and I just tried to be there for my teammates. I’ve always been a player who tries her hardest and I think people noticed that. I worked hard and tried to push everyone else even though I didn’t get a lot of playing time. “My first year was difficult and I tried to make the best of it and never look at it as a bad experience. We weren’t winning a lot of games but I always tried to remain positive and I think I gained some respect for that type of attitude.” Fulfilling the role of a positive team player when you are struggling with your own problems on and off the field is a difficult job and it is one that Christy often wonders if she does well. She desperately wants to start like every senior does and she can’t help but get caught up in many of the same problems that other players on the team face when it comes to their own careers. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t do such a great job leading and get caught up in my own problems with playing time just like other members of the team,” she said. “That is something I have to step back and look at. I have the same feelings as everyone else but I still have to try to fulfill the role of a captain and put that aside. Sometimes I fail and sometimes I succeed. “I would like to be out there every second and be on the field to share in all the great things that are happening to this program. It is difficult at times. The older I get the more I want to be out there.” That hasn’t stopped the senior from continuing to try and fill the role her teammates have given her. It was easier to lead in Peacock ‘s opinion before she slid the captain’s armband over her jersey. She just did things they way she always had and never really gave much thought to the fact that her teammates were looking to the kid on the bench who was at every team function, always on time to practice and working hard whether she was playing or not. “I don’t think I ever made a decision to work hard and take on a role as a leader,” she said. “It is just the way I have always been. If there are things I want to achieve, I work hard to reach those goals. I try to have a good time, make friends and get the most out of every situation. “It is a little different once you officially get the title of captain. It’s now this big role you have to fulfill.” Part of that role is being asked by your coach to do some of the things that are hard for a coach to do. Many times there are things going on that the team needs to handle itself or that the coach needs to know about. Those are just a few of the duties coach Patrick Baker asks his captains to perform “The three captains, Meredith (Jones), Heather (Dyche) and myself, talked to coach Baker and let him know the type of role we wanted to play,” Peacock recalls. “There are things the coach needs to know about but this year we wanted to deal with the things we needed to deal with as a team by ourselves. The three of us wanted to handle certain things and be responsible for coming up with solutions. We can’t throw every little thing on coach Baker’s shoulders. He has so many things going on and there should be things we can deal with ourselves. “The biggest thing that he asks of the captains is to be a role model. We had a great year last year but there is a whole new group of players who weren’t here for that and they need someone to look up to. We have to be positive role models so hopefully the younger players will follow our lead.” The role of the captain on the Florida State soccer teams demands a special kind of relationship with coach Baker. He relies on his captains and expects a lot from each and every one of them. Sometimes that can be a tough balancing act with all of the dynamics that are involved in the relationship between a player and coach. That has never been a problem for Christy. “It is nice to be able to go straight to the top and discuss my problems and the team’s problems with coach,” said Peacock. “It is easy for me to go to coach Baker and talk to him. We have had a great relationship since he first came here. I feel very comfortable telling him almost anything and I think I have told him almost everything I think and feel. “He has really got to know us since he first got here and he has made us part of his family. He has us over his house and that allows us to see him and get to know each other in different situations. He always encourages us to come to his office and make time to build a relationship. He has opened up and that has helped me build a strong relationship with him.” So how does Peacock view her leadership style? It isn’t something she every really sat down and thought about previously. People who know her know that she leads every time she steps on to the practice field and she leads in every fitness session. Peacock came into the season as the team’s fittest player and these are just a few of the ways she leads by example but there is more to being a captain. Being there for her teammates is one of the ways she hopes she can make the biggest impact. “I hope my teammates look at me as a team player, a friend and as a leader,” she said. “I hope they know I am always there for them and they can always count on me. I want people to look to me when they need help with their problems and come to me with questions. I also always need to be looking around and get a feeling for what is going on with the team. I have to ask questions of myself to see if there is anything I can do here and there to take care of any problems.” Although she often struggles to know if she is doing enough or leading her teammates in the right way, it is hard to argue with the success of this year’s squad under the guidance of Christy, Heather and Meredith. The 2001 Seminoles are off to the best start in school history and the team is sitting atop the ACC for the first time ever. Since her arrival, Peacock has seen the Florida State soccer program reborn. She has gone to the NCAA Tournament, been a part of a team that defeated the University of North Carolina and made friends that will last her a lifetime. It’s safe to say things have worked out pretty well for the walk-on defender from Georgia. “I don’t think if I could go back and change things, I would,” said Peacock. “I love soccer. I love the game and I love the team. Going through this process will help me throughout my life. Everything that has happened to me and everything that has happened to this team is a great lesson of what type of positive things that can happen if you work hard and believe. I’ll take this whole experience with me wherever I go in the future.” Top of PageOrlowski Replaces Wilson At Stetson Bob Wilson, the only soccer coach in Stetson University’s women’s soccer history has resigned and been replaced by Julie Orlowski. Orlowski, a former head women’s coach at Boise State, has been an assistant coach for the last two years at the University of South Florida. Wilson, a Stetson graduate, had been the Hatters’ head coach since 1993. He completed a 51-88-6 (.372) record, and led the Hatters to their first Trans America Athletic Conference tournament appearance in 1999 and again last season. Stetson was 7-11-1 overall in Wilson’s final season as head coach. Stetson’s best season under Wilson came in 1996 when the Hatters finished 12-8 overall, the program’s only winning season to date. The Hatters return 18 players for next season including leading scorers sophomore Emma Astrom and senior Jackie Catania. Top of PageMondelo Steps Down in Tampa Bay Tampa, Fla. (Friday, July 6, 2001) -- Alfonso Mondelo resigned as head coach of the Tampa Bay Mutiny today, President & General Manager Bill Manning announced. Assistants Perry Van Der Beck and Jim McGeough will handle coaching duties for Saturday's home match against the Central Division-leading Chicago Fire (8-3-3, 27 pts.) at 7 p.m. Mondelo, 42, was in his first season with the Mutiny, and compiled a 3-12-1 mark, including Wednesday night's heartbreaking, last-minute 2-1 loss to the MetroStars, ironically the team he first coached in MLS in 1998. He was 14-11 with the MetroStars that year before a tough-luck losing streak halted his success, but his efforts were enough to propel the squad into the playoffs. Mondelo leaves with a career 17-28-1 record. "This town and these fans deserve a winning team," Mondelo said. "I came here hoping to make a difference. Things have not worked out the way I would have expected. I cannot sit idly by and watch losses game in and game out. I take my job very seriously and very personally. I am a proud person, one who is used to winning, and this situation was becoming very difficult for me. "I want to see this team win, but you can't change the whole team. Therefore, I am stepping down, and give the Mutiny an opportunity to move in another direction, one that will hopefully give Tampa Bay the winning team it deserves. "I am grateful to the Mutiny organization for its support, especially to (President & General Manager) Bill Manning. I appreciate what he has done - and will continue to do - in order to make this team win. I only wish the best for the players on the team. "This is a part of life. Life goes on. It's also a part of this business." Mondelo was named the fourth head coach in Mutiny history on December 6, 2000. He led the team to a 2-2 draw with Scottish Premier Division champion Celtic F.C. - a match Tampa Bay led 2-0 at the half with its first 11 versus Celtic's first side - in his Tampa Bay debut on January 19. The Mutiny ran off an impressive 9-3-4 preseason record, including five wins in succession and a second-place finish in the MLS Spring Training 2001 Tournament, runner-up to the MetroStars by goal differential. The Mutiny defeated current Western Division leader San Jose, tied Los Angeles, currently second in the Western Division, and beat the surprise team in MLS, the Miami Fusion, on its home field, in the MLS preseason derby. Mondelo led the Mutiny to a convincing 4-2 win on the road at Dallas in the 2001 season opener, but injuries and multi-game suspensions to key players did not allow the opportunity for the continuity he and the Mutiny were afforded in the preseason. Mondelo was forced to utilize a different starting lineup in each of Tampa Bay's 15 games this season. Top of PageFusion Trying To Win A Broader Base They are called the Miami Fusion, but they play their games in Ft. Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium. However, on Sunday the Fusion traveled down I-95 to Dade County, and did what they have done all season…win a MLS game. This time they did it in the Orange Bowl, the venue where the team was originally scheduled to play when the expansion franchise was extended four years ago. A season-high crowd of 14,856 cheered the Fusion to its 11th straight game without defeat (9-0-2). At 11-1-2 the Fusion is off to the best start in Major League Soccer after 14 games. The decision to play in the Orange Bowl was to attract savvy fans and whet their appetite for Fusion success. Witnessing the Fusion's uprising and its exciting style in the Orange Bowl, was new to fans in Miami-Dade County who haven't taken the trip to Lockhart to see the best team in MLS. They get another dose Saturday against the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and also a friendly between Ecuador and Honduras. MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who attended MLS's showcase in this venue, was pleased. "This first effort here in the Orange Bowl has been a success," Garber said in an article by by in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinal. "I have to candidly say that we're not thinking of moving this team. What we're very committed to is expanding the coverage that this team has in South Florida. "We have recognized the location in Lockhart isn't attracting enough of the community. By coming down here we're able to attract more people from the southern part of Miami-Dade, and we should continue to look to do that." Coach Ray Hudson's offensive, attacking soccer is exciting and should draw fans back for future Fusion games. The Fusion is averaging a league-best 2.5 goals. "The [Orange Bowl] relationship building, the partnership, I'm happy with all of it," General Manager Doug Hamilton said in that same article. "Would I have liked a few more people in the stands? Yes, but the process was good. If they don't come back after seeing that. ..." It is likely that the Fusion will schedule more games in the Orange Bowl in the future. "There's no reason why we can't continue to have a format like this, perhaps even expand it," Garber said, "but we are committed to Lockhart. That's a great soccer-specific stadium. [Miami-Dade] has its hands full trying to get a baseball stadium built. "We're trying to spread the brand across a large footprint. It's hard enough to get soccer-specific stadiums when you have one that is pretty darn close soccer-specific. It's hard to walk away from that. This was clearly a tactic to get a jump on expanding this market." Top of PageFlorida
State Coach Selected to TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State women’s head soccer coach Patrick Baker has been selected to assist the United States U-19 national team in preparation for an upcoming match against Mexico and a European tour. Florida State’s third-year coach was asked by U-19 head coach Tracey Leone to assist her at the national team’s training camp, July 29-Aug. 4, in Chula Vista, Calif. where the team will continue to ready themselves for the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championships in 2002. “Patrick Baker is one of America's finest coaches and players love playing for him,” said Leone. "It's a given that any team he coaches is going to be extremely well organized and inspired. Not only is he among the elite in his profession, he is also an exceptional human being. He runs his program with great integrity and pride." Baker was the runner-up for National Coach of the Year honors and named Southeast Region Coach of the Year after leading the Seminoles to the Sweet 16 of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. He has served as the director for Region III of the United State’s Olympic Development Program, an assistant coach for the U-16 US national team and spent three year’s as Lauren Gregg’s assistant with the U-21 national team. Overall, Baker has worked with the ODP for 14 years. “I am honored to have been called in with the U-19 national team,” said Baker. “To be able to work with the best players in the United States and prepare them for competition is very exciting. Tracey has done a tremendous job with this team and I look forward to being a part of their development.” Baker’s Seminoles will continue to prepare for the 2001 campaign in early August when the full squad returns to Tallahassee. FSU opens its preseason August 24th at 7:00 p.m. against the University of Georgia at the Seminole Soccer Complex. Florida State then kicks off the season by hosting two opponents who were regionally ranked in 2000 at the Seminole Soccer Tournament. The Seminoles open with George Mason Friday, Aug. 31 at 7:00 p.m. before taking on Loyola (MD) at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, September 2. Top of PageRapids Win Rights To Kartes Tampa Bay Mutiny had hoped to sign Gus Kartes to a contract. After all, he grew up in Tarpon Springs before leaving three years ago to play soccer in Greece. He began his professional career at the age of 15, playing for Greek first division Olympiakos FC. Kartes, 19,whose true last name is Karterouliotis, never played a minute with the main club, rather getting experience with the reserve team. His dad bought out his contract from Olympiakos, reportedly for $400,000, and he had been training with the Mutiny in preseason. He will be playing this year in Major League Soccer, but it won’t be in Florida. It will be across country with the Colorado Rapids, which has signed him to a MLS contract. However, there is a connection in that signing. Rapids head coach Tim Hankinson coached the Mutiny the last two years. According to Rapids general manager Dan Counce, Kartes is a better player than any he saw in the draft "At the time that I was director of player development at the league, we were starting the Project 40 program., Gus' name came up as a 16-year old living in Florida looking to go play in Europe and forgo college, and basically chase an opportunity," said Hankinson. He may have dual citizenship. He speaks fluent Greek; his whole family is Greek, but he's a Florida kid." Kartes arrived back in the United States last year at a time when he could not get on a MLS roster. So, he trained with the Mutiny because he lived near Tampa Bay. "The pedigree he picked up in Europe, learning about professionalism, is very much in place. So, as a young player, he has experiences that most young American don't have. The qualities he showed, playing with guys like Carlos Valderrama showed that he could compete in this league. He can score a goal. He can beat a player one-on-one, he's technically clean and knows what a good work ethic is." The Rapids won the rights to Kartes in a league lottery that included a very interested Tampa Bay Mutiny. In order to play in the MLS, Kartes had to buy back his contract from Olympiakos FC. The Rapids also waived five players to bring their roster down to the league mandated 18 players. Defender John Carroll and midfielders Ryan Lee, Eric Lukin, Ryan Trout and Carlos Parra. MLS Teams Waiver Players To Reach 20-Player Limit
Top of PageFt. Lauderdale To Host Umbro Select The Umbro Select All-Star Classic, featuring the top senior college all-star soccer players from throughout the United States, will return to Ft. Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium Feb. 1-4, as senior men and women make their collegiate farewell appearance with the professional ranks. New to this year’s Umbro Select program will be a match between an all-star squad from the Women’s United Soccer Association, the new women’s professional soccer league, and the college all-star players who have been drafted to play in the new WUSA, which begins play in April. The women take center stage on Saturday, Feb. 3, when the Women’s College All-Star game is played at 6:00 pm. Competing in that game will be 32 players representing East and West squads chosen from their performances in the player combine that takes place Feb. 1-3. The feature game at 8:00 matches a team composed of international and professional players from the WUSA against the drafted college all-stars. The men’s all-star game will be held Sunday, Feb. 4, at 4:00 pm. In a tradition which has grown in the past six years, the Umbro Select event serves as an unofficial kickoff to the spring-summer soccer season in the United States. In March, all 12 teams from Major League Soccer will gather in the Ft. Lauderdale area for a lengthy spring training session, leading to the opening of the 2001 MLS campaign in April. Another new feature of the Umbro Select weekend will be the first United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League Tournament, which will include 48 youth teams from all over the U.S. Championship matches in the Y-League Tournament will be held Sunday morning. The Y-League, a division of the United Soccer Leagues, has expanded its program for the 2001 season to include age divisions for girls teams. The pros will keep the players busy for much of the weekend. Combines will be held for both the men and women at the new Hilton Sports Complex and the Lauderhill Sports Complex. Both the men and women will be trying to catch the eyes of professional scouts from Major League Soccer and the WUSA. The WUSA will hold its second and final collegiate draft on Sunday morning. The eight WUSA teams are expected to finalize their rosters for the league’s inaugural season after this combine and draft. Through the years the Umbro Select All-Star Classic has graduated more than 50 players to the professional ranks. In addition to the two Division I leagues, Major League Soccer and the Women’s United Soccer Association, the combine will be utilized by officials of the Division II A-League to evaluate new talent for the upcoming season. Top of PageSMU Taps South Florida Talent Pool For a quarter century Texas has been a hotbed of soccer talent. However, when Southern Methodist head coach Schellas Hyndman put together his current team he looked to Florida and California to supplement the local talent in Dallas. The Strike Force has been one of Florida’s more successful clubs in recent years, and it isn’t by chance that the Mustangs had three former Strike Force stars on the team that advanced to the 2000 NCAA Division I semifinals in Charlotte, N.C. A couple of players played for state championship teams at Miami’s Gullivar Prep, and when junior Luchi Gonzalez was asked how “guys from Gullivar” had found their way to SMU, he was quick to smile and said, “I first went there and liked it and others followed.” Gonzalez, who played only five games as a sophomore before suffering a season-ending injury, rebounded as a junior to lead the team in assists (15) and finish second in goals scored (12). A member of the Strike Force club since 1991, he was a NSCAA prep All-American at Gullivar, as well as earning Parade All-American honors. He was also a member of the Region III ODP team, as well as the U17 National player pool. “Luchi did an unbelievable job preparing himself from major ACL surgery,” said Hyndman. “Luchi is committed to soccer 100%. He is a great example for players who are always saying “I committed to soccer.” Two other Strike Force teammates followed Gonzalez to Texas a year later. Alfredo “Toti” Suarez played with Gonzalez at Gullivar, and Diego Walsh, considered by many as the top high school recruit at midfield, played prep ball at Miami Killian. Both have been two year starters at SMU. Suarez anchors the defense, while Walsh finished his sophomore season with 10 goals, 14 points and 52 points, right behind Gonzalez. Walsh had four game-winners this past season, while Gonzalez had three. When the Mustangs took penalty kicks, those two, who started all 25 games for SMU this year, were called to duty. Walsh finished his only try, while Gonzalez made three. “I think Diego is one of the best center midfielders in the country in college soccer,” said Hyndman. “The overall contributions of all three Miami players was extremely important. “Toti started every game and usually drew the opponent’s most dangerous striker. He is know as the SMU Rock - someone we always want in on the tackle.” A fourth Floridian is a member of the SMU program. Sophomore Chris Corcia, who played at Cardinal Newman in Jupiter, was one of the backup goalkeepers behind junior Bryon Foss. SMU’s first trip to the NCAA semifinals ended in a 2-0 loss to eventual champion UConn. The 20-5-0 campaign also marked the first season for SMU as a soccer member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Obviously disappointed after the semifinal loss, Gonzalez nodded with a smile when reminded that the Mustangs may have an even better team next year. Only two seniors lead the Mustangs this year - midfielders Wade Fraser and Matt Whitley. SMU returns 12 players from this year’s junior class and 10 more from the sophomore class. “Next year will be an exciting year,” said Hyndman. “This past year our goal was to reach the NCAA final four. We led the country in scoring (82) and return 10 of 11 starters. “Next year we have a very good recruiting class with players that we feel can help raise the team’s level. Next year its realistic to have a national championship as our goal. “The experience that we gained from being in the big show, the excitement, dealing with pressure, dealing with media and all the events which were all wonderful, but very distracting. Next year the experience will help us at this stage. Look at UConn. This year they won the national championship, while last year they lost in the semifinals.” Top of PageKyle Beckerman, the young midfielder with the Miami Fusion, has been called into U.S. U20 training for two weeks in California Three former Florida Gators were selected in the inaugural draft of the WUSA. Drafted were Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Charge), who finished her UF career in 1999 as a two-time All-America; Erin Baxter (Carolina Tempest), who was the 1997 Southeastern POY; and Maitland’s Sarah Yohe (Philadelphia Charge), who was the ‘99 SEC Player of the Year Senior Bryce Wegerle (Gaither HS) and Nandi Pryce (Lake Howell H.S.) have been named the NSCAA/adidas Florida High School Player of the Year for boys and girls, respectively. Pryce played this past fall at UCLA One goal was enough! Golden Creavy scored the only goal as Nease HS defeated Fletcher in a girls AAA clash between prep rivals Seminole got two goals and an assist from Brandi Herrmann to hand Palm Harbor University its first loss in 26 games. The last two years Seminole beat PHU in the regular season only to see the Hurricanes come back to win state championships Former Florida Gator Danielle Fotopoulos, who was one of the original allocated national team players to the WUSA franchise in Orlando, will play this spring with the Carolina Tempest. The Orlando franchise was relocated to the North Carolina Triangle region last month The FHSAA’s state championship finals for boys will be played at Pepin/Rood Stadium on the campus of the University of Tampa and for girls at the FSU Soccer Complex in Tallahassee on Feb. 22-24 Four players who played for the Tampa Extreme last summer were drafted by WUSA teams, including Baxter. The others were Michelle Demko (Philadelphia), Mitts and Carlene Stenson (NY) Four Florida collegiate coaches have been named NSCAA/adidas Regional Coach of the Year, and are candidates for National Coach of the Year honors. Barry University’s Mike Neveu is the Division II women’s regional COY, while Steve McCrath is the Division II COY in the South region. Mike Munch, women’s coach at North Florida, is the Division II COY in the Southeast Region, while John Webb, women’s head coach at Palm Beach Atlantic, is the NAIA Southeast Region COY. Top of PageFlorida
Tourneys Produce Interesting Results Christmas break is the ideal time for high school soccer tournaments, and several high-profile tourneys this season produced some surprising results. Puma International - The 2000 Puma on Dec. 19-21 featured 32 highly ranked teams from Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, and California - including three of four reigning Florida state champs. Played at Sam Pasco Park in Zephyrhills and at the University of South Florida in Tampa, the tournament was broken into two brackets, the Elite and the Premier. In the Elite bracket, host Tampa Jesuit snapped the 59-game winning streak of San Jose, CA, Bellarmine College Prep to reach the finals for the second consecutive year. Unlike last year when it won the Elite, this time the Tigers fell 1-0 to Tampa Gaither in the final. Steve Sullivan scored early in the game, then the Cowboys circled the wagons to protect the thin lead the rest of the way. Also in the Elite bracket, unheralded Brandon handed top-ranked Flagler Palm Coast its first loss of the season 2-1 in a shootout. In the Premier bracket, Valrico Bloomingdale knocked off defending Arizona state champion Tucson Ironwood 3-2 on penalty kicks before falling to California Mater Dei, 6-1, in the final. Soccer Store-Kappa Raider Invitational - At Nova Southeastern University, the St. Thomas Aquinas girls showed they rule Broward County, beating American Heritage 2-1 on Dec. 23 in the final of their own tournament. The Raiders have not lost to a Broward team since 1987. The Aquinas boys also won their half of the tournament, topping Miami Braddock 1-0 to secure their fourth championship. The Raiders peppered the Braddock goal, forcing keeper Christian Gutierrez to come up with 13 saves. Drew Ducker scored the lone goal on a free kick from 22 yards out. King Tournament - the granddaddy of tournaments in Hillsborough County got a lot smaller this year. Typically played at the beginning of the season and featuring 40 boys and girls teams, this year’s version was a lot smaller because of scheduling conflicts. Instead, it had eight boys and eight girls teams and was played on Jan. 3-5. In the boys event, Brandon followed up on its success in the Puma tournament with a 6-1 victory over Tampa Sickles in the final. Sickles midfielder Carlos Pinnace headed in goal in the 39th minute to pull the Gryphons within 2-1, but it was all Brandon from then on. Chris Wand and John Sobczyk led a four-goal second half flurry to help the Eagles pull away. In the girls’ final, it was a familiar pair once again as Bloomingdale and Plant City Durant faced each other for the seventh time in the past two seasons. The two teams have tied in five of the seven matches, but this time, Bloomingdale got the upper hand 1-0 on Ashley Quaid’s lone goal. Soccer Field Classic - On Jan. 4-5, Gaither hosted its inaugural mini-tourney with some of the top teams from the Tampa Bay area. On the first night, Tampa Jesuit stormed back from a 2-1 deficit to Bloomingdale in the first half to win 5-1. Bulls coach Dave Tennian said he is still “tinkering” with his defense, and hopes to shore up things before district playoffs. Bloomingdale has never given up 11 goals in two games before. In the other game, Land O’ Lakes got a mild upset with a 2-1 win over host Gaither. A Cowboy star, midfielder Bryce Wegerle, who is a U. S. Under-18 National Team player, injured his ankle in the second half and was not available the next night. On the second evening, Jesuit captured the tournament championship and a good measure of revenge for the Puma loss with a 5-1 win over Gaither. Powered by a pair of goals from Ryan Feely, the Tigers took an early lead and powered by the defending Class 4A state champs. “They won our tournament, and we won theirs,” Tigers coach Bob Bauman joked. Bloomingdale got past Land O’ Lakes 2-0 to take second place in the Soccer Field Classic. Top of PageWelton’s goal in the 2-1 loss to Chicago in the U.S. Open Cup final gave the Miami striker the scoring lead in the 2000 Open Cup with 14 points. His six goals tied he-im with Chicago’s Josh Wolff for most goals in the tournament. Wolff and Miami’s Diego Serna had 13 points in the tournament Lynn junior forward Sue Sheehan scored her first hat trick of the season to lead #9 Lynn University (D-ll) to a 6-0 win over Rollins to run the Knights to 12-2-0 The Miami Fusion placed three players, D Francis Okaroh, MF Maurizio Rocha and MF Nelson Vargas, on MLS waivers. Seven of the league’s 12 teams put a total of 14 players on waivers, including Tampa Bay MF Cesar Alvarado Tampa Bay GK Andy Kirk and F Alan Prampin have announced their retirement from MLS Florida head coach Becky Burleigh picked up her 200th coaching win with the Gators’ 2-1 victory over Kentucky in the SEC semifinals. Burleigh was named SEC Coach of the Year, and Florida junior forward Abby Wambach was named SEC Player of the Year Three young players have graduated from Project 40 and will assume regular roster positions on their respective teams next year. Those are Matt Nyman (Tampa Bay), Maurizio Rocha (Miami) and Judah Cooks (D.C. United) Tampa Bay’s Mamadou Diallo finished the season with 26 goals to lead MLS in goals scored The Tampa Bay Mutiny has picked up midfielder Steve Armas in the 2000 MLS Waiver Draft. He made four appearances with the Columbus Crew last year Florida International University (11-6-1) is 7-1 in the Atlantic Soccer Conference men’s standings, a new conference which is comprised of the former members of the Independent Conference Tampa Bay Mutiny forward Amos Magee is in Belgium training with Aalst, a First Division club, through Dec. 4 Barry University swept the Coach of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the Sunshine Conference. Steve McCrath and Mike Neveu were named the league’s men’s and women’s COY, respectively, while Ashley Snell (Royal Palm) and Andy Hylton were the Sunshine POY winners. Snell, a junior, had 50 points this season on 18 goals and 14 assists Barry beat Christian Brothers (4-0) in the Division I playoffs in a game that involved three penalty kicks being saved by the goalkeepers - two by CBU and one by the Bucaneers. Top of PageGators Still Rule SEC In a season where the Florida Gators struggled from the very beginning with one of the toughest schedules in the country, one fact remained when the final whistle was blown at the SEC tournament in Athens, GA. The Gators still rule the Southeastern Conference in women’s soccer. The 2000 season ended as it started, with a loss to cross-state rival Florida State. The Seminoles brought the Gators’ season to a screeching halt with a 2-1 victory in the second round of the playoffs. But in the SEC the Gators are dominant. A 2-0 win over the University of Georgia in the 2000 final gave Florida its fifth consecutive SEC title, and ran the Gators’ streak of SEC wins to 45. That is the longest conference winning streak in the country, and second longest in women’s collegiate soccer. In fact, during the regular season the Gators only allowed five goals to SEC opponents. Florida opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Arkansas, with junior Abby Wambach getting all four goals. In the semifinals Andi Sellers celebrated her 21st birthday with the game-winner as the Gators rallied for two goals to beat Kentucky 2-1. Against the Bulldogs, Florida jumped off to a 2-0 lead within the first 13 minutes of the game, and made that standup for the victory. Sellers got the Gators on the scoreboard with a header from Erica "Boo" Schubert, and freshman Robin Fulton finished the scoring eight minutes later. "Winning the SEC is always our goal," said Gators coach Becky Burleigh. "We wanted to win the regular season and the tournament. We hope to get a bye in the first round of the NCAAs." Florida got that bye, but once again could not get out of the second round of NCAA play. The loss to FSU marked the second straight year the Gators have been knocked from the NCAA playoffs in the second round. Last year they lost 1-0 to Hartford. Each year they received byes, so Florida has not won a playoff game since upsetting UNC Chapel Hill for the 1998 NCAA championship. Florida finished the season 16-8, suffering six of those losses in the first nine games of the season. After a 3-6 start, including five losses in six games, the Gators put together a string of nine straight wins. A 4-3 loss to Clemson snapped that streak, but Florida came back to win four straight going into the SEC tournament. "I think we’re a better team than this," said Burleigh. "FSU played well and they deserved a win. This was certainly not the way we wanted to end our season. "This was a tough loss. All season we could regroup and look forward to tomorrow. Today we have to face the fact that we don’t have a tomorrow. We need to make sure this is an experience to grow from." Top of PageKrauss
Leading South Florida TAMPA, FLORIDA — Coming out of Clearwater High School in 1996, Greg Krauss was a highly sought after soccer prospect. Wake Forest and the University of South Florida (USF) were two of the schools recruiting the 6-feet-1, 180 pound striker, but he chose to attend Ohio University - not as a soccer player but as a place-kicker for the Bobcats. After a year and some injuries at Ohio, he decided not to return to football. Wake Forest and USF still wanted him, and he decided on Wake for two reasons. One was that assistant John Hackworth, the one who had been pursuing him all along, was still interested. The other was that there was some turmoil at USF in the midst of Coach Dave Christensen’s dismissal due to NCAA rules violations. Krauss went to Wake Forest, but ironically, it was Hackworth who left Wake to accept the new position as head coach of USF. After playing two years for the Demon Deacons, Krauss decided again to transfer, and finally ended up playing for Hackworth at USF. "I decided to go to USF for academic as well as soccer reasons," Krauss said. "It was back close to home for me, and academically it gave me a few more options. I’m glad to be able to close out my career (at USF)." On Oct. 3, Krauss was named the Conference-USA Offensive Player of the Week for an incredible performance during USF’s Reebok/Baymont Inns Tournament in which he scored USF a goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to Memphis and had a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Alabama A&M. Krauss followed that up with a two-goal performance in a 3-1 win over rival University of Central Florida the following week. Krauss has been one of the bright spots on an otherwise underachieving USF squad this season. The Bulls pulled to an even 7-7 record with a 3-1 win over Mercer on Oct. 10, a vast improvement over their 0-4 start, but according to Hackworth, they should be 10-2 by now. "We definitely have the talent and the players. That’s the most frustrating part," Hackworth said. "What they bring as far as skill and athleticism is on par with any of the best teams in the country. We’re just not very consistent. "If time of possession was what you won soccer games on, we’d be #1. We’re controlling the ball. We’re just not making plays. We’re not getting any breaks. And we have to limit our defensive mistakes." On paper, the Bulls back line of seniors Ryan Beaudoin and Wes Elias and sophomore sweeper Casey Stump stacks up with the best defenses in NCAA Division I. But the Bulls ‘D’ has had critical lapses at inopportune times. "We just can’t seem to win key games," said Krauss, who leads the USF offense with seven goals, 14 points and 25 shots. "It’s like we’ll have just one breakdown in a game, and the other team takes advantage." As evidence, USF played a tough C-USA match against Charlotte on Oct. 6. With the score tied late in the game, USF gave up an own goal off a corner kick and lost 2-1. "It’s been disappointing, but we still have a chance of getting into Conference USA tourney and winning," Krauss said as he looked to the upcoming schedule. "With talent we do have, we still think we can play with anybody in the nation. Of course, we have the ability to lose to anybody in the nation too." The Bulls’ most consistent player on defense has been freshman goalkeeper Troy Perkins, an All-American recruit from Worthington, Ohio. He was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the season-opening Virginia Soccer Classic, and has kept the Univesity of South Florida in games all season. The Bulls have a killer spate of games upcoming, including away matches at Top-20 teams UAB and St. Louis - but they are games they’ll have to win if they want to have any chance at a post-season berth. "We’re going to have to get some W’s somewhere, and this is the time," Krauss said. Top of PagePryce Suffers Severe Injury Nandi Pryce, UCLA’s outstanding freshman defender, suffered what Bruin officials have called a season-ending injury in a 2-0 victory over Vanderbilt, Sept. 8, in the USC Fila Challenge. Pryce (Casselberry, FL) went down in the first half with a fractured left tibia. Pryce was a member of the U.S. national team player pool and an aternate on the U.S. Olympic team. Pryce led Lake Howell High School to a Florida state high school championship last winter, and was one of the most highly recruited players in the U.S. last year. She originally committed to attend the University of Virginia, but when Cavaliers’ head coach April Heinrichs was named the U.S. Women’s National Coach, Pryce withdrew her verbal commitment and signed with UCLA. It was reported during the Bruins’ preseason that Pryce was playing with a stress fracture. It is not know if that injury is related to the one she suffered against Vanderbilt. The #8 ranked Bruins were 4-1 after the win over Vanderbilt, which fell to 2-3 after the loss. Top of PageBrandon
Flames Took On The World The Brandon FC Flames Under-14 Boys decided to skip this year’s Florida State Cup. After being crowned state champs three consecutive times, the Flames wanted to go for a bigger prize - a world title. The Flames were invited to play in the Nike Premier Cup, a competition for U14 club teams that first kicked off in 1993 with the vision of "promoting and rewarding participation in youth football." Today, the tournament spans 49 countries, with nearly 6,000 teams competing. An underdog entry, the Flames went to the Nike USA Regionals in Philadelphia and tore through the competition. The Flames finished first in the East, winning four and drawing one of their five games, and outscoring their opponents by a combined 10-1. This included a 3-0 grudge match victory over Miami Strike Force, the team that had beaten them on penalty kicks in the 1999 Tampa Bay Sun Bowl. In the Nike national finals, the Flames upset the highly regarded La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads 1-0 to reach the championship game. There, Brandon was up 2-1 with six minutes to play, but gave up a late penalty kick and lost 3-2 to the Chicago Sockers. The second-place finish was still good enough to make it to Amsterdam. Before the world finals, Flames coach Scott Sedlak said that he would be pleased if his team got through round-robin play to the playoffs. But admittedly, the Flames were playing against a new level of competition. "This will be our first international competition," Sedlak told the St. Petersburg Times. "We have played other international teams, but not at the level we will see in Holland. This will be a major learning experience for us, a caliber of soccer we’ve never seen before." True enough, the Flames suffered a 2-0 loss on the opening day versus Mexico’s Club de Futbol America, followed by a 3-0 downer against Denmark’s AGF Aarhus. On day two, the Flames fell 6-0 to Real Madrid, and 3-0 to Austria’s VFB Admira Wacker Medling. But Brandon finally pulled it together on day three, topping host Holland AZ (3-1) to finish on a respectable note. Incidentally, the Chicago Sockers did not fare much better, going 1-3-1. Brazil’s Sport Club Internacional was crowned the Nike Premier Cup World Champion, beating Japan’s Verdy Junior Youth 1-0 in the final held at Nike Park in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. The Flames had nothing to hang their heads over. Scanning through the Nike web site, http://www.nikefootball.com, one can see some impressive bios of the international players in the tournament, some of whom already are under contract to play for professional club teams. Brandon is the second Tampa Bay area team in four years to get a shot at the world title. In 1997, the Carollwood (now Black Watch) Lightning, coached by former Tampa Bay Rowdie Steve Wegerle, finished sixth in the world at the Premier Cup in South Africa. The Flames were anchored this season by a solid defense, led by sweeper Jack Bine and goalie Chris Sedlak. In the midfield, Brandon Patterson controlled play, and Garth Juckem was a skillful playmaker. Mike DeAngelis, from Ormond Beach, was the team’s leading scorer, along with fellow striker Toyin Phillips. The loaded Flames roster included 10 players on the state Olympic Developmental teams for U14 and U13 players. Most of the players will be freshmen at Bloomingdale, Durant, Brandon, Riverview and Jesuit high schools next season. Top of PageBoca
Gunners Turn Tragedy Into Triumph The Team Boca Gunners Under-17 Boys have been arguably the top club team in Florida this season. They were the only Florida squad to earn a United States Youth Soccer Association (USYA) Regional Title, following up on back-to-back Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) State Cup titles. The Gunners recently returned from the USYSA National Championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, where they were a game away from the national finals. The Gunners, however, started out their season with devastation. Last August, they lost team member Marcus Lake to an auto accident. According to coach Mike Duncan, Lake was "a tremendous player" for three years on the club and was being heavily recruited by UConn when his life was cut short. Through this tragic event, however, the Gunners evolved into a close-knit group, making their season a tribute to their fallen teammate. "All season we have remembered Marcus with prayers, laughter, and of course tears," Duncan wrote via e-mail. "We now utilize a saying from English soccer: ‘You’ll never walk alone.’ "Well, we feel that Marcus is always with us and we too will be (with) him someday, but as we say before each game, ‘Not today.’ It is a true tribute to our family member and always a Gunner, Marcus." The Gunners are composed of players from the local Boca Raton community, South Florida area, and two from Central Florida. Duncan formed the team when they were Under-11 players out of Team Boca, part of the Soccer Association of Boca Raton (SABR). The Gunners have prospered with strong coaching from the likes of Duncan, Steve Peet, Jim Blankenship, and Ray Klivecka. The team has made it to the past five FYSA Final Fours. But nothing compares to the team’s success in the 1999-2000 campaign. Take a look at its accomplishments:
The Gunners’ starting lineup leaves college coaches drooling with an array of national-caliber players. Kevin Taylor was captain of the State ODP team, a member of the Region III ODP team, and a USYSA National Pool player. Taylor will attend the University of Michigan this fall to help kick start its fledgling program. C.D. Harris was a member of the State ODP team, Region III ODP team, and USYSA National Pool player, not to mention being named the MVP of last year’s Sun Bowl. Harris will be attending the University of South Florida, where coach Duncan is headed to become the new assistant to USF Head Coach John Hackworth. Ian Hirschfield was also a State ODP player and Region III Pool player, as well as the Gunners’ captain. He, too, will attend Michigan. Simba Harris was a State ODP team member, Region III Pool player, and will attend Florida International University on a scholarship, along with Gunners teammate Damien Charlton. Stephen Arbuzow also has a college scholarship to Jacksonville University. The Gunners also have several promising younger players in Wesley Windsor, Ryan Lockett, and Charlie Koniver - all State and Regional ODP players. The Tampa Bay Sun Bowl was the team’s first big test after the 1999 USYSA Regionals and losing Lake. According to Duncan, the team came together quickly after only two practices, and stayed relatively injury-free to capture the prestigious Sun Bowl title. Harris was named the tournament MVP in the U-17 age group, scoring the game-winner against Reston (Va.) Raiders to the give the Gunners a 2-1 championship victory. The Gunners defended their state title with a gritty 3-2 victory over the Clearwater Chargers in the final. In the semifinals, the Gunners downed the Tampa Bay Kickers 3-1. "Our State Cup was obviously the most difficult challenge so far," Duncan said before USYSA nationals. "We allowed three goals in the semis and finals of State Cup which was two more than in all of (USYSA) Regionals. Our state competition is extremely difficult, and I do feel that Clearwater Chargers would (have) done very well if they had beaten us in the State Finals." In the Southern Regionals, the Gunners downed Little Rock (Ark.) FC 5-0, powered by a pair of goals by Hirschfield. Then, they topped Tennessee 3-1 and the LaFrieneier (La.) Gamblers 2-0. The Gunners blanked the Vestavia (Ala.) Vipers 3-0 before downing the Houston Texans 2-0 in the final with both goals coming from Cleveland Brown. Goalie Thomas Myers turned in the fine net tending to lead a stingy defense to four shutouts in the tourney. Duncan said that winning a national title with the Gunners would have been the perfect farewell before heading to his new position at USF. However, it was not meant to be. In the most ironic of twists, the Gunners faced a team in the nationals that had also tragically lost a player. The Gunners faced the West Babylon (N.Y.) Panthers in a must-win situation. Having lost 2-1 to the Chicago Magic Sockers and tied San Juan (Calif.) Lightning 1-1, Team Boca needed a win to advance to the championship. On the other side of the pitch, the Panthers had lost co-captain Thomas MacEwen just two weeks prior to the start of the national tournament, also in a tragic car accident. According the USYSA web site: "After hearing of the Panthers’ loss, the Gunners were granted permission to e-mail the Panthers players to extend condolences and offer their support. "Even though the Gunners’ season has ended (they tied West Babylon 1-1), the spirit of their lost teammate will live on in the Panthers as they go for their first national championship." West Babylon went on to win the national championship in a stunning 1-0 upset over the previously unbeaten Chicago Magic Sockers. Top of PageSanta
Rosa's Field of Dreams Santa Rosa County - About seven miles east of Pensacola is a 40-acre plot where there was once a cotton field. Over the past three years, however, the site has been transformed into a premier soccer facility that will host the final four of this year’s Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup. "The fact that it’s here is a miracle, really," said Larry Kaden, who as president of the Pace Soccer Association (now FC Santa Rosa), once got on a local radio show trying to rally support for the complex. "Santa Rosa County does not have a recreation department per se. So, our club developed all the plans, and we were literally out there digging ditches. It was a lot of hard work" Through the vision and dedication of Kaden, along with current FC Santa Rosa president Charlie Kimsey and several others, the Santa Rosa Soccer Complex came into being and will play host to some of the best soccer in Florida on the weekend of June 3-4. Kaden said that despite the recent lack of rain, the fields are in good condition. "We have a good irrigation system," he chuckled. "We dug it ourselves." Kaden warned that there are still a few things under development at the complex. "People ought to bring shade - an umbrella or something," he said, since there is absolutely no relief from the sun available. The fields are located seven miles north of Pace in the Florida Panhandle. In this soccer-crazy area, the local teams began to have a lot of success playing on makeshift fields at churches and playgrounds. The success of these teams spurred on local interest until at last, in 1997, the County Commission announced that it was going to purchase more than 40 acres at a cost of nearly $300,000. Just as promised, the day after closing on the land deal, county workers were at the site beginning to prepare it for leveling and irrigation. After a lot of work and several generous donations from local companies and individuals, the fields and facilities began to take shape. The complex hosted its first tournament over Labor Day weekend last year. Now, it will host over 1,000 players and numerous fans for State Cup 2000. As they said in the 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come." Top of PageHouston May Be Even Better This Year Houston High School was 25-1-1 last year, TSSAA State AAA champion and the #1 ranked prep team in the nation. Mike Irby’s 2000 team may be even better. "How we do depends on a lot of things," said Irby. "It’s difficult to repeat anything." Houston lost three seniors to graduation a year ago, including four starters. But there are 11 seniors on this year’s team and nine or 10 will start. This is a veteran team with four four-year starters. Midfielders Grant Paule and David Ridenhour and defenders Nick Chantara and Andrew Rhodes, were starters as freshmen when Houston went 11-8-1. The next two seasons Houston posted a combined 44-3-2 record. All four play club soccer for Memphis FC, as does Clark Talley, another senior who will split time in goal with yet another senior, D.J. McCabe. When McCabe is in goal, Talley will likely be in the field. If the names Paule and Talley ring a bell, you are correct. Their older brothers, Ross and Carey, also played at Houston and now play professionally in Major League Soccer. "A lot of players get a chance to see soccer at a high level by attending games, but Grant and Clark have had a chance to see it up close from the standpoint of family," said Irby, who is in his sixth season at Houston. When asked to address the strengths of this year’s team, Irby struggled for an answer. "I guess the strength is that there is no one area that stands out," he finally said. "Goals will come from six to eight different people, and we are pretty good on defense.This team is pretty solid all over the field." Houston opens March 16 in a tournament in Memphis where his team could come up against the likes of Knoxville Farrigut, Brentwood High School or Franklin High. Houston’s leading scorer, Kyle Roberts, graduated last spring, and Paule promises to be the key to the team’s attack this year. If he doesn’t score the goals, he is most likely to be on the end of an assist. "Grant has improved more than anyone we’ve had in the last four years," said Irby, "and he was a pretty good player when he got here. "He knows every inch of the field and sees the field better than most high school players. "Good things happen when Grant has the ball. It’s like the ball is glued to his foot. You can’t take the ball away from him. He’s a distributor, and I know it a cliche, but he makes everyone around him better." Since Irby began coaching at Houston his clubs have captured four state titles - two for the boys and two for girls. The girls won the state AAA championship last four. Is Irby concerned about too many seniors caught up in graduation and college plans? Not hardly. "I don’t worry about that with this team," said Irby. "They are a special group that is still hungry to win." Three straight soccer championships for Houston? Don’t bet against it! Top of PageFHSAA State Soccer Champions Eight Florida High School Athletic Association state soccer championships have been decided, and only two titles were won by defending state champions. Gulliver Prep (28-2-4) captured its second consecutive Class A championship with a 3-1 victory over Tampa Catholic, behind goals by Jean Camere, Kevin Taylor and Charlie Koniver. The 6-5 Taylor’s headed off a free kick by Felipe Rios proved to be the game-winner. Devon Sible scored her third goal of the tournament in what turned out to be the game-winner for Palm Harbor (25-1) as she took a Jennifer Walters pass and pushed it past Gainesville Buchholz (28-4-4) keeper Heather Zurburg for a 2-0 first half lead. Sophomore Gabby Farkasfalvy gave the Lady Hurricanes as 1-0 lead just 4:34 into the game. Melisa Miller got Buchholz’ only goal with 8:32 left in the first half. Sible, who had both goals in a 2-1 semifinal win over Fort Myers, who finished the season with 27 goals, also scored the only goal a year ago in the championship game in a 1-0 victory over Daytona Beach Seabreeze. Gaither beat Coconut Creek 3-1 for the 4A boys championship while the 3A title went to Flagler Palm Coast in a 4-3 win over St. Thomas Acquinas. The 2A boys championship was won by Bishop Moore, which beat defending champion Tampa Jesuit 3-1. The other girls champions were Lake Howell with a 2-1 overtime victory over Coral Gables in the 4A division, Gulf Breeze which shutout Osceola 5-0 for the 2A title, and American Heritage in the 1A championship with a 4-0 win over Lakeland Christian. 4A Men....Gaither Tampa Gaither (19-3-2) won the big one in regulation, handing Coconut Creek a 3-1 defeat in the 4A championship game. The Cowboys, who lost 10 seniors from last year’s team, survived a 2-1 overtime victory over Orange Park reach the championship game. The first goal in the championship came off a throw-in. The Cowboys scored on a Mike Harris heave midway through the first half as the ball deflected off an opposing defender into the goal. The third goal was also officially an "own goal" against Coconut Creek as Norris Hartzog’s free kick was headed in by a defender who was trying to clear the shot. 3A Men....Palm Coast Flagler Palm Coast (31-1) entered top-seeded and finished as the 3A champions when senior defender Jason Farrell zipped a shot over the head on the St. Thomas Aquinas (29-2-3) goalkeeper in the closing seconds of the title game. In the semifinals Farrell scored the game-winner in a 4-3 overtime decision of Jacksonville Fletcher. Palm Coast took a 2-0 lead in the first 22 minutes of the game on goals by junior James Goodman and sophomore Zarek Francis, but St. Thomas cut it to 2-1 just before the half on Michel Valenti’s goal. 2A Men....Bishop Moore Bishop Moore 25-5-2 denied Jesuit from becoming the first boys soccer team in Florida to win four styraight state championships by scoring three unanswered goals after the Tigers had taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute of play. Bruce Wegerle crossed to Ryan Feely for Jesuit’s only goal five minutes into the game. Seven minutes later Hornet striker Frank Ambrosio tied the score, and then assisted on Chris Meehan’s game-winner in the 16th minute. The victory gave the Hornets, who were blanked 4-0 by Jesuit last year in the state semifinals, their first state soccer championship since 1982. 4A Women....Lake Howell Junior forward Randi Holcolm scored from 30 yards out only 17 seconds into the sudden-death overtime to give the Silver Hawks (27-6-2) the 4A state championship 2-1 over Coral Gables (24-1-4). It was Lake Howell’s first women’s state soccer title. The Cavaliers had one shot in the first half and made that count in the closing minutes of the half, as sophomore Bianca Caviglia gave Coral Games a 1-0 halftime lead. Piper Seaman’s 20th goal of the season tied the game for Lake Howell in the 50th minute. 2A Women....Gulf Breeze Unbeaten Gulf Breeze bombed away for 28 shots and came away with a 5-0 2A championship victory over Osceola (23-4-2). It was the Dolphins’ (33-0-1) first state soccer title. Ann Gorman scored a pair of goals for the winners, who held a 2-0 halftime lead. Osceola goalkeeper Jackie Civello posted 12 saves. 1A Women....American Heritage Last year American Heritage lost in the first round of districts, but this year the Patriots turned things around to win their first state soccer championship. Heritage blanked Lakeland Christian (26-3-1) 4-0 for the 1A title. Heritage (26-1) knocked defending champ Clearwater Central Catholic out of the tournament with a 2-1 semifinal victory. Holly Ryder scored a pair of goals in the championship, while Shayla Ruddock and Andrea Radice scored one each. Top of PageMiami Sisters Lead Patriots To Playoffs MIAMI - For years, the American High School girls team has reached the regional playoffs, only to be denied a trip to the state final four. After seeing the boys go all the way and win the state championship last season, the Patriot girls are hungering for more. And thanks to the dynamic duo of Tess and Britt Miazgowicz, they could have a legitimate title shot. The Miazgowicz sisters led all scorers in Dade County late in the regular season with a combined 188 points. Tess, a sophomore, has 47 goals and 12 assists for a total of 106 points. Britt, a senior, has 29 goals and 24 assists for a total of 82 points. No other player in the county even comes close to those totals. "Tess and Britt have been on a tear this year," teammate Stacy Wood said. "I think this will finally be the year for us to get to states. If it’s ever any year, it’s going to be this year." Coached by Annie Perez, in her 11th season, the Patriots compiled a 22-2-2 record during the regular season. Perhaps the biggest win was 3-1 decision over old nemesis Naples Baron Collier. The #10 ranked Cougars had beaten American 3-0 and 3-1 in the two previous seasons. Perez speaks highly of her leading scorers, not only as soccer players but as students. "Brett and Tess are self-motivated and disciplined in the classroom as well as the soccer field," said Perez. "In my 11 years of coaching at American these are the two most skillful soccer players I have coached. They have the ingredients to be great players--speed, technique and the will to win, as well as the will to prepare. "They give 110% at every training session and in every game." The Pats’ biggest disappointment was a 1-0 loss to Coral Gables in the Greater Miami Athletic Conference championship on Jan. 22, but American could have a chance for revenge in the regional playoffs. Due to district realignment, American will potentially play only Dade County schools all the way up to the state tourney. That’s especially good news for American since Boca Raton Spanish River (Palm Beach County) knocked them out 4-1 in last season’s regional final. Through the first two rounds of the state playoff American was 23-2-2, and the Miazogwicz sisters combined for seven goals in a 10-0 win over Miami Beach in the regional quarterfinals. Tess had four goals and Britt added three. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Top of Page |
|
Home || Subscribe || Sports Medicine
|| Coaching Corner || Soccer
Briefs Business || What They Said || High School || Youth Soccer || Scoreboard Find A Tournament || US National || 2000 Olympics Professional || FanScene Newsletter Florida || Georgia || North Carolina || South Carolina || Tennessee || Virginia |
| Contact Information:
Southern Soccer Scene |
|
| Copyright © 2002 Souther Soccer
Scene. All Rights Reserved Questions or Comments: questions@southernsoccerscene.com Web Site Maintained by Page Magik |
