Jeffries Returns To Duke As Assistant Coach

Mike Jeffries, a former standout soccer player at Duke, will return to his alma mater to accept the associate head coaching position with the men’s soccer team.

“To welcome back one of our all time greats as my associate head coach is truly a joyous occasion for the entire Duke Soccer family,” said Head Coach John Rennie. “Mike was an outstanding player, has a great coaching background and will be a tremendous asset to our players and staff alike.”

Jeffries comes to Duke after spending the 2005 season as the Head Coach of the University of the Incarnate Word. He guided the Cardinals to a share of the Southwest Conference title, a birth in the NCAA Tournament, a 14-4-3 overall record and a 11-1-2 mark in the conference.

“I am excited to come back to Duke and work with one of the top collegiate programs in the country,” said Jeffries. “After college I always thought that I would love to get back to Duke and I am fortunate that opportunity came up. It is a great environment for to come to and bring my family. I am looking forward to working with Coach Rennie and the players.”

Prior to coaching for Incarnate Word, Jeffries spent a year as a volunteer coach at Southern Methodist University. He entered the collegiate coaching ranks after coaching in the MLS from 1998-2003. He began as an assistant coach for the Chicago Fire, coaching the goalkeepers. He guided Zach Thornton to the 1998 Goalkeeper of the Year award and helped the Fire win two US Open Championships. He then became the Head Coach of the Dallas Burn in 2001, leading the squad to the playoffs in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. In 2002 he was nominated for MLS Coach of the Year.

After graduating from Duke with a degree in electrical engineering and public policy, Jeffries was the first American player chosen in the 1983 MISL draft. He was picked by the Minnesota Strikers. He played four years for the Strikers and one season for the Dallas Sidekicks before a knee injury cut his playing career short. He went on to earn his USSF “A” license and a master’s degree from Tulane University in finance.

Following his playing career Jeffries got in to coaching when he founded the premier program called the Lafreniere Soccer Association in New Orleans which grew to 1,500 youth players. He went from there to the New Orleans Gamblers Soccer Club of the “A” league where he coached for three years and led the team to the 1997 Central Division Championship.

Jeffries is one of six Blue Devils in the history of the program to be named National Player of the Year. He was awarded the Hermann Trophy in 1983 after leading Duke to a record of 18-2-2 and a No. 1 ranking throughout the season. As a junior in 1982, he helped lead the Blue Devils to the first National Championship game in school history. The game was one of the most epic battles in tournament history as Indiana defeated Duke 2-1 in eight overtimes. Jeffries earned All-America honors in 1983 as well as an Academic All-America selection. He was also named to the All-South Region first team as a senior and was a two-time All-ACC selection.

A native of Bethesda, Md., Jeffries and his wife Terry are the parents of Kaitlin (12), A.J. (10) and Nathan (6).

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East Carolina Drops Men’s Soccer

Sometimes it comes down to wins and losses, and other times it comes down to money. For the East Carolina University men’s soccer program, it was both.

After a two-month evaluation, conducted concurrently with the search for a new head coach, it became apparent to East Carolina senior athletic officials that more resources would need to be allocated to men’s collegiate soccer for that program to compete in Conference USA.

With that in hand, Director of Athletics Terry Holland, the senior associate athletics director, the senior woman administrator and faculty athletics representative, unanimously decided to drop the men’s varsity soccer program, effective immediately.

“In our discussions with coaching candidates, it became clear that a significant increase in resources would have to be made available to men’s soccer to improve our competitive position in Conference USA,” said Holland. “The only source for the needed resources would be from the budgets of our other programs and we do not feel that any of our programs could withstand a significant budget reduction without an equally significant loss of competitiveness for the team(s) involved.

“It has become obvious to us that our current strategy has been largely infective in terms of on-field performance. Of even greater concern is the record against our conference opponents during a total of 23 years in the Colonial (Athletic Association) and Conference-USA.”

The Pirates went 0-15-1 in 2005, and over 41 years of competition dating back to 1965, ECU has posted only one winning season, that being 7-4-0 in 1974. In 41 seasons, ECU’s all-time record is 169-455-36.

East Carolina produced a 17-151-5 league record while a member of the CAA and Conference USA, and has won only two conference games over the last three seasons.

Even without a winning program, ECU produced some solid individual players over the years, including High Point’s Clye Simms, who is currently playing in Major League Soccer with D.C. United.

“While we all regret the effect that this decision will have on current men’s soccer players enrolled at ECU, we believe that continuing the current course is just as unfair to those young men, as well as to future recruits and staff members,” Holland said.

Chad Halverson, who was appointed the Pirates’ interim head coach on July 22 after the departure of Michael Benn, will be retained and offered a reassignment to a position on the women’s soccer staff under the direction of Rob Donnenwirth.

Holland indicated that ECU would honor all current men’s soccer scholarships, as well as any grants-in-aid that have been offered by the coaching staff. Further, ECU will assist any team members wishing to transfer by granting a release.

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Hunter Was A Surprise UNC Recruit
By Jim Furlong

CHAPEL HILL -- An unexpected e-mail from an ambitious Englishman started a merger which boosted the North Carolina's men's soccer program.
Early in 2003, Ben Hunter was 17 years old, living in his hometown north of London and eager to attend college in the United States.

Hunter, who has scored the game-winning goal in UNC's last four victories, will be a starting forward Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Tar Heels (17-3-3) host Southern Methodist at Fetzer Field in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men's Tournament.

The ACC's best defense and Hunter's recent scoring have helped produce a 10-game unbeaten streak. The Tar Heels had shut out their last eight opponents before beating Virginia 2-1 in the Round of 16, and Hunter leads the team in scoring with 13 goals and five assists. He has scored the team’s last seven goals.

The first-half goal by Virginia snapped UNC’s school-record scoreless streak at 906:02 minutes.

Just about a year ago, Hunter first contacted UNC coach Elmar Bolowich. Hunter, after scoring 43 goals during two seasons playing for the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) and earning NAIA All-American honors, wanted to compete at the Division I level.

"He wrote us about his interest via e-mail," Bolowich said. "It was pretty much a quick deal.

"We had to go by references; coaches that I know and trust. I didn't see any tapes. His stats worked for him. He was the top scorer for the #1 (NAIA) team in the country.

"We were looking for a forward. Something we, definitely, needed on our team. ... We are glad it worked out."

Hunter arranged his release from Rio Grande and Bolowich offered a partial scholarship.

"I have always wanted to come to America and do college," said Hunter, whose grandfather served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and whose father was born in San Diego.

"To leave my family and firends, who I have known all my life, it was pretty strong desire to come to America. I just turned 18. Taking a chance, obviously, and it paid off.

"Obviously it was a risk. I turned down a (one-year) professional contract, but my main thing was to get a degree to have something to fall back on."
Hunter thought he might go to UCLA in 2003, but instead he made a last-minute decision to attend a small college in southern Ohio, and he helped propel Rio Grande to the 2003 NAIA championship.

"They had a lot of international players," he said. "I was the youngest and they sort of nursed me through my first year. I needed that ... but I wanted my soccer to move on to the next level, which I didn't think would happen if I stayed there."

Hunter was assertive and created a bigger opportunity for himself.

"I went about researching the schools in NCAA Division I," he said. "I wasn't sure if anybody would take me. It was me e-mailing saying 'Is there space on the team?'"

Hunter also contacted St. John's in New York and Creighton, but had set his sights on a specific university.

"Chapel Hill was the one I really wanted to go," he said. "I saw the history academically. It is important to me to get a degree from a good place."
Hunter, who is majoring in biology and exercise sports science, gave Bolowich a list of his accomplishments and awards while at Rio Grande.
"He found out more about me as a player and a person," Hunter said.

A couple of days later, Hunter and Bolowich agreed on their merger.

Early in January, Hunter flew from his home in England to start the spring semester at UNC. Bolowich arranged his academic advisor and his dorm room.

Hunter said he felt elated emotionally on the flight across the Atlantic, but also felt terrible physically.
"I got food poisoning. I was sick," he said.

Hunter joined the Tar Heels for their off-season training

"To be honest, I am quite easy going by nature; never struggled to have friends," Hunter said. "The guys made it easy. At no point did I feel unwanted. Everyone made me feel welcome.

"I was so happy for a chance to prove myself in the ACC against the best college players."

Hunter is the lone foreign-born player on the current UNC roster, which includes 16 in-state players.

"We didn't really know much about his recruitment," UNC junior defender Ted Odgers said. "Coming from the NAIA, it is hard to judge a striker to NCAA Division I, let alone a striker in the ACC.

"A lot of guys were skeptical about what he would be like. In the spring, he showed a potent left foot and he's a brillant free kicker; pretty oportunistic when he gets around the box,"

Bolowich, in his 17th season coaching the Tar Heels, has started Hunter in 19 games this season.

"Ben is a pleasant surprise ... getting a new player who can stick it in the back of the net," Bolowich said. "Now, he is really becoming a threat. He is very good on set pieces. He holds the ball in front well and bringing others into the play."

During the recent ACC Tournament in Cary, Hunter scored the game winner to beat N.C. State 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Two days later, he notched both goals when the Tar Heels eliminated Clemson 2-0 in the league semifinals.

Hunter scored both UNC goals in a 2-0 home victory over Providence in the NCAA second round, and added both goals in the 2-1 win over Virginia in the third round.

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Five ACC Teams Left In Men’s NCAAs

An unprecedented eight Atlantic Coast Conference men’s teams earned berths into the 2006 NCAA Division I soccer playoffs, and five of those are still alive in the round of 16.

Top-seeded Maryland will meet St. John’s in the third round after edging Brown 1-0 on Marc Burch’s goal in the 26th minute of play.

UNC Chapel Hill, seeded #2, will host Virginia in the next round. The Tar Heels shutdown Providence 2-0 in the second round on a pair of goals from junior forward Ben Hunter, who has scored his team’s last five goals. It marked the eighth straight shutout for UNC, which has now gone 817:22 minutes without allowing a goal.

Virginia advanced with a shootout win over the University of Central Florida after those teams tied 4-4 through regulation and overtime. The Cavaliers won the shootout 7-6.

Virginia Tech, playing at home and behind a first-round bye, lost a 4-3 shutout to UNC Greensboro, Those two teams played 0-0 through overtime. It marks the second year the Spartans have reached the round of 16.

Wake Forest upset #10 seeded Old Dominion 2-1, getting the goals from Wells Thompson and Justin Moose in the second half.

Duke, which reached the semifinals of the College Cup a year ago, will not repeat as the Blue Devils were edged by Creighton 2-1 on a pair of second-half goals. Spencer Wadsworth scored his seventh goal of the season to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 halftime lead.

In the first head-to-head playoff match between ACC teams, Clemson blanked N.C. State 3-0 and will host Notre Dame in the third round. The Irish knocked out two-time defending national champion Indiana 2-0 in the second round.

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Duke Men Edge UNC In Shootout

The #5 seeded team in the ACC tournament played the #6 seed for the championship. Seeding didn’t matter. Either team could have won that title, and either could also win the NCAA Division I national championship.

As it was, neither Duke or UNC Chapel Hill could win in regulation, or win in overtime. The Blue Devils took the ACC tournament championship for the first time since 1999 on kicks (5-4) from the penalty mark after a 0-0 draw.

The Blue Devils beat Virginia in overtime to win in ‘99. A year later Carolina won the conference title to jump start a run that ended with a national championship.

When Duke and UNC met at SAS Stadium on Sunday afternoon the top seeds were long gone. The Blue Devils had sent #3 Virginia Tech home in the quarters, and then knocked out #1 Maryland in the semifinals.

Clemson had beaten #2 Virginia in the quarters and had lost to UNC in the other semifinal game.

Earlier in the year in a regular season matchup Duke and UNC had played to a 0-0 draw. The title game was a repeat, Both teams had chances to score during the first 90 minutes, but both had even better chances to end it with a golden goal in overtime.

The Tar Heels, who took six consecutive shutouts into the championship game, had the championship on the foot of sophomore Dax McCarty, in the shootout. After four consecutive successful kicks, McCarty needed only to make his kick.

The Blue Devils’ sophomore goalkeeper Justin Papadakis dove to his right and saved McCarty’s kick. Duke’s Blake Camp connected for a 4-4 tie and pushed the shootout into sudden death.

Papadakis then saved a shot from freshman Stephen Bickford. Duke freshman Mike Gerella then knocked his in and the celebration was on.

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” said Duke coach John Rennie after the game. “Three games in five days. These guys were running on empty. They were running on their dreams.

At the start of the season Duke had been the preseason pick to win the ACC title. The Blue Devils took a very young team to the national semifinals last year. They are back in the playoffs again with the ACC’s automatic berth, and there are only two seniors on the team, Camp and Danny Kramer.

“We’re playing our best soccer right now,” said Rennie, of his squad that is peaking at the right time. “If we can recover from these three games in time for the playoffs, I like our chances.”

The Tar Heels, who have only allowed 13 goals all season, extended their record shutout streak to seven games with the tie. They have not allowed a goal in the last 727:22 minutes.

Justin Hughes has been in goal during that run. He has allowed only two goals in nine games played this fall.

In the second half Hughes aggrevated a groin injury, and was replaced by senior Ford Williams at the start of overtime. One could not lay blame on Williams’ shoulders for the results of the shootout. Give the credit to Papadakis for the saves he made.

Camp, who scored both goals in the 4-2 semifinal win over Maryland, was named the tournament’s MVP. Both of Camp’s goals came on set pieces.

UNC blanked Clemson 2-0 to reach the championship game on a pair of Ben Hunter goals in the second half. ACC Quarterfinals
Hunter’s goal in the 61st minute gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 win over #3 seeded N.C. State, while the Blue Devils advanced to the semifinals with a 2-0 shutout of Virginia Tech on goals by Chase Perfect and Zack Pope.

The Terps got their game-winner from the ACC’s top scorer, Jason Garey, midway through the second half to beat Wake Forest 2-1. Stephen King scored the other Maryland goal, while Steven Curfman had the WFU goal. Wake had beaten Boston College 4-0 to advance to the quarterfinals as the #8 seed.

Dane Richards scored one goal and assisted on another to lead Clemson to a 4-1 upset of the #2 Virginia Cavaliers. Randy Albright, Ryan Roushannndel and Bryson Moore had the other Clemson goals, while Yannick Reyering scored for Virginia

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Tar Heels Top Virginia For ACC Title

The Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament trophy found its way back to Chapel Hill
Sunday afternoon after a one-year hiatus as # 3 North Carolina’s starting forward trio accounted for all
four goals in a 4-1 championship game victory over # 7 Virginia at SAS Soccer Park. A crowd of 4,547
witnessed a tournament Most Valuable Player performance by senior midfielder Kacey White and an
attacking presence on offense which led to a pair of goals by junior Elizabeth Guess and one each
by senior Lindsay Tarpley and junior Heather O’Reilly.

With the win, Carolina captured its 16th ACC Tournament title in the 18-year history of the tournament,
including victories in 16 of the past 17 championship games. The victory avenged last year championship
game result which saw the Cavaliers claim the title in a 5-4 penalty kick shootout against Virginia after the
two teams were tied 1-1 after two overtime periods.

The Tar Heels earned the ACC’s automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship in the
process of reclaiming the title. The field for the tournament will be announced Monday between 5 and 5:30 p.m.
on ESPNNews. The Tar Heels are likely to host first and second round games next Friday and Sunday at Fetzer Field.

UNC improved to 20-1 on the season while Virginia fell to 15-5-1. The Tar Heels have now won 20 games for
the 17th successive season and for the 22nd time in school history since the program was elevated to varsity status in
1979.

The victory was also the 599th in the coaching career of UNC head coach Anson Dorrance who has led Carolina
to a 599-27-17 record since 1979. Carolina will have its first chance to reward Dorrance with victory #600
when the Tar Heels host a first-round NCAA Tournament game on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. at Fetzer Field.

White, Guess, Tarpley and O’Reilly were joined on the 2005 All-ACC Tournament Team by junior midfielder
Jaime Gilbert. A first-team All-ACC selection in 2003 and 2004, White earned second-team honors this season
despite a career year which includes 36 points on eight goals and 20 assists. She copped the MVP honors in the
tournament after scoring the game-winning goal in the semifinal against Duke and notching assists on four
goals in the quarterfinal and championship matches.

UNC was stellar on both ends of the field Sunday against the Cavaliers, who were seeded No. 2 in the tournament
behind the No. 1 seeded Tar Heels. After three successive games against Virginia which had been decided by a
single goal or ended in a tie, UNC got on the board quickly at the 13:28 mark after a foul on Virginia about 45 yards
away from the goal. Senior defender Kendall Fletcher sent a free kick into the box that Elizabeth Guess headed
into the lower right corner past Virginia goalkeeper Christina deVries, who had three saves on the afternoon. The
goal was the 10th of the season for Guess while Fletcher earned her fourth assist.

Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 at the 26:35 mark when Lindsay Tarpley headed in a corner kick sent from the left
side by freshman midfielder Yael Averbuch. Tarpley sent the ball to the right of deVries’ shoulder to earn her ninth
goal of the season off the fifth assist by Averbuch. Virginia would not go away however and the Cavaliers tightened
up the game with 2:35 left before halftime. The Cavaliers’ Jess Rostedt won a ball just outside the box on the right
side and sent a pass to the left side of the box where Noelle Keselica collected it and buried a shot from 15 yards out
into the right side of the net. The goal was the ninth of the season for Keselcia.

UNC outshot the Cavaliers 8-2 in the first half and in the second half the UNC defense clamped down even more, not
allowing a shot or a corner kick by the Wahoos in the final 45 minutes of play. UNC had six shots and six corner kicks
in the second half and two more goals found the back of the net as the ACC championship game ended up being decided
by more than a single goal for the first time since 2002.

North Carolina got a key insurance goal at the 56:48 mark, a tally which changed the complexion of the game and
spurred the Tar Heels on as they dominated possession of the ball in the game’s final 30 minutes. White set up the
third goal with an arching cross from the right side which found its way over four Virginia defenders to Guess who
one-timed a shot from the left side of the penalty area from about eight yards out. It was goal No. 11 of the season
for Guess and White’s 20th assist of the campaign.

UNC finished off the scoring at 70:17 with the Tar Heels’ three U.S National Team members combining on the goal.
Lori Chalupny won the ball in the midfield and passed ahead to Lindsay Tarpley. Tarpley then chipped the ball
ahead to Heather O’Reilly who streaked past the Wahoos’ defense. O’Reilly dribbled into the box and beat the
goalkeeper with a move to her left before finishing dead center into an open net from 12 yards out. O’Reilly boosted
her team-leading total to 16 goals on the season while Tarpley earned her ninth assist and Chalupny her sixth assist.

The Tar Heels ended with a 14-2 edge in shots and an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks. deVries made three saves for
Virginia while UNC freshman goalkeeper Anna Rodenbough started for the fourth time in the last six matches and went
all 90 minutes for the second successive contest, improving her record to 4-0 on the season. Rodenbough has started the
last two matches in relief of Aly Winget who suffered a knee injury in Wednesday’s quarterfinal game against Maryland.
Winget does not have a fracture of the knee cap but it was too sore for her to play in the past two games. She is expected to be
available for the Tar Heels by Friday’s NCAA first round.

Kacey White’s assist gives her 53 in her career and she has moved into a tie for sixth place in UNC history in that category
with Cindy Parlow (1995-98). White’s 20 assists this season are the eighth most by a Tar Heel in a single season. Lori Chalupny
had the 30th assist of her career to move her into a tie for 34th place in UNC history with Raven McDonald (1997-2000).
Guess scored two goals in a game for the ninth time in her UNC career. She has scored 11 of her 24 career goals in postseason
games in either the ACC or NCAA Tournaments.

The goal by Virginia was the 300th UNC has allowed in 643 games in UNC’s 27-year history. UNC has outscored its opponents
2,710 to 300 in those 643 games, a scoring differential of 2,410 goals. Virginia has now scored a goal against Carolina in nine straight
games in the series. That is the longest scoring streak any UNC opponent has in history. Duke also scored in eight straight games
against Carolina from 1992-95 before Virginia bettered standard that Sunday.

Carolina improved its all-time series record against the Wahoos to 30-0-1.

2005 ACC All-Tournament Team: Kacey Whit e (UNC), Most Valuable Player; Lindsay Tarpley (UNC); Heather O’Reilly (UNC);
Elizabeth Guess (UNC); Jaime Gilbert (UNC); Jess Rostedt (UVA); Jen Redmond (UVA); Christina deVries (UVA); Sarah Huffman (UVA);
Holly Peltzer (FSU); Darby Kroyer (Duke).

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Wake’s Ellington Suffers Stroke

Wake Forest team physicians confirmed that Demon Deacon junior forward Mark Ellington suffered a
mild stroke on Wednesday. The Swansboro native was hospitalized at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Wednesday night for observation.

“It has been determined that these symptoms were the results of a mild stroke,” Wake Forest trainer Stephen
Wiley said. “Mark is in good condition and, as always, his spirits are high. He’s recovering well and appears
not to have any type of deficits after the stroke.”

Ellington will not be available for Wake Forest in its ACC regular season finale against Virginia at Spry Stadium
Friday night. His status for the rest of the season is unknown.

“Obviously, the entire team’s thoughts are with Mark at this time,” said 12th-year head coach Jay Vidovich. “He
spent the night in the hospital and has a good mindset about everything, but for something like this to happen, not
only to a 20-year old kid, but an athlete, is scary.”

Ellington, who played in 17 matches and started 15, leads Wake Forest in points (17) and goals (8). He ranks
seventh in the ACC in goals.

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Eagles Win USL National Title

The Charlotte Eagles won the USL Second Division National Championship with a win over the Western Mass. Pioneers on penalty kicks after the 2-2 tie in 110 ten minutes of play. Charlotte defender Ben Meek had an outstanding game both defensively and scoring two key goals.

The Eagles found them in a situation earily similar to the 2004 national championship match when the Eagles lost on penalty kicks to the Utah Blitzz, but this year they prevailed!

League MVP Jacob Coggins started the scoring off early for Charlotte when he scored off the corner kick from Jonah Long in the second minute of play. Charlotte looked strong at the beginning of the first half energized by the goal, but found themselves playing flat at the latter part of the half. Western Mass. took over the game and shifted the momentum, looking very dangerous on the attack.

The Pioneers capitalized in the 43rd minute, when the Pioneers pressed the Eagles defense deep into their half. Omar McFarlane took a hard shot from the left side of the 18 yard box. Eagles' defender Josh Rife tried to knock down the shot that was headed for the right post, but it deflected to the left of McClellan and into the back of the net. The first half ended with Charlotte and Western Mass. tied at 1-1.

The Pioneers caught the Eagles sleeping in the first minute of the second half. Pioneers defender Tony Fernandes found an open seem up the middle of the field and made his way to the top of the Eagles' 18 yard box unopposed. Fernandes fired a low shot to beat the dive of McClellan and take the 2-1 lead.

The Eagles continued trying to push the ball up the left flank with Ordain, but the Pioneers defense handled the attacks well. Charlotte began to turn the tables on the game flow a bit at around the 70 minute mark. Eagles substitutes Patrick Daka, and Andy Guastaferro seemed to add some composure to the Eagles ball control and ability to attack with numbers. Charlotte dominated the final 20 minutes, but couldn't finish their chances.

Charlotte's hopes seemed to have vanished as the clock read 90 minutes, but the Eagles continued to pressure into stoppage time, earning several corner kicks and throws deep in the Pioneers' end. Just seconds before the final whistle the Eagles finished their final chance. Ben Johnson made a long throw in to the center of the box. The ball knocked around a bit and then came out to Ben Meek. Meek fired a volley shot to the upper right corner for a beautiful goal, forcing overtime.

The Charlotte Eagles had the better of the play through two ten minute overtime periods, but neither team was able to come up with the winning goal. The game headed to a best of five penalty kick round. Kyle Fletcher (WMP), Dustin Swinehart (CHE), Everson Maciel (WMP), Jacob Coggins (CHE), Tony Fernandes (WMP), Andy Guastaferro (CHE), Jeff Deren (WMP) and Ryan DiNunzio (CHE) each made their shots. Anthony Augustine took the last shot of the round for the Pioneers and hit the post, no goal. Nate Watkins stepped up with a chance for the victory, but Watkins' shot to the left post was saved by O'Quinn guessing the right way and making a nice diving save.

The game went to sudden death penalty kicks. Pioneers' David Moyo went first and sent a shot soaring over the crossbar. Ben Meek took the last shot of the evening. Beating O'Quinn with a hard, well-placed shot to win the National Championship. Ben Meek was honored as game MVP for his oustanding effort including the tying goal and winning penalty kick.

Charlotte has won the National Championship for the second time in the the teams' 13 year history, having been in the Championship match in five of those seasons. This win was especially sweet after coming so close in 2004, losing in penalty kicks to the Utah Blitzz. The Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club would like to send a special word of thanks out to all of our fans and voluteers who are all such a special part of this championship season!

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Eagles Win, Play For USL Championship

The Harrisburg City Islanders' 16-game unbeaten streak and championship hopes were ended by the Charlotte Eagles after 110 intense minutes on Saturday night at Waddell High School Stadium as the Eagles tied the series with a 2-1 in regulation and scored two goals in extra time to win 4-2 on aggregate.

The Eagles will now travel to Ludlow, MA to meet the West4rn Mass Pioneers for the league championship.

Western Mass, which dropped its opening playoff game 1-0 to the Wilmington Hammerheads, came back for a 3-1 win in the return home game to beat Wilmington 3-2 on aggregate. The loss dropped Wilmington to 13-7-2 on the season.

After tying the two-leg, aggregate score series with a 2-1 win in regulation, Charlotte bagged a pair of overtime scores – including the game-winner from former Harrisburg midfielder Andy Guastaferro – to win the series 4-2. The City Islanders, who captured the first leg of the series 1-0 on Thursday night at Skyline Sports Complex, received their goal from Chad Severs.

The Eagles knew they had to overcome the lead the City Islanders had built with Thursday’s 1-0 victory, and they made things interesting right away. Their aggressive stance paid off just three minutes into the match, when midfielder Ricardo Ordain corralled a loose ball in the penalty area and shuffled it over to Jacob Coggins. The league’s leading scorer easily put it home for a 1-0 lead in the match and a 1-1 aggregate score.

The Eagles continued to apply pressure through the first 10 minutes, creating a couple of other threatening moments before the City Islanders began to settle down. Ryan O’Neill was thwarted by Charlotte keeper Chris McClellan (6 saves) in the 10th minute after being put through the defense by Steve Fisher, and O’Neill’s 20-yard drive went high minutes later. Before the 20-minute mark, McClellan also stopped Severs on a tight angle poke and saved a Fisher try.

Charlotte kept coming, creating chaos in the offensive third to no avail thanks to the typically energetic Dave Kern and his defense.

A John Lapore steal led to Harrisburg’s first score in the 25th minute.
Lapore ignited a counterattack after forcing a turnover at midfield and, after a give-and-go with O’Neill, had just enough room in the right corner to send a quality cross towards Severs in the middle. Severs elevated and nodded the ball past McClellan to make it 1-1 (aggregate 2-1, Harrisburg). The goal would be Harrisburg’s last of 2005.

In the 64th minute, Kern left his goalmouth to pursue a loose ball but failed to control it. Johnson worked it loose and popped it past Kern, out of position to make the stop, to take a 2-1 lead (aggregate 2-2). With the score, the Eagles had all the momentum.

Neither team could find the winner before the end of the regulation, leaving the aggregate score tied 2-2, and the series went to a pair of 10-minute overtime periods.

Despite Harrisburg’s renewed energy coming into overtime, Charlotte was the first to strike, and it was the former City Islander Guastaferro who did the honors. In the sixth minute of overtime, Coggins moved around Harrisburg defender Dustin Bixler and fed Guastaferro, who put the ball away with his first touch of the game. The Eagles assumed a 3-2 aggregate lead, which they took into the second and final overtime stanza.

The Eagles soon put the match – and the series – away for good. In the opening minutes of the second overtime, Charlotte caught the City Islanders, who were pushing everyone up into the attack, with a counter. Guastaferro fed Coggins, who calmly slotted the ball home for the aggregate 4-2 final.

Notes: The loss was Harrisburg’s first since May 7, a 3-1 defeat at home against Charlotte. The City Islanders had gone unbeaten in 16 straight games, including Thursday’s win, since then… The Eagles will play the Western Mass Pioneers next Saturday, August 27, for the USL Second Division Championship. The game will be played at 7:30 p.m. and be televised on Fox Soccer Channel at 11:00 p.m. that night... It is Charlotte's fifth appearance in the final (1996, 1997, 2000, 2004) with a championship in 2000... It is the Pioneers's second appearance in the final, having won the title in 1999.

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Hornets Repeat As N.C. Prep State Champs

Western Guilford HS (1A/2A) was the only defending NCHSAA state champion to successfully defend their state girls soccer championship at SAS Stadium in Cary, but Broughton and Ragsdale also knew their way around the championship event.

The Hornets defeated Charlotte Catholic 2-1 for the 1A/2A championship, after Ragsdale had scored four unanswered goals to beat White Oak for the 3A title.

The night before those two title games, Raleigh Broughton won its eighth 4A girls championship with a 4-1 win over Winston-Salem’s Mt. Tabor HS.

Hornets Win Again

Western Guilford (18-4-0), coached by George Kennedy, graduated 10 seniors, including six starters, from its 2004 team. After a 1-4 start (the four losses to 4-A W-S Reynolds and Northwest Guilford), the Hornets, sometimes starting as many as eight players who were freshmen or sophomores, put together a 17-game winning streak that ended with the championship against the #1 ranked Cougars.

Sophomore Kayleigh Bouchillion, the game’s MVP, scored both Western goals to run her season total to 21 goals. The game-winner came just 10 seconds after Catholic had tied the score in the second half on a penalty kick by Amanda Sperr.

Catholic outshot the Hornets 15-8, but could not get anything past freshman goalkeeper Caitlyn Gillis, who came up big in the title game.

Western, making its 18th consecutive trip to postseason play, reached the final with a 4-2 overtime win over Southwest Onslow, while Catholic, coached by Gary Hoilett, had beaten West Wilkes 5-1 in the semifinals.

Eighth Broughton Title

A year ago the Broughton Caps were beaten in the final by Greensboro Grimsley, but Mt. Tabor knocked out the defending champions in the semifinals.

Casey Nogueira scored two goals to earn MVP honors in the 4A final, as the Caps captured their eighth girls state soccer championship to finish 21-1-2.

The game also marked the 12th time in the last 14 years that the Caps, coached by Izzy Hernandez, have played in the title game, finishing second on four previous occasions.

Mt. Tabor (19-3-2), trying to become the first Winston-Salem team to win a NCHSAA girls state soccer championship, took a 1-0 lead 13-minutes into the game on a goal by Katelyn Applegate.

Broughton tied the score on a strike from Anna Dodd, and the Caps’ fourth goal was by Molly Skinner.

Perfect Four For Four

Ragsdale, coached by Brien Braswell, had not won a state girls soccer championship since 1999, the last time they were in the title game. Every time they have played for a championship, they have won, and the win over White Oak was Ragsdale’s fourth title.
Sophomore midfielder Erin Hamilton scored three consecutive goals after White Oak had taken an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Tandy Banks. Tigers teammate Sarah Matthews got the fourth goal. Hamilton was named the game’s MVP.

After a 1-1 halftime deadlock, Hamilton got the game-winner early in the second half. Ragsdale finished the season 20-3-1, including a streak of 19 straight wins after starting the season 1-3-1.

The Tigers blanked Asheville’s TC Roberson 3-0 to reach the title game. They defeated Monroe’s Parkwood HS on PKs in the quarters after beating Monroe Piedmont in OT in the second round.

White Oak (18-5-2), coached by Buddy Carroll, knocked off 2004 champ East Chapel Hill 2-1 in the semifinals.

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Resigns At High Point

Tracie Foels has resigned as the women’s head coach at High Point University.

Foels spent six seasons at High Point and led the Panthers to the 2003 Big South Conference title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, falling in the first round to eventual national champion North Carolina.

The conference championship and participation in the NCAA tournament were both firsts for the women’s soccer program. In 2004, the Panthers returned to the Big South championship game, but fell on penalty kicks to Birmingham-Southern.

Overall, Foels compiled an overall mark of 38-62-11 (12-23-4 in Big South play). Her teams earned Academic All-America honors in 2003 and 2004 from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

A nationwide search will be conducted for High Point's next women's soccer coach.

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Boys East-West All-Stars In N.C. Are Announced

Twenty-one All-State selections and five Regional Players of the Year are among those who will compete in the 14th NCCA Oasis Shrine East-West Men’s A-Star soccer game July 19 at UNCG Soccer Stadium.

Regional Player of the Year Eusebio Montoya, a midfielder of Smithfield-Selma will play for the East. He is one of nine All-State selections to play for the East team. Montoya will be joined by All-State selection and Duke University signee Darrius Barnes, a defender of Southeast Raleigh High, as well as Evan Brown, a midfielder / forward of Raleigh Millbrook High who is headed to Wake Forest University.

The West will counter with twelve All-State selections. Of those 12 two were named Regional Player of the Year. Brad Ramsey, a midfielder from R.J. Reynolds HS in Winston-Salem, was the top player in his region, and Sam Cronin, another Winston-Salem player and Mount Tabor HS midfielder, is the other.

Ramsey has signed to play at Duke next fall, while Cronin is headed to Wake Forest

The West won last year’s contest 3-1, tying the overall series at 6-6-1.

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Roberts Resigns as 49ers Women's Soccer Coach

Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose has announced that Neil Roberts has resigned his position as head coach of the women's soccer program after six years with the 49ers. The highlight of Roberts' tenure came in 2002 when he guided the 49ers to an unbeaten regular season, a Conference USA regular-season championship, an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and a school-best 16-2-2 overall record.

"I appreciate everything and everyone here at UNC Charlotte," Roberts said. "I want to thank them for the opportunity they gave me. At this point in time, it is in my best interest to look at other options."

Roberts was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2002 and enjoyed three winning seasons and an impressive 41-13-8 record in Conference USA play. The 49ers reached at least the C-USA Tournament semifinals in each of his first four years. Roberts posted a career record of 62-48-13.

"I'm appreciative to Neil for his years of service and leadership of our program," Rose said. "I certainly wish him well as he pursues his next career move."

Roberts, a 1987 Delaware graduate, was the head coach at East Carolina for four years before joining the 49ers program.

Roberts’ long-time assistant coach, Maureen McDonough, resigned in January to accept an assistant’s position at the University of Miami. She was replaced by Ben Pinkerton, who played at Virginia Tech.

In February, Charlotte announced the signing of seven high school seniors for the 2005 fall season.

A search for Roberts’ replacement will begin immediately.

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Charlotte Eagles Open With Win

The Charlotte Eagles, Charlotte's USL Second Division soccer team, kicked off the 2005 season at home against the Northern Virginia Royals. Dustin Swinehart led the way in the commanding 7-0 win with his hat trick and assist.

2004 League MVP Jacob Coggins got things started early setting up Swinehart for the first goal of the season in the fifth minute. Swinehart received the pass and sent a bending looper up and over Royals goalkeeper Alex Hall for the goal.

Charlotte controlled much of the first half keeping it in the Northern Virginia end, but Northern Virginia nearly tied things up in the 18th minute. Matt Osborne intercepted a pass from the Charlotte defense. Osborne, alone at the top of the 18 fired a shot directly at advancing goalkeeper Chris McClellan.

Swinehart and Coggins combined again for the second goal of the match. Coggins received a cross from the right side, and found Swinehart at the top of the six yard box for the shot and the goal.

The Eagles continued their domination in the second half. Two minutes in Aaron Faro found Coggins inside the 18 yard box. Coggins placed a hard shot to the left post to beat Hall for the goal.

Swinehart finished off his hat trick in the 60th minute. It was Coggins once again setting up the play, feeding a ball into the middle. Northern Virginia broke up the cross, but Swinehart got the loose ball at the far left post and placed it in the back of the net.

Nate Watkins set up the last two goals for Charlotte. In the 80th minute, Watkins found Daka at the left side top of the 18. Patrick Daka spotted Hall off the goal line and looped a shot over his head and into the net.

The final goal of the match came in the 82nd minute of play. Watkins crossed the ball in from the right side. Danny Harvey of Waxhax, NC came rushing in to the far post and finished with a header. It was Harvey's first professional goal in his first professional career match.

Despite the 7-0 loss Hall played well for Northern Virginia registering eight saves. Charlotte goalkeeper Chris McClellan had four saves. The win puts Charlotte at 1-0-0 on the season.

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NCAA Division III Returns To Greensboro

The NCAA Division III men’s and women’s national championship semifinal and final will return to Greensboro, NC in 2005, and will be held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports In Orlando, FL in 2006 and 2007.

Greensboro College, which was the host for the 2004 event, will again host the 2005 finals at the Bryan Park Soccer Complex, Nov. 25-26. Because there are no Division III schools in Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort and Division II’s Sunshine State Conference will serve as hosts.

Last year’s Division III championships in Greensboro marked the first time the NCAA had held the D-III men’s and women’s semifinals and finals at a neutral location. The tournament was highly acclaimed, after which Greensboro College submitted a bid for the 2005 event.

The NCAA Division I men’s championship returns to North Carolina in 2005 as the Men’s College Cup will be held at SAS Stadium in Cary, NC, Dec. 9 & 11. SAS was the site of the Division I women’s College Cup final in 2004. The 2005 D-I women’s tournament will be held Dec. 2 & 4 in College Station, TX and hosted by Texas A&M University.

The Division III Championships Committee approved those sites in its February meeting, and the Division III Management Council still needs to approve the recommendations.

Wheaton College (Ill) won the Division III women’s championship in Greensboro, while Messiah College took the 2004 men’s title.

Florida will also host the NCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer championships in 2006 as part of a first-ever Fall Natonal Championships Festival in Pensacola, FL. That event, Nov. 15-20, includes national championships in men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

The University of West Florida has been selected to host the festival.

The 2005 men’s and women’s Division II championships will again be held in Texas, on the campus of Midwestern State University, which hosted the 2004 championships.

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Elon Names New Women's Coach

Elon University has announced that Chris Webb has accepted the Phoenix women's soccer head coaching position. Webb comes to Elon after serving as an assistant at East Carolina University for the past five seasons.

In her time with the Pirates, Webb helped to guide the program to a fourth place Conference USA finish in 2004. Webb assisted in all aspects of the East Carolina program Prior to joining the ECU staff, Webb served as both an assistant and interim head coach at Campbell University from 1998-2000.

Webb began her collegiate coaching career at North Carolina Wesleyan, her alma mater, in 1996. She remained at N.C. Wesleyan until taking the position at Campbell.

A 1996 graduate of North Carolina Wesleyan, Webb holds a bachelor's degree in justice and public policy. She earned her masters of education from Campbell in December 2001.

Webb was a four-year starter at N.C. Wesleyan and helped lead the team to four NCAA Division III National Tournaments, including an appearance in the 1994 NCAA Division III Final Four. A four-time NSCAA All-South Region and All-Dixie Conference choice, Webb left the school as the program's all-time leader in both goals and points.

"I am very excited to lead this wonderful program," stated Webb. "I feel like there is a lot of potential here. Elon is a strong academic school with a beautiful campus.

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Charlotte Latin’s Horton Named National COY

Charlotte Latin Boys Soccer Coach Lee Horton has been named National High School Coach of the Year for Private / Parochial schools. The award was announced this past weekend at the NSCAA National Coaches Convention in Baltimore. Horton, who is also the Head Coach for the Charlotte Lady Eagles W-League Elite Women's Team, has been quite successful in his coaching career at Charlotte Latin.

Horton is one of 27 coaches honored with Coach of the Year awards, will be coaching the Charlotte Latin girl's team once again this spring, while recruiting and preparing for the Lady Eagles 2005 Summer season. Horton has been Head Coach for the Lady Eagles since their 2000 inaugural season.

Duke University’s men’s assistant coach Mike Jacobs, were named Assistant Coach of the Year for men, a first-time award for the NSCAA.

A pair of coaches whose teams broke through to the finals of the 2004 NCAA Division I championships headline the list of recipients of the collegiate NSCAA/adidas National Coach of the Year awards.

Tim Vom Steeg of UC-Santa Barbara and Julie Shackford of Princeton University won Division I honors as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America recognized the outstanding coaches of the 2004 season for college, high school and youth play. Vom Steeg led his Gauchos into the championship game of the Men’s College Cup, where they extended defending champion Indiana University through overtime and into shots from the penalty mark before the Hoosiers prevailed. Shackford’s Tigers became the first Ivy League school to advance to the final four of an NCAA tournament, regardless of sport.

The NSCAA also launched a new Assistant Coach of the Year award, with selections at the college and high school levels. Mike Jacobs of Duke University was the collegiate winner, while Lisa Kent of Souhegan High School in New Hampshire was the high school recipient.

The complete list of NSCAA/adidas National Coaches of the Year follows.

NCAA Division I Men - Tim Vom Steeg, UC-Santa Barbara
Vom Steeg concluded his sixth season as head coach of his alma mater by guiding the Gauchos to the NCAA Division I championship game. Along the way he led UCSB to its third Big West Conference title, the No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA/adidas Division I poll a total of five weeks, its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and a record of 21-3-1, boosting his career record at UCSB to 87-33-7. Under his guidance UCSB has produced the Big West's Offensive Player of the Year the past four year.

NCAA Division I Women - Julie Shackford, Princeton University
Under Shackford's guidance, Princeton became the first Ivy League team to reach the Women’s College Cup and the first conference team regardless of sport to reach the semifinals of a 64-team NCAA tournament. With 19 wins against only three losses, her squad logged more victories in a season than any other Ivy League women's soccer team. Shackford reached the 100-win mark at Princeton in the second game of the season, becoming the fifth coach in league history - and first woman - to reach 100 wins at an Ivy school. She is also the second-fastest coach in league history to reach 100 wins. She concluded her 10th season at Princeton with a 117-52-10 record.

NCAA Division II Men - Peter Fewing, Seattle University
Fewing led his Redhawks to the NCAA Division II national title and an undefeated 22-0-1 record, boosting his career mark to 186-113-26 in 16 seasons. It was the second national title for Seattle’s men’s soccer team after winning the 1997 NAIA title. Fewing was also named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in four years after leading the Redhawks to their second consecutive GNAC title.

NCAA Division II Women - Danny Sanchez, Metro State College
In just his third season at Metro State, Sanchez has led the Roadrunners women's soccer program from the bottom of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to the Division II national championship. Along the way his team defeated No. 2 Regis University four times. Two of his players were named NSCAA/adidas All-America, and one was named the Division II Women’s Player of the Year. Under his tutelage, Metro State has compiled a 65-5-4 in three seasons, an outstanding .905 winning percentage.

NCAA Division III Men - David Brandt, Messiah College
Brandt led his Falcons to their third NCAA Division III championship in the past five years, compiling a 23-2 ledger. Messiah has earned an NCAA berth in each of the eight years Brandt has been at the helm, including five Regional titles, four Final Fours and a record of 158-19-10, good for an .872 winning percentage. This is the third time Brandt has earned National Coach of the Year honors, joining eight other coaches to achieve the distinction.

NCAA Division III Women - Pete Felske, Wheaton (Ill.) College
The only coach in the program's history, Felske led his Thunder to their first NCAA championship in his 17th season at the helm. With a 25-1 mark this season, he improved his career record to 232-78-16, a 736 winning percentage. Wheaton has won 10 consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championships, and Felske has been named CCIW Coach of the Year seven times.

NAIA Men - Carl Hutter, Lindenwood University
Hutter guided his team to its first NAIA championship, fashioning a 19-3-1 record along they way. It was the fourth time in as many years that he has taken the Lions into the NAIA National Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2001 and 2003. His career record now stands at 276-153-35, good for a .633 winning percentage in 22 seasons at Lindenwood.

NAIA Women - Drew Burwash, Lindsey Wilson College
Burwash topped a memorable first season at the helm of the Lindsey Wilson women's soccer program the only way he could, by winning the Blue Raiders’ first NAIA women’s national championship in his second year as head coach. Seeded No. 1 in the national tournament, his team survived two overtime matches that were decided by kicks from the mark to reach the championship match for only the second time in school history, downing Concordia of Oregon by a 2-0 margin. Lindsey Wilson ended the season with a an undefeated record of 19-0-6, improving Burwash’s career record to 44-2-6.

NCCAA Division I Men - Steve Burke, Judson College
Burke has been named NCCAA National Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his 21 years at the helm of the program. This season he led his team to a 23-1-1 record, with the lone loss coming in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. He was also named Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and regional coach of the year for both the NCCAA and NAIA. He has a career record of 380-117-27, a .751 winning percentage.

NCCAA Division II Men - Dr. Rick Wright, Manhattan Christian College
In his 13th season as head coach of the Crusaders, Wright led his team to its fifth consecutive top-three finish at the NCCAA Tournament. He earned his 200th victory on the way to a 22-2 record in 2004, boosting his career mark to 214-53-6 (.795 winning percentage). He has led the men's program to 12 Midwest Christian College Conference regular season or tournament championships and seven consecutive NCCAA regional titles.

NCCAA Women - Patrick Gilliam, Trinity International University
Gilliam led his team to its second NCCAA national championship in the past six years, defeating rival Mount Vernon Nazarene in the championship game. The Trojans concluded the season with a record of 18-8 and placed second in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Junior College Division I Men - Marc Zagara, Georgia Perimeter College
Under Zagara, Georgia Perimeter ended the season with a loss in the NJCAA title game to finish with a 22-2-1 record. Despite a roster that included 17 freshmen, the team claimed its seventh state championship in the past 11 years and boosted Zagara’s record to 174-65-5 (.723 winning percentage) in his 13th season at the school.

Junior College Division III Men - Jose Vasquez, Santa Ana Community College
In his first season as head coach at Santa Ana, Vasquez led his squad to a 19-0-4 mark and the No. 1 spot in the final NSCAA/adidas Division III national poll. It marked the school’s sixth California Community Colleges state championship. The only team to go undefeated this season, Santa Ana logged its first undefeated season since 1999.

Junior College Division I Women - Tracey Britton, Monroe Community College
Britton led her team to the Division I national championship in 2004, its second under her direction and seventh overall. In six years as head coach, Britton has compiled a record of 116-7-8, an amazing .916 winning percentage. Her team has won six consecutive regional titles and advanced to the national championship game five times. This is her second national coach of the year award, having also received it in 2001.

Junior College Division III Women - Michael Murphy, Richland College
Murphy guided his Richland College team to the NJCAA Women’s Division III national championship, finishing the season with a record of 18-3 and the No. 2 spot in the final NSCAA/adidas national poll. Murphy is a veteran of 24 years of coaching and has compiled a career record of 50-21-7 at Richland.

High School Boys Division I - William Stara, River Hill High School (Md.)
For Bill Stara, state championships have become a way of life. In November, he guided his River Hill team to its sixth Maryland Class 3-A state title and the No. 8 spot in the NSCAA/adidas Region IV rankings. It marked the seventh time that Stara’s team has appeared in the state championship final in nine years that River Hill has existed. The 1994 NSCAA National Coach of the Year in the youth boys division, he is the first to claim national coach of the year honors in both the youth and high school categories.

High School Boys Division II - Tom Hill, Broomfield High School, Harvard, Mass.
Hill’s 27th season as a coach concluded with an unblemished 22-0 record and a ranking of No. 12 in the NSCAA/adidas Region I rankings. He was named the Central Massachusetts Coach of the Year and currently has a career record of 424-75-49, an .818 winning percentage.

High School Boys Private/Parochial - Lee Horton, Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte, N.C.
Horton guided his Latin School team to a record of 21-1-2 this fall, earning a ranking of No. 5 in the NSCAA/adidas Region IV rankings and a listing among schools also receiving votes for the final national poll. The squad won the North Carolina state title as Horton earned North Carolina Private School Coach of the Year. He has built a career record of 331-118-35 in boys play and has amassed a total of 647 wins in high school competition.

High School Girls Division I - Jim Burnside, New Trier High School, Winnetka, Ill.
Burnside led his New Trier team to an unblemished 30-0-0 record and the No. 1 spot in the final spring NSCAA/adidas girls national poll. It marked the second consecutive year the team ended the season in the No. 1 spot, rolling to a 58-0-2 record in two seasons. In 2004 they allowed only three goals while posting a state record 28 shutouts and earning a second Class AA state title. Burnside now has a career record of 186-26-12, an .857 winning percentage.

High School Girls Division II - Claire Collins, Broad Run High School (Va.)
In her fifth year, she led her team to a 20-3-1 record and the Class AA state finals, earning state co-Coach of the Year honors. The Region 2 and Dulles District Coach of the Year, she also won the Washington Post’s All Metropolitan Coach of the Year Award. She has a career record of 58-25-5, a .688 winning percentage.

High School Girls Private/Parochial - Troy Tokarchik, Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa, Okla.
Tokarchik guided his team to an 18-0-0 record and its sixth Oklahoma state championship, ending the season ranked ninth in the final NSCAA/adidas boys spring national poll. The 2003 Oklahoma Coach of the Year, he has earned NSCAA/adidas Regional Coach of the Year honors twice. In six years, he has compiled a career record of 90-3-0, a remarkable .968 winning percentage.

Competitive Youth Boys - James Carrick, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Carrick coached the New Hyde Park Wildcats to a record of 20-7-2,including a 4-1 record this season. In his eighth year of coaching, he guided his team to the Town of North Hempstead Cup championship in 2004. The team also won its fourth consecutive Sportsmanship chevron. An active and tireless coach who always is winning to assist younger team tryouts, Carrick is pursuing an LIJSL “A” license.

Competitive Youth Girls - Chuck Coan, Neenah, Wis.
Coan has been coaching girls youth teams for more than 20 years, in addition to coaching women's soccer at the college level at Lawrence University, Marian College and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. He also has been involved in both the Wisconsin ODP program and the Wisconsin adult women's program. A true teacher of the game, he has had a dozen former players compete at the Division I level and currently has seven girls engaged in the college recruiting process.

Recreational Youth Boys - Blake Siewert, Sister Bay, Wis.
Siewert coaches the D.C. United club in Sister Bay, Wis. His team has placed in the top three in the Wisconsin state tournament each of the past five years, including first-place finishes in 2000 and 2002. His team received the Sportsmanship Award at the 2004 Niagra Tournament. He has a coaching record of 76-30-8.

Recreational Youth Girls - Larry Monaco, Montross, Va.
Monaco is a long-time contributor to soccer at all levels. He has served as an officer of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association for more than 20 years and currently serves as Vice President. Larry also has served in a variety of capacities for the U.S. Soccer Federation and US Youth soccer, including Parlimentarian, Appeals Committee Chair and vice president. Most recently he moved to southeastern Virginia, where he started the Soccer Club of Northern Neck. He served as President in its early years and now serves as Treasurer of the club. He continues to referee and also coaches girls and co-ed recreational teams.

College Assistant Coach of the Year - Mike Jacobs, Duke University
The Atlantic Region Assistant Coach Of The Year, Jacobs becomes the first NSCAA/adidas National Assistant Coach of the Year at the college level. In his third year at Duke, helped the Blue Devils to an appearance in the 2004 College Cup. Prior to Duke, Jacobs spent two years as a full-time assistant at the University of Evansville. In 1996, Jacobs began four years as head coach at Iona College, guiding the Gaels to their best three-year record in school history from 1997-99. At the age of 24, Jacobs was the youngest Division I head coach during his first season.

High School Assistant Coach of the Year - Lisa Kent, Souhegan High School (N.H.)
Kent becomes the first NSCAA/adidas National Assistant Coach of the Year at the high school level. As an assistant to coach Dwayne Andreasen, she has helped Souhegan High School to an enviable run of success in the past 12 years, including appearances in the New Hampshire Class I state championship game all 12 years and 10 state titles. Last fall Souhegan was ranked as high as third in the NSCAA/adidas Girls High School

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Scarborough Resigns GC Job

Rusty Scarborough has resigned as the head men's soccer coach at Greensboro College, announced Pride Athletics Director Kim Strable. Scarborough accepted the position of director of training for the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) in Raleigh, N.C. where he will direct training for the Classic program.

In four seasons leading The Pride, Scarborough compiled a 59-17-7 (.753) record. He closed his GC coaching career tied for second in all-time wins and fourth in winning percentage.

"Rusty has done a great job keeping our men's soccer program among the best in the nation," Strable said. "He has always been in high demand with youth soccer as both an instructor and mentor and I know he will be a great asset to CASL."

"I'm very excited about the opportunity with CASL and look forward to contribute to such a quality organization," said Scarborough. "I'm and educator at heart and this will allow me to be on the field doing what I love: teaching soccer to kids."

Scarborough coached The Pride to an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2001, and a final 16 spot in '02. In both years, he was picked conference men's soccer coach-of-the-year. His players have earned 30 all-conference awards, 12 all-region, and two All-America honors.

The 2004 Pride team was 11-5-3 and finished second in the USA South Athletic Conference. GC was ranked regionally all season and entered the national polls three times during the year.

In 2003, Scarborough led the 2003 team to a 14-4-3 record. GC won the USA South Conference tournament, and was ranked in the nation's top 10 for 11 of 12 weeks. The Pride advanced to the NCAA tournament for its 10th consecutive season.

Scarborough previously served as the director of coaching for the Twisters Soccer Club in Greensboro, and was an assistant coach for the Carolina Dynamo of the United Soccer League. Additionally, he also served as an assistant coach for UNC Greensboro (1995-99).

Prior to that, Scarborough held head coaching jobs at North Carolina Wesleyan College, Greensboro Day School, Providence Day School, Oxford Orphanage and Kerr Vance Academy.

A graduate of Campbell University and native of Buies Creek, N.C.,
Scarborough received an advanced national degree from the National Soccer Coaches'
Association of America in 1998 and holds a class B soccer coaching license.

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Ferguson Leaves Campbell For Wright State

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Patrick Ferguson, head coach at Campbell University for the past five seasons, has accepted the head coaching position of the women¹s soccer program at Wright State University, WSU Athletics Director Mike Cusack announced Tuesday.

Ferguson, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, led the Camels to a five-year record of 48-35-11, including 12-2-7 last season. In 2004, his team won the Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament title, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. A two-time conference coach of the year (2001, 2004), eight of Ferguson¹s players were named to the A-Sun All-Conference teams in the past two years. His overall coaching record is 76-62-11 (8 years), including previous stints at Mount Union and Malone.

"I am extremely excited about this opportunity and the possibilities that are ahead," Ferguson said. "I am looking forward to working with everyone at Wright State and continuing the tradition of fine soccer that the Raiders have started. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity that I was given to coach at Campbell University and the Division I level. I feel the program is in a very good position to continue the success that we enjoyed over the last several years. I have many fond memories of my time here, both on the field and off. I wish the players, the department and the university continued success.

In 2004, Campbell was one of five Division I programs in the nation to post one loss, or less, during the regular season and was ranked in the Top Ten NSCAA Southeast Region. Also, eight players over the last two years were honored as All-Conference players.

"Pat has done a tremendous job building the women¹s soccer program at Campbell," said Campbell Director of Athletics Stan Williamson. "We will deeply miss Pat both professionally and personally. We wish Pat and his wonderful family the very best. We will now immediately move forward in selecting the next head coach for Campbell's women¹s soccer program in order to continue the success built during Pat¹s tenure."

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Bickford, DiMartino Named High School Players of the Year

Stephen Bickford of Green Hope High School in Cary, N.C., and Christina DiMartino of Massapequa (N.Y.) High School have been named the 2004 NSCAA/adidas High School Boys and Girls National Players of the Year. They will be recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America at its All-America Luncheon on Saturday, Jan. 15. The Luncheon will be held in conjunction with the annual NSCAA Convention, which runs from Jan. 12-16 in Baltimore, Md.

Bickford has rewritten the Green Hope High School career goals record with 124 tallies during his career. His 48 goals in only 24 matches as a senior also set the school’s single-season mark, surpassing his 44 goals in 23 games as a junior. The North Carolina State Player of the Year, he is a two-time NSCAA/adidas High School All-America and earned the honor in the Youth division this year as well. The 2004 adidas ESP Most Valuable Player, he has led his club team to back-to-back state cup titles. He has committed to play at the University of North Carolina next fall.

DiMartino earned her second NSCAA/adidas Girls High School All-America selection this season, adding to the honor she received as a sophomore. She also was named Nassau County Player of the Year and All-Long Island both of those years. Despite an injury while playing with the U.S. National Team that cut short her high school season, she claimed a Parade All-American recognition as a junior.

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Santa Clara Upsets UNC 1-0

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ­­ Forward Megan Kakadelas scored off an assist by
forward Tina Estrada 31 seconds into the first overtime period to lift
No. 4-ranked Santa Clara to a 1-0 victory over #1 ranked North Carolina in
the third round of the 2004 NCAA Women¹s Soccer Tournament before 2,129
fans at Fetzer Field.

The Tar Heels suffered their first loss since December 6, 2002 and finished the season 17-4-2 while the fourth-ranked Broncos improved to 17-4-2 and will now play in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals next weekend against the winner of the third round game between Nebraska and Illinois.

Despite a 19-4 edge in shots in regulation, including a 12-1 edge in the first half, the Tar Heels were unable to get a goal past Santa Clara goalkeeper Julie Ryder as she made nine saves. Eventually the Broncos were able to break through on their fifth shot after a turnover by the Tar Heel defense in the opening minute of the first overtime period.

Estrada sent a through ball to Kakadelas who finished to the right of Tar Heel goalkeeper
Aly Winget at 90:31. It was Kakadelas¹ seventh goal of the season. The match marked only the second time this season UNC has been held scoreless. UNC was also held scoreless in a 0-0 tie with Tennessee on September 10, 2004 at Knoxville, Tenn.

The goal allowed by the Tar Heels was the first in an NCAA Tournament game
since UNC lost to Santa Clara 2-1 in the NCAA semifinals on December 6, 2002
in Austin, Texas. That was also UNC¹s last loss. The Tar Heels were 47-0-2
since that loss to the Broncos.

The loss marked only the first time the ever in the history of the NCAA Division I playoffs that the Tar Heels have not advanced to the national semifinals. It also marks the first season that UNC didn't win either the ACC championship or the NCAA championship.

Santa Clara 0 0 1‹1
North Carolina 0 0 0‹0
Scoring Summary
90:31‹SC‹Megan Kakadelas, 7th (Tina Estrada)
Shots: SC 5, NC 19
Saves: Julie Ryder (SC) 9, Aly Winget (NC) 1
Corner Kicks: SC 3, NC 4
Fouls: SC 14, NC 10
Offsides: SC 9, NC 2
Referee: Dennis Cook; Assistant Referees: Mark Kadlecik, Kai
Goodrich;
Alternate Official: Roger Morton
Attendance: 2,129
Records: SC 17-4-2, NC 20-1-2

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Lawsuit Against Dorrance Dismissed

A United States District Court judge has granted summary judgment for the defendants on all of the plaintiffs¹ claims in a lawsuit filed against University of North Carolina women¹s soccer coach Anson Dorrance, the school and other University and athletic department officials.

The summary judgment was granted in the U.S. District Court in Greensboro on
Wednesday (Oct. 27).

"I am thankful the court has ruled to dismiss the case", says Dorrance. "I appreciate the support so many people, including the University, my players and family, gave me throughout this entire process. So many of the comments that were attributed to me were simply not true. I apologized before for making some inappropriate comments, but none of them reached the levels that were claimed in this case. I¹m glad we can all move forward and I can concentrate on my family and my team."

"This dismissal has been a long time coming for Anson, his family and our University, especially the women¹s soccer program," says Director of Athletics Dick Baddour. "Anson and his staff have represented the University well for many years. We are pleased the court found that there was no merit for the case to continue. We support Anson and believe in his leadership of our women¹s soccer program."

Another part of the lawsuit was previously resolved between Dorrance and
another of the plaintiffs on March 23, 2004.

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Utah Rallies To Beat Eagles On PKs

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Utah Blitzz rallied from a two-goal deficit in the game and a one-goal deficit in the penalty kick tiebreaker, winning the 2004 Pro Soccer League championship in the sixth round of penalties (5-4) after a 2-2 draw against the Charlotte Eagles through 120 minutes of action at Waddell Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina Saturday night in front of 3,034.

Utah’s first good scoring opportunity came in the 22nd minute when a ball up the middle forced a communication error in the Charlotte backline that allowed the ball to get through to Utah forward Richard Breza inside the box. With his back to goal, Breza was pressured by oncoming Charlotte goalkeeper Eric Pattison, the 2004 Goalkeeper of the Year, and misplayed the ball, allowing Pattison to smother it to end the play.

The Eagles got on the board first courtesy of an unlikely source. With Utah concentrating on shutting down 2004 PSL MVP Jacob Coggins, defender Aaron Faro stepped up for his first points of the season in the 40th minute.

With the ball on the right flank, Patrick Daka slipped the ball back to a wide-open Faro, who blasted a 20-yard shot from the right corner of the penalty area to the far post, out of the reach of 2003 Goalkeeper of the Year Chad Sackett.

Charlotte took a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute on a strike from Daka. A throw-in from Ben Meek on the left touchline was sent in to a tightly marked Coggins inside the box. Coggins flicked his header to the other side of the box to Daka, who buried a shot on the volley to the far post.

Utah had only allowed two goals in a game four times over the course of the season, losing three times to just one win.

The Blitzz finally broke through for their first tally in the 66th minute. A short corner came out to the top right corner of the box before being sent all the way through the Charlotte defense into the six-yard box to Breza, who redirected the ball at the far post.

Charlotte nearly went back up by two in the 74th when a backheel shot from Daka at the edge of the six was stopped by Utah’s Jacobi Goodfellow, who was stationed at the post.

Less than a minute after Utah’s Alejandro Gutierrez left with a knee injury, Blitzz forward Byron Carmichael caught Pattison napping with a long, floating chip shot from outside the 18 on the right side that found its way into the upper left corner in the 80th to tie the game up and ultimately send the match to overtime.

Neither team lost a game that went to overtime during the season with Utah sporting draws in all three matches that went to extra time and Charlotte boasting a 2-0-2 record.

Utah nearly won the game on a defensive error in the 114th minute when a clearance from Charlotte’s Kevin O’Brien popped nearly straight up. Pattison came out to try to catch the ball only to see the ball headed out to Breza, who cracked a shot on goal. O’Brien, realizing their was an empty net after the failed clearance, had taken position on the line, however, and was there to head the ball out of danger on the goalline.

Overtime finished scoreless, sending the game to FIFA penalty kicks to decide the match.
Charlotte took the initial lead in the tiebreaker when Jorge Estrada’s third round shot missed just wide of the left post.

The Eagles nearly locked it up on Goodfellow’s attempt in the next round when Pattison got his hand on the ball, but it was not enough to keep it from finding the back of the net. The missed opportunity hurt as Charlotte’s offensive star of the night, Daka, saw his shot go off the left post in the final round, leveling the tiebreaker at 4-4.

Utah substitute goalkeeper Luis Zamora, who entered the match in the final moments of overtime for penalty kicks, proved the hero of the game in sudden death, stopping Chris Lemons’ attempt after Jason Boyce converted his in the sixth round. Lemons’ shot to the right was knocked high over the goal by Zamora, who saw action in just three games on the season (0-2-0).

Breza, who scored the critical first goal for Utah, was named the PSL Championship Most Valuable Player.

The championship is the second for Utah, which won the 2001 title at home, 1-0, against the Greenville Lions. It was the third championship game loss for the Eagles, who won the 2000 title before moving to the A-League for three seasons.

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Charlotte Eagles To Host Championship Game

The Charlotte Eagles advanced to the USL Pro Soccer League's championship game on Patrick Daka's goal to eliminate the new Hampshire Phantoms 1-0 in the league semifinals.

The Eagles will host the Utah Blitzz for the title on Saturday night, Sept. 9, at Waddell Stadium. The Blitzz defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-0 in the other semifinal game.

Against the Phantoms, the Eagles had the edge on offense in the first half of the match, but the Phantoms played strong defense, presenting some counter attack opportunities. In the 6th minute Richard Fleming nearly took the lead for New Hampshire with a nice shot to the top right corner. Eagles goalkeeper Eric Pattison made a diving save to send the shot wide right.

Charlotte's two best scoring chances of the first half came in the 22nd and 25th minutes. Daka had the first opportunity when Jacob Coggins, flicked the ball into the center off the throw in. Daka came crashing in at the right post, but sent his shot wide right. Jacob Coggins had the next chance, off a great serve into the box from Ben Meek. Coggins got a head on the cross, directing it toward the net, but sent it wide right.

Charlotte was fired up coming into the second half, and just two minutes into the first half the Eagles took the lead, as Daka cracked a shot into the upper corner of the goal from about 20 yards out.

"That was the toughest opportunity we had of the six, and he puts that one away" commented Eagles coach Mark Steffens on Daka's goal. "No angle, bent it into the side netting. Unbelievable goal."

New Hampshire won a corner kick in the 58th minute, to set up a dangerous scoring chance. Jason Karalexis got up for the header, and redirected it on goal. Eric Pattison, with quick reflexes made the save and held on to the ball.

The Phantoms put some desperation pressure on the Charlotte defense late in the half, but couldn't capitalize. Charlotte took every opportunity to kill off the clock with possession deep in New Hampshire's end. Charlotte held on for the 1-0 victory to advance to the Pro Soccer League National Championship. Shot in the second half were nearly equal with New Hampshire edging out Charlotte 6-5 on shots. Eric Pattison was splendid in goal tonight earning the shutout with three saves.

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Guilford Women Picked #5 In ODAC

Greensboro, NC -- Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women's soccer coaches picked Guilford fifth in their annual preseason poll Friday.

The preseason ranking marks the Quakers' highest spot since the league started producing the polls in 1997. Virginia Wesleyan was the ODAC's pick for #1, followed by Washington & Lee University and Lynchburg College.

Coach Eric Lewis starts his third season on the Quakers' sidelines with 19 letter winners from last year's 11-9 team. Guilford matched the school record for wins in a season and set a new standard for ODAC wins with a 7-4 mark. The Quakers' season ended in the ODAC Tournament quarterfinals for the 12th straight season.

Guilford returns a pair of second team all-conference student-athletes from last season's club in sophomore midfielder Jennifer Mundy (Murrells Inlet, SC/Waccamaw) and senior forward Kimberly Mullen (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa (Nassau CC)). Mundy led Guilford's scorers last season with 28 points (12 goals, 4 assists) and earned Third TeamNational Soccer Coaches Association of America / adidas All-South honors. A two-time all-league pick, Mullen also netted 12 goals in 2003, one year after leading the league with a school record-tying 55 points as a sophomore. Senior forward Flo Lance (Georgetown, SC/Georgetown), junior defender Heather Ruggiero (Lexington, MA/Lexington) and sophomore midfielder Rachel Gwin (Titusville, NJ/Pennington School) return following honorable mention All-ODAC campaigns in 2003.

The Quakers open the 2004 season September 1 at NCAA Division I Wofford. Guilford hosts Methodist September 8 at 4:00 p.m. in its home opener.

2004 ODAC Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Virginia Wesleyan (6) 136
2. Washington and Lee (3) 132
3. Lynchburg (3) 128
4. Roanoke 101
5. Guilford 91
6. Randolph-Macon 83
7. Eastern Mennonite 82
8. Randolph-Macon Woman's College 55
9. Emory & Henry 38
10. Sweet Briar 25
11. Hollins 15

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Carolina Women Picked #1

The defending national champion UNC Women are picked #1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll of the league coaches. The Tar Heels went undefeated in 2003 with a 27-0 record.

Florida State, a semifinalists in the NCAA Division I College Cup last fall, was the #2 pick in the poll, followed by Virginia, which had one first-place vote.

Clemson and Duke rounded out the top five, followed in order by Maryland, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Virginia Tech and the University of Miami. Virginia Tech and Miami are moving this year to the ACC. Boston College joins the conference in 2005.

2004 Preseason ACC Women's Soccer Poll
School Points 2003 Record
1. North Carolina (8) 98 27-0-0 (7-0-0)
2. Florida State 83 17-8-1 (4-2-1)
3. Virginia (1) 76 12-5-4 (3-3-1)
4. Clemson (1) 69 11-7-2 (4-3-0)
5. Duke 64 14-7-1 (4-3-0)
6. Maryland 47 11-8-2 (2-5-0)
7. Wake Forest 46 10-7-3 (1-4-2)
8. NC State 28 9-9-1 (1-6-0)
9. Virginia Tech 22 9-9-0 (2-4-0)*
10. Miami 17 9-9-1 (3-4-0)*

* denotes Big East conference record in 2003

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Tar Heels Tabbed by Coaches as ACC Men's Soccer
Preseason Favorite

GREENSBORO, N.C. ¯ With nine starters back from last season's 12-4-4
squad, the University of North Carolina men's soccer team was picked as the
preseason favorite to win the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference title by
the league's eight head coaches. The Tar Heels received a conference-best
four first-place votes and 57 total points in the poll, which was released
Tuesday.

Following the Tar Heels in the preseason voting were defending champion
Virginia, which was second with 51 points, and Wake Forest, which was
third with 45 points. The Cavaliers claimed one first-place vote, as did
Maryland (Fourth, 40 points) and Clemson (Fifth, 31 points). Duke was picked
sixth (25 points), followed by league newcomer Virginia Tech (21 points) and
NC State (18 points). The Hokies also received a first-place vote.

Ranked No. 3 nationally in the CollegeSoccerNews.com Preseason Top 30,
the Tar Heels return leading scorers Marcus Storey and Jamie Watson from
last year's squad, as well as veteran defenders Tim Merritt and Ray Fumo.

Following a pair of exhibition matches, Carolina opens the 2004 season
against Penn State on Sept. 3 at the Ohio State Classic. The Tar Heels
first home game is against Florida International on Sept. 10 in the Carolina
Nike Classic.

2004 Preseason ACC Men's Soccer Poll
School Points 2003 Record
1. North Carolina (4) 57 12-4-4 (2-3-1)
2. Virginia (1) 51 11-10-2 (3-3-0)
3. Wake Forest 45 15-5-0 (4-2-0)
4. Maryland (1) 40 20-3-1 (5-1-0)
5. Clemson (1) 31 9-7-4 (2-4-0)
6. Duke 25 8-10-1 (2-4-0)
7. Virginia Tech (1) 21 14-5-3 (7-3-0)*
8. NC State 18 9-9-2 (2-3-1)
* denotes Big East conference record in 2003

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Chicago Eliminates Lady Eagles From W-League Playoffs

(Chicago, IL) The hopes of the Charlotte Lady Eagles to capture the 2004 W-League championship were dashed in sudden death overtime in a 2-1 loss to the Midwest Division Champion Chicago Cobras.

The Lady Eagles had advanced to the second round of postseason play with a 2-0 shutout of defending national champion Hampton Roads Piranhas. Charlotte finished just behind the Piranhas in regular season play, but handed Hampton Roads consecutive losses, the Piranhas only losses of the year.

Charlotte and Chicago played a fairly even first half, with action and possession from both sides. In the 20th minute of the match, Charlotte took a 1-0 lead on a Chicago own-goal. Charlotte midfielder Annamieke Griffioen set up the goal as the Lady Eagles pressured the Cobras defense. Annamieke served a nice ball to the far post for forwards Ashley Swinehart and Christy Timbers. A Chicago defender stuck out her leg to cut off the cross, and inadvertently poked the ball into the Chicago goal. Charlotte held on and entered halftime with the 1-0 lead. The Lady Eagles outshot the Cobras 5-4 in the first half.

Chicago picked up the pressure in the second half, attacking down the flanks and serving balls into the middle. The pressure paid off in the 81st minute when Liz Bogus claimed a loose ball in the box and knocked it in the back of the net. With the match now tied at one, the Cobras continued to press forward, but the Lady Eagles held them off through the end of regulation.

Chicago had 12 shots to Charlotte's 4 in the second half. The teams headed into the first 10 minute sudden death over time period. In the final minute of the period, the Cobras pushed inside the Eagles 18 yard box. The box was congested and the Lady Eagles desperately tried to clear, but had to cover up the ball to protect the goal. The Cobras were awarded an indirect free kick at the top of the Charlotte six yard box for the dangerous play, and the Lady Eagles packed it in across the goal mouth. Chicago forward Kristen Graczyk touched the ball to Brittany Cooper, who shot the ball over the Charlotte wall for the 2-1 victory. The Cobras victory advances them to the W-League semi-finals to be played in Ottowa, Canada on August 7th.

The Lady Eagles' season is finished with a regular season record of 11-2-1 and a playoff record of 1-1-0. It was another very strong season for the Atlantic Division Champion Lady Eagles. Charlotte forwards Ashley Swinehart and Tina Murphy were further recognized for their efforts this season. Ashley and Tina were both named to the W-League All-Central Conference Team. Ashley Swinehart was also named to the W-League All-League Team.