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Three Former Cavaliers Named To 50th Anniversary Team Three former University of Virginia Cavaliers, Jeff Agoos, John Harkes and Claudio Reyna were named to the 11-player NCAA Men’s 50th Anniversity Team. Indiana’s former head coach Jerry Yeagley was selected as the 50th Anniversity team coach, and he was joined by two of his players, Armando Betancourt and Angelo DiBernardo. Betancourt played for his native Honduras at the 1982 World Cup. DiBernardo was Indiana’s first All-American soccer player. UCLA also had two players, Paul Caligiuri and Brad Friedel, named to the team, which was selected in online balloting conducted by the NCAA. Completing the 11-player team was Long Island University’s Richard Chinapoo, Farrukh Quraishi, who played at State University New York-Oneonta, and Saint Louis University’s Al Trost. Members selected to the anniversary team will be honored at the 2008 Men's College Cup in Frisco, Texas, at Pizza Hut Park on Dec. 12-14. 50th Anniversary Team Jeff Agoos, Virginia RICHMOND, VA -- The Richmond Kickers are pleased to kickoff their 15th Anniversary with an exhibition featuring D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Richmond Stadium (just off the Downtown Expressway). This preseason exhibition will serve as DC United’s final warm-up game prior to the start of the MLS season. General admission tickets are $15/person and can be ordered in advance via www.RichmondKickers.com. “To host DC United’s first team is a wonderful way to kick-off our 15th anniversary celebration,” comments Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach and Vice President, Soccer Programs. “We are very honored to be able to play DC United a week before their MLS season opener. The exhibition will be challenging as our players will just have begun their preseason program but as always, I am sure they, along with our staff and fans, will be looking forward to the match up immensely.” As a charter member of MLS, four-time MLS Cup Champion (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) D.C. United enters its 13th season of play. This year’s exhibition will mark the ninth meeting between the two clubs with the Kickers and United splitting the series 3-3-1 (The 2006 exhibition match was terminated in the 20th minute due to lightning). United made their most recent appearance in Richmond last season for an exhibition, during which the defending USL2 Champions came away with a 3-2 victory over the MLS powerhouse. Previously, D.C. United traveled to Richmond during the U.S. Open Cup, coming away with a 3-1 victory in 2005 in the Fourth Round, one year after the Kickers ousted the Black-and-Red, 2-1, in the Third Round of the 2004 tournament. With 11 major domestic and international trophies to the team's credit, D.C. United is the most successful team in American professional soccer history. The club has won four MLS Cup championships (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004), four Supporters' Shields (1997, 1998, 2006 and 2007), a CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1998), an InterAmerican Cup (1998) and a U.S. Open Cup title (1996). United has made the MLS Cup Playoffs nine of 12 seasons, winning 15 of 19 playoff series, and has an overall record of 24-8-2 in all playoff games. Richmond Kickers: Celebrating 15 Years of Soccer
Excellence Tickets Richmond Kickers Record Versus D.C. United Hokies Lose Patrick Nyarko To MLS Major League Soccer and adidas has announced the 2008 class
of Generation adidas players that will enter the professional ranks for
the 2008 Major League Soccer season. MLS and adidas identified nine of
the most promising soccer players in the United States. These players
signed MLS contracts before completing their NCAA eligibility and can
be selected in the upcoming 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Highlighting this year’s class are seven players
that have experience with the U.S. Youth National Teams and a finalist
for this year’s MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version
of the Heisman Trophy. Six of the nine players are leaving college early
to enter the MLS SuperDraft - Eric Avila (UC Santa Barbara),
Tony Beltran (UCLA), Chance Myers (UCLA),
Patrick Nyarko (Virginia Tech), Ciaran O’Brien
(UC Santa Barbara) and Rob Valentino (Univ. of South
Florida). Three players – Josh Lambo (Chicago Magic
FC), Alex Nimo (FC Portland) and Brek Shea
(Texans FC) – are high school students who are foregoing their college
eligibility to sign professional contracts. Player Pos. Age Hometown College/Club National
Team adidas adiPure Brian Edwards (Wake Forest University) Andrew Kartunen (Stanford University) Dominic Cervi (University of Tulsa) * Players currently with the U.S. U-23 National Team. They
will be available only for games on Sunday, Jan. 13. MLS PLAYER COMBINE GAME SCHEDULE Saturday, January 12 Virginia Tech Advances To Men’s College Cup Key defensive plays by Charlie Campbell and Patrick Nyarko's 31st career goal led the # 11 seed Virginia Tech men's soccer team at # 3 seed Connecticut Saturday afternoon at Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn. The Hokies entered 13-3-5 overall and 3-2-4 on the road. Tech was also 6-0-0 in day matches, and 7-1-1 in non-conference action this season. Tech was 2-2-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament entering tonight's match. Tech took four corner kicks within the first 10 minutes but Connecticut almost converted a score when Julius James headed high of the post. The Hokies immediately raced back down the muddy field and Patrick Nyarko gained possession of a long, leading pass and weaved between a pair of Huskie defenders and delivered a 20-yard grounder that hit the far post and to the back of the net to give Tech an early 1-0 lead at 21:39. Nyarko has a team-high 26 points this season, and is now tied for the team lead in goals with seven markers as well as a team-leading 10 assists. The Kumasi, Ghana native is tied for third place on the school's all-time goals with 31 goals in 56 career games. He is also fourth place in Tech history with 86 career points. The Hokies entered the match 10-1-2 when scoring first and were 5-0-1 when Nyarko scores a goal. O'Brian White managed another UConn chance by crossing a header which went directly into the hands of Aigner 10 minutes into the second half. White had another quality chance when he missed wide left in the 61st minute. Midfielder Charlie Campbell came up with a key 'team' save of another shot by James in the 19th minute off a UConn corner kick. The Harrisburg City Islanders defeated the Richmond Kickers
8-7 in a nine-round penalty kick shootout Saturday night at the University
of Richmond Stadium after playing to a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes of
regulation and overtime. It was the fourth USL-2 title game to go past
regulation in the last five years. Richmond’s offense looked to their leader, USL Second Division MVP Mike Burke, on the right wing throughout the first half, but Harrisburg limited his one-on-one chances with quick arriving second and third defenders. Burke’s chances were limited to several trickling deflections that Nelson quickly gobbled up. Harrisburg went up 1-0 just before halftime on a goal by Ombiji. Harrisburg’s strength being defense and Richmond being down a goal, it was not surprising to see Richmond on the offensive to begin the second 45. The Kickers controlled play for a large portion of the second
half, getting consecutive chances for the first time in the 57th minute.
This chance came from a close-range free kick taken by Burke. He approached
it and bent a ball towards the upper left corner of Nelson’s goal.
The ball beat Nelson to his left, but sailed harmlessly wide of the target. Nearing crunch time in the 75th minute, Schramm leveled the Kickers 1-1 with his team-leading seventh goal of the season. But, the goal was less Schramm than it was Michael Burke, who brought down a cross from the left flank with a one-time heel pass to Schramm just outside the six yard box. Schramm had enough time to tell Burke how pretty the pass was before firing a ball past Nelson. After overtime, the headed to kicks from the mark for the second time in three years for Richmond and for the third time in the last four USL-2 Championship games. Nate Baker led off a precise, nine-round marathon between two champions that refused to bid farewell to the most competitive USL Second Division season in history. He finished into the low left corner of the net for a 1-0 Harrisburg lead. Bulow got a better look than his first opportunity and, over 110 minutes later, he proved he did have better. Lookingland and Gorres made it 2-2 in the second round, but Nelson guessed correctly in the third, making a diving save to his left to give Harrisburg an edge. Pascale would not be outdone. He stonewalled the next shot he saw to even the score back up, 3-3 going into the fifth round of kicks. Four more rounds of precise finishing followed for both clubs. Defenders and goalkeepers stepped up to the mark as every player left on the field at the end of overtime became an important part of the scoring regime. Pascale, two years after seeing his seventh round shot go off the crossbar in Seattle to give the Sounders the title, stepped to the mark in the eighth round and put it away this time. In the ninth round, defender Ryan Pierce flirted with disaster, hammering his shot centimeters under the crossbar to put Harrisburg up 8-7. Richmond defender Evan Harding stepped to the mark and tried the same trick, but the crossbar, now awakened, would have none of it. The ball ricocheted down and forward, back onto the field. Harrisburg was the champion of USL’s Second Division. “It’s tough,” said Richmond Captain and USL-2 MVP Mike Burke following the match. “This is a tough way to end a season but they deserved it. Harrisburg came in here, to our environment, to our field – and won. The game was very evenly matched, all the way down to the ninth round of penalty kicks but I am happy for them. It feels good to win like that. I have a lot of respect for them.” “I cannot ask for more,” said USL-2 Final MVP,
defender Dustin Bixler of Harrisburg. “It is the best feeling in
the world and I would not trade it for anything.” Kickers Advance To D-2 Title Game The Richmond Kickers have advanced to their sixth league
Championship appearance, hosting the Harrisburg City Islanders next Saturday,
August 25th in the title match. A hard-fought 2-1 overtime victory in
the semifinal against the Charlotte Eagles sealed the Kickers’ ticket
into to the final around. The home team applied pressure early, creating dangerous scoring opportunities in the 3rd and 6th minutes. Kickers forward David Bulow busted through the Charlotte defense minutes into the match, ending up one on one with Eagles goalkeeper Terry Boss. Bulow attempted a muffled shot that was stifled by Boss who threw himself in the line of fire. Not long after, Kickers midfielder Sascha Görres played a short corner to USL-2 Assist Leader Mike Burke. Under pressure, Burke sent the ball back to Görres, who flicked a curving ball overtop a scuffle in the box, finding defender Kelvin Jones in the air; however, Jones’ header collided with the near-side netting. The Kickers took the lead in the 14th minute when an Eagles player carried along the end line and a poor clearance was intercepted by Bulow. Bulow played the ball back to Burke at the penalty spot but Boss made a one-handed block. The ricochet fell to Watson inside the six-yard box and he tapped it in for the first goal of the night. Ten minute later, the Kickers attempted to double the score when Görres carried the ball down the left flank and sent a long, high cross to a streaking Watson at the opposite touchline. Watson settled the ball and played it back to Bulow at the top of the box but his 18-yard blast sailed inches over the woodwork. The Eagles retaliated in the 30th minute when Swinehart eluded defenders as he closed in on Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale. He hammered a shot from the right side of the box but it flew inches over Pascale’s reaching fingertips and over the target. As the halftime whistle loomed, Görres turned his man inside-out and ripped a 25 yard left-footer that whizzed past the near post and the diving ‘keeper. Charlotte picked up momentum after the restart, making the initial attempt in the 54th minute. An Eagles corner was taken from the left side and the ball hurtled into the box finding Swinehart but his diving header narrowly escaped the mark. Not long after, midfielder Adam Ruud looked dangerous, minutes after entering the match. Slicing through the Kickers defense, he sent a missile just wide left. An Eagles corner in the 83rd minute resulted in a hustle inside the box as several attempts were made to push the ball into the goal. A Swineart/Pascale collision left the Kickers netminder on the ground and a yellow card caution for Swinehart. Swinehart answered back four minutes later, netting the equalizer in the 87th minute. Forward Jamal Sutton floated a long ball from the far side of the box to Swinehart who, inches from the far post, coolly slid the ball over the goal line. The gritty affair was pushed into overtime, despite stoppage time opportunities to reclaim the lead including attempts by Jaman and Alexander as the final seconds of regulation waned. First, Jaman carried the ball down the center channel, dodging Eagles players and feeding the ball to Burke. Burke pushed it back wide to a flashing Jaman on the right flank who unleashed a powerful strike from 15 yards but it sailed well over the crossbar. Lastly, Görres lined up a free kick that was cleared by Charlotte. The rebound found midfielder Trey Alexander who one-timed a 30-yard laser, destined to shatter the stalemate but Boss was able to get a hand on it to push it wide right, keeping the Eagles in the game. Two 15-minute periods ensued, played in their entirety with the first phase providing opportunities on both sides of the pitch. First, the Kickers took possession when Görres calmly carried the ball down the field and composedly slipped it to forward Ricky Schramm at the penalty area but his strike was smothered by Boss and deflected wide by Schramm looking for a rebound. Four minutes later, Swinehart appeared dangerous again, this time curling the ball into the box from the right side. USL2 Scoring Champion Jacob Coggins laid the ball off to Sutton. Quick on his feet, Sutton’s right footed shot rifled the side netting. The stalemate was lifted minutes before the outcome was to be decided by penalty kicks when the Kickers recovered the lead in the 110th minute. Görres took a short corner to Schramm at the near post who played it back to Görres. Beating two defenders, he hammered the ball across the crowded goalmouth. Jaman was able to get a piece of the ball, flicking it over the Eagles goalkeeper and breaking the plane, despite the efforts of defenders positioned inside the goal. Kickers Host Bone Marrow Drive The Richmond Kickers will host a Bone Marrow Drive through the National Marrow Donor Program of Virginia on the main concourse during the Kickers exhibition match featuring D.C. United of Major League Soccer on Tuesday, June 19th. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) at the University of Richmond Stadium. The Bone Marrow Drive will benefit former Hermitage High School and University of Illinois soccer player Laura Redmond who was diagnosed with leukemia in April. The $25.00 fee to join the registry will be waived for the first 100 people to volunteer. The National Bone Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) helps people who need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant, connecting patients, doctors, donors and researchers to resources they need to help more people live longer, healthier lives. The Kickers Bone Marrow Drive strives to locate potential donors not only for Redmond, but also for other leukemia patients. The initial screening process is brief and virtually painless. Participants, who must be 18 or older, will be asked to complete a short medical survey with the test requiring a cotton swabbing on the inside of the cheek. A transplant requires matching tissue types between patient and donor. These tissue types are inherited, but 70% of patients do not have a matched donor in the family. With millions of potential donors on the Registry, the likelihood of finding an unrelated donor has increased dramatically for patients of all racial and ethnic groups. Nevertheless, some patients are unable to find a match because of the rarity of their tissue types. Because tissue types are inherited, their most likely match is with someone from the same racial or ethnic group. The pressing need remains for more people who identify themselves as American Indian, Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or multiple-race to volunteer as donors. For more information about bone marrow donation, contact the National Marrow Donor Program of Virginia at (804) 288-9483 or visit www.marrow.org . Top of PageVirginia Beach Mariners Terminated TAMPA, FL - United Soccer Leagues have announced the Virginia Beach Mariners USL First Division and Submariners Premier Development League franchises owned by Virginia Beach Soccer LLC (VBS) have been terminated by USL. As a result, the USL-1 team has been removed from the 2007 schedule and will not be replaced. All players under contract with the Mariners have been released and are free to sign with any team. A decision on the status of the PDL team will be made as early as next week. "This is an extremely unfortunate situation for everyone involved," said USL Executive Vice President and COO Tim Holt. "The Virginia Beach Sportsplex is an excellent facility, there is a great core of dedicated fans, and in many ways the Mariners were headed in a positive direction for the first time in several years. To have this happen in the 11th hour has been a stunning development for all, especially given the rise in the quality of ownership across the league the past few years and the stability that has come with it." "The recent ownership dispute within VBS left the organization without any source of funding. Over the past ten days we have spoken with several groups inside and outside of the market about taking over the team in advance of the 2007 season. Yet, without a firm commitment from any group or individual to finance the team for at least the upcoming season the only responsible course of action is to shut the team down for 2007, even if it is the least desirable option. While there will not be professional men's soccer in Virginia Beach this season, we continue to believe the market can support professional soccer. Although it is our goal to return to the market in 2008 with new ownership for a USL professional team, we will not do so until we are thoroughly convinced that the principals are firmly committed to owning and operating a soccer franchise for the long-term and at a level that will serve to raise the profile of our league and the sport of soccer in the area." The removal of the Mariners from the USL First Division
alignment results in a revised schedule for the 2007 season, which will
see only one home date for the remaining 12 teams changed, and in that
case by just one day. Top of PageClarke Hired To Coach Mariners The Virginia Beach Mariners are pleased to announce Colin Clarke as their new head coach. The former USL First Division coach returns after six years with FC Dallas of Major League Soccer as assistant and head coach. Clarke managed FC Dallas for the past three years. He was appointed interim coach in 2003 for the final six games and took over full time in 2004. Clarke led his team to the playoffs both in 2005 and 2006 and had the most points in MLS last season. Clarke has previously coached in the USL First Division with the nearby rival Richmond Kickers and the San Diego Flash. He led the Kickers to the playoffs in 1998 and 1999 with a total regular season record of 38-18 before moving onto the Flash where he reached the postseason again with a 16-9-3 record. Clarke’s playing career included time with the Northern Ireland National Team, which played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In making the announcement, Mike Sidebottom, the Mariners owner stated “Colin brings a wealth of experience and excitement to the game. His impressive record with FC Dallas set many milestones. We look forward to him carrying that winning touch with him to Virginia Beach.” Jay Hoffman, who coached the Mariners for the past two seasons, will be dedicating more of his time to the U.S.Men’s Paralympic Soccer Team in preparation for Beijing in 2008. Top of PageKickers Blank Eagles For Championship RICHMOND, Va. (Saturday, August 26, 2006) -- Strikers Robert Ssejjemba and Chris Carrieri staked Richmond to a two-goal advantage and the Kickers withstood rally to defeat the defending titlist Charlotte Eagles 2-1 and capture the United Soccer Leagues Second Division championship tonight before 3,288 at University of Richmond Stadium. It was the third title for Richmond in its 13-year history. The two others came in 1995 when the Kickers captured the rare double, taking the A-League (now the USL First Division) and U.S. Open Cup championships, but financial difficulties forced the club to drop this season one tier to third division of American soccer. Charlotte came up empty on the first good scoring chance of the match in the second minute when the ball skipped to attacker Andy Guastaferro at the top right corner of the six-yard box. Guastaferro used his first touch to drill a volley just inside the near post, but goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale was there to make the quick save. Richmond went ahead 1-0 in the ninth minute after midfielder Michael Burke, advancing on goal from the left flank, was taken down by Eagles defender Aaron Faro in his penalty area. Ssejjemba buried the subsequent penalty kick into the right side of the net as keeper Dan Benton guessed wrong and dove in the opposite direction. Midfielder Kevin Knight set up the second Kickers' second tally with a cross from the right side into the middle. Carrieri controlled it with his chest, then beat a diving Benton with a volley into the lower right corner for the 2-0 advantage. Burke, the league's "Most Valuable Player," produced another quality chance for Richmond just before intermission. His shot from the top of the box was saved by Benton, but continued to trickle toward the net. Charlotte defender Ben Johnson cleared the ball away from danger just before Ssejjemba reached it. Desperation drove the Eagles to produce some opportunities as time wound down. In the 89th minute, defender Ross Spencer pushed down the right side and sent a low cross to midfielder Sam Casey, but he sent his shot over the crossbar from just above the six-yard box. A minute later, forward Andriy Budnyy perfectly led Spencer with a through pass. Spencer maneuvered around Pascale and deposited a left-footer into the right side of the empty net, pulling Charlotte to within 2-1. Richmond survived the frenzy of stoppage time and claimed
its trophy. Top of PageRichmond Host Charlotte For USL D-2 Title The USL Second Division regular season champion Richmond Kickers have advanced to the Championship final after a 0-0 draw in Cincinnati, and will take on the #2 seeded Charlotte Eagles at the University of Richmond stadium in a single-game championship match on Saturday, Aug. 26. Kickoff is 7:00/. After defeating the Kings 2-1 on in the first leg of the two-game, aggregate score series, the Kickers have advanced 2-1 on aggregate. Eagles advanced to the USL-2 Championship for the third
consecutive year and have earned the right to defend their 2005 Championship
title. Charlotte defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2-1 and won the series
with a 6-1 aggregate goal advantage. David Flavius got the first goal in the 14th minute giving Pittsburgh the 1-0 lead. Jason Kutney set up the goal working down the right side and serving the ball into the middle for Flavius. Flavius volleyed it in from eight yards out with a one-timer. Charlotte answered in the 42nd minute with a goal by Joseph Kabwe. Kabwe collected the ball in the midfield and pushed it through some congestion before touching it to Jacob Coggins. Coggins put a pass right back to Kabwe on the run, breaking through the defense. Kabwe touched the ball right and then beat McNelis to the right side of the net to tie up the match 1-1. The first half ended even at one goal a piece. Andriy Budnyy scored the game-winning goal for Charlotte in the 76th minute of play. Dustin Swinehart served the ball from midfield, connecting with the run of Budnyy with a breakaway. Budnyy placed the shot in the lower right corner to beat McNelis. Dan Benton had 5 saves for Charlotte, including a great diving save in the 58th minute to prevent Pittsburgh from taking back the lead. Charlotte head coach Mark Steffens commented on the Eagles strategy tonight: "Our plan for tonight was to possess the ball in the attacking half to prevent Pittsburgh from getting many opportunities. We didn't do a great job of that in the first half but we really cleaned it up a bit in the second."
Top of PageRichmond Plays Carolina Dynamo In U.S. Open Cup The Richmond Kickers will travel to Greensboro, North Carolina to face the Carolina Dynamo of the Premier Development League in the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, June 28th. The winner will advance to the Third Round to host the defending USL First Division Champion Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, July 12th. Undefeated in the regular season (8-0-0), the Dynamo defeated the Cape Cod Crusader, 4-3, after postponing the match due to severe weather. Leading the PDL in scoring with 25 goals, the Dynamo features three players in the top six in the league scoring table. For the second consecutive year, a total of 42 (26 professional and 16 amateur) teams will compete in the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The league-leading Richmond Kickers (6-1-2, 20 points) join three USL Second Division teams and four USL First Division teams in the Second Round of play. The Kickers first six regular season games (April 22nd through May 27th) doubled as U.S. Open Cup qualifiers. The top six of the nine teams in the USL Second Division, including defending league champion Charlotte Eagles, qualified for Cup play based on point percentage* from regular season games played through May 28th. The Richmond Kickers (.72), New Hampshire Phantoms (.58) and Cincinnati Kings (.56) join the Eagles in the Second Round on Wednesday, June 28th (opponent and site to be determined), along with First Division sides Charleston Battery, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder and Virginia Beach Mariners, based on last year’s standings. Wilmington and Pittsburgh, as the bottom two USL-2 qualifiers, entered the First Round of competition on Wednesday, June 14th, joining six teams from the PDL, six USASA regional qualifiers and the Des Moines Menace and Cape Cod Crusaders, winners of the two Qualifying Round matches between PDL and USASA teams. Dating back to 1914, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in the United States and is among the oldest in the world. Open to all affiliated and professional teams in the United States, the 91-year old, single-elimination domestic cup competition gives any affiliated team in the United States a chance at winning the title of “United States Club Champions.” USL Entrants By Round Qualifying Round First Round Second Round Third Round Fourth Round Top of PageThe USL Richmond Kickers have announced that the franchise will re-align the professional team, shifting to the USL Second Division (USL2) for the 2006 season. The Kickers were the runnerup for the 2005 USL First Division championship, losing the title game on penalty kicks. By moving to the Second Division, the Kickers will reestablish
long-time rivalries with the Wilmington Hammerheads and Charlotte Eagles,
who have played in the division with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Harrisburg
City Islanders, Cincinnati Kings, Long Island Rough Riders, Western Massachusetts
Pioneers and the New Hampshire Phantoms. The Kickers have been a USL franchise since 1993. The club has grown to include a men’s PDL team and a women’s W-League team, and is a multi-level youth soccer club. “We are different than most professional sporting endeavors in the fact that the Richmond Kickers are more than just a pro team trying to win a championship,” said President Tom Depcrynski, “We are a club that aims to serve this community through our involvement and our resources. We are working on numerous projects, that in due time, will be announced to re-affirm this desire.” One result of the move to Second Division will be the elimination of travel for the Kickers to the West Coast. All Second Division clubs are in the eastern half of the U.S. Richmond will have a 20-game league schedule in 2006, during the months of April through August. Home games will continue to be played at the University of Richmond Stadium. The club plans to continue a home-and-away series with the First Division Virginia Beach Mariners, as well as a guaranteed exhibition match with D.C. United of Major League Soccer. While the salary structure is different from First Division, the Kickers hope to retain many of their current players as they move to Second Division. Top of PageKickers Drop National Title On PKs Seattle Sounders captured the United Soccer Leagues First Division championship, defeating the Richmond Kickers 4-3 in a tense seven-round penalty-kicks tiebreaker after playing a 1-1 draw with the Richmond Kickers in the title match before 8,011 at Qwest Field tonight. The Sounders, who rallied from a 1-0 deficit, joined the Rochester Raging Rhinos as three-time USL First Division champions. Seattle, which lost 2-0 to the Montreal impact in last year's final, previously won crowns in 1995 and 1996. Rochester won in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Andrew Gregor, Leighton O'Brien, Kevin Sakuda and Scott Jenkins converted penalties in the tiebreaker for the Sounders with their goalkeeper Preston Burpo making one save. Sascha Gorres, Tony Williams and Matt Pauls made PKs for Richmond while their keeper made two crucial saves after the Kickers had fallen behind 2-0. Kevin Jeffrey had a chance to win the tiebreaker and match for Richmond in the fifth round, but shot high. Burpo was named "Championship Most Valuable Player." Richmond took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Gorres in the 24th minute. The ball rebounded out of the box after a Richmond corner kick and went to Gorres, a midfielder nearly 30 yards out. He touched the ball with his right foot to his left and nailed a rocket past Burpo into the top right corner of the net for his third goal of the season and first of the playoffs. Seattle equalized at 1-1 in the 73rd minute when forward Maykel Galindo took a pass from Ryan Edwards and slid the ball over the goal-line after a series of deflections in the box allowed Ryan Edwards to slot the ball to Galindo crashing in on goal. Richmond midfielder Mike Burke crossed the ball to Matthew Delicate for shots in the fourth and 10th minutes. Each attempt was tipped over the crossbar by a leaping Burpo, who was named "Championship Most Valuable Player." The Sounders retaliated in the 13th minute when Galindo, a Cuban international forward, sent a dangerous strike from the right side into the box. The ball was cleared by the Richmond defense. Richmond midfielder Joey Worthen created several opportunities throughout the first half, including warding off two defenders in the 17th and 23rd minute minutes, only to send shots over the bar. Seattle closed out the first half with two close calls. Defender Taylor Graham sent a 30th-minute header just wide right of the goal. Two minutes later, midfielder Kevin Sakuda had a 12-yard try glance just past the far left post. After tying the game at 1, Seattle gained momentum as striker Roger Levesque created several opportunities, including a 75th minute shot sent just wide left and a 76th minute header over net. Three minute later, Delicate, deep on the right side, sent a cross to midfielder Tim Brown whose header sailed just wide left. There was an abundance of pushing and shoving in both boxes during set pieces throughout the match. After Brown's header sailed out of play, a scuffle ensued inside the box and resulted in the red-card ejections to Worthen and Seattle's C.J. Klaas. During stoppage time, both teams created last minute attempts to break the tie. First, Delicate received a cross from Robert Ssejjemba, but his low, bouncing shot was cleared by the Sounders defense. Seconds later, Seattle defender Billy Sleeth, open on the right side, sent a dangerous cross to Gregor, but his effort was smothered by Pascale. Seattle opened the first 15-minute period of overtime with a shot from the top of the box, but Pascale scooped the ball up. Graham added pressure in the 107th and 108th minutes with consecutive shots sailing wide of the target. Ssejjemba received crosses from Delicate in the 110th and
the 118th minutes, but shot high in each instance. Lineups: Seattle - Preston Burpo, Billy Sleeth (Jake Segare 119), Taylor Graham, Ryan Edwards (Scott Jenkins 91), Zach Scott (Brett Whitfield 70), Kevin Sakuda, C.J. Klaas, Leighton O'Brien, Gabe Sturm (Andrew Gregor 55), Roger Levesque, Mikael Galindo (Ben Somoza 99). Richmond - Ronnie Pascale, Chris Fox (Matt Pauls 119), Kevin Knight, Peter Luzak, Tony Williams, Tim Brown, Sascha Gorres, Joey Worthen, Chris Carrieri (Kevin Jeffrey 73), Mike Burke (Robert Ssejjemba 89), Matthew Delicate. Scoring: Penalty kicks: Seattle Gregor - goal, O'Brien - goal, Levesque - saved, Somoza - missed, Graham - saved, Sakuda - goal, Jenkins - goal; Richmond - Delicate - missed, SSejjemba - saved, Gorres - goal, Williams - goal, Jeffrey miss, Pauls - goal, Pascale - miss. Attendance: 8,011 at Qwest Field in Seattle. Weather: Cool,
50 degrees. Referee: Ricardo Valenzuela. Referee's assistants: Yaker Reyes,
Colin Arblaster. Top of PageRichmond Kickers Play For USL Title The sixth-seeded Richmond Kickers shocked the United Soccer League by eliminating the second-seeded Rochester Raging Rhinos 4-2 on aggregate in the semifinals of the USL First Division playoffs. came away with a 3-1 advantage over the second-seeded Rochester Raging Rhinos during the first leg of the USL First Division Semifinals. Richmond forward Matthew Delicâte snapped a 315-minute scoreless streak in the 12th minute on an assist from forward McColm Cephas to set the stage for an opening 3-1 win at home. In the second game the Kickers tied the Rhinos 1-1 in Rochester. The outburst in the home semifinal game was a breakout for the Kickers offense which has had trouble scoring goals in the second-half of the season. An own goal in the 15th minute briefly equalized the score for the Rhinos before Delicâte and Cephas paired up again for a second Richmond goal in the 55th minute followed by a third Richmond goal by midfielder Joey Worthen in the 65th minute. The winner of the Semifinal round will be determined this
Sunday, September 25th as the Kickers travel to Rochester for the second
leg of the home-and-away, aggregate goal series. The Seattle Sounders, who scored in the 90th minute to edge top-seeded Montreal 2-1, advanced on aggregate (4-3) over the Impact. Those two teams had tied 2-2 in the semifinal opener. Seattle will host the USL First Division championship game
on Saturday, Oct. 1. Top of PageThe Richmond Kickers and #3 seeded Vancouver Whitecaps played two games and an overtime period without a goal from either team in the opening round of the USL First Division playoffs. Unable to advance a team to the semifinals after 210 minutes in a home-and-away series, the game was decided on kicks from the penalty stripe. The Kickers made all five of theirs, while the Whitecaps made only four. Richmond’s Robert Ssejjemba, Matthew Delicâte, Sascha Görres, Joey Worthen and Kevin Jeffrey all converted,while Vancouver’s Chris Franks’ missed shot resulted to be the difference. The Kickers, seeded #6 in the six-team playoff, will hosts the #2 seeded Rochester Raging Rhinos in the first leg of the home-and-away aggregate score series this Friday, September 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Richmond Stadium. The two draws is a continuation of the Kickers struggles to win a game, but is also a reflection on the team’s strong defensive play. Richmond has not won a USL First Division game since a July 2-1 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks. That winless streak now stands at 0-4-9. The last time the Kickers played the Rhinos, the two tied
0-0 in back-to-back games, first in Richmond and then in Rochester in
late July. All playoff rounds will be two-legged aggregate score series with the exception of the USL First Division Championship with the Host determined on a bid basis to be played on Saturday, October 1st. The Kickers and Rhinos meet in the second leg at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 25th to finish the series. The match will be televised LIVE on Fox Soccer Channel. USL First Division Semi-Finals 1-Montreal Impact vs. 4-Seattle Sounders Leg 1: 9/23 @ Seattle 10:00 p.m. Leg 2: 9/25 @ Montreal 4:00 p.m.
2-Rochester Raging Rhinos vs. 6-Richmond Kickers Leg 1: 9/23 @ Richmond 7:00 p.m. Leg 2: 9/25 @ Rochester 7:00 p.m. – LIVE on Fox Soccer
Channel Top of PageKickers Open With Win Over Silverbacks The Richmond Kickers opened the 2005 season with a 3-1 victory
over Southern rival Atlanta Silverbacks. The first goal of the night by
Richmond’s Kevin Jeffrey was quickly followed by
an Atlanta penalty kick to even the score, late in the first half. Two
consecutive goals within a four minute period by Richmond forward Matthew
Delicâte clinched the win for the Kickers. Two minutes later, a foul against a Richmond defender resulted
in a penalty kick for the Silverbacks, allowing Atlanta’s Rodrigo
Rios to level the score in the 40th minute. In the final minutes
of the first half, several Kickers shots sailed just over the crossbar.
The tie was broken in the 71st minute when Richmond’s Mike Burke sent a corner kick into scoring position. A lot of action in the box resulted in a Richmond goal by Delicâte. A missed Atlanta shot in the 73rd minute was followed by a foul on a Silverbacks defender. With a free kick, Kickers defender Kevin Knight sent a blast from near midfield which found Delicâte, who was able to tap the ball in for his second and the Kickers third and final goal of the night. With a few minutes remaining in the game, Kickers rookie
Robert Ssejjemba made his professional debut and created
a dangerous play with a well-positioned attack but Fegler was able to
smother the ball for the save. Top of PageCavaliers Edge UNC Women On PKs The #4 ranked Virginia women’s soccer team won its first ever ACC Championship in penalty kicks over # 1 ranked North Carolina. The Cavaliers won the shootout 5-4, after the teams had played to a 1-1 tie. The Cavaliers (16-2-2) took an early in the 24th minute when Sarah Huffman (Flower Mound, Texas) crossed a ball to Lindsay Gusick (Livonia, Mich.), who one-timed the ball inside the far post for a 1-0 Virginia advantage. Virginia maintained that advantage at halftime. In the second half, the Tar Heels (18-0-2) created several chances to equalize early in the second half and finally did in the 56th minute. Elizabeth Guess was fouled in the penalty area and Kacey White converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 1-1. Late in regulation, Virginia had several opportunities to score the game-winner, but the contest remained tied through 90 minutes. In the overtimes, the Cavaliers outshot the Tar Heels 4-1, but could not take advantage. Kristen Weiss (Brecksville, Ohio) had a chance in the final minute of the second overtime that beat Tar Heel keeper Aly Winget, but was saved off the line by a UNC defender. With the game officially a 1-1 draw, the teams went to penalty kicks to decide the ACC Champion. Each team scored four times in the first five attempts, forcing extra kicks. In round six, Weiss converted her penalty kick and Christina de Vries (Westlake Village, Calif.) saved Mary McDowell’s kick to win the championship. The Cavaliers win their first ACC Championship, snapping North Carolina’s 15-year run as conference champion. The draw ended North Carolina’s 28-game winning streak vs. Virginia. Huffman and de Vries were named ACC Tournament Co-MVPs, while Gusick, Weiss, and Kelly Hammond (Bowie, Md.) were also named to the All-Tournament team. Overall, North Carolina outshot Virginia 10-9. During the game, de Vries made one save, while Winget made three. “As a purist, I hate to see a great game like this be determined by penalty kicks,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “Both teams deserve credit for playing a tremendous championship game. Winning this championship feels great, and part of that is because of how high a bar UNC has set. Its special anytime you can make history.” The Cavaliers receive the ACC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The 64-team field will be unveiled Monday between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm on ESPNews. No. 4 Virginia 1, No. 1 North Carolina 1 Scoring 1 2 OT1 OT2 F PK Shots: UVa 9, UNC 10 Round 1: UVa: Shannon Foley (goal) Steve Kirkland Top of PageLongwood On Track For Division I FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University enters the second
year of its four-year NCAA Division I reclassification period during 2004-05
toward official certification in September 2007, operating under all Division
I rules and regulations, including the scheduling requirements. This fact
has 11th-year women’s soccer head coach Todd Dyer
‘93 excited about the future of his program, one that has averaged
12 wins per season (123-58-8) since he founded it in 1994. The 2004 Lancers
return eight starters among 14 letterwinners, and have added 10 newcomers
as the program embarks upon its initial campaign of nearly all Division
I opponents. Top of PageVirginia Women Conclude Preseason Trip To Brazil Some college coaches schedule a couple of preseason games and like to play those at home. In recent years, collegiate teams have begun to take their preseason training to Europe. This year the University of Virginia women headed South…..as in South America. The Virginia women's soccer team returned home Monday after spending 10 days of the preseason in Brazil. The Cavaliers visited Sao Paulo and Santos on their tour and posted a 2-0-1 record in three exhibition games. "You never know going into one of these trips if it will go according to plan, but these 10 days were everything we asked for and more," said head coach Steve Swanson. "We were very fortunate to have the experiences we did, both on and off the field, specifically experiencing another culture. It was a great adventure and we couldn't ask for a better trip." In the Cavaliers' first game of the trip, Virginia defeated FC Osasco 2-1 on goals by third-year midfielders Noelle Keselica (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Sarah Huffman (Flower Mound, Texas). Two days later, Virginia won its second game of the trip, shutting out Araraquara FC 2-0. Fourth-year forward Lindsay Gusick (Livonia, Mich.) and second-year forward Ariel Thompson (Salem, Va.) scored the Cavalier goals. In their final contest of the trip, the Cavaliers tied Santos FC 2-2. Gusick and Huffman each scored their second goal of the trip in the draw. The Cavaliers, ranked No. 7 in the preseason Soccer America poll, open
the 2004 regular season this Friday night as they host East Carolina at
Klöckner Stadium at 7:00 p.m. Top of PageVirginia
Wesleyan Picked to Repeat in SALEM , VA. – Virginia Wesleyan College has been picked to repeat as Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men’s soccer champions in a poll voted on by the league’s head coaches. The Marlins earned seven of a possible 10 first-place votes and totaled 96 points overall. VWC went 17-4-0 overall and 8-1 in the league, capturing both the ODAC regular season and tournament championships in 2003. Head coach Sonny Travis returns 2003 ODAC Player-of-the-Year Kelvin Murray in 2004. A rising junior, Murray led the Marlins with 44 points on 15 goals and 14 assists last season. He finished first in the conference in points per game (2.44), assists per game (0.78) and second in goals per game with 0.83 per contest. The Maroons of Roanoke College are ranked second with two first-place votes and a total of 90 points. RC finished 2003 with an overall record of 10-4-3 overall and 6-2-1 in the ODAC. Washington and Lee University garnered 72 points to earn third-place in the poll. The Generals finished last season with a 7-6-4 overall record and a 3-4-2 mark in the ODAC. W&L entered the conference tournament as the No. 7 seed and advanced all the way to the championship game before falling to VWC 3-1. Randolph-Macon earned a total of 58 points to earn its fourth-place slot. Bridgewater College (53 points), Eastern Mennonite (53 points), Guilford College (47 points), Hampden Sydney (44 points, one first-place vote), Lynchburg College (31 points) and Emory and Henry (12 points) rounded out the poll. The top eight teams advance to the 2004 ODAC Men’s Soccer Tournament which begins quarterfinal play on Saturday, October 30th, with the semifinals and finals to follow November 5-6. Top of PageWilliam & Mary and Virginia Commonwealth, who met in the title game of last year’s CAA women’s soccer championship, are expected to battle for the crown again in 2004 according to a vote of the league’s 10 women’s soccer coaches. Defending CAA champion W&M received four first-place votes and 75 total points to claim the top spot in the poll, while VCU earned five first-place votes and was picked second with 74 points. James Madison got one first-place vote and was third with 66 points, while Hofstra, which finished first in the regular season a year ago, was fourth with 57 points. Delaware and George Mason were tied for fifth in the poll, UNC Wilmington was seventh, Old Dominion and Towson were tied for eighth and Drexel was 10th. The Tribe returns seven starters off last year’s 14-6-3 squad that rallied from a fourth-place regular-season finish to capture their seventh CAA championship in the past eight years. W&M advanced to the NCAA Women’s College Cup for the 12th consecutive season. Leading the Tribe will be first-team All-CAA forward Taline Tahmassian, who scored a league-high 15 goals in just 16 games last season, and sophomore forward Katie Hogwood (9 goals, 1 assist), who was the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year in 2003. VCU (10-6-4 overall) reached the CAA championship game for the first time in 2003 and the team’s second-place regular-season finish was the best in school history. Returning for the Rams is senior forward Jen Parsons, who earned CAA Player of the Year honors after tallying a team-high 14 goals and 31 points last season, and is already VCU’s career leader in goals (43) and points (94). First-team All-CAA midfielder Sandra Anger (4 goals, 5 assists) is also among five starters back. JMU welcomes back eight starters from last season’s 7-10-3 squad. Among the top returnees for the Dukes are senior defender Katy Swindells, a three-time all-conference member, junior forward Kim Argy, who has scored 21 goals over the past two seasons and is a two-time first-team All-CAA selection, and second-team All-CAA picks Christy Metzker and Karly Skladany. Hofstra compiled the second-best winning percentage in school history a year ago, going 13-3-3. The Pride was third in the nation in scoring defense last season, allowing just nine goals in 19 games and posting 11 shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Rebecca Wachsberger (0.45 GAA, 76 saves) returns along with second-team All-CAA pick Elyse Bizzozzaro (8 goals, 5 assists) and CAA Co-Rookie of the Year Jacki Pollaro. 2004 CAA WOMEN’S SOCCER PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL 1. William & Mary (4 first-place votes) 75 (Teams received 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc. Coaches
were not allowed to vote for their own team.) Top of PageOLD
DOMINION PICKED TO WIN CAA RICHMOND, Va. (August 11, 2004) – Old Dominion University, which returns four of its top five scorers and its entire starting backline from last year’s 15-4-1 squad that reached the second round of the NCAA Men’s College Cup, has been picked to capture the CAA men’s soccer title in 2004 according to a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches. The Monarchs received seven first-place votes and 78 total points to earn the top spot in the poll. Two-time defending CAA champion Virginia Commonwealth University, which welcomes back six starters from last season’s 17-5 team that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Men’s College Cup, received two first-place votes and was picked second with 70 points. George Mason University, which posted an 11-6-6 overall record and reached the finals of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship in 2003, got one first-place vote and was third with 61 points. Perennial power William & Mary was close behind in fourth with 60 points, followed by James Madison, UNC Wilmington, Hofstra, Drexel, Towson and Delaware. ODU opened last season with a school-record 14 consecutive victories, including 11 by shutout, and achieved the highest national ranking in school history after rising to #2 in the national polls for four straight weeks in October. The Monarchs are ranked #9 by College Soccer News in its 2004 pre-season Top 30 poll. ODU’s top returnee is senior defender Trevor McEachron, who earned first-team All-America and CAA Defender of the Year honors in 2003, and is one of 25 players on the pre-season watch list for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top collegiate soccer player in the nation. However, McEachron is still recovering from a severe knee injury suffered last November and his status for this season is unknown. Also back for the Monarchs are first-team All-CAA midfielder Kevon Harris (4 goals, 5 assists) and second-team All-CAA forward Brian Cvilikas, who tied for the team lead with 10 goals in 2003. VCU set a school record for victories a year ago and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Men’s College Cup for the first time before falling to eventual national champion Indiana. The Rams were ranked #9 nationally in the final 2003 polls and are ranked #19 by College Soccer News in its 2004 pre-season poll. Back to lead VCU is senior defender Gonzalo Segares, who is a two-time first-team All-CAA selection and a pre-season third-team All-American after contributing five goals and eight assists a year ago. Also returning are junior Stephen Shirley, who led the CAA with 10 assists last season, and senior goalkeeper Saul Montero (1.08 GAA). Mason returns nine starters from a squad that reached the title game of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship for the first time since 1995. The Patriots posted 11 shutouts last season and welcome back two-time first team All-CAA goalie John O’Hara (0.98 GAA) and first-team All-CAA defender Damian O’Rourke. Also back is leading scorer Steve Alabi (12 goals). William & Mary, which has earned NCAA Tournament berths in seven of the past nine seasons, has seven starters back in its first season under new head coach Chris Norris. Leading the Tribe will be top scorer Patrick Scherder (11 goals) and midfielder Bryan Hinkle (5 goals, 9 assists), who both were second-team All-CAA picks in 2003. James Madison has 10 of 11 starters back, including 2003 CAA Rookie of the Year Mark Totten (6 goals, 8 assists) and senior midfielder Denny Fulk (7 goals, 6 assists).
1. Old Dominion (7 first-place votes) 78 (Teams received 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc. Coaches
were not allowed to vote for their own team.) Top of PageVirginia Upsets Maryland On PKs The third-seeded Virginia Cavaliers claimed the 2003 ACC
men's soccer championship over the top-seeded Maryland Terrapins on nine
rounds of penalty kicks Sunday afternoon at the SAS Soccer Complex in
Cary, N.C. The match will be recorded as a tie with Maryland's record
becoming 17-2-1 and Virginia 9-9-2.
Scoring: Top of PageMidfielder Sarah Huffman (Flower Mound, TX) first
goal of the season came in the 82nd minute, allowing No. 3 Virginia to
stave off an upset and win its eighth straight outing 1-0 over James Madison
before 210 at the Reservoir Street Fields. Top of PageBy Matt Hughes, Evening Standard Top of PageSix Were Inducted Into Virginia Hall Of Fame Over 700 soccer enthusiasts from all over Virginia attended the annual Virginia Youth Soccer Association Workshop, Feb. 8-9, in Richmond. It was a gala weekend highlighted by the induction of six new members of the Virginia Soccer Hall of Fame. Inducted were Bruce Arena, John Koskinen and Wally Watson for Meritorious Service, and Lincoln Phillips, Helmut Werner and John Stollmeyer as players. Koskinen, Phillips and Werner were present at the induction. A number of outstanding clinicians presented coaching clinics on Saturday, including national staff coaches Tom Fleck and Ron Quinn. These two coaches developed the USSF coaching course F modules that are currently being used across the country. Also on hand were clinicians Dave Linenberger, Tim Schultz and Gordon Miller. The Virginia Boys Coach of the Year, Conrad Mann of the Fairfax Police Youth Club, was honored at the Awards Luncheon. Gary Smerdzinski was honored as the Girls Coach of the Year. The Virginia Volunteer of the Year honoree was Peggy Borgard, a league registrar and an administrator for the VCCL travel league and the FC Richmond recreational club. Mary Boubouheropolous from the Virginia Beach Soccer Club was named Virginia’s Chevy Parent of the Year. Also recognized were the state’s top referees for 2001. The Young Female Referee of the Year was Robin Kessinger, while Ben Hichak received the Young Male Referee of the Year award. VYSA’s highest award, the Adele Dolansky Service Award, went to Simon Cargill, a long-time volunteer for VYSA. The award was presented by Dolansky and VYSA president Denise Edwards. Simon, served for many years as chair of the Adjudication Committee. Cargill now lives in Florida. Top of PageWeiss To Coach At Virginia Tech Fresh off the glow of UNC Chapel Hill’s first NCAA men’s national championship, assistant coach Oliver Weiss has accepted the head coaching position at Virginia Tech for 2002. Weiss, who has been UNC head coach Elmar Bolowich’s top assistance, replaces Jerry Cheynet, who resigned after 28 years as the Hokies’ head coach. Cheynet has a contract that runs through December 31, 2003, and he will remain at Tech as Weisse’s assistant coach. This is the first time the head coaching position at Virginia Tech has been a full-time funded position. Tech is a member of the Big East Conference. This is Weiss’ first head coaching position. He spent three years in Chapel Hill, and also served as an assistant coach at William & Mary and at the University of New Hampshire. Six players graduate from the Virginia Tech team that reached the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. Sophomore Bobby O’Brien (7 goals) and junior Drew Myers (5 goals) return to bolster the Hokies’ attack next fall. Weiss came to the U.S. as an exchange student and was a former first-team NSCAA High School All-America at High Point Central HS in High Point, NC. He was the captain of the University of Richmond Spiders for three years, earning All-Colonial Athletic Association honors twice, and being named NSCAA All-South in 1986. After graduating from Richmond with a degree in history, Weiss took coaching positions with the Richmond Capitals and Richmond Strikers soccer clubs and led teams to eight straight state championships and a 42-0 record from 1988-95. His U17 boys team won the Region I championship and was fourth in the national tournament. He has been a finalist for two national youth Coach-of-the-Year awards, and holds both a USSF “A” coaching license and a German “B” license. Top of PageMartino Leaves Virginia For Pro Career Kyle Martino, a junior midfielder at the University of Virginia, will take the step that a number of Cavaliers have taken…..he’ll leave school after his junior year to begin a professional soccer career. The ACC Player of the Year announced his intentions after Virginia was upset by Seton Hall, 1-0, in the second round of the NCAA Division I playoffs. Like his teammates, the reality of being eliminated from the playoffs had not really sunk in as he made the announcement. “I don’t think I was really going to be satisfied unless I left with a ring. I have a really sour taste in my mouth, and I don’t think this has really hit that we are not playing next weekend,” said Martino. “I loved being here, and I loved playing with the guys here. It’s always going to be a highlight of my life, but I wish I could have gotten us to place we wanted to go.” Martino is the latest player to depart the Virginia program for a professional career. Chris Albright and Ben Olsen, both now with D.C. United of Major League Soccer, left school early, as did Claudio Reyna, captain of the U.S. National Team and currently a midfielder for the Glasgow Rangers in Scotland’s First Division. Martino was recently named to the All-ACC team for the second consecutive year. He was #3 in scoring for Virginia with six goals and eight assists for 20 points. He had 17 goals and 21 assists in his collegiate career in Charlottesville. Martino is also in the U.S. national team player pool, after starting for the U.S. Under-20 national team that advanced to the second round in the World Youth Championship this past summer in Argentina. In order to play for that team he took the spring semester off at Virginia. Martin was third on the team in scoring this season with six goals and eight assists in 18 games, and he was named to the All-ACC team for the second consecutive year. Martin ends his Virginia career with 17 goals and 21 assists in 63 games. Two other players from that team, defender Ouch Onyewu of Clemson and goalkeeper D.J. Countess of UCLA, are expected to now leave college to pursue professional careers. Martino’s next decision will be whether or not to sign with MLS’ Project-40. He would be eligible for the MLS SuperDraft next February, but if he signs with Project-40 he commits himself to MLS for at least four years. He will also pursue opportunities to sign with an overseas professional team, following the path that Duke’s Robert Russell and Brown’s Corey Gibbs took last year. Top of PageIt was a shocker in Charlottesville. The Virginia Cavaliers are out of the NCAA Division I tournament! Junior forward Phil Swenda scored early in the first half and inspired play from junior goalkeeper Efren Aguirre made it stand up with nine saves as Seton Hall stunned second-ranked Virginia 1-0 in an NCAA Men’s Soccer Championships second-round match before 1,378 at Klöckner this afternoon. It wzs Aguirre’s first shutout of the season. In their seventh postseason appearance, the Pirates (12-6-2) won two matches in a single tournament for the first time and advanced to meet Fairleigh Dickinson, a surprise 2-1 winner over # 16 Princeton. Virginia (17-2-1), which received a first-round bye, ended the 2001 season with two setbacks following a 1-0 loss to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final. "We didn’t show up to play today. I can’t explain it. I can’t give you any answers," U.Va. coach George Gelnovatch told The Washington Post. "We picked a bad time not to show up." In the early going, SHU sophomore forward Ingo Dittel carried down the left wing and sent a cross into the box that goalkeeper David Comfort came out for, but did not reach. Swenda tapped a soft shot that deflected off defender Marshall Leonard and rolled into the empty net with 6:24 elapsed. "That was your worst nightmare," Gelnovatch told The Post. "It was a preseason goal." With Seton Hall concentrating on protecting its one-goal lead, Virginia dominated play in the second half. The Cavaliers outshot the Pirates 23-10, including 11-5 after intermission, including two strong scoring chances by senior striker Shedon Barnes. In the 68th minute, Barnes drilled a shot off the crossbar, but the ball deflected out of danger. In the 88thh minute, Barnes headed a cross from close range just over an open net. SHU also had a pair of opportunities to increase its lead in the second half. Swenda misfired from close range while Comfort denied Dittel on a partial breakaway. Aguirre stopped a season-high nine shots, including six under heavy pressure in the second half. The shutout was Aguirre’s first in nine starts this season and the first for the Pirates in 10 outings. "The last 45 minutes, I was just praying to stay in the game," said Aguirre who split time in goal with Alex McDonald this season. Comfort finished with five saves for the Cavaliers. Top of PageAll Southern A-League Teams Lose The Richmond Kickers’ dream of an A-League championship vanished in overtime in the second round of the A-League playoffs. The Kickers, the regular season A-League champions and #1 seed in the playoffs, dropped two games to the #8 seeded Milwaukee Rampage. The clincher came at home in a 2-1 overtime loss. The first game between the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw. The Rampage advanced on goal differential. Milwaukee got the game-winner in the third minute of sudden death overtime by Alen Soso. Richmond’s Josh Henderson’s 90th-minute penalty kick had tied the goal at 1-1 to force overtime. Richmond’s season ended with a 22-9-4 overall record. Milwaukee advances to the A-League semifinals against the Rochester Ragin Rhinos. After sitting idle for two weeks, the Kickers, who had a first-round playoff bye, got a pair of opportunistic goals in the 2-2 draw in Milwaukee. Kevin Knight and Kevin Jeffrey got the Kickers’ goals. It was Jeffrey’s 21st goal of the season. Richmond’s playoff elimination left the South without a representative in the A-League semifinals. Five teams from the Central Division were among the 12 teams making the playoffs. Milwaukee advanced past Nashville in the opening round of the playoffs, while the Charleston Battery dropped a pair of playoff games to the Hershey Wildcats. Charleston, seeded #5, finished the season with a 16-11-1 overall record. After being eliminated, the Battery parted ways with coach Alan Dicks, who had coached Charleston for the past four years. “We have decided that it is time to move in another direction,” said Battery President Nigel Cooper with regards to the head coaching position. The Atlanta Silverbacks, which made the playoffs as the #11 seed, also cleaned house, firing head coach John Dugan and general manager Mike Balson. Atlanta lost both playoff games to San Diego, and finished the year with a 13-12-1 record. The Charlotte Eagles, which made the playoffs in their first year of A-League play, were beaten by Portland. The Eagles were seeded #7 and finished the year 14-12-2. Top of PageWill Metros Move To Virginia Beach? The Tidewater region and the Virginia Beach Sportsplex have been without men’s professional soccer this summer, but that may be ready to change. A deal is in the works that could bring the A-League Nashville Metros franchise to the Sportsplex next year with a new group of owners and operators. A small group of New York investors have indicated an interest in moving a franchise to the region, which has been without an A-League team after the Hampton Roads Mariners folded earlier this year. “The negotiations are in the final hours,” said Courtney Dyer, manager of the Virginia Beach Convention Center and the Sporsplex, in a recent Virginia Pilot story by Tris Wykes. “The A-League, the new owners and the old owners are trying to get their ducks in a row.” The new owners have not been identified. The old Hampton Roads owners, Mark Garcea and Page Johnson, would support a new franchise because part of their settlement with Virginia Beach was for them to obtain new ownership and a new franchise by July 15, 2001, or pay a settlement fee in excess of $100,000. The Metros, who played for two years as the Tennessee Rhythm, is the oldest United Soccer Leagues franchise to operate on a continuous basis. The club was founded in 1989. The Metros are currently tied for third in the A-League’s Central Conference with a 5-6-2 record. mark. There are a number of familiar names on the Nashville roster, including Brett Mosen, a former Mariners’ assistant who is the head coach. Former Mariner players include Jakob Fenger, Steve Kraemer, Gabe Valencia and Jaymi Bailey. Nashville has struggled to maintain a professional soccer franchise in Tennessee, and moved back this season to Ezzell Park, where the team played before moving to Battle Ground Academy for the last two seasons. The sports scene in Nashville has also changed in recent years with the addition of National Football League and National Hockey League franchises, making sponsorship dollars difficult to obtain for minor league soccer. Another source of revenue, the sale of beer as part of the Ezzell Park concessions, was denied when the club was unable to obtain a permit prior to the season. The club’s use of the stadium does not include a lease agreement, which is required for a license to see alcoholic beverages at games. Thus far, the city of Nashville has refused to offer the Metros a lease for the coming year. While attendance is up from previous years, the Metros are still drawing less than 2,000 fans a game, and mid-season estimates have the club losing as much as $200,000 this season. “When there’s not enough money coming in, that makes it difficult,” said Devinder Sandhu, one of the founding partners and general manager of the Metros, in the Pilot article. “We’re entertaining offers from people who might move the team somewhere else, but nothing’s final yet.” “There really is nothing definitive to report on the story published in Virginia. We have been approached by the group from New York, but this is nothing new for us or most other USL team owners,” said Ken Renner, also a member of the Nashville ownership group. “We have been approached nearly every year by someone who wants to bypass paying the league franchise fee by buying a current franchise. “In 1998, we were approached by a Memphis group. In 1999 a San Diego group approached us and wanted to move the franchise to Sacramento. In 2000, a group from Indiana approached us and wanted to move the franchise to Ohio or northern Indiana. “So this is nothing new in our business, or any pro sports business...ala Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland/Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, Houston/Nashville Oilers-Titans, not to mention all the minor league team relocations.” The USL franchise fee for a new A-League franchise is currently $250,000, and is projected to go to $300,000 next year. By purchasing an existing franchise, and moving it, owners avoid paying this fee to the league. The Virginia Beach Sportsplex is a state-of-the-art facility, and the USL would welcome another franchise in the Virginia Beach area. However, there are questions about whether a new franchise would have time to become established to the degree that it can be successful with less than a year to go before the 2002 season. Before a new franchise would be accepted in the Tidewater region by the USL, the league would have to have assurances that there is adequate support for the team that would make it a long-term venture. USL officials have said that a team transfer would have to be approved by September 1. Top of PageAfter
51 Years in Soccer, Bradley Is Hardly Done
Yet it was a rocker the George Mason University athletic department presented the legend when he was honored Saturday night for his 16 years at the helm of the GMU men’s program. "I’m going to try and auction it," laughed Bradley who stepped down November 29. "No, not really" On hand at the ceremony at halftime of the school’s basketball game at the Patriot Center were most members of his 2000 team, his wife of 43 years, Vera, their two sons Paul, 37, and Doug, 35, as well as many other close to the program. Doug played at Mason and served as his father’s assistant before becoming a financial analyst, while Paul, a marketer, helps with Gordon’s soccer camp. I’ve enjoyed every moment," said Bradley, whose career in soccer has spanned 51 years and is ongoing. "To enjoy the games and to enjoy the practices and to enjoy talking to the kids when they’re not participating, like now. We’re all human beings and it’s good that they can approach me. There’s no problem them coming to talk to me because I’m the coach. We have a great mixture." Bradley compiled a 183-113-35 (.606) record at GMU, posting the most victories among the seven coaches to lead the Patriots on the field in the 33-year history of the program. He guided the Patriots to three Colonial Athletic Association championships -- sharing the title with American in 1985 and winning outright in 1986 and 1989 -- and to six appearance NCAA tournament appearances (1985-87, 1989-90, 1996). In 1996, GMU shocked Virginia 1-0 in Charlottesville before falling to eventual national champion St. John's in the second round. "Gordon has been a tremendous mentor for me," said Greg Franzke, who played for Bradley from 1989-92, served as his assistant the last four years and will stay on with new coach Fran O’Leary. "He taught me about the game. His experience is invaluable. It was very fortunate for me to have the opportunity to work under him. It’s very good that he’s being recognized for all of his accomplishments, but it’s a sad day for soccer to lose such a tremendous influence. "Soccer is in Gordon’s blood, so I don’t anticipate him stepping away from the game. Hell move on to new endeavors." What Bradley does plan is to spend more time with Vera, including some travel, and his four grandchildren, as well as playing golf. (He shoots around 110.) "I was gone years, month weeks and (Vera) brought the kids up," Bradley said." She did everything. Without her, I couldn’t have done it. I’ve had the opportunity to be with soccer, which has been my pleasure, all of my life. Vera’s had to put up with me, come along with me, supported me from day one. So it’s important that we spend more time with each other now. Bradley has had conversations with some European coaches, exploring the possibility of serving as a representative of young American players who wish to pursue careers overseas. He also has considered starting a soccer academy. Sixteen years (at GMU), I just felt as if I needed a change," said the 1996 inductee into the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y.. "I could never retire. I need to be active. I don’t know where I’m going to be active at yet, but I’ll put something together." Vera looks forward to spending some additional time with her husband, but knows there will be a limit. "I don’ mind having him, but I don’t think he’ll be around the house all the time," she said. "He’s much too active and he’s interested in too many things. I don’t think he’ll be around the house too much. . . . I think (the GMU ceremony) is wonderful because I’ve been through all with him. He’s such a good person and has done wonderful things. He’s worked very, very hard. Soccer is his life. He’s given most of his time to the game and it’s nice to see him get some recognition. It’s lovely." Bradley’s greatest claim to fame was, as coach of New York’s Cosmos, bringing in international icons such as Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff to play for him. He remains the only person worldwide to have coached each of these superstars. Bradley, who grew up in the north of England, signed his first professional contract with Sunderland at age 16. He came to North America to join Toronto City in the Eastern Canadian Professional League in 1963 where he became an All-Star midfielder. In 1967, Bradley came to the United States as a player, and then as coach for the New York Generals. In 1972, the Generals became the Cosmos and, under Bradley’s guidance, won the North American Soccer League crown, an accomplishment repeated in 1977. Upon his arrival in the Washington area in 1979, Bradley was vice president and coach of the NASL's Washington Diplomats. Later, he served as vice president for the U.S. national squad known as Team America. He also was general manager of the American Soccer League's Washington Stars, which later merged with the Maryland Bays in the American Professional Soccer League. Coaching both professionally and collegiately "were both rewarding in different ways," Bradley said. "One was a professional situation, where we’re talking now money, transfers, stadiums. That’s the heavy stuff we’re talking about. With the kids at the university, there’s really no pressure. If there’s any pressure, you’re putting it on yourself. And it’s not like I haven’t worked hard or given everything I’ve got towards the program, (but) it’s different. You work just as hard, but the rewards are different." After having only one losing season in his first 14 years, Bradley’s teams went 5-15-1 in 1999 and 8-10-1 last year, largely because of a unreasonable string of injuries. High-scoring Brazilian striker Eduardo Lima missed the entire 1999 campaign with a heart ailment and saw his career end with a broken foot after finding net 13 times in 12 games last fall. The disappointments of the past two season did not dim the rapport he had with his players. "Gordon is the reason I came to Mason and the reason soccer is what it is in America," said senior defender Brian Blackwell. "It means everything to me that I was able to play for a gentleman and his great soccer knowledge. "Gordon’s been great to me ever since I’ve been here and he’s the reason I came here also," added junior midfielder Rob Klug. "Being so far away from home, I not only talked to him about soccer, but about life. He’s been like a father to me." Bradley, more fit than many half his age, trained with his GMU team on a daily basis right to the end. "I’ve always been fit and that’s important for the players to see," he said. "If I had my way, I’d have all the coaches look reasonably slim, somebody who looks like a coach. And I’ve always been a part of it because I’ve always played. I really haven’t dropped off the training part because that improves my knowledge of the game. When I’m on the practice field, I try certain things, see how the players react. So it’s a learning process, really." Gary Davidson is managing editor of soccertimes.com and can be e-mailed at editor@soccertimes.com Top of PageJust Call Them Mia, Siri, Pretina and Roseli There will be a second Division I professional team in Washington, D.C. D.C. United of Major League Soccer will be sharing its home at RFK Stadium with the new WUSA’s Washington Freedom. Perhaps no team in MLS has provided the U.S. Men’s National Team with more players than D.C. United. The Freedom will give area fans their share of stars from the U.S. Women’s National Team. There is no greater star than Mia Hamm, and she will play for the Freedom. So will U.S. goalkeeper Siri Mullinix and U.S. defender Michelle French. Hamm is the USA’s all-time leader in scoring, while French, who has not been a regular starter for the national team, is considered to be one of the up-and-coming stars for the USA. Actually, Hamm, who has 127 career goals and 109 career assists for a total of 363 points, has scored more international points than any player who ever played the game, male or female. The Freedom got those three in the original allocation of players from the U.S. player pool. Anne Makinen, a senior at Notre Dame this past fall, and the consensus collegiate player-of-the-Year was taken with the club’s first pick in the recent Global draft. Makinen, a midfielder, was named the winner of both the Missouri Athletic Club’s Player of the Year award, and also the Hermann Trophy. Freedom coach Jim Gabarra will have a pair of Brazilian stars, Pretinha and Roseli up front with Hamm. Both have vast international experience with Brazil’s national team. Keri Sarver, who played collegiate soccer nearby at Maryland, is also on the roster. Scoring goals might not be a problem for the Freedom. If the club is a little thin anywhere, it is in the back. Former UNC defensive standout Lindsey Stoecker was the #12 player taken in the Global draft, but there are only two other defenders, Skyler Little and Stephanie Loehr, listed on the roster. The Freedom has an interesting mix of players at midfield. In addition to Makinen, Washington has taken Amanda Cromwell, the former University of Virginia national team player who is currently the head women’s coach at the University of Central Florida. Also picked were UCLA’s Tracey Milburn, former Portland All-American Justi Baumgardt, former W-2 Atlanta Classic starter Amy Gray, and Carrie Moore, who played last year with the Hampton Roads Piranhas. Mullinix, one of the rising stars of the U.S. Women’s national team, will be backed up by Erin Fahey, who played her collegiate soccer at Portland. Mullinix took advantage of an opportunity to play when Briana Scurry was sidelined from national team play, and set a new American record for shutouts during the 2000 campaign and was the starting keeper at the 2000 Olympic Games. Depth on defense may be the most pressing problem for the Freedom, and that could be addressed in the College Draft, which will be held after the Umbro Select Classic later this month in Florida. Top of PageJanuary 2001 Notes The Colonial Athletic Association will soon have a new look. Delaware, Drexel (PA), Hofstra (NY) and Towson (MD) will join the league effective July 1, 2003. Previously the only non-Virginia schools in the CAA were East Carolina and UNCW from North Carolina and American University from the District of Columbia Kenny Arena, Kyle Martino and Alecko Eskandarian from the University of Virginia, have been called into January training with the U.S. U20 team. Also on the roster are Virginia natives Kenneth Cutler (Richmond), Brian Carroll (Springfield) and Abe Thompson (Fairfax) who play for Clemson, Wake Forest and Maryland, respectively David Vanole, the U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper, has been named the assistant coach of the WUSA’s Washington Freedom, where he will have several of his national team players, including Mia Hamm and goalkeeper Siri Mullinix John Busch, the Hampton Roads goalkeeper who missed half of last season with a broken leg, has signed with the A-League Hershey Wildcats. Hampton Roads, which has worked out a new contract with the Virginia Beach SportsPlex, will compete in the D3 Pro League this next season Richmond Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw has been selected for induction into the University of Richmond Hall of Fame on Jan. 20. Cowlishaw was an All-America at UR The Kickers will have their annual “invitation only” tryout at the University of Richmond City Stadium, Jan. 27-28. A maximum of 30 players will take part in the workouts. Interested players can mail resumes to: 2320 West Main Street, Richmond, 23220 Aussie Julie Murray, drafted by the Bay Area CyberRays, grew up in Norther Virginia, where she began playing soccer at a young age before her family moved to Australia Former UVA star Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach), who played last summer with the Hampton Roads Piranhans, has been drafted by the Boston Breakers of the WUSA. Another Piranhas player drafted was Carrie Moore (Washington) Trevor Adair, Bill Buren, Tom Fleck, Tom Goodman, Jay Hoffman, Gordon Miller and Ron Quinn will be the clinicians at the VYSA workshop, Feb. 9-10. Top of PageLynchburg College women’s coach Todd Olsen got his 100th collegiate coaching win when his Hornets downed Guilford 2-0 in the first round of the ODAC tournament ODU junior Jen Henley and William & Mary’s Jordan Krieger have been named CAA Co-Player of the Year. Henley’s 15 goals, 11 assists and 41 points led the CAA in scoring There will be three new women’s intercollegiate soccer programs in Virginia next year. VMI, Norfolk State and Hampton have announced that they will field teams in the fall of 2001 George Mason’s Katy Roberts (Marietta, GA) got her 50th career goal in GMU’s 2-0 win over East Carolina Christopher Newport freshman Shelley Rusnak converted a pass from Amy Petko to tie CNU’s NCAA Division III playoff game with Villa Julie with less than 15 minutes to play, but two minutes into overtime the Captains saw their season come to an end 2-1. Christopher Newport, winner of the Dixie Conference tournament championship, finished the season 12-4-1 D.C. United has placed forwards David Hayes and Pete Martino on waivers as seven of the 12 MLS teams made roster moves in preparation for the 2001 season George Mason senior Eduardo Lima, the team’s leading scorer and one of the top goal scorers in Division I men’s soccer, went down with a season-ending broken foot five games from the end of regular season. Ironically, the injury occurred in the final minutes of a game against UNC Wilmington after he had set a new school record for career points at 119, breaking Colin Kerr’s record of 117 set in 1980-83. GMU is 0-3-1 since Lima went out of the lineup Two members of the 2000 Richmond Kickers were on the roster of players D.C. United of MLS took on a weeklong tour of Central America. Those were goalkeeper Mike McGinty and forward Dwayne DeRosario. Sam Franklin, who played collegiate soccer at UVA and played last year for the A-League team in Boston, also made the trip John Hartman (Roanoke, Cave Spring HS), a member of the U.S. U18 national team, has committed to play soccer at the University of Virginia. Top of PageYoung
Kenny Arena Walks In Tracks Of His
Heros Seeing as how his father, Bruce Arena, is one of the most well-known soccer coaches in the country, one might not be surprised to learn that Kenny Arena, University of Virginia sophomore, is making a name for himself in the world of collegiate soccer. It may come as a surprise, however, that the younger Arena received almost no coaching from his father along the way. Not only did Bruce Arena never coach a team on which his son played, the younger Arena said, but "He didn’t really coach me in soccer at all. He offers specifics after each game, stuff I need to work on." But that was about the extent of it. Arena said he did wish he’d had the opportunity to be coached by his dad, but that it went against the principles of the senior Arena. "He thinks it’s not right for a dad to influence a kid so much," Arena said. "He always told me, ‘I’ll be happy if you become a professional badminton player, as long as you love it.’" Arena said his period of greatest improvement in soccer came during his freshman and sophomore years of high school, which he spent at the Hun School in Princeton, NJ. During that time, Arena was mentored by strong coaches like Bob Bradley, now coaching with the Chicago Fire. He enjoyed a starting spot on the varsity soccer team during his two years there before returning to Fairfax, VA, and earning a starting spot on the Oakton High School team. Although his father did not provide much in the way of direct coaching, growing up in an environment so focused on soccer at its highest levels did give Arena opportunities he acknowledges not many kids have the chance to enjoy. He recalled the years his father coached at Virginia, and the unique relationship he was able to enjoy with the players and the team as a result. "I had my favorite player on the team each year," Arena remembered. Some of the players among Arena’s favorites during their careers at UVa were Ben Olsen, now playing with DC United, and Tony Meola, the former U.S. National Team goalkeeper who is now with the Kansas City Wizards. "He (Meola) was a great guy to me in college," Arena said. "He always hung out with me." Another unusual opportunity that Arena continues to benefit from as the son of a top-level soccer coach is the chance to watch some of the country’s best soccer players in action. "I get to go see the greatest soccer the country has to offer," Arena said. "If he (Bruce Arena) has a national team practice, I can go watch, or even play. Something like that is something an 18 or 19 year old kid doesn’t get to do in his entire life, and I’ve done it a handful of times." So, as it turned out, even without direct influence or pressure from his father, Arena has turned into one of the nation’s top players, earning a starting role towards the end of the season last year at Virginia. As a freshman, Arena contributed two game-winning assists and helped the Cavaliers to a NCAA quarterfinals appearance and a 14-9-1 record. This year Arena has continued to play a key role on the Cavalier squad, notching three goals including the game-winner in the squad’s 3-2 win over then-#9 Clemson. Arena is now in the very shoes of those he used to adore as a child. And he wonders occasionally if their young fans view him the same way he used to view the players. "When I was a kid, this place was a dynasty," Arena said. "Our team is still doing pretty good. I just wonder if kids look at us the way I looked at them, like they were gods. I don’t believe it - that it’s the same now, but it probably is." Top of PageOwen
Is The Comeback Kid The big brother. It’s how many of today’s great female athletes got their start in sport - having an athletic older brother as a role model and coach as the young girl grows into an athlete herself. Well, that’s not exactly the way it was for the College of William and Mary’s starting goalkeeper, junior Courtney Owen. The Richmond, VA native did have the older brother in Randy Owen, three years her senior. She also had the coaching.... well, sort of. "I did ballet when I was little," Owen recounted. "and he (Randy) told me I couldn’t be his sister if I did ballet." And the role model? Well, this role model used his younger sister as a tackling dummy for himself and his friends in the neighborhood. "They’d just knock me down, and I’d get back up, again and again," Owen said. At least she got used to being on the ground. Perhaps it was a sign of the future greatness Owen would achieve as a Division I goalkeeper. Although she played soccer all her life, Owen did not assume the role of goalkeeper until several years after she had been playing soccer. Prior to that point, she had been an offensive player. "My club team didn"t have a goalie, and I volunteered for it, and I guess I just got stuck there," she laughed. "That’s the normal story of all keepers, though. They become keepers not because they want to be a keeper, but because there’s some situation where they have to play keeper and then they end up liking it or being good at it." Owen said she didn’t become serious about soccer until she made the switch to goalkeeper in middle school. Prior to that point, tennis had been her primary sport. However, Owen thrived on the new set of challenges she faced as a netminder. "I like the challenge the position poses," she said, "the fact that if I have a good game, I can help win the game. But it’s kind of scary knowing also that if I have a bad game there’s nobody behind me. A forward can make mistakes all the time but if I make a mistake it can cost the game." Owen matured as a goalie during high school, earning spots on the Virginia State ODP team from 8th grade on and participating in the East’s Region I ODP team as a sophomore and junior. She also emerged as an outstanding field hockey player, earning League of Independent Schools All-Star selection her sophomore, junior and senior years, and breaking the school record for career goals (87) and goals in a season with 30 as a junior. She also earned a spot on the U.S. Field Hockey Association’s AAU Junior Olympic team that won a gold medal the summer after her sophomore year. "There was such a difference from being scored on to being the hero and scoring three goals a game," she mused. When the recruiting letters began to flood Owen’s mailbox, the majority were interested in her field hockey talent. With such impressive credentials and such a high demand for her field hockey talent, it’s hard to understand why Owen chose to go with soccer. The way she describes it, "My love for soccer just won out." It’s hard to tell if she could have had more success as a field hockey player than she found in her rookie season as keeper at William and Mary. Owen blazed onto the scene, winning the starting role and proving she was worthy of it. She posted a meager 1.032 GAA, the best in the Colonial Athletic Association, and played a key role in the team’s 10 shutouts that season. In addition, her power to punt the ball past midfield earned her an assist, and her prowess in the goal helped the Tribe, ranked as high as #7 nationally that year, advance all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. Owen said the season was like a dream for a goalkeeper so green with youth, even though the pressures of starting as a freshmen in general were compounded by her role as the squads last line of defense. Although the next season held hopes of continuing to improve upon the impressive performance of her freshman year, Owen’s hopes were dashed when an old, nagging injury reared it’s ugly head in a preseason scrimmage. A tear to her right quadriceps muscle took her out of the running for any playing time as a sophomore. It was an injury she had dealt with repeatedly in high school, and that had shown signs of resurfacing during the very end of her rookie season. With her projected recovery time at 8-9 weeks, Owen resigned herself to a medical hardship season in order to preserve her chance of regaining the lost year of play. But the following year, her luck was just as bad. During the summer of 1999 Owen tore her quad again, and although she was released from physical therapy just in time for preseason practices, her strength was still far below 100 percent. Owen knew she was not ready to challenge for the starting position she had once appeared to have nailed down. "I wasn’t in it mentally or physically. I couldn’t really even challenge for the position," she said. "By the time I was physically and mentally back in it, the season was already on its way, and you just don’t change defenses in the middle of the season." Finally, though, the bad luck took a vacation and Owen was again freed to challenge for her old position as the starting keeper. In addition, the character and insight she gained from her two years on the bench after being a starter as a freshman led her team to elect her as a captain for the 2000 season. Head coach John Daly believes the maturity Owen gained during her two frustrating years on the bench earned her the votes of her teammates, in addition to improving her play when she finally was able to take to the field again. "She’s become more assertive," Daly said. "She’s got more confidence in her ability than she had previously." With Owen back in the goal, the Tribe will attempt to defend its four straight CAA championships and make a ninth-straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. Owen’s goal is to win the CAA championship every year she is a player, whether she is on the bench or on the field. So far, she’s got three, and the team appears to have a good shot at it again this season, with a 3-1 conference record (8-4 overall). Owen is enjoying the opportunity to be a crucial part of that success once again. She has a 1.02 GAA on the season, and she cited the squad’s upset win over then-#8 Duke, in which Owen had 10 saves, as the first game in a while where she really felt that she played a large part in a big win. And the injury that never does quite seem to go away has not been entirely bad, either. It has helped Owen discover the career track she will pursue after graduation. With so much attention being paid to her injury throughout her athletic career, Owen became interested in physical therapy, and has plans to apply to physical therapy school next year. And incidentally, her choice of career fields happens to be just one more area in which she will follow in the footsteps of her big brother, who will finish dental school next year. Top of PageWoodbridge got a hat trick from sophomore striker Lianna Wooten in a 5-3 victory over defending state champion West Springfield as the Vikings finished 21-0. The Group AAA girls state championship was the first for Woodbridge since 1988, and atoned for a semifinal loss to West Springfield a year ago. Blacksburg used a header from senior Adam Breske for the game-winner in the 77th minute to down Massaponex for the Group AA boys championship. It was the Indians’ third consecutive state title and sixth overall. They have now put together a streak of 52 straight wins and have gone 66 games without a loss. That is the longest current unbeaten streak for a Virginia high school soccer program Potomac Falls also finished an undefeated season by routing Jefferson Forest 11-0 for the Group AA girls championship. It marked the first time the Virginia High School League had held a separate championship for AA girls. Potomac Falls beat Jamestown (4-0) in the quarters and Broad Run (4-2) in the semifinals. Jefferson Forest shutout Salem 3-0 in the other semifinals. W.T. Woodson, completed a magical run to its first state title and defeated James Robinson 2-1 for the boys Group AAA championship. Woodson (17-2-1) defeated Douglas Freeman 4-1 in the semifinals, while Robinson slipped past C.D. Hylton 2-1 to reach the championship game. George Mason edged Madison County 2-1 fore the Group A boys state championship, after blanking Radford 2-0 in the semifinals. Madison County eliminated Nandua 7-3 in the other semifinal match. Second-Half Rally Woodbridge was down by one against the defending state champions in the title game, but Wooten pumped in two second-half goals to give the Vikings the 5-3 win over West Springfield. Wooten had back-to-back hat tricks in the final two games of her sophomore season. She had three in a 5-0 semifinal win over Braddock Road. The win was Woodbridge’s first girls AAA state championship since 1988, and the first time a non-Northern Region team had won since the Vikings last won it. It also ended a string of four straight state tournament defeats. The last two years Woodbridge has lost in the state tournament to the eventual champion. Coach Mike Yeats’ team got a boost when the game was tied 17 and a half minutes left in the second half when a long free kick by sophomore defender Jen Woodie was deflected into the West Springfield goal by a WSHS defender. Wooten, the team scoring leader, had 34 goals for the season. Blacksburg Three-Peat Breske and the other Blacksburg seniors graduated in the morning and closed out their high school soccer careers in the afternoon. The win didn’t come easily. Massaponex (20-2), a second-year school from Spotsylvania County, matched Blacksburg goal for goal in the first half. The winning goal for Coach Shelley Blumenthal’s club came in the 71st minute as Breske headed home a long throw-in from Shawn Cruise. The Indians held on for the last nine minutes for their 22nd win of the season. "They (Massaponax) played a great game," said Breske after the trophy ceremony. "They deserved it just as much as we did. "That last goal gave us the boost we needed. We were sucking wind." Rout In AA Final Potomac Falls’ 23-0 season was filled with shutouts, but no one expected an 11-0 score in the championship game over Jefferson Forest. Eight different players scored for the Panthers. Scoring two each were senior midfielder Bethany Clyde, junior defender Nicki Linn and junior forward Meagan Mullins. The tough game came in the semifinals when the Panthers defeated their biggest rival, Broad Run 4-2. It was the fifth win over the Spartans this season. That game, which featured 17 fouls and four yellow cards, was intense. Broad Run was the only team to score goals against Potomac Falls (2) this year during the flow of play. Of the seven goals allowed by Coach Kris Kelican’s Panthers, five were scored by the Spartans. Woodson Wins First Abe Thompson, a USA U17 national striker, scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Cavaliers to their 17th win and first-ever Virginia AAA state championship. Thompson, who is headed to the University of Maryland next fall, was shutout a week earlier by Robinson in a 3-0 loss to the Rams in the Northern Region championship. Robinson, which opened the season 0-5, put together a 13-1-1 record in reaching the championship match. Coach Dick Broad’s Cavs were outshot 18-6 in the final, but the last two by Thompson connected for the tie-breaker and the winner. "I just looked up at the clock and I said I’ve got 20 minutes to free someone else up for the goal or score two myself," said Thompson, I was able to get free twice and put them in the back of the net. It was about the only two times I got free, I think." From Third To First George Mason finished in third place in the Bull Run district regular season, but the Mustangs are the Group A boys state champions after a 2-1 win over district foe Madison County. George Mason (15-4-2), coached by Art Iwanicki, was led in scoring by senior Jorge Salazar, who had a goal in the championship game, and one in a 2-0 semifinal victory over previously undefeated Radford. The Mustangs outscored opponents 113-7 for the season. Salazar, who had 24 goals in 20 games this season, finished his career with 60 goals. Top of PageHucles
Takes Games Down Road To W&M Deciding where to go to college was a difficult decision for Phillip Hucles. Perhaps the most difficult decision of his young life. His sister, Angela, has been a four-year standout forward at the University of Virginia, and Charlottesville was calling. So was the University of South Carolina, Wake Forest and William & Mary. The College of William & Mary won out! "It was really a difficult decision," said Hucles, a senior at Norfolk Academy. "I guess it finally got down between Wake Forest and William & Mary. All of them are great schools, but I really liked William & Mary and felt that all the things I was looking for in a school and in soccer are there." Hucles has played for Beach FC all his travel career, and the last few years has been with the Storm, now the club’s U18 team. He balanced club ball with high school soccer in the fall, and will leave Norfolk Academy as the school’s all-time leading scorer in points. He also finds time to play with the Virginia ‘82 ODP team, and last summer was named to the Region I pool. That team, the core of which has been together for 4-5 years, captured the first USYSA National ODP championship in February. Virginia beat Michigan 5-1 in the finals, and Hucles scored three goals. That hat trick earned him the Golden Boot award as the leading scorer in that tournament age group. Virginia goalkeeper Tim Hogan earned the Golden Gloves award as the top goalkeeper. "Lots of us had known each other for a long time," said Hucles about the U18 ODP team. "We’ve played against each other in club soccer, and over half the team has been togehter for 4-5 years. It’s great to get a chance to play together with players you’ve played against." Hucles wasn’t the only Beach FC player on the 18-player national championship squad. Justin Freeman, Beau Hubbard and Bailey Allman, all of whom play for the U17 Desperadoes, were also on the eam. Freeman also scored in the championship win over Michigan. To reach the championship game Virginia edged the Region IV champion from Northern California 2-1. "It was really a great experience," said Hucles about the championship and the trip to Pheonix, AZ, where it was played. "Everything was taken care of, they treated us well, the competiton and the weather was great." Because the public schools in Virginia have their high school season in the spring, the major club competitions are in the fall. Hucles, who plays outside left midfield on the ODP team, is working on his moves as a member of the Norfolk Academy lacrosse team. He got started with lacrosse when he was playing up a year in club soccer, and some of his teammates were already in high school. They "recruited" him to the lacrosse team, and he’s played for four years. "Lacrosse has been fun," said Hucles. "Mostly its because you have a chance to play with your friends." Hucles isn’t likely to play lacrosse at William & Mary, but men’s head coach Al Albert isn’t getting a young man who is one dimensional. He’s had a chance to travel and play soccer outside of the United States. Two summers ago he took a trip to Germany, playing up two years with the then U18 Virginia State ODP team. Chris Norris, now an assistant coach at William & Mary, coached that team. Although the youngest player in the group, he was declared "Man-of-the-Match" twice by opposing teams. Last summer he was the only "local" player who was selected to participate in the adidas ESP camp, and made the all-star team. He isn’t going far away to college. Just down the road a bit to Williamsburg. He isn’t sure just what his academic major will be, but is thinking about law or psychology. And thinking about playing soccer. Top of PageSwanson Replaces Heinrichs At Virginia Steve Swanson has been named the head coach of the Virginia women’s soccer team, effective immediately, as announced by Virginia Senior Associate Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage. Swanson comes to Virginia from Stanford, where he was the Cardinal Head Coach for the last four seasons. He carries a career record of 104-63-11 to Charlottesville. "I am extremely fortunate to be headed for a university and athletic program as highly regarded as Virginia’s," says Swanson. "It is one of the top schools in the country academically and athletically, especially in regard to its soccer programs." During his four-year tenure at Stanford, Swanson compiled a record of 49-28-4 and three NCAA tournament bids, including a trip to the third round in 1999. The Cardinal were the Pac-10 Champs in 1996 and 1999. Swanson was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1999. Prior to heading the Stanford program, Swanson built the Dartmouth Big Green into a national powerhouse. In his six years at Dartmouth, Swanson built a record of 55-35-7 and guided the Big Green to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history (1993). "We are pleased to be able to attract Steve Swanson to be our women’s soccer coach," said Littlepage. "He has vast experience in highly competitive academic and soccer programs. Following a coach like April Heinrichs is a big challenge, but Coach Swanson has the track record of a coach that can continue moving our women’s soccer program forward." The Cavaliers concluded their 1999 season with a 3-2 triple overtime loss to the Hartford Hawks in the third round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. Their 1999 record was 13-9. Stanford and Virginia faced off in 1999 at the Coca-Cola Classic. The Cavaliers rallied for a 3-2 victory against then-#23 Stanford after being down 2-0 with 22 minutes to play. Top of PageJanuary 2000 Notes Barbara Wickstrand, a graduate of Robinson H.S., has been named the new women’s head coach at Minnesota. Wickstrand, a two-time All-America goalkeeper at N.C. State, was the Gophers’ assistant last year...... Tori George, a defender at Chantilly High School and a member of the Braddock Road Legend, will play collegiate soccer next fall at Florida State...... William & Mary’s Missy Wycinsky’s 20 assists were second best in Division I last fall, three behind Mandy Clemens of Santa Clara..... Three Virginia high school players are amont the four to sign grants with William & Mary’s women’s programs. Coach John Daly announced that defender Gibby Eppler (Norfolk), midfielder Tara Flint (Sterling), midfielder Lindsey Vanderspiegel (Chesapeake) will join goalkeeper Nikkie Villott (Pleasantton, CA) as his recruits for the fall of 2000..... Two defenders from the Richmond Capitals, Kari Belcher (Dale HS) and Natalie Crable (Freeman HS) have signed to play soccer at Campbell University next year.... Lang Wedemeyer, director of coaching and women’s coordinator for the Roaonoke Valley Youth Soccer Club, has been named the first women’s head coach at South Dakato State. SDS will begin its first season of varsity play in the fall of 2000..... Kevin Alvero, drafted by the Richmond Kickers from the University of South Florida, once played on a Florida club team coached by Carlos Martinolli, current Coaching Director fo the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club ...... D.C. United picked up two high school players in the MLS Superdraft, selecting McLean (VA) forward Sergio Salas and taking midfielder Micah Cooks (Bullis Prep) in the fifth round. Salas had the assist on the only goal as the MLS Youth all-stars beast the USL All-Stars 1-0 during the Umbro Select Classic prior to the draft..... Harry Gardner was honored at the annual VYSA Awards Luncheon during the January state workshop as the Kellogg’s Volunteer of the Year. Lauren Kessinger was named the Young Female Referee of the Year and Zachary Blaine received the VYSA Young Male Referee of the Year award...... Candace Murphy, a midfielder from Mechanicsville has signed to play soccer next fall at UNC Charlotte..... Brett Mosen, who served as an assistant coach for the A-League Hampton Roads Mariners las summer, has been named the new head coach of the Tennessee Rhythm, which also plays in the A-League. Mosen coached the old Nashville Metros during the 1995 season..... Jaclyn Benjamin, a senior defender at Oakton High School, has signed to play at Tulane. Top of PageHeinrichs Named Women's National Coach April Heinrichs, women’s head coach at the University of Virginia, has signed a four-year contract to become the new head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. She is only the third full-time head coach of the women's full national team. The announcement was made at a news conference in New York on Tuesday, Jan. 18. She is the second University of Virginia head coach to be named to a head coaching position by US Soccer. Bruce Arena who became the U.S. Men’s national coach following the ’98 World Cup, coached the Cavaliers to four consecutive NCAA Division I men's championship before beginning a three-year stint as coach of MLS' D.C. United. Heinrichs replaces Tony DiCicco, who posted a 103-8-8 record as the women’s head coach. DiCicco’s contract with U.S. Soccer expired at the end of 1999. It has been reported that she may have been US Soccer’s second choice, and that the job originally was offered to Clive Charles, men’s and women’s head coach at the University of Portland and the current U.S. U23 (Olympic) men’s team. Charles, who had been the leading candidate for the job for several months, apparently was unwilling to leave the collegiate coaching ranks for a full-time job as the women’s head coach. Heinrichs, who will be 36 next month, led the University of North Carolina to three national championships during her collegiate career. She was the captain of the U.S. women in the early developing years of the women’s national program, and led the U.S. to the championship in the inaugural 1991 Women’s World Championship in China. Heinrichs, the second woman and first female player to be inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame, retired as a national team player after the ’91 World Championship and began a collegiate coaching career at Princeton University. She was also the head coach at the University of Maryland, and has been Virginia’s head coach since 1996. Ironically, the person she replaced at Virginia was Lauren Gregg, a UNC and U.S. National Team teammate who left the Cavaliers to join the U.S. women’s program as a full-time assistant. Gregg was one of two assistant coaches who were publicly recommended by DiCicco for the head coaching position. Jay Hoffman was the other. Gregg also served as the coach of the U.S. Under-21 women, who won the Nordic Cup in 1997 and 1999. Her future role with the USSF is unclear. Heinrichs, who’s teams have posted a 52-24-10 record since she took over the program four years ago, is the current U.S. U16 national coach. She served as an assistant coach to DiCicco on both the 1995 World Cup Team and during the 1996 Olympics, when the USA won the first-ever gold medal for women's soccer. "I am thrilled to be the U.S. Women's National team coach," said Heinrichs. "It's with great pride and pleasure that I take on this challenge. Begin named the Technical Director for the U.S. Women's national Teams programs will afford me the opportunity to build on a solid infrastructure already in place. I know there's much more to be done in the coming days and weeks, and I'm looking forward to the first opportunity to get on the field with the players. That's where I'm most at home." Heinrichs becomes just the third woman to hold a head coaching job in elite women's international soccer, joining Marika Domanski Lyfors of Sweden and Tina Theune-Meyer of Germany, who were the only female head coaches with the 16 teams at the 1999 Women's World Cup. "There is no doubt that it was a difficult choice as we felt we had several very qualified candidates," said U.S. Soccer President Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia. "But we also have no doubt that we made the right choice. April's energy, leadership and commitment to the U.S. Women's National Team programs are world class. We know she has the tools to help continue the tremendous success that our women have achieved in the international arena." During her career as a player with the U.S. National Team, Heinrichs played with nine current members of the World Cup team. The decision to hire her comes after months of conflict over player contracts between the World Cup players and the federation. Following a boycott by the veteran players for a trip to the Australia Cup in mid-January, Gregg and Hoffman took a team of young American players to Australia and won the tournament, beating the Czech Republic (8-1) and Australia (3-1) and drawing 0-0 with Sweden. As a player Heinrichs made 47 appearances with the national team and ranks as the #5 all-time scorer with 84 points on 37 goals and 10 assists. Top of PageA-League
Richmond Kickers The Richmond Kickers and head coach Colin Clarke have decided to part company as the club seeks to build on its past success with a new focus. Following the 1999 season, the Kickers’ ownership and management assessed their direction with the help of a strategic management consulting firm, The Davis Group. From these evaluations the Kickers began to refocus on new priorities for the next five years and redefined the club’s vision for the future. The conclusion from the assessment of strengths and weaknesses of the club, was that the club needed to build a stronger team, both on the field and in the community. According to a Kickers spokesman, the owners and management felt the best way to achieve its new strategic vision was with a new head coach. Clarke joined the Kickers as head coach in August of 1997 following an inconsistent season under then head coach Frank Kohlenstein. In his first full season in 1998, Clarke led the Kickers to an Atlantic Division championship with a 21-7 record, only to lose in the second round of the playoffs. This past season, the team started strong with a 14-2 record, but slumped during the latter part of the season, losing nine of 12 games. The 1999 Kickers finished with a 17-11 record and were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by Staten Island. The Kickers are currently involved in a national search for a new head coach to lead them to a higher level of success, both on the field and off. |
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FAIRFAX,
Va. (Wednesday, February 13, 2001) -- Gordon Bradley may have
spent more than 50 years as a professional soccer player and
coach, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for a rocking chair.