USL Feature

Thursday, November 12, 2009

GROUP A
New York Magic
The New York Magic topped the formidable Mid Atlantic Division with an 11-2-4 record. The team combined the 18-team division’s third-best offense with the seventh-best defense to outscore opponents 42-21. The Magic’s season started off with a loss, 2-1 to TSF Academy, before New York rattled off a seven-game unbeaten streak. They fell, 5-2 to Parsippany SC on July 12 before winning the remainder of their matches, another eight-game unbeaten run heading into the North American Finals.

Chicago Fire
The Fire ended the regular season with a 7-2-1 record. Coached by Matthew Prunckle, the team had the best offense in the division. They averaged 2.4 goals per game and finished the year with 24 goals. The two blemishes on their record: a 3-2 loss to Kalamazoo and a 3-1 defeat suffered to fellow North American Finalist, the Toronto Lynx. Following the loss the Lynx, the Fire ended the season on a three-game winning streak that included a 3-2 redemption win over Kalamazoo.

Alpharetta United
The U16 boys Alpharetta United team is a diversified group of young men coming from all parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The Super Y-League regular season was only the second year of playing together for this group. They have really come far in just a short amount of time. Alpharetta boasted the top defense in the division, allowing just six goals in nine matches. The single loss on their 8-1-0 season was to the Atlanta Silverbacks on the last day of the season.

TSF Academy
TSF finished the season with an 11-4-2 record. They scored 29 goals in 17 matches for an average of 1.70 per game. Their defense was better, allowing just 0.82 per match including eight shutouts. Coached by Lee Bakewell, Zico Nunes and Andy Meaney, the team enjoyed a four-game unbeaten streak to start the season. That stretch included an important 1-0 win over Parsippany SC, who finished second in the Mid Atlantic table.

GROUP B
Coastal WFC
Coached by Jason Jordan (CSA B License and Technical Director of Vancouver FC) and assisted by Chris Laxton, the U16 boys went undefeated the entire season with 11 wins and one draw while recording 62 goals for and six goals against. The U16 boys earned first place honors in their division with 34 points out of a possible 36. Coastal’s only draw was a 1-1 match against Thompson-Okanagan, the opening match of their season.

HC United
HC United’s U16 boys clinched the Southeast Division championship with a 9-2-1 record, scoring 39 goals and only allowing 10 goals. The team was led offensively by Nick Patterson (13 goals, 1 assist), Kofi Forkuoh (6 goals, 2 assists) and Jonathan Thompson (5 goals, 1 assist). Defensively the team was led by goalkeeper John Nardozzi and defenders Josh Santos and Charles Delmar. The team is coached by Eric Sims, who has two North American Finals Championships already under his belt.

“We used all 26 players this summer to get through a very tough Southeast Division,” said Sims. “We are proud to be representing the Southeast in the finals and just want to be competitive. We are happy to be in the tournament. Winning this event would be a huge bonus.”

Parsippany SC
Parsippany SC ended the regular season with an 11-3-3 record thanks to their suffocating defense, who allowed just 0.588 goals per game over the course of 17 matches. Coached by Brian Sentowski and Todd Tumelty, the team was off to a rocky start, losing their first and third matches of the season, 1-0 to Ironbound and 3-2 to South Jersey. But following a 1-0 loss to TSF Academy on June 6 the team completed a 10-game unbeaten run to end the regular season.

Super Nova SC
Super Nova FC is very proud of this year’s U16 boys, which played in the highly competitive Mid Atlantic Division. At the end of the season, only two points separated the top six teams who all advanced to the North American Finals. After fading in years past, this year’s team won four of their last five matches down the stretch to secure a spot in the SYL tournament. They know the journey is just beginning here in Tampa, FL for them to achieve their final goal of the season – to be crowned SYL North American Finals CHAMPIONS.

GROUP C
Northern Virginia Royals
The Northern Virginia Royals went 9-1-0 this season on the strength of their prolific offense, which averaged 3.6 goals per match. The team’s defense was close behind, allowing just 0.90 goals per game. Quickly becoming the top rivalry in the South Atlantic, Northern Virginia’s only loss came to Georgia’s Alpharetta United, 3-0 on June 28th. Following the loss the Royals ended the regular season on a seven-game winning streak.

MPS Bulldogs
After finishing in second place in The Massachusetts Soccer Conference High School A1 division the Bulldogs advanced to the semi-finals of the Massachusetts State Cup. The Bulldogs then competed in the US Club National Cup Super Club Division Finals in Virginia Beach after winning the US Club Regional Tournament in Pittsgrove, NJ. The Bulldogs completed the summer season by finishing in second place the USL Super Y New England Division and Qualifying for the Super Y-League North American Finals.

Kendall SC
Kendall finished the Super Y-League regular season with a 7-2-3 record. The team was very balanced, finishing the season with the second-best offense and the third-best defense in the Southeast. Coached by Marcos Colman, Alexander Cifuentes and Francisco De Asis, the team lost their first two matches of the season, 3-1 to the eventual division winner, HC United and 2-0 to Sunrise SC. Following the losses, Kendall SC went on a 10-game unbeaten streak heading into the North American Finals.

PDA
“PDA are very proud to be part of this year’s North American Championships,” said Coach Dennis Jackson. “Over the course of the 17-game season, the team scored an amazing 51 goals due to the player’s attacking nature. Another attribute to the group’s success during the qualifying stage of the league was how close-knit the group became. Working for each other on the field and having great social relationships off the field helped over the course of a long grueling season, the boys are proud to represent PDA and are truly excited about the event.”

GROUP D
Ottawa Fury
The Fury won the New England Division with an 8-1-1 record, losing only to fellow North American Finals qualifier, MPS Bulldogs, 3-2 on Sunday, July 12. Coached by Stephen Hill, the team had both the best offense (30GF) and defense (8GA) in the region. The team’s lone draw was a 2-2 match with Black Watch SC way back in May. Ottawa ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak in which the Fury outscored their opponents, 11-1.

Toronto Lynx
Toronto’s only loss was to the Fire, 4-1 in the second game of the season. The Lynx returned the favor nine days later, beating the Fire 3-1 on their own turf. Coached by Duncan Wilde, Hector Loranca and Billy Steele – the team relied on their stout defense, who led the division by allowing just six goals all season. The team picked up four shutouts this year, the most in the division.

Mountain WFC
For the fourth consecutive year, Coach Tony Francisco’s team have qualified for the North American Finals. The Mountain WFC U16 boys had a strong season and finished 10-2-0, assisted by the top goal scorer of the Pacific Northwest division. The team’s overall success was due to a well-balanced, hard working squad. Qualification for the finals is a great achievement and the players are looking forward to meeting strong opposition in Tampa.

New Jersey Rangers
The New Jersey Rangers finished fourth in the Mid Atlantic Division with an 11-4-2 record, the third team in the division to end the regular season with 35 points (Super Nova and TSF Academy). The Rangers completed a 10-game unbeaten streak before falling to the New York Magic, 3-0 in July. The team had the sixth-best defense in the division, allowing exactly one goal per match. The Rangers are coached by Ken Cherry and Andy Rotsides.