Sunday, July 28, 2013

RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers extended their lead at the top of the USL PRO standings with a scoreless draw against VSI Tampa Bay FC Sunday night. Kickers goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra posted six saves for his league-high eighth shutout to keep the Kickers' record setting undefeated streak alive.

With their season-long unbeaten streak on the line, the Kickers pressed for an opening goal directly out of the gates when defender Sascha Görres faked a volley then teed up a shot that calmly slotted through traffic, forcing goalkeeper Alex Horwath to dive to his right to parry it wide in the 6th minute. Two minutes later, Horwath sprung into action again, denying a Michael Callahan strike to prevent the early break through.

Tampa retaliated in the 11th minute when midfielder Tony Donatelli received the ball 30 yards out and rifled a distance shot over the crossbar. Midfielder Chad Burt lined up a similar attempt six minutes later but Dykstra leapt to push the ball over the bar.

The defensive battle ensued into the second half until Donatelli battled two defenders for possession at the right touchline in the 55th minute. Breaking free, he sent a deflected cross back to the top of the box where forward Andriy Budnyy fired on target but Dykstra dove to the near post to smother his effort.

Three minutes later, Tampa searched for the icebreaker when Douglas Dos Santos stole the ball in the midfield minutes after entering the match as a second half substitute. Carrying the ball deep into Kickers territory, he played it back to Burt who unleashed a fierce shot that whizzed inches past the upright.

A 69th-minute lightning strike delayed the match for nearly an hour and the Kickers looked for a quick tally minutes after the restart when midfielder Nate Robinson lofted a free kick into the box. Hoping to find Stanley Nyazamba in the air, his cross was thwarted when the Zimbabwean midfielder collided with Horwath as the goalkeeper grabbed the ball.

Soon after, Nyazamba broke through the Tampa defense and sliced the ball across the goal mouth, searching for David Bulow, lurking at the back post, but the ball was intercepted by VSI defender Kyle Hoffer and cleared from harm’s way.

With 10 minutes remaining in regulation, a poor clearance led to an inswinging Tampa corner kick that pinged around a crowded box before deflecting off a Kickers defender and striking the post. The rebound found Dos Santos at the top of the box and his follow up shot met the same fate, rattling the woodwork once again, before Dykstra diverted it over the endline.

Gaining momentum, Tampa pressed forward again three minutes later, when a tricky combination left Donatelli unmarked but the midfielder could not capitalize on the opportunity as he blasted a shot from 20 yards just over the crossbar.

In the final seconds of stoppage time, the Kickers were denied a last-gasp attempt to steal all three points when Gorres sliced a left-footed shot destined for goal but Horwath wrapped it around the post to preserve the scoreless draw.

The Kickers take to the road again next weekend for a pair of back to back matches in the Carolinas. First, the Kickers travel to the Charlotte Eagles on Friday, August 2 before facing the Charleston Battery 24 hours later. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., live from Queens Sports Complex and Blackbaud Stadium, respectively, on USLnation.com.

W-20 News Release

Sunday, July 28, 2013

BRADENTON, Fla. – The Kalamazoo Kingdom and Force FC Football Academy renewed their Midwest Division rivalry in the W-20 Championship presented by Nike Sunday, with Kalamazoo holding on for a 2-1 victory to take the title at IMG Academy.

Goals at either side of halftime by Michaela Kovacs and Madi Morgan staked the Kingdom to a 2-0 lead, and they had to hold on during a frantic finish to claim the title.

“First and foremost it was what you want from a championship game,” Kalamazoo Head Cach Lewis Robinson said. “It was a fantastic game from start to finish with two very good teams, loads of quality and hundreds of chances.”

The opportunities started early, with Force FC’s Irene Young having the first good chance in the 13th minute, but her open header went into the arms of Kalamazoo keeper Kailey Naumchef. Seven minutes later Olivia Emery nearly put Kalamazoo on the board first, but she just missed getting ahold of a cross through the six-yard box.

Kovacs, the youngest player on the Kalamazoo roster and a 2015 Michigan State University recruit, broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Lauren Moore caused a turnover that fell to Kovacs, who calmly slotted the ball inside the far post.

Force’s Kyla Kellermann, the tournament’s Golden Boot winner, nearly evened the score in the 51st minute, but her shot from in close was deflected away by Naumchef, the Safe Hands Award winner. Force seemed destined to find the equalizer when Joan Sieja ripped a long shot off the crossbar in the 54th minute, but Kalamazoo added to the lead three minutes later when Morgan hit a long strike over the head of Force keeper Jenna O’Dell to double the lead.

Force refused to give in and raised the level of pressure, and it was rewarded in the 75th minute when Eliza Van De Kerkhove’s cross deflected off a pair of defenders and into the net to make it 2-1. Force twice thought it had found the equalizer, but the posts were unkind as Irene Young hit a long drive off the crossbar in the 79th minute and Sieja hit the left post in the 90th.

“We have a good little rivalry going with them and it’s always a great game,” Robinson said. “Michigan is without a doubt a hotspot for women’s soccer right now.”

Kalamazoo’s Gabby Russo was selected as the W-20 Championship MVP.

PDL News Release

Sunday, July 28, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – The Austin Aztex will host the 2013 PDL Championships presented by Nike after a thrilling weekend of action saw four teams advance from the PDL Conference Championships to keep their hopes of a title alive. The Aztex will welcome the Ocean City Nor’easters, Thunder Bay Chill and Victoria Highlanders to House Park for the conclusion to the 2013 PDL season.

Austin claimed victory in the Southern Conference, with more than 5,000 fans on hand at House Park over two days of competition. The Aztex defeated Mid South Division rival the Laredo Heat to earn their berth in the semifinals as Khiry Shelton had a goal and assist to lead his side to victory.

The Aztex will face the Eastern Conference Champion Ocean City Nor’easters in the semifinals after Ocean City defeated the Carolina Dynamo in a penalty shootout in Saturday’s conference semifinals before recording a 3-1 victory against the Ottawa Fury in Sunday night’s final. Coming off back-to-back Mid Atlantic Division titles, this is the Nor’easters first trip to the PDL Championships since joining the league in 2003.

The Victoria Highlanders will also be making their first appearance at the championships after taking a pair of well-fought victories against the Ventura County Fusion and Portland Timbers U-23s to advance as the Western Conference Champion. The Highlanders got three goals in two games from Brett Levis, both of which proved to be game-winners, as they edged out Northwest Division rival Portland 1-0 in Sunday’s final.

The Thunder Bay Chill will face the Highlanders in an all-Canadian semifinal after they booked their return to the championships with a 3-0 victory against defending champion FC London on Sunday evening in the Central Conference Final. The 2008 champion is making its second appearance in the past three seasons after reaching the semifinals in 2011, and its fourth appearance overall at the championships.

The schedule for the semifinals and championship game will be announced shortly, with a full schedule for the championship weekend to be finalized on Monday. 

W-League News Release

Sunday, July 28, 2013

BRADENTON, Fla. – A year after letting the title slip through their fingers, the Pali Blues captured the 2013 W-League Championship presented by Nike with a 1-0 victory against the Laval Comets at IMG Academy. An own goal of the foot of Laval player/coach Cindy Walsh in the 87th minute proved to be the difference as the Blues took home their third title in the franchise’s sixth year of existence.

“I feel like everything kind of led to this day,” Pali Head Coach Charlie Naimo said. “There’s been a lot of adversity, and I just didn’t think they had losing in their mind this year. A lot of times you have talent on your team but you’re just not sure if they’re ready to get it done, but a lot of these kids have stayed to the end and made sacrifices.

“They really wanted to win this and it made me confident.”

In a game that featured loads of international talent on both sides of the pitch, Pali was able to control much of the play but couldn’t find a way past Laval goalkeeper Genevieve Richard. Named the W-League Goalkeeper of the Year Saturday, Richard turned in a stellar performance that included a second-half penalty kick save to keep Laval in the match.

Pali’s Chioma Ubogagu was taken down in the box in the 52nd minute to draw the penalty, and hit a strong shot to the lower left corner on the spot kick that Richard was able to get fingers on and direct off the left post. Richard robbed Ubogagu again eight minutes later when the Stanford star bent a shot toward the top right corner that Richard was able to fend off.

Pali’s scoring play started at the feet of Wake Forest and U.S. U-20 star Katie Stengel, who received a pass in the box and turned to shoot but was taken down by a pair of defenders. Walsh got a foot on the ball to try to clear the trouble, but it trickled past Richard into the left corner for the game’s only goal.

“I think that was going to be a penalty if he didn’t give the advantage, so either way we would have had maybe one more chance to score,” Naimo said. “I think today we were rewarded for an overall performance. I think we gave them one chance the entire game.”

Pali’s midfield was dominant most of the match, with championship MVP Ashley Nick and the UCLA duo of Abby Dahlkemper and Sarah Killion dictating the play for much of the day. Laval had to resort to long balls over the top for much of the match, hoping strikers Nkemjika Ezurike and Christina Julien could outrun the Pali defense on the counter-attack.

Laval’s tactics almost paid off in the 38th minute when Ezurike broke in alone, but Pali keeper Anna Maria Picarelli was able to stop the low drive and the Pali backline of Sasha Andrews, Kassey Kallman, Satara Murray and Caprice Dydasco held firm the entire match.

While the victory didn’t necessarily provide redemption for Naimo after letting a lead slip away in the final second in 2012, it was still special.

“I’m always going to think about ‘why can’t we get that one second back’ and ‘why can’t this be our fourth championship,’ but a championship always feels great and tomorrow I’m going to wake up and think about how we can do it again,” he said. 

2013 W-League Consolation Final

Washington Spirit Reserves 2, Carolina Elite Cobras 1

The Washington Spirit Reserves used a Carolina Elite own goal and a strike from Ashley Herndon to defeat the Carolina Elite Cobras 2-1 in the W-League Consolation Final.

Herndon opened the scoring in the 36th minute off a feed from W-League co-Assist Champion Amber Stobbs, and after a Carolina Elite own goal in the 83rd minute, the Cobras pulled within one on a goal by substitute Rachel Baer in the 88th. However, the Spirit Reserves held on for the 2-1 victory. 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

VENTURA, Calif. -- The Victoria Highlanders capped off their California playoff trip with a 1-0 victory over Northwest Division rival Portland Timbers U-23. Brett Levis scored his third goal of the weekend in the opening half to give the Highlanders a lead that they would carry till the final whistle.

Following Saturday’s match that required extra time, the Highlanders hit the pitch Sunday evening looking for their second win of the weekend to earn the Western Conference crown and place them in the 2013 PDL Championships. Victoria’s Andrew Ravenhill provided his club with a spark early, flying down the wing early and creating chances and generating the team’s initial corner kick of the match.

On nine minutes, Portland received an opportunity of their own, when Jarvis Greer crossed a neat pass in front of the net which hoping to find a Timbers player, none were in a position to get a touch.

Victoria seemed content to sit back and wait for opportunities in the opening 15-minutes of play. That opportunity would come in the 16th minute, when Blair Sturrock broke the line with a perfectly placed pass to Levis’ feet, who then easily shifted past his marker, firing a left-footed shot past the Timbers ‘keeper to push the Highlanders up 1-0.

Portland began to find their feet after 30-minutes, gaining increased possession and firing a couple attempts that would amount to nothing. Quality chances would become sparse for either side, save for a chance in the 40th minute by Tarnvir Bhandal for the Highlanders, who received a pass from Kalem Scott but was unable to place it to the back of the net. The first half would end with the Highlanders maintaining their 1-0 lead.

Both teams opened up in a conservative manner to open the second half, with no large chanced until the 67th minute, when a free kick for Portland sailed overtop of Victoria ‘keeper Elliot Mitrou. Captain Tyler Hughes would take down a Portland player minutes later, allowing Timbers U-23 another free kick opportunity. Hughes would redeem his error, heading the ball away and preventing any opportunity for the opposing club.

Mitrou would keep his clean sheet intact as he deflected a shot on net in the 75th minute, Bhandal would also lend to the defense as he slid across to deflect an opportunity three minutes later.

Portland's largest opportunity of the half came in the 82nd minute, when a blast from Timbers player Anthony Macchionne sailed just over the net from eight yards out. Portland would press in the final minutes of the half, but would be unable to break the Highlander defense. The Highlanders would hold their 1-0 lead to the final whistle, winning the Western Conference title and earning a berth in next weekend’s PDL Championships, to be held in Austin, Texas.

For more information please visit www.victoriahighlandersfc.com.

USL PRO News Release

Monday, July 29, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO will hold its 2013 Midyear Board of Governors meeting in Kansas City, Kansas Wednesday in conjunction with the 2013 MLS All-Star Game, set for Sporting Park at 9 p.m. ET.

Team owners and executives from USL PRO’s 15 franchises, including Sacramento Republic FC and the newly-announced Oklahoma City club, who will both begin play in 2014, will join league management for a full day of business meetings at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.

Expected agenda items include review of the league’s strategic business plan, expansion initiatives, broadcast opportunities, and best practices sharing. Meeting delegates will also enjoy the opportunity to attend several social events and liaise with other national soccer executives.

PDL News Release

Monday, July 29, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – The 2013 PDL regular season honors were announced today with Baltimore Bohemians forward Peter Caringi leading the way by earning both the Scoring Champion and Golden Boot awards.

Caringi, set to play his senior season at UMBC, led the Bohemians (8-1-5) to second place in the Mid Atlantic Division while tallying 16 goals and 37 points in 12 games. He edged out Ottawa’s Carl Haworth by a point in the scoring race and finished one goal ahead of Real Colorado’s Oliver Gore and Orlando City U23’s Tyler Blackwood in the goal-scoring race.

Haworth is the PDL’s 2013 Assist Champion after tallying 12 in 12 games for the Northeast Division Champions, who finished 11-1-2 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship, where they fell 3-1 against the Ocean City Nor’easters. Haworth is a Niagara University grad who has represented Canada on the international stage.

Haworth’s teammate Chad Bush ran away with Goals-Against Average Champion honors, posting nine shutouts in 10 starts for a miniscule 0.104 GAA. A sophomore at Duke University, Bush also has Canadian international experience and was recently chosen to participate alongside the Canada Under-20 National Team as they prepared for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.

The 2013 PDL All-Conference Teams will be announced on Tuesday, followed by the All-League Team on Wednesday. The finalists for Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Young (U21) Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the awards presented at Saturday’s PDL Championship banquet in Austin, Texas. Goalkeeper of the Year will also be presented at the banquet.

The Austin Aztex will host the 2013 PDL Championships presented by Nike and will welcome the Ocean City Nor’easters, Thunder Bay Chill and Victoria Highlanders to House Park in Austin, Texas this weekend. The Semifinals will be played Friday, with the winners advancing to meet for the 2013 PDL Championship on Sunday.

USL PRO News Release

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO named its Team of the Week for Week 19 of the season on Tuesday, with Harrisburg City Islanders forward Lucky Mkosana earning Player of the Week honors after scoring a hat trick in his side’s 5-1 victory against the Dayton Dutch Lions, which kept the City Islanders back in third place in the USL PRO standings.

Mkosana opened the scoring for the City Islanders against Dayton in just the eighth minute, and then added a second in the opening minute of the second half as Matt Bahner charged down a clearance and sent a low cross that allowed Mkosana to finish. He then complete his hat trick after a good piece of interplay with Morgan Langley set up a near-post header that flashed into the left corner of the net.

Mkosana was joined on the Team of the Week attack by Charleston’s Dane Kelly, who had three goals in two games as the Battery took a pair of victories, and David Paul, who scored twice for Phoenix FC as the Wolves took their first road win in club history against the Charlotte Eagles.

Kelly’s Battery teammate Jose Cuevas joins him on the Team of the Week, with the 2012 USL PRO Rookie of the Year putting in two strong performances to propel the Battery attack, which scored eight goals in two games. Rochester’s Danny Earls was selected as his late game-winner kept the Rhinos’ playoff hopes alive with a win against Antigua, while Charlotte’s Jorge Herrera earns selection after recording a goal and two assists as the Eagles drew 3-3 with Los Angeles. Richmond’s Luke Vercollone rounds out the quartet after playing a key role in his side’s move to the top of the USL PRO standings as the Kickers extended their USL PRO-record undefeated streak to 21 games.

Richmond’s Conor Shanosky also earned selection after scoring the game-winning goal in the Kickers’ 2-1 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps Reserves. Joining him on the Team of the Week defense is Pittsburgh captain Rich Costanzo, who marshaled his back line in the Riverhounds’ 1-0 win against the Toronto FC Reserves. Tampa Bay’s Josh Rife earned his selection after scoring a goal and helping VSI earn four points in two games on the road, while Pittsburgh’s Hunter Gilstrap takes the goalkeeper position after recording a shutout in Toronto.

Stay up to date with every game from USL PRO venues in 2013 through the league’s free online streaming service, USLNation.com, and also follow the race for the playoffs via Twitter (@USLPRO), Facebook and Google+ for live updates from every game, every night of the season, plus news, previews and recaps of all the action.

USL PRO Team of the Week

Honorable Mention: Antigua – Tamorley Thomas; Charleston – Colin Falvey, Michael Azira; Charlotte – Drew Yates; Dayton – Brandon Swartzendruber; Harrisburg – Morgan Langley, Matthew Bahner; Los Angeles – Chris Cortez, Shay Spitz; Phoenix: Scott Morrison, Donnie Toia; Pittsburgh – Jose Angulo, Seth C’deBaca; Richmond – Andrew Dykstra, Matt Delicâte; Rochester – Kristian Nicht; Tampa Bay – Chad Burt, Sebastian Thuriere; Wilmington – Shawn Nicklaw, Paul Nicholson.

PDL News Release

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL announced its 2013 All-Conference Teams today, honoring the players from among the league’s 64 teams who shone the brightest during the 2013 regular season. The teams were selected through a vote of team management.

All four teams headed to the 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike this weekend in Austin, Texas are represented on the All-Conference teams. The host Austin Aztex lead all teams with four players selected, including goalkeeper Devin Cook, defender Max Gunderson, midfielder Antonio Rocha and forward Krystopher Tyrpak.

The Eastern Conference champion Ocean City Nor’easters are represented by forward Dwayne Reid, the Central Conference Champion Thunder Bay Chill are represented by defenders Nolan Intermoia and Axel Sjoberg, and the Western Conference Champion Victoria Highlanders had defender Tyler Hughes and forward Brett Levis selected.

Next behind Austin with three selections each are the Ottawa Fury of the Eastern Conference and Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 of the Western Conference. Five players are making their second consecutive PDL All-Conference appearance, including Jordan Green of the Kansas City Brass and Bryan Ciesiulka of the Chicago Fire (Central), Taian de Souza of the Panama City Beach Pirates (Southern), and Gunderson and Tyrpak of the Aztex (Southern).

The 2013 PDL All-League Team will be announced on Wednesday and the finalists for Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Young (U21) Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the awards presented at Saturday’s PDL Championship banquet in Austin. Goalkeeper of the Year will also be presented at the banquet.

The 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike will kick off at 5 p.m. CT Friday when the No. 4 Highlanders face the No. 1 Chill, followed by the No. 3 Nor’easters at the No. 2 Aztex at 7:30 p.m. CT. The winners advance to meet for the 2013 PDL Championship on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT.

2013 PDL All-Conference Teams

Eastern Conference
GK – Chad Bush, Ottawa Fury
D – Shaun Foster, Ottawa Fury
D – Damion Lowe, Reading United AC
D – Gilbert Manier, GPS Portland Phoenix
D – Hugh Roberts, Baltimore Bohemians
MF – Brandt Bronico, Carolina Dynamo
MF – Brayan Martinez, Jersey Express
MF – Jason Plumhoff, Reading United AC
F – Peter Caringi, Baltimore Bohemians
F – Carl Haworth, Ottawa Fury
F – Dwayne Reid, Ocean City Nor’easters

Central Conference
GK – Tyson Farago, WSA Winnipeg
D – Brandon Fricke, Des Moines Menace
D – Tyler Hemming, Forest City London
D – Nolan Intermoia, Thunder Bay Chill
D – Axel Sjoberg, Thunder Bay Chill
MF – Bryan Ciesiulka, Chicago Fire
MF – Jordan Green, Kansas City Brass
MF – Matt Walker, Michigan Bucks
F – Moses Danto, WSA Winnipeg
F – Oliver Gore, Real Colorado Foxes
F – Zach Steinberger, Michigan Bucks

Western Conference
GK – David Meves, Portland Timbers U-23s
D – Derrick Bassi, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23
D – Chris Brundage, Sounders FC U23
D – Tyler Hughes, Victoria Highlanders FC
D – Trevor Spurgeon, Fresno Fuego
MF – Zach Barnes, Portland Timbers U-23s
MF – Paul Islas, Fresno Fuego
MF – Bobby Jhutty, Van. Whitecaps FC U-23
F – Niall Cousens, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23
F – Brett Levis, Victoria Highlanders FC
F – Tyler Reinhart, Fresno Fuego

Southern Conference
GK – Devin Cook, Austin Aztex
D – Taian de Souza, Panama City Beach Pirates
D – Max Gunderson, Austin Aztex
D – Walter Kromholz, Houston Dutch Lions
D – Felipe Souza, Laredo Heat
MF – Itode Fubara, Orlando City U23
MF – Jack McVey, VSI Tampa Bay FC
MF – Antonio Rocha, Austin Aztex
F – Adam Black, Oklahoma City FC
F – Tyler Blackwood, Orlando City U23
F – Krystopher Tyrpak, Austin Aztex

W-20 News Release

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – W-20 announced its 2013 W-20 Championship All-Tournament Team today, and the squad is led by the Kalamazoo Kingdom’s Gabby Russo, who was named tournament MVP after she led Kalamazoo to the title Sunday at IMG Academy.

Russo had a goal and an assist in the tournament and earns a forward slot on the All-Tournament team. Russo’s teammate, goalkeeper Kailey Naumchef, was named the tournament’s Safe Hands Award winner after allowing only two goals in four games. The tournament’s Golden Boot winner, Force FC Academy’s Kyla Kellermann, led all players with four goals and an assist as her team fell short vs. Kalamazoo in the championship game. Force FC’s Irene Young joins Russo at forward after tallying a goal and three assists.

Lauren Moore was selected after she led the Kalamazoo midfield while scoring two goals and notching two assists during the weekend. Kayla Adamek, a U-17 Canadian National Team member, had a goal and an assist for the Ottawa Fury, and Lake Norman’s Amanda Karlsson had two assists. Rounding out the midfield is Rebecca Burrows, who led the midfield in all three games for the Fredericksburg Impact.

Jenna Anderson anchored Force FC’s defense as it only conceded two goals in the tournament. She is joined by 15-year-old Kailey Mattison, who led Carolina Elite’s defense, and Kalamazoo’s Allie Rossi, who controlled a back line that had two shutouts and kept Golden Boot winner Kellermann off the scoreboard in the final.

W-20 All-Tournament Team

GK - Kailey Naumchef, Kalamazoo Kingdom
D - Jenna Anderson. Force FC Academy
D - Kailey Mattison, Carolina Elite Cobras
D - Allie Rossi, Kalamazoo Kingdom
M - Lauren Moore, Kalamazoo Kingdom
M - Kayla Adamek, Ottawa Fury
M - Amanda Karlsson, Lake Norman SC
M - Rebecca Burrows, Fredericksburg Impact
M - Kyla Kellermann, Force FC Academy
F - Gabby Russo, Kalamazoo Kingdom
F - Irene Young, Force FC Academy

Honorable Mention – Carolina Elite – Sarah Tuggle, Lauren Watts; Force FC Academy – Jenna O’Dell, Kelly Sweeney; Fredericksburg – Katie Hohmann; Kalamazoo – Olivia Emery; Lake Norman SC – Camryn Couch, Erin Settle; Ottawa – Samuelle Grove.

Phoenix FC News Release -- www.phoenixfc.com

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Following its first road win, Phoenix FC looks to build on its momentum in the first of its last three home games against the Harrisburg City Islanders at nationally recognized Reach 11 Sports Complex on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. PT. In their last meeting, fans saw a see-saw battle with Harrisburg's Yann Ekra scoring the opening goal. Phoenix battled back to tie with a goal by Isaiah Schafer that was delivered into the box by Reid Schmitt. The Islanders scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute and held on to the 2-1 win.

The Wolves, however, are undefeated at home and have suffered only one loss to Charleston on the road in the month of July. Phoenix FC is looking to build on its three wins over Antigua and Charlotte and its tie with league leaders, Richmond Kickers. A win against Harrisburg would even the series and keep pressure on Dayton and Tampa Bay for the eighth playoff spot.

Playing in their 10th Anniversary season, the Harrisburg City Islanders are in third place in the league table. The Islanders are five points behind second-place Orlando and eight points behind the first-place Richmond Kickers. Harrisburg is coming off a strong performance against the Dayton Dutch Lions on July 24th. The Wolves will have their hands full with Lucky Mkosana, who scored a hat trick in the game against Dayton and has scored in the last three games he has played.

Phoenix is coming off a strong performance, as well, having beat the Charlotte Eagles 4-0 on July 27th. New addition David Robert Paulscored two goals in the first half of the game. Donny Toia and Cameron Vickers added two more to punctuate the win. Neal Kitson gained a shutout while withstanding a barrage of 14 shots from Charlotte in the second half.

PDL News Release

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL announced its 2013 All-League Team today, honoring the top 11 performers from among the league’s 64 teams and more than 1,200 players this season. The 2013 PDL All-League Team was selected through a vote of team management.

Reading United AC and the Ottawa Fury each had two players named to the team, with defender Damion Lowe and midfielder Jason Plumhoff representing Reading and goalkeeper Chad Bush and forward Carl Haworth earning recognition after outstanding seasons with Ottawa.

Two players from the 2013 All-League Team will be in action this weekend at the 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike in Austin, Texas, with defender Axel Sjoberg leading the Thunder Bay Chill and forward Kristopher Tyrpak representing the host Austin Aztex.

The 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike will kick off at 5 p.m. CT Friday at House Park when No. 4 Victoria Highlanders FC faces the No. 1 Chill, followed by the No. 3 Ocean City Nor’easters at the No. 2 Aztex at 7:30 p.m. CT. The winners advance to meet for the 2013 PDL Championship on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT. All three games will be available live on USLnation.com.

The finalists for Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Young (U21) Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the awards presented at Saturday’s PDL Championship banquet in Austin. Goalkeeper of the Year will also be presented at the banquet.

2013 PDL ALL-LEAGUE TEAM

GK – Chad Bush, Ottawa Fury
D – Taian de Souza, Panama City Beach Pirates
D – Brandon Fricke, Des Moines Menace
D – Damion Lowe, Reading United AC
D – Axel Sjoberg, Thunder Bay Chill
MF – Paul Islas, Fresno Fuego
MF – Bobby Jhutty, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23
MF – Jason Plumhoff, Reading United AC
F – Peter Caringi, Baltimore Bohemians
F – Carl Haworth, Ottawa Fury
F – Kristopher Tyrpak, Austin Aztex

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

PHOENIX -- Second-half goals by Lucky Mkosana and Jamiel Hardware gave the Harrisburg City Islanders a 3-1 victory against Phoenix FC on Wednesday night at Reach 11 Sports Complex. The win moved Harrisburg within two points of Orlando City for second place in the USL PRO standings, and eliminated the Wolves from contention for the USL PRO Playoffs.

Harrisburg scored the only goal of the first half as Matthew Bahner scored his first goal for the club in the 24th minute. The first half proved to be a battle at both ends, with Mkosana going close for the City Islanders and Phoenix also having chances to tie the game up before the break, only for the City Islanders' defense to withstand the pressure until the halftime break.

Phoenix would find the breakthrough five minutes into the second half, however as the Wolves struck on a goal by Donny Toia, his fifth of the season, assisted by David Paul. A good angled ball by Paul into the left channel found Toia, and he fired a high shot home at the near post to make it 1-1. The City Islanders would regain the lead in the 67th minute, though as Mkosana's near-post header off a cross by Morgan Langley restored his side's lead. The goal was Mkosana's sixth in his past four games, giving him nine overall this season.

The Wolves tried to hit back, and Nick Noble was forced into a good save to keep his side ahead, while Toia's second of the night was denied by an offside flag. The City Islanders would put the game away in the second minute of stoppage time, though as Hardware drove home a good effort from the right side of the penalty area.

Phoenix FC is back in action on Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. PT at Reach 11 Sports Complex. Harrisburg moves on to Los Angeles on Saturday night looking for its third consecutive victory.

PDL News Release

Thursday, August 1, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL has announced its 2013 award finalists today, with the awards for Most Valuable Player, Young (U21) Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year to be presented at Saturday’s awards banquet at the 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike in Austin, Texas.

The Austin Aztex lead the way with four nominations, with Head Coach Paul Dalglish, forward Kristopher Tyrpak (MVP) and goalkeeper Devin Cook (Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year) all among the finalists. Peter Caringi of the Baltimore Bohemians and Chad Bush of the Ottawa Fury join Cook as finalists for multiple awards.

The 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike will kick off at 5 p.m. CT Friday at House Park when No. 4 Victoria Highlanders FC faces the No. 1 Thunder Bay Chill, followed by the No. 3 Ocean City Nor’easters at the No. 2 Austin Aztex at 7:30 p.m. CT. The winners advance to meet for the 2013 PDL Championship on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT. All three games will be available live on USLnation.com.

Votes for the PDL awards are submitted by team management. MVP and Young (U21) Player of the Year finalists are determined by All-Conference voting, while the Goalkeeper of the Year is determined based on total All-Conference votes.

2013 PDL Award Finalists

MVP Finalists
Peter Caringi, Baltimore Bohemians
Oliver Gore, Real Colorado Foxes
Kristopher Tyrpak, Austin Aztex

Young (U21) Player of the Year Finalists
Chad Bush, Ottawa Fury
Peter Caringi, Baltimore Bohemians
Devin Cook, Austin Aztex

Coach of the Year Finalists
Scott Alcorn, Fresno Fuego
Paul Dalglish, Austin Aztex
Tony Colistro, Thunder Bay Chill

Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Chad Bush, Ottawa Fury
Devin Cook, Austin Aztex
Tomas Gomez, Orlando City U23

Major Beach Soccer News Release

Thursday, August 1, 2013

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. – Sunday marked the end of another successful Major Beach Soccer event as the Fort Myers Beach MBS qualifier, the final of the three MBS Championship qualifiers, finished off with a multitude of champions and participants from throughout the world.

One such team was the Bahama Mama Boomers. This Bahamian team competed in the Women’s Open division and just missed out on the finals through goal differential.

“The experience we had at this tournament has put a fire in our eyes to attend more beach tournaments put on by you and others,” player Daria Adderley said.

The Bahama Mama Boomers will be international guests at the 2013 MBS Championships at Clearwater in December.

“We are very pleased to extend an official invitation to the Bahamian side to the national championships,” MBS Director Peter Mellor said. “It would be our pleasure to have them attend and we hope that the Bahamian men’s team will join them.”

“We are making plans already,” Adderley said.

In the U14 boys division the Dune Dawgs took home the crown, while IABS Orange took the U18 boys and won its second Florida tournament.

In the U18 girls division the Okeeheelee Heat were convincing champions with a +21 goal differential, and in the Women’s Open IABS Pink won its second consecutive Florida beach qualifier.

In the Men’s Open Division, Team Calvary Chapel took the honors in a tightly contested division. Calvary Chapel featured former professional player for the Bundesliga’s Nuremberg FC, Louis Gomis. Gomis has been invited to play for the Senegalese National Team at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti.

In the Co-Ed Open Division Loxahatchee Road Prison 2 claimed the title, beating out 12 opponents.

“All in all it was a good experience for everyone,” Mellor said. “It was a very competitive tournament and the level of competition was especially high.”

The 2013 Major Beach Soccer National Championships will be held December 14-15 at Clearwater Beach, Fla.

PDL Feature

Thursday, August 1, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas -- If there’s a sense of newness in the air at House Park on Friday night as the PDL Championship Semifinals kick off, it will be understandable. After all, for three of the four teams, it will be a new experience, and the opportunity to claim the first championship in club history.

That’s not the case for the regular-season champion Thunder Bay Chill, though. The 2008 PDL champion, and one of the league’s most recognizable names following seven consecutive trips to the postseason and four appearances in the semifinals, the Chill arrive in Austin aiming to continue their remarkable season.

Falling just once in the regular season, Thunder Bay has continued its tradition of success with players such as All-League selection Axel Sjoberg and All-Conference standout Nolan Intermoia. What’s more impressive about the Chill’s success this season is it has been accomplished in the main without 2012 PDL Most Valuable Player Sullivan Silva, who returned from injury late in the season and could provide a decisive edge this weekend.

The other three teams, however, have proven worthy of the spotlight. Each arrives as a division champion, with the host Austin Aztex aiming to continue a perfect record at House Park. Led by All-League selection Kris Tyrpak and three other All-Southern Conference selections in Devin Cook, Max Gunderson and Tony Rocha, the Aztex took a pair of impressive wins against the Panama City Beach Pirates and Laredo Heat on the way to their first Southern Conference Championship.

Impressive would also be the word to describe the Ocean City Nor’easters’ season. Finishing first for the second consecutive season, and advancing to the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the side led by Coach Tim Oswald has reached new heights in the past two seasons. The Nor’easters were moments away from taking the Philadelphia Union to extra time at PPL Park back in late May, and an attack led by Dwayne Reid and Frank Tweneboa will be out to continue its strong form after sweeping past the Ottawa Fury 3-1 to win the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time.

One of the best stories of the season also finds itself in Austin, with the Victoria Highlanders FC undergoing a big transformation to go from sixth place to the Northwest Division champions in one year. With a passionate fan base behind them, the Highlanders surged to the top of the standings in one of the PDL’s toughest divisions, beating out three MLS affiliates to take top spot behind the outstanding defensive work of Tyler Hughes and the dynamic attacking pairing of Brett Levis and Jordan Hughes, both of whom had nine goals in the regular season.

Whether the Highlanders will be able to get past the Chill in an all-Canadian semifinal will remain to be seen, but the chance that we will see the 16th different champion in the 19-season history of the league appears to be a distinct possibility.

Charlotte Eagles News Release -- www.charlotteeagles.com

Thursday, August 1, 2013

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Eagles are set to host the league-leading Richmond Kickers to cap off a five-game homestand on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Kickers are coming into Friday's game with a 21-game unbeaten streak in USL PRO, 12-0-9 and 45 points. Charlotte had its 11-game unbeaten streak snapped against Phoenix FC last Saturday night, and currently sits in fifth place in the USL PRO standings.

The win on Saturday was the first road win in franchise history for the first-year Wolves of Phoenix FC. Robert Paul scored twice for the Wolves, who also received goals from Donny Toia and Cameron Vickers. Wolves goalkeeper Neal Kitson recorded the shutout after making nine saves on 14 Eagles shots in the second half. The loss was only the second defeat for the Eagles at home this season and only their third defeat all season.

Richmond comes into Friday's contest after battling VSI Tampa Bay FC to a scoreless draw on Sunday night at City Stadium. Kickers goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra, on loan from D.C. United, recorded his league-leading eighth shutout of the season. Dykstra is one of six players on loan to the Kickers from Major League Soccer's D.C. United. Defender Taylor Kemp, midfielder Connor Shanosky and forwards Michael Seaton and Cody Townsend have all joined the Kickers this season. Richmond also has another Major League Soccer player on loan; Brian Ownby is spending the season with Richmond from the Houston Dynamo.

The Kickers are making the most of the players they have received from the MLS clubs as Ownby is second in scoring with five goals and five assists while Seaton has added five goals and one assist.

The 21-year rivals will meet for the second time this season after playing to a thrilling 3-3 draw in Richmond on Saturday, May 4th. The Kickers used goals from Ownby and Stanley Nyazamba to take an early advantage, but Charlotte rallied back with goals from Drew Yates and Stefan Smith in the second half to level the match. Shaun Francis scored what looked to be the game winner in the 90th minute on a volley from the top of the penalty area, but Shanosky scored with seconds remaining in stoppage time to earn a point for the hosts.

Richmond will travel to Charleston following Friday's matchup with the Eagles. Charlotte will travel to Harrisburg on Wednesday, August 7th before returning home for Camper Appreciation Night on August 10th, as they host Antigua Barracuda FC in the regular season home finale.

Tickets for Friday's match can be purchased at www.CharlotteEagles.com.

VSI Tampa Bay FC News Release -- www.vsi-fc.com

Thursday, August 1, 2013

TAMPA, Fla. – VSI Tampa Bay FC’s inaugural season is drawing to a close with two of their final three home games this weekend at Plant City Stadium against Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Friday night and Orlando City SC on Sunday evening.

After a wonderful showing on the road last weekend, with a 2-1 victory over Wilmington and a scoreless draw against the league-leading Richmond Kickers, Tampa Bay returns to Plant City Stadium with four hard-earned points from their road trip. Defender Josh Rife and forward Chad Burt lifted VSI past Wilmington last Friday with a goal apiece. The Kickers’ goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra, on loan from D.C. United, recorded his eighth shutout of the season in Sunday’s match against VSI, keeping the Kickers undefeated for the season. VSI’s Alex Horwath delivered an exceptional performance, also earning a clean sheet for the match and his sixth shutout of the season.

The Riverhounds (7-6-7) seek points this weekend to move them into playoff contention. Pittsburgh, with 28 points in 20 games, is a mere three points shy of Tampa Bay (9-7-4), which currently holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the USL PRO Standings. Pittsburgh’s Jose Angulo aided in the Riverhounds’ most recent victory as they defeated the Toronto FC Reserves by a 1-0 margin. Angulo is a player to watch on the Riverhounds side. The forward leads with 27 points from his 12 goals and three assists.

After Friday evening’s match, Pittsburgh travels to the Citrus Bowl to face Orlando City SC on Saturday evening. Following the Riverhounds departure from the Citrus Bowl, Orlando City travel to Plant City Stadium. The back-to-back matches may prove positive for VSI Tampa Bay when they host Orlando City at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday night. Orlando City (12-2-6) holds second place in the USL PRO standings with 42 points earned in 20 games.

With five games in the next 10 days, points are crucial for VSI Tampa Bay FC to solidify a place in USL PRO playoffs. Tickets to all VSI Tampa Bay FC home games are available online at www.vsi-fc.com or by visiting the Will Call ticket window in Plant City Stadium on game days. The ticket window opens an hour and half prior to kickoff. For more information on the team visit www.vsi-fc.com.

PDL Game Report

Friday, August 2, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas – Second-half goals by Sergio Campano Franco and Sullivan Silva sent the Thunder Bay Chill into final of the 2013 PDL Championship presented by Nike as they took a 2-0 victory against the Victoria Highlanders FC on Friday evening at House Park. The Chill will play for their second PDL Championship on Sunday night.

“I thought the first half they settled it down and we were happy with that,” Thunder Bay Coach Tony Colistro said. “Then when we came in ahead of the second half, we talked about some of the opportunities that we had, and we said ‘we’ve got to take this game, we can’t wait for it’. I think we played a little more aggressive, a little more direct in the second half.”

Thunder Bay came out brightly to start the second half, but needed a little luck to take the lead in the 55th minute. After Campano Franco sent a pass wide to Paul Dillon, the return pass came back to the Spanish midfielder and he hit a volley from 20 yards that slipped through Victoria goalkeeper Elliot Mitrou’s hands and into the right corner of the net.

Victoria tried to hit back quickly as Andrew Ravenhill made a good run into the left side of the penalty area, only for his shot to be deflected behind for a corner by Thunder Bay goalkeeper Stephen Paterson’s feet. The Highlanders went close from a corner shortly after as Riley O’Neil’s header clipped off the base of the left post and went behind for a goal kick as Victoria couldn’t quite find the break it needed.

“Everything is so important,” Colistro said. “Even when it was 1-0, they had a lot of opportunities at the back post, just a little bit wide and things like that, and we got some breaks and that was enough for us to buy us that insurance goal.”

Silva, the 2012 PDL Most Valuable Player, nearly struck in the 65th minute, pulling his shot wide of the left post from the right side of the penalty area, but as the half wore on the pressure started to build from the Highlanders. A good piece of interplay released O’Neil into the left side of the penalty area, only for the defense to recover to block his shot in the 77th minute, and five minutes later Blair Sturrock went close from a corner, with his low shot being cleared off the line by Thunder Bay’s Zetroy Robertson.

Victoria again came close with five minutes to go as a good give-and-go released Cam Stokes into the right side of the penalty area, only for his shot to find the side netting. As the Highlanders pushed forward, however, chances on the counter-attack opened for the Chill, and Silva was well denied by Mitrou with three minutes to go from close range after the Brazilian beat two defenders inside the penalty area.

Silva found his goal in as the clock hit 90 minutes, however, as he again got past a pair of defenders on the left side and then rifled a shot into the right corner of the net from 25 yards. For Silva, who missed the majority of the regular season with a broken foot, the goal capped his best performance since his return from injury, according to Colistro.

“We’ve said we had Sullivan all year, and the team has done so well without him,” Colistro said. “I said, ‘you’re going to be a great trump card for us come playoff time’, and today he looked the best that he has all season, and he’s ready to be that contributor off the bench. It’s a nice little bench player to have, because he’s not a bench player.”

The Highlanders opened the first half more brightly, holding possession well, and they had the first serious effort on goal as Wesley Barrett’s low shot went wide of the right post in the fourth minute. Victoria also found success down the left side through Ravenhill, who overlapped well, but their first big chance came in the 28th minute as a chipped cross by Sturrock from the right found Jordie Hughes 10 yards out, but his header went straight to Paterson.

The Chill took longer to get established, with a long-range effort by Sunny Omoregie going well wide in the 11th minute. As the first half went on, however, Thunder Bay gained a foothold, and Mitrou did well to first punch clear a dangerous cross and then steal possession off the foot of a Chill midfielder at the top of the penalty area to quell the threat just before the half-hour mark. Abraham Villon also went close with a long-range effort, and Omoregie was denied well by Mitrou after Campano Franco spun his defender and slid a good through-ball to the Nigerian forward in the 39th minute.

Thunder Bay will now look ahead to Sunday’s game, its third visit to the PDL Championship Game, hoping for a better result than the last time it advanced and fell to the Portland Timbers U-23s in 2010.