Orlando City News Release -- www.orlandocitysoccer.com

Friday, April 29, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando City begins a two-game road trip on Saturday night in New York City, facing off against F.C. New York, the side the Lions defeated in their inaugural USL PRO home opener on April 9th, 3-0. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm at Belson Stadium on the campus of St. John’s University. The match is also F.C. New York’s home opener.

This weekend’s match marks the first time Orlando City is playing an opponent they have already seen this season. With the two matches taking place within three weeks of each other, the advantage favors City, but F.C. New York should not be counted out. As City proved in their first meeting, an inaugural home opening crowd can provide a major boost to a team’s performance.

“[Facing a familiar team] is obviously a help because we know what we’re going into,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “It’s their opening home game of the season, which makes things difficult – we know what that’s like, the enthusiasm you play with in your first home match – but we know what to expect. We know that if we play to our maximum, play to our full potential, that we should have enough to get a result.”

Orlando City is looking to respond quickly following a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Puerto Rico United. Despite the result, the Lions are not looking to change much about the makeup of the team just yet.

“Maybe the shape of the team at times on the road we’ll change it,” said Heath. “Slight changes in personnel, maybe, but overall I’m happy with what we have.”

With it being early in the season, City has struggled at times to find consistency. Playing a familiar opponent, particularly one the Lions have had success against, should go a long way in helping Orlando find stable ground to use as a launching pad to success for the rest of the season.

“I still think we are playing at probably 75% of our potential,” said Heath. “I think there’s a lot more to come from this group of players. I am confident that over the next few months we will get where we want to be – top of the league.”

Last week, forward Max Griffin continued his impressive home form, scoring two goals within three minutes at the start of the second half. Griffin scored two goals against F.C. New York in the previous meeting, but he is not expected to be the focus of the Orlando attack. Devorn Jorsling, last season’s leading goal scorer in the Digicel Pro League (Trinidad and Tobago), has yet to register a goal this season. The Lions are actively looking for ways to get him more opportunities and give FC New York two players up front that can cause problems for the defense.

“We didn’t give [Jorsling] enough opportunities,” said Heath. “His opportunities were created by himself. We haven’t really put anything on a plate for him yet, we haven’t opened anything up for him yet. That’s something we’ve been working on. Obviously he’s frustrated at the lack of opportunities, but we have to keep working on situations in and out of the box to give him more opportunities.”

Orlando City projected starting line-up (unofficial):

GK – Miguel Gallardo
RB – Mechack Jerome, CB – Demar Stewart, CB – Rob Valentino, LB – Luke Boden
RM – Jamie Watson, CM – Yordany Alvarez, CM – Lawrence Olum, LM – Lewis Neal
FW – Maxwell Griffin, FW – Devorn Jorsling

Available subs: Sean Kelley, Ian Fuller, Kieron Bernard, Erik Ustruck, Kevin Molino

USL News Release

Friday, April 29, 2011

TAMPA, Fla. – Bringing the world’s greatest game to the world’s greatest city, F.C. New York is preparing to make its USL PRO home debut Saturday when Orlando City visits the Big Apple. The game will mark the beginning of the next chapter for professional soccer in New York City, with F.C. New York becoming the only professional team playing its home games inside the city.

The ownership group of F.C. New York, led by Jo-Ellen Treiber and Doug Petersen, has committed to build a soccer stadium in Queens County within the next several years. The team will play its 2011 home games at Belson Stadium on the campus of St. John’s University in Queens. The economic and cultural significance of soccer is staggering, and having a Queens-based soccer franchise in an established professional league is a landmark development for the community.

“Soccer is a truly global sport whose demographics reflect those of New York City perhaps more so than any other market in the United States,” USL President Tim Holt said. “There are thousands of soccer fans and participants in Queens, and F.C. New York will not only allow them to support their local professional team, just as importantly, it will provide young players from throughout the greater New York City area with a team they can aspire to play for in the future.”

F.C. New York, which opened the season with a pair of road games, competes in the National Division of the 15-team USL PRO, alongside the Rochester Rhinos, Harrisburg City Islanders, Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Dayton Dutch Lions. USL PRO’s American Division includes the Charleston Battery, Richmond Kickers, Charlotte Eagles, Wilmington Hammerheads and Orlando City, and the International Division features the LA Blues, Antigua Barracuda FC, Puerto Rico United, River Plate Puerto Rico and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico.

“After four years of effort and hard work, we are excited to finally bring professional soccer to New York City,” F.C. New York President Doug Petersen said. “We hope that the community will support us as we continue to work with area soccer fans to build a successful team that all New Yorkers will take pride in on and off the pitch.”

USL PRO is the top division of United Soccer Leagues, which in 2011 is celebrating its 25th Anniversary as the largest system of elite level soccer leagues in North America and currently features more than 100 senior soccer franchises in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. Focused on franchise stability and longevity, USL PRO features an unprecedented six teams with more than a decade of operational experience in 2011, and more than 100 years of combined operational experience.

USL recently announced a three-year national broadcast package with FOX Soccer, featuring the USL PRO Game of the Week beginning on Saturday, June 11. Ten regular season USL PRO games are featured on Friday and Saturday nights through August 12. FOX Soccer also airs the 30-minute magazine show USL Breakaway, which is now a year-round monthly program.
 

Harrisburg City Islanders News Release -- www.cityislanders.com

Friday, April 29, 2011

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Harrisburg City Islanders and Rochester Rhinos' USL PRO game that was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 30 has been postponed due to heavy rains and high winds that swept through the Harrisburg area on Thursday, causing flash floods, electrical outages and downed trees.

The City Island area of Harrisburg, which is the location of the City Islanders' Skyline Sports Complex, was closed by the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's Emergency Operation Center at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, postponing all scheduled events on the island.

The City Islanders and Rhino have rescheduled the game for Tuesday, May 10 at 7 p.m. All tickets purchased for the originally scheduled date will be honored as the City Islanders open their home schedule. Fans may phone the Box Office at 717-441-GOAL or check www.cityislanders.com for the complete USL PRO schedule.

USL Feature

Friday, April 29, 2011

By NICHOLAS MURRAY

While the team’s preparations have been slightly different than in previous seasons, the Fresno Fuego have their eyes firmly fixed on what they hope to achieve as they open the USL Premier Development League season tonight against the LA Blues 23 at Chukchansi Park at 7 p.m. PT.

After missing out on the PDL playoffs for the past two seasons, and a berth in the U.S. Open since 2003, Coach Scott Alcorn believes his team is ready for each phase of the upcoming season.

“We have a huge emphasis on the U.S. Open Cup this year,” Alcorn said. “Since we had our winter combine in January we’ve talked about the U.S. Open Cup, and the way it worked out it’s basically a home and away with Ogden and BYU, and our players are looking forward to that. The way our qualifying works out, we play for four straight weekends against those two teams, almost like the Champions League.”

The U.S. Open qualifying games begin in two weeks, but before then there are a pair of games against two teams that are expected to vie for the Southwest Division title along with the Fuego this season in the Blues and the Ventura County Fusion. The Fusion were the division’s representatives in the Open Cup last season, while the Blues are the reserve team for USL PRO’s Los Angeles Blues, which has made a strong start in its inaugural professional season.

That those teams, and the Southwest Division as a whole, should be this tough shouldn’t come as a surprise. With the numbers of players who have gone on from the division’s clubs to turn professional in recent years, Alcorn is aware of the challenge that faces his team.

“I think the west coast, and specifically California, is a hotbed for soccer, just like Florida and Texas are,” Alcorn said. “The first thing is we have a large player pool and we have a lot of high-level college soccer players here.”

Of course, for clubs like the Fusion and Blues, and also the teams further up the coast in the Northwest Division, getting high-profile college players to join their clubs is an easier sell than it is for the Fuego. With no major Division I program located near the club, Fresno has had to work hard to not only develop its own players through its youth system but also try and find players who are prepared to step into a different environment for the summer.

But with the way the club has been run there are now players who see the Fuego as a club they want to play for. The Fuego recently signed a deal that saw Radio Univision buy all of the team’s tickets for the upcoming season and distribute them around the community, which could see even bigger crowds that the 2,900 average the club saw last season arrive at Chukchansi Park. Getting to play in that kind of atmosphere, and with a club that has had a history of sending players into the professional ranks, Alcorn believes the club is starting to be able to cast its net wider in the search for player.

“I think it’s a great team effort ,” Alcorn said. “We’ve got the fan support which the players love and when we have success and move players on, which is another selling point for us. Our players that have moved on continue to be great alumni for the Fuego and speak highly of the program.”

Alcorn now hopes his team can give its fans and alumni something they can be proud of this season.

“We want to get back in the playoffs,” Alcorn said. “30 points is the number that we throw around with our teams, and we know that we’re not going to go undefeated, at least in our conference which is I think very competitive, but we know we need to get 30 points between now and Game 16. If you can steal a point on the road and get three points at home, which you want to shoot for every time out, and if you’re successful 90 percent of the time. We’ve missed the playoffs the last two years and I think we have a team that is capable of winning a national championship.”
 

Wilmington Hammerheads News Release -- www.wilmingtonhammerheads.com

Friday, April 29, 2011

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Wilmington Hammerheads got a pair of late goals from Paul Nicholson and Alex Grendi on Friday night to notch a 3-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, giving the Hammerheads two wins from two games in USL PRO at Legion Stadium.

The Hammerheads maintained possession early in the first half, managing four attempts on goal in the opening 20 minutes. The Riverhounds struggled to make their way into Hammerheads’ territory until late in the half with a forceful header from midfielder Sammy Appiah.

In the final seconds of the half, Hammerhead midfielder Luke Mulholland delivered one last strike on goal but was denied by goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap to leave both teams scoreless at the half.

The second half opened with both teams battling to find the back of the net.  The Hammerheads were finally able to take the lead when forward Andryi Budnyy fired home from Mulholland’s cross in the 55th minute.

The Riverhounds struggled to find their rhythm until the 79th minute when forward Jeremy Deighton scored to tie the game 1-1. But the Riverhounds’ celebration was short lived when midfielder Nicholson scored three minutes later to put the Hammerheads back on top. Grendi then added a third goal in stoppage time to seal the victory for the Hammerheads.

The Hammerheads will next face their first road game of the season as they travel to meet the Richmond Kickers on Saturday, May 7,at City Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Riverhounds, meanwhile, will travel down the coast to meet the Charleston Battery on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at Blackbaud Stadium.

River Plate Puerto Rico News Release -- www.rivercaribe.com

Friday, April 29, 2011

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico – A lone goal by Lawson Robinson proved enough as Antigua Barracuda FC earned its third consecutive victory in USL PRO with a 1-0 win against River Plate Puerto Rico at the Estadio Roberto Clemente Walker on Friday night.

In a very close game River had more control of the ball, but were unable to find any serious deep penetration of a compact Barracuda defense that kept its shape well and limited River to forcing just one save from Antigua goalkeeper Keith DeCastro.

After a scoreless first half, Antigua took the lead in the 56th minute through Robinson and was able to make it count. Barracuda too was limited in its opportunities as it sent long balls to try and find its forwards, but Robinson was able to take advantage as River's defense lost concentration for a moment, and his shot found the net.

River become more agressive with the entrance of Eloy Matos and Francois Frantz, but the last line of Antigua defense controlled every dangerous situation.

The Barracuda have now pulled within a point of the Los Angeles Blues at the top of the International Division, while River is still in search of its first victory of the USL PRO season.

Antigua concludes its three-game road trip in Los Angeles on Sunday night at Cal-State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium at 8 p.m. EST before welcoming River for a pair of games next Thursday and Sunday at the Sticky Wicket Stadium in St. John’s, Antigua.
 

USL News Release

Friday, April 29, 2011

JUNCOS, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico United earned its first victory of the USL PRO season as brothers Christian and Mauricio Turizo each found the net in a 3-2 victory against Sevilla FC Puerto Rico at the Estadio Elevadito Gonzalez on Friday night.

Sevilla took the lead in the 15th minute as Stanley Guirand found Alain Gustave for his second goals of the season, but PRU hit back quickly to equalize through Ljubomir Kozic in the 27th minute.

The game then turned United’s way as it received a penalty in the 36th minute that was converted by Christian Turizo. Sevilla was also reduced to 10 men as Nick Cardenas received his second yellow card in conceding the penalty, and just two minutes later Mauricio Turizo struck to give United a two-goal advantage at the break.

Sevilla was able to pull a goal back with an hour gone through Alan Acevedo, Gustave providing the assist, but was unable to find an equalizer before the final whistle.

Both teams have plenty of time to recuperate before their next contests, Puerto Rico United playing host to Antigua Barracuda FC on May 12 and Sevilla playing host to United on May 19.

Charlotte Eagles News Release -- www.charlotteeagles.com

Friday, April 29, 2011

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The Charlotte Eagles took an early lead, but came up short as they fell 2-1 to rival the Charleston Battery in USL PRO on Friday night. Josh Rife scored first in the 21st minute, but Charleston answered with Seedy Bah scoring in the 32nd minute and Nikki Paterson in first-half stoppage time.

It was the second meeting between the two sides this season, the 19th season of the one of the longest rivalries in USL. To mark the event, the teams met at beautiful Winthrop University in Rock Hill S.C.

The Battery opened the game sharply, putting the Eagles defense under pressure with some excellent crosses played into the penalty area, but the Eagles responded quickly with their first opportunity of the game as Sallieu Bundu headed a beautiful ball back to Josh Rife, who drilled a shot at goal, hitting the crossbar.

That same duo linked up to give the Eagles their first goal of the season, and the lead, in the 21st minute. After Bundu made a great move to beat his defender, he supplied a short cross into the six-yard box that found Rife, who headed it in.

The Battery answered in the 32nd minute, though, as Bah was able to fire in the ball in the midst of a congested penalty area.
Charleston then took the lead in first-half stoppage time from a free kick just outside the box. Nicki Paterson curled the ball around the wall, beating Reed for Charleston’s second goal.

The level of intensity increased from the start of the second half as both teams found opportunities to possess the ball, but the Eagles creating more chances in Battery’s penalty area.

In the 60th minute the Eagles had their best chance of the second half. Mark Bloom crossed the ball leading Rife to a one-on-one with Charleston goalkeeper Keith Wiggans, only for Rife to put the ball over the crossbar.

The Eagles continued to apply pressure until the final whistle, but despite carrying the game for much of the halff they came up short again.

The Eagles will now travel west for a pair of games in two weeks against the Los Angeles Blues, while the Battery will head home to face the Pittburgh Riverhounds on Saturday night.

Fresno Fuego News Release -- www.fresnofuego.com

Friday, April 29, 2011

FRESNO, Calif. -- Even before the kickoff for the inaugural match of the 2011 USL Premier Development League season, the Fresno Fuego had a major reason to celebrate; a new attendance record had been set for a Fuego game. Almost 8,000 fans (7,853 to be exact) came to downtown Fresno to see the Fresno Fuego open the season with a 0-0 draw against the LA Blues 23.

It was a somewhat unusual scene for a soccer game in Fresno with huge lines outside Chukchansi Park and contested parking spots for fans arriving right at kickoff. Inside the stadium, with soccer chants and ‘waves’ going around during the entire game, fans were able to see an intense match-up between two clubs with serious aspirations in the Southwest Division. It was definitely an amazing sight for local soccer fans to see first hand a true soccer atmosphere in their hometown.

The Fuego-L.A. Blues 23 match, presented by Marquez Brothers and El Mexicano Brand, was hard-fought, with several scoring chances and both defenses having to be sharp to make last-gasp clearances on the goal line. Fans had plenty to cheer even during halftime when Univision Radio rewarded fans with $100 gas cards. But the defenses held sway, with the Blues 23’s goalkeeper Chris Lara recording five saves for his shutout and Gilbert Vega recording two for the Fuego.

The Fuego will travel to Ventura on Sunday morning to meet the Fusion at 5 p.m. PST and will return to Chukchansi Park on Thursday, May 12 and on Saturday, May 14th. The opponents for the next two home games will be BYU Cougars and Ogden Outlaws and both games are qualifying matches for the U.S. Open Cup.

In collaboration with Univision Radio, the Fuego will continue to provide free game passes to fans for all home games. Fans just need to call Univision Radio at (559) 430-8500 or become a Facebook friend of the Fuego and print their own game pass.

USL Feature

Saturday, April 30, 2011

By NICHOLAS MURRAY

After reaching the U.S. Open Cup last season, but missing out on the USL Premier Development League playoffs, the Central Florida Kraze open the 2011 PDL season tonight against Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy looking to get the season off to the right start.

For Kraze coach Joe Avallone, the first order of business is for the team to try and get back into the U.S. Open Cup and tonight’s game at Rollins College at 7:30 p.m. is the first step to get on that track.

“What I do is I set little goals, and that’s our first goal,” Avallone said of the U.S. Open Cup. “I think we’ve got the returning players I wanted, truly the returning players I wanted are back, and I think we added a little bit more this year.”

Last season the Kraze almost pulled an upset against USSF Division 2-Pro League side Miami FC in the tournament’s first round eventually falling in overtime after pushing the Blues to the limit in regulation. It’s a defeat that still stings for Avallone, meaning the motivation to return and get another shot at a professional team is high for his club.

Getting there from the Southeast Division, though, will be no small task. With a number of historically powerful franchises such as the IMG Bradenton Academics and last season’s division champions the Mississippi Brilla and newcomer the FC JAX Destroyers all standing in the way, Avallone is under no illusions to the task his side faces not just in Open Cup qualifying but also in its quest to return to the PDL playoffs at the end of the season.

“We’re in a very tough division,” Avallone said. “Jacksonville is highly motivated in what they’re doing, IMG is always tough, we’ve been in the league as long as they have, and then you’ve got Mississippi, which is a really fine team, so it’s a very tough division. You could really look at this division as one of the tougher divisions in the country, there’s no doubt about it.”

Which means Avallone’s group will have to come together in order to compete.

“It always comes down to team chemistry, getting the guys in a short period of time to start believing and start playing in some semblance of order,” Avallone said. “That’s always the biggest challenge, but that’s something that I’ve always been able to do. We’ve always competed, I look at us as a winning franchise, this is the start of our 13th year and we’ve never had a losing season, we won it all in 2004, so it’s just a matter of quickly putting it together, getting the players to believe in each other.”

The club has some new additions to its line-up this season off the field, with a partnership with USL PRO club Orlando City and a new sponsorship deal with Right Brain Media that has helped revamp the club’s website. On the field, though, there are still a number of familiar faces that Avallone is glad to see back on the field including Johnathan Mendoza from Stetson University, who was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of American All-South Region team last fall.

“This is his fifth year,” Avallone said of Mendoza, “he was with us at 17 and he’ll be my captain this year and he’s just a key player for us, and then we’ve got a lot of role players who just accept what they do. Daniel Sackman is another key player, he’s another Stetson Hatter.”

Whatever happens this season, though, Avallone expects that his side will be up to the challenges it faces, starting with Schulz Academy.

“I think it’s going to be a very highly competitive year,” Avallone said, “and we need a good start to the season and that starts [tonight].” 

Los Angeles Blues News Release -- www.bluessoccerclub.com

Saturday, April 30, 2011

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Los Angeles Blues battled hosts River Plate Puerto Rico to a 1-1 tie last Saturday night and have since returned home to Southern California. The result saw the USL PRO side finish their demanding trip to the Caribbean unbeaten and atop the International Division. With Sunday’s home opener against Antigua Barracuda FC fast approaching, the Blues expressed pride in their 3-0-1 start to the season as well as excitement over finally getting to play in front of their home fans at Fullerton’s Titan Stadium.

Captain Josh Tudela conceded the team missed out on a possible fourth straight win Saturday but arrived at an overall positive assessment of the extended road swing.

“I think all the guys are a little upset because we know that we could have walked away with three points and ended the trip 4-0-0,” the former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder said. “But the tie is still a very good result, considering it was our fourth road game in just over a week. The fact that we were able to go to the Caribbean and get ten points from four games is incredible. All the guys played and fought hard again against River Plate, which already shows the character of this team.”

Defender Leonard Griffin, another player with extensive MLS experience, was similarly satisfied with the Blues’ performance, especially considering the quality of the opponent.

“I would say that was our toughest game so far,” the 28-year-old offered. “It was very physical and they challenged us all around the field. I think we did a good job of matching their intensity, and considering the amount of games we played during the extended road trip, a draw is a good result.”

Griffin’s defensive colleague Cameron Dunn agreed, despite also seeing potential areas of improvement.

“I thought we played well but were still lacking 90 minutes worth of focus,” he said. “We held the ball well and created some great scoring chances throughout the match. River Plate relied heavily on the big ball forward and didn’t move it around as much was we expected them to. I feel like we had the better chances and should have gotten the win.”

As one might expect, Blues Head Coach Charlie Naimo took a more critical approach in his analysis of the draw. The 40-year-old has been stressing the importance of clean passing and patience, a strategy emulating the world-famous style demonstrated to perfection by Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

“Overall, I was satisfied with our possession during the trip,” Naimo said, “but today was the first time we never really established a good rhythm and failed to control play for a longer stretch of the game. River Plate is a very good team and they did a great job of being aggressive and pressuring our backs. We just couldn’t match their intensity, which probably had a lot to do with tired legs after such a demanding road schedule.”

Naimo’s men exerted greater dominance in the later stages of the match following the ejection of River Plate defender Yeniel Bermudez, but they were unable to force the winning goal. The sending off of Bermudez for a second yellow card following a hard foul on Akeem Priestley was the third ejection of a chippy affair. The Blues’ Cesar Rivera and River Plate’s Martin Morello were both shown straight red cards following a confrontation just after the half-hour mark.

“The ejections affected the game somewhat,” said Griffin. “They allowed for more space with less pressure on the ball, which forced both teams to adjust a little bit. In the end, I think we had the better chances and could have won the game.”

Once again, Naimo declined to blame the team’s inability to come away with three points on bad luck alone. “I think we could have done better with the man advantage if we had played sharper passes and used the entire width of the field late in the game,” he said. “We created some opportunities, but we could have had more considering the circumstances.”

However, despite the missed opportunity to earn a fourth straight victory, Naimo was able to see the positives in yet another unbeaten match to finish off the Caribbean road swing. His sights are now firmly set on next Sunday’s historic inaugural home game against red-hot Antigua Barracuda FC. The side that boasts numerous Antigua and Barbuda national team members recently thrashed Puerto Rico United 7-0 on the road behind four goals by Peter Byers.

While Naimo is no doubt aware of the skills of the former Montreal Impact ace, he is even more concerned about the absence of one of his own attacking stars, Cesar Rivera, following the striker’s ejection from last Saturday’s game. Rivera already has two goals on the season and his suspension for the home opener doesn’t help a Blues team recovering from the travel and physical exhaustion that comes with a hectic road schedule.

“First and foremost, we need to recharge our batteries after such a demanding road trip,” Naimo said. “In addition, I’m now focusing on who I’m going to field in place of Cesar Rivera. He has shown in the first few games that he’s a great striker who makes us better, so it’s not easy to replace him. But we have very good depth up front. It’s just a question of talking to my coaching staff and ultimately making a decision.”

The Blues’ roaring start to the season could require extra caution in upcoming matches, including Sunday’s meeting with Antigua Barracuda FC, emphasized Dunn. “With the results from this trip, we’ve put ourselves in a great position in the league standings,” the 27-year-old said. “That also means we’re now the team everyone’s chasing, so we need to continue moving in the right direction by resting up and getting right back to work. We expect to get better every game.”

The sentiment was echoed by Griffin, whose eager anticipation of Sunday’s home opener mirrors the excitement surrounding the entire Blues organization ahead of the meeting with Antigua Barracuda FC.

“We need to focus on recovering from this trip and getting everyone feeling a hundred percent both physically and mentally,” he said. “I know we’ll have a lot of energy and excitement against Antigua since it is our home opener. We just need to make sure we’re on top of our game by not giving up anything defensively, possessing the ball and finishing our chances. We’re really looking forward to the match and hope to put on a show for the fans that come out to support us.”

The Blues might just be able to do so, according to Tudela. “If we’re prepared and focus on playing our style, I think we’ll be successful,” he offered. “We have a very talented team, one of the best in the entire league if we play the way we know we can.”

Sunday’s game at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton kicks off at 5 p.m. PST. The first 300 fans in attendance will receive free 2011 Los Angeles Blues schedule posters.

Charleston Battery News Release - www.charlestonbattery.com

Saturday, April 30, 2011

CHARLESTON, SC - The Charleston Battery (3-1-1) was held to a scoreless draw by their USL PRO rivals, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1-2-1), Saturday night at Blackbaud Stadium in front of 4,079. Despite out shooting Pittsburgh 17-6 the Battery could not find a way past a resilient Riverhounds defense and their goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.

The game doubled as a fundraiser for the Lowcountry affiliate of the Susan G Komen Foundation and Dragon Boat Charleston; the Battery players wore special custom pink jerseys for the game that were auctioned off after the match.

“It’s disappointing to not get the three points,” said Charleston Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser. “I put all our weapons in there early, but we just couldn’t get the shots off that we needed to break them down.”

The Battery started off the game with a strong run in the first 30 seconds. With a burst of speed, forward Dane Kelly dribbled into the box from the left-hand side but his shot was nabbed by Riverhounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.

Minutes later Kelly was at it again. This time Kelly caught Gilstrap out of position and attempted to pass around the goalkeeper, but Gilstrap’s reaction was too quick and he managed to make a kick save.

The Riverhound’s first chance of the evening came in the 14th minute with forward Matt Fondy dribbling the ball up the center of the field. Just inside the box, Fondy hit a shot to the lower left-hand corner of the net, but Battery goalkeeper Keith Wiggans reacted well to make the save.

Charleston continued to press and had another opportunity in the 23rd minute after Levi Coleman stripped his defender of the ball. With just the goalie to beat, Coleman shot the ball just wide of the net.

One minute later midfielder JC Mack produced a powerful cross into the box. Kelly received the cross with a snap header that banged back of the post.

Coleman finally got the ball into the back of the net in the 36th minute after he received a pass from teammate Cole Peverley. Coleman slipped the ball past Gilstrap into the goal, but it was disallowed as he was called offside.

Both teams created chances after the break with Pittsburgh coming closest with a stoppage time free-kick. The ball was played into the box but the deflected header bounced off the post and away to safety.

The Battery will play their next game on Pittsburgh’s home turf on Friday May 6 for a 7 P.M match followed by a Saturday night game in Rochester versus the Rhinos. Listen live to both matches at www.charlestonbattery.com or locally via 1340 AM The Boardwalk.
 

Dayton Dutch Lions News Release - www.dutchlionsfc.com

Saturday, April 30, 2011

DAYTON, OHIO - The Dayton Dutch Lions fell to the undefeated Richmond Kickers Saturday night at Miami Valley South Stadium 6-0 in USL PRO action. The Dutch Lions conceded a goal in the early minutes of the match to Richmond forward Matthew Delicate and the match would end in a tough defeat.

"The Kickers were extremely effective in the counter attack," said Head Coach Ivar van Dinteren. "We were unable to put away the opportunities we had and as the second half progressed we weren’t able to come back."

In the first half, Richmond started off strong with a goal in 4th minute by forward Matthew Delicate assisted by Sascha Gorres. Countering well throughout the match, Richmond put their second goal on the board in the 32nd minute when midfielder Edson Elcock assisted Stanley Nyazamba.

Entering the second half down two, the Dutch Lions tried desperately to find the back of the net. Creating chances and possessing the ball well midway through the second half, the Kickers counter attacks were too much for the Dutch defense.

In the 60th minute Ryan Heins put the Kickers up by three. Heins played a ball to Delicate who headed in his second. 

Another counter attack led to the Kickers fourth goal scored by forward David Bulow in the 66th minute.

Adding to a frustrated Dutch Lions defense, goalkeeper Jesper Leerdam was red carded after tripping up forward Bulow in the box in the 69th minute. The Kickers converted the penalty for another goal, putting them up 5-0.

Solidifying the Kicker’s victory in the 85th minute, forward Shaka Bangura finished a break away to seal the match at 6-0.

The Dutch Lion’s next match will be next Saturday at home in Miami Valley South Stadium at 7:30pm versus Orlando City. Aiming for their first victory in USL PRO, the Dutch Lions will look for a better result aginst the Three Lions. 

FC New York News Release - www.fcnewyorksoccer.com

Saturday, April 30, 2011

QUEENS, NY – FC New York fell to Orlando City 2-1 in their USL PRO inaugural home opener at Belson Stadium at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. A near capacity crowd of 2,011 was on hand to see FC New York in its home debut. Owen Morrison scored the lone goal for FC New York in the 54th minute, which tied the match.

Orlando City scored a goal in both halves, as Lawrence Olum scored in the first half, and Lewis Neal scored on a free kick just outside the penalty box in the 2nd half. With the loss, FC New York falls to 0-2-1 on the season.

Prior to the game, a press conference was held at Belson Stadium for the inaugural season of F.C. New York. Remarks and comments were made by USL Pro Senior Director Chris Economides, FC New York Co-President Doug Petersen, and FC New York Special Advisor Michael Nussbaum. Several city officials were on-hand, including Councilmen Peter Koo, Dan Halloran, Karen Kosolwitz, and Mark Weprin. Senator Shirley Huntley and Assemblymen Michael Dendekker, Edward Braunstein, Francison Moya, and Rory Lancman were also in attendance.

FC New York looks to bounce back in their second home game as they take on the Harrisburg City Islanders on Saturday, May 7th at 7:30 PM.

Los Angeles Blues News Release -- www.bluessoccerclub.com

Sunday, May 1, 2011

FULLERTON, Calif. – The visiting Antigua Barracuda FC spoiled the party on Sunday night by taking all three points in the Los Angeles Blues’ 2011 USL PRO home opener. A first-half strike by Stefan Smith was enough for Tom Curtis’ side to earn a 1-0 win as the new International Division leaders prevailed behind courageous defending and dangerous breakaways by their three main attackers, Smith, Lawson Robinson and Peter Byers.

The first 15 minutes of the match saw a spirited affair, with the Blues pressing for the first goal and the visitors sitting back and looking for the occasional counter. One of those counters nearly put the ‘Cudas on the board in the fifth minute of play, Orlando Mitchum sprinting into the box and centering a pass to Robinson, whose low effort was saved by Blues goalkeeper Oscar Dautt.

The hosts very nearly scored on the other end at the quarter-hour mark. Chukwudi Chijindu swung in a corner kick from the right that sailed past everyone and found a wide open Erlys Garcia. The defender missed an absolute sitter as he sent the ball wide from about five yards out. However, the Blues would not be discouraged and created another chance just two minutes later, Edwin Miranda finding a streaking Colic on the right only to see the Serbian fire just high from inside the penalty area.

The home side would keep dictating the tempo and nearly got on the board in the 20th minute. Josh Tudela lobbed the ball to Jhonatan Bravo, who took it down beautifully on his chest and fired a rocket off the crossbar. Even with all the chances for the home side, Antigua continued to transition into the attack quickly whenever they won possession and executed beautifully on a 24th minute counter-attack to get on the score sheet first and stun the home crowd.

A streaking Byers found himself all alone in the penalty area and tried to round the goalkeeper, allowing Blues defender Leonard Griffin to recover and poke the ball away. However, it fell straight to the feet of Robinson, who tested Dautt with a wicked far-post shot. The Blues netminder came up with a nice reaction save, but the rebound was met by Smith at the doorstep, and the striker tucked it away for an easy finish and his third of the campaign.

The goal took some of the wind out of the Blues attack, as it took them until the 39th minute to create their next opportunity. Akeem Priestley found Bravo with a wonderfully threaded through ball that put the midfielder in one on one with Antigua goalkeeper Keita Decastro. Instead of taking a shot from close range, Bravo attempted to lay the ball off to Colic in the center, but the Croatian was unable to make full contact and his attempt from 10 yards trickled wide of the right post.

The home side nearly found themselves two goals down five minutes later. Defender Nelson Akwari fumbled the ball to Antigua’s Lawson Robinson just inside the area but was rescued by his captain Josh Tudela, who slid in to deflect Robinson’s low cross and deny Byers a wide open attempt. The remainder of the half belonged entirely to the visitors, who created two more huge chances to double the lead in stoppage time.

First Byers found a streaking Smith with a long ball over the top and the 21-year-old fired into the side netting from a promising position inside the area. Then Byers saw his own rocket from just inside the box whistle wide for a near miss.

The second half started the way the first had ended, with the ‘Cudas nearly extending their advantage. Byers found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper following another soft giveaway by Akwari, but Dautt did a fantastic job of cutting down the angle and blocking the striker’s attempt. Los Angeles then finally upped the tempo around the hour mark, as Antigua increasingly bunkered in and tried to defend the one-goal lead.

In the 59th minute, the Blues’ Akeem Priestley displayed fantastic foot skills deep inside the area but couldn’t keep his hard shot on frame after dribbling around two Antigua defenders. Edwin Miranda had another opportunity for the home side, his dangerous long-range effort sending Decastro low to his right to parry the ball wide for a corner.

The Blues’ desperate efforts to find an equalizer picked up even more steam after Antigua’s Randolph Burton picked up his second yellow card for a hard foul in midfield in the 77th minute. However, the visitors got some relief from Byers, who proved a handful once more in the 83rd minute, blasting just wide from long range. The night would finish on a golden chance for the Blues. Just minutes from the final whistle, Mike Randolph and Bravo exchanged some nice short passes to free up substitute Adriano de Lima in the area, but the Brazilian shot wide from very close range for the game’s final agonizing Blues miss.

The Blues will have a chance to redeem themselves in their May 12 home game at Centennial High School’s Husky Stadium in Corona, Calif. (7.30 p.m. PST). Meanwhile, Antigua Barracuda FC will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they welcome River Plate Puerto Rico to Sticky Wicket Stadium on Friday, May 6.

Ottawa Fury News Release - www.ottawafury.com

Monday, May 2, 2011

OTTAWA, ON - The Ottawa Fury are very pleased to announced the four newest members of their 2011 W-League squad - Philadelphia Union draft selection Teresa Rynier, University of Virginia defender Amanda Fancher and University of Maryland teammates Colleen Deegan and Lydia Hastings. These four additions are expected to be key players for the Fury this year and are coming off extremely successful collegiate seasons.

“We are extremely fortunate to have added players of this quality to our roster,” said Ottawa Fury W-League head coach Dom Oliveri. “Both Teresa and Amanda have US Youth National Team experience and come to us with a tremendous collegiate track record while both Deegan and Hastings come highly recommended from one of the top Women’s programs in the NCAA.”

With four impressive NCAA seasons under he belt, Teresa Rynier was drafted by the Philadelphia Independence 23rd overall in the 2011 WPS Draft becoming the first player from James Madison University to be drafted into the top-tier of Women’s soccer in the United States. Rynier joins the Fury looking to take her game to the next level in her quest to crack the starting roster in the WPS. In an illustrious four year career with the Dukes Rynier graduated this past year owning the schools all-time record for assists (53) and ranked 4th all-time in points (93). Her 93 points were compiled in 90 career NCAA games that saw James Madison boast a 57-27-6 record. With these numbers Rynier captured many accolades including being on the CAA Conference All-Tournament team during all four seasons, making the All-Conference First-Team from 2008-2010, the NSCAA All-Region First Team (2010) and the NSCAA All-American 3rd Team the past two seasons. Her success was also visible in the classroom as she is the proud recipient of the Commissioner’s Academic Award the past three seasons and was named to the NSCAA Scholar All-American and All-Region 1st team in her final two years at James Madison.

Amanda Fancher has enjoy three very successful season at the University of Virginia where the Colony, TX native has featured in 46 games for the NCAA I Cavaliers helping them to a 40-16-11 overall record. The defender has recorded 7 assists in her NCAA career and looks to enjoy a strong first year in the W-League ahead of her senior year. Fancher was also a member of the US U16 and U17 teams and her NCAA and National Team experience will be invaluable for the Fury who compete in the very competitive Great Lakes Division.

The University of Maryland has proven to be one of the most successful schools in the NCAA these past couple of years and Colleen Deegan and Lydia Hastings have been at the heart of it. Deegan has spent four seasons with the Terps and become a major factor in her junior season helping Maryland to the Sweet-16. With 44 NCAA games to her credit, the Centreville, VA native has notched 6 goals and 4 assists as a defender and was named to the Academic All-Region 1st Team this past year. Like Deegan, Hastings helped the Terps to the Sweet-16 run in 2009 and has been a visible force for Maryland in the midfield with 9 goals and 13 assists in 61 career games. The Rehoboth Beach, DE native was also a member of the US Under-18 squad and was named to the All-Mid Atlantic Freshman team in 2008.

The Ottawa Fury Women open the 2011 W-League campaign on the road May 28 and 29 against Rochester and Hamilton respectively before returning to Ottawa for their home opener on June 3 when they will face the Rochester Ravens for the second time in 6 days.

Kitsap Pumas News Release -- www.kitsappumas.com

Sunday, May 1, 2011

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Kitsap Pumas opened the 2011 USL Premier Development League season in style, as Robby Christner fed Matt Friesen and Kyle Johnson for goals as the Pumas defeated Vancouver Whitecaps Residency 2-0 Sunday afternoon at Empire Field.

It's the third straight Opening Day win for the Pumas. In the club's brief history, they have now scored 14 goals in openers without conceding any, and on Sunday it was achieved with a short-handed squad that travelled with just 12 players due to injuries and visa issues.

Friesen, celebrating his 25th birthday, opened his scoring account for the season in the 22nd minute after taking a nifty pass from Christner just outside of the penalty box. Friesen then cooly corralled a small deflection off of Vancouver left back La'Vere Corbin-Ong to slot it past goalkeeper Bryan Silvestrie into the left corner of the goal.

"The keeper didn't close fast enough," he said. "It wasn't a great finish, so if the keeper had come out quicker he would have saved it."

Friesen has now tallied four goals and an assist on his past two birthdays - which also have coincided with the past two Puma season openers.

"The turf was slow," Friesen continued, "so when you take a touch the ball stays at your feet. But I knew where I was so I took a quick glance and hit it."

The Pumas kept the pressure on and eventually scored in the 42nd minute when Cameron Hepple made a great run to the edge of the box then fed Christner who quickly one-timed a pass to Johnson. Silvestrie blocked that shot but couldn't clear in time affording Johnson another easy tap-in for the score.

That was all Kitsap needed in the second half as its stalwart backline of Steve Mohn, Mark Lee, Daniel Scott and Taylor Hyde along with rookie goalkeeper Bryan Meredith -- making his first start in goal for the Pumas -- kept the Whitecaps off the board.
 

Meredith made some excellent saves in earning his first clean sheet in his first win in his first professional match.

"I had to make a few saves but nothing crazy," Meredith said.

Despite the play of Philippe Davies and Alex Morfaw -- both members of the Whitecaps' Major League Soccer reserve squad -- the defense kept both from scoring despite the pair creating good chances well into the second half.

"The defense definitely stepped it up and did very well," Meredith continued. "We worked out some kinks in the preseason. Overall the whole team is starting to play really well."

The Pumas also had several other clear chances to score - notably second-half attempts by Christner and Hepple which missed by mere inches.

Fewing said he was proud of the way the team hung tough to the end as their legs began tiring late in the match.

"I told them I was proud of them at halftime," he said. "I think that's the first time I've ever said that to them at the half. You get
a little nervous when you say that, because now they're going to say 'Coach is proud of us -- we've done our job.' But they're mature enough now to handle it.

"Everybody's not too high and not too low (afterwards). Everyone's pretty happy with the win but everyone realizes the season has only just begun and there is a lot of work to do."

Kitsap (1-0-0) opens its home schedle next Sunday, May 8 at 1 p.m. against the Victoria Highlanders. Tickets are now on sale at the Pumas home office and through www.brownpapertickets.com.

Reading United AC News Release -- www.readingunitedac.com

Monday, May 2, 2011

READING, Pa. – Reading United AC has added six players for the upcoming USL Premier Development League season as the club seeks to maintain its status as one of the top teams in the league. United is pleased to announce the signings of the University of North Carolina's Matt Hedges, and West Virginia University's Raymon Gaddis, both members of the team's 2010 side that reached PDL National semifinals.

They are joined by former U.S. U17 international Kirk Urso, the University of Virginia's Brian Span and U.S. U20 international Sam Garza and Ghanaian standout Stephen Okai.

The club will be led by 2010 NSCAA Second Team All-American Hedges, who will be entering his senior year at North Carolina this fall. Hedges spent his first three years at Butler before transferring to UNC shortly after the departure of former Butler Coach Kelly Finley for North Carolina State. Hedges is a gifted athlete and fierce competitor. At 6-foot-4, with good feet and with pace to burn he presents a daunting challenge for opposing front men.

Gaddis was part of a back four with Hedges last year that allowed one goal through Reading’s first six matches. His pace, tenacity, and ability to lead by example on the field make him an invaluable asset to the club. The WVU standout continues to pile up awards each season in the college game, he comes to Reading with extensive US Youth International experience, and he is certainly looking like a very good prospect at the next level in the eyes of, now fourth year RUAC coach, and Philadelphia Union Head Reserve Team Coach, Brendan Burke.

“Matt and Ray were tremendous for us last year and they were two of the first guys on my list this year," Burke said. "Both have the potential to move on to the pro game at a high level next year and we are glad that they have chosen to spend their summer leading our efforts again this year."

Urso has a U17 FIFA World Cup under his belt. He competed for the U.S. in the 2007 version of the top youth tournament in the world, and scored the goal against Belgium that put the United States through to the second round of the competition. Kirk will serve as captain next fall for the University of North Carolina side that has appeared in each of the last three NCAA Final Fours. Urso had five goals and five assists for the Tar Heels a season ago, finished second behind Enzo Martinez on the team in scoring.

Span was a member of a University of Virginia squad that grew this year while rebuilding from the school's 2009 National Championship Run. As a freshman, Brian started 18 of UVA’s 20 games and registered 13 points on five goals and three assists. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, and with excellent technical ability, the former U.S. U17 Residency Program Member is more than capable of taking over the goal scoring responsibilities at Reading for the summer of 2011.

Garza is a U.S. U20 International and a key part of University of California Santa Barbara’s squad, pending United Soccer Leagues approval. In the preparation period leading up to the U20 World Cup in 2009 in Egypt, Sam suffered a serious injury. That hasn’t slowed him down though, as he came back with a vengeance this past fall at UCSB and tallied 21 points on eight goals and five assists through a grueling UCSB schedule in 2010. If that is any indication of the form Sam will find this summer RUAC’s tremendous goal-scoring record is about to get even better.

Okai will be counted on to use his physical capability and the technical capacity to give the team whatever it needs on a given night. A NAIA First Team All-American last fall as a sophomore, Okai is also a former Ghanaian U15 and U17 International with size, athleticism, touch, and a relentlessness about him that makes him a weapon on both sides of the ball. Look for Okai to anchor the RUAC midfield all season long.

Reading will make more announcements in the coming days as they build their squad for the new season, with a number of quality players to roll out over the next few days.

Ohio State University News Release -- www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Monday, May 2, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Now in its 10th year, the annual Connor Senn Memorial Match will undergo several changes in the coming years, beginning Tuesday when festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. In addition to a new opponent in the Dayton Dutch Lions of USL PRO, the event will now move forward in partnership with the Ohio State Medical Center to continue raising funds for the Connor Senn Memorial Fund.

"We are pleased to announce a new alliance between The Ohio State University Medical Center’s Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, the Ohio State Department of Athletics, the Ohio State men’s soccer team, and the Connor Senn Memorial Fund to fight sudden cardiac death," said John Bluem, head coach of the Ohio State men’s soccer team and board member of the Connor Senn Memorial Fund.

"Next year, along with the 11th annual Connor Senn Memorial Match, we will together create the Connor Senn Educational Symposium on Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes. Through this strategic partnership, we hope to provide community awareness for this condition and raise critical research funding to better understand and prevent sudden cardiac death in athletes."

All proceeds from the match and silent auction Tuesday will benefit the Connor Senn Memorial Fund at Ohio State. Over the last nine years, monies generated have funded a fully-endowed scholarship in Senn’s name, granted annually to a member of the men’s soccer team, and will now be directed towards the creation and implementation of the Connor Senn Educational Symposium on Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes.

Dr. Lance Senn, Connor’s father, as well as Gene Smith, Ohio State Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, and Bluem will present a check to Dr. Richard Gumina, Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Research in the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, at halftime of the game Tuesday with the monies raised since the scholarship reached the endowed status.

The Connor Senn Memorial Fund was established by Dr. Senn after Connor collapsed during Ohio State’s match at Akron Sept. 26, 2001, and died that night from a congenital heart defect. A native of Granville, Ohio, Connor was a freshman walk-on defender who had earned a starting position for the 2001 season. The Buckeyes went on to be selected for the NCAA Tournament that season for the second time in program history.

The legacy of Connor Senn will never be forgotten at Ohio State.

A plaque honoring Connor hangs outside the Buckeyes’ locker room door and Connor’s chair hangs in the locker room, which all the players on the 2001 team signed with personal messages to Connor, who was known for his tremendous work ethic, positive attitude and selfless play. "Play Like Connor Today" is the mantra of the Ohio State men’s soccer program and it has carried them to eight trips to the NCAA tournament since 2000 and to the 2007 national championship game. 

USL Feature – www.uslsoccer.com

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

2011 will mark the Quebec City Amiral’s third season in the W-League. In each of the first two seasons the Amiral finished just seven points out of first, qualifying for the playoffs in their first season. The Amiral face stiff competition in the Great Lakes Division, but they believe they have the talent to finish first.

“This is a very tough division, with many players from the national youth teams,” Quebec City General Manager Maxime Barabe said. “All are proud organizations looking for an edge every year. Every game is tough and important so you get high intensity games every time.”

Quebec City will feature some of the top offensive talent this season as the Amiral return former top scorer Melissa Lesage and add Université de Montréal standout Véronique Laverdière. Barabe and the Amiral know they must continually improve to make an impact in their division.

To reach a higher level the Amirial need to maintain a mix of veteran and young players along with competing against top teams. Recently, Quebec City faced some stiff competition when Belgian powerhouse Standard Liège visited the Amiral.

“We have many promising young players that we need to continue to develop, and the games against Standard de Liège were an excellent occasion to do just that,” added Barabe. “We also have to retain and recruit veteran players who know the W-League and its level of competition, to guide these youngsters.”

The Amiral opened their preseason with a win against Standard Liège, and they will hope to replicate that result when they kick off their season at London on June 4.

Ottawa Fury

Since 2004, the Ottawa Fury have finished first in their division each season. The last time it did not finish first, in 2003, Ottawa still made it to the W-League semi-finals. The Fury are showing no signs of relenting in 2011.

The Fury have continued to stockpile talent for the season, adding a number of NCAA standouts. Ottawa’s expectation of an eighth consecutive division crown will not waiver with the talented squad it has assembled.

Toronto Lady Lynx

Last season the Lady Lynx came within three points of the Fury at the top of the division. After finishing close in 2010, the Lady Lynx are back this season and looking to bridge the gap to first.

Toronto was paced by its talented midfielder Allysha Chapman in 2010 and the Lady Lynx expect similar production in 2011 to help the side maintain its form.

Hamilton FC Rage

Hamilton is looking to rebound in 2011, after a tough 2010 season where the side could only manage three points. The Rage are looking to turn things around this season. Hamilton opens its season May 25 at Toronto.

Hamilton will have to do better creating chances and finishing them this season, after only managing five goals in 2010. A step up in scoring production will surely precipitate a move up the table.

Laval Comets

Laval was a part of the cluster at the top of the division in 2010, finishing two wins off the pace of Ottawa. A few tough losses kept the Comets from the top of the division.

Laval had a stingy defense last season, conceding only 10 goals for the entire season. The Comets will need to replicate that defensive form this season if they hope to make a run at the division title.

London Gryphons

2011 will mark the Gryphons’ move back to the Great Lakes division, and they will hope for a better finish then last season. The Gryphons will be paired with several Canadian rivals in the Great Lakes division and they begin the season by hosting Laval on May 28.

The priority for London this season is tightening up its defense. The Gryphons’ league-worst defense allowed 43 goals in 2010 and needs to be shored up to expect better results in 2011.

Rochester Ravens

The lone American side in the Northeast, the Ravens hope to build on a 2010 season that was marked by progress. The Rochester side fell in a number of close matches last season that could have gone the other way and look to improve this season.

The side is led by former Rochester Rhino Doug Miller, who guided the Ravens to their first two franchise wins last season. In 2011, the Ravens looked poised to top that mark.