United Soccer Leagues News Release - uslsoccer.com
Thursday, May 30, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. - The inaugural W-20 season begins Saturday with a trio of North Atlantic Division matches. W-20, the premier North American under-20 women’s league, features 23 teams aligned in four regional divisions - North Atlantic, Midwest, New England and South Atlantic - playing 8-10 regular season matches from May through July, with a national championship set at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Each division will send three representatives to the 2013 W-20 Championship. You can expect sparks to fly as each regionally based division not only intensifies pre-existing local rivalries, but calls on predominantly college-based players to defend their turf.
Here is what you can expect from the North Atlantic Division in the 2013 W-20 season.
Fredericksburg Impact
Pete Cinalli will direct this year’s edition of the Fredericksburg Impact. A mid-table finish in the Super-20 League last year means the Impact will be even hungrier this year.
Cinalli’s squad will benefit from the return of Tessa Klump. Last year the defensive-minded midfielder racked up three assists while playing out of the back. Klump recently finished her sophomore season with the Washington University in St. Louis Bears, during which she scored her first collegiate goal and anchored the midfield on a Bears team that posted a 19-2-1 record.
Morgan Van Reenen joins the Impact after her freshman season at Bridgewater College. With the Eagles, Van Reenen tallied two assists in eight games played. Melissa Messier links up with FASA after her sophomore year at Campbell College. Messier proved to be an attacking threat as she registered three goals and an assist while splitting time at forward.
Tyesha Kizer, a freshman from Youngstown State University, will play alongside Messier up top. Kizer is coming off a three-goal haul her freshman year with the Penguins. Twins Hallie and Hanna Gardner have bright futures ahead of them as they weigh their many options for college-level soccer. Regardless of their decision, the versatile twins will play a large role in this year’s Impact side.
Harrisburg City Islanders
The Harrisburg City Islanders will feature two teams in the North Atlantic Division in 2013, the Harrisburg City Islanders and Harrisburg City Islanders/LDC.
The Harrisburg City Islanders offer a roster with both veterans and newbies and will be directed by Head Coach John Abe. Among the veterans will be midfielder/defender Lindsey Haldeman and midfielder Ally Kasun.
Haldeman is coming off another eye-catching year at Penn State-Harrisburg, where she recorded three goals and five assists in 20 starts in 2012 to go with her five goals and six assists in 15 starts from her freshman year.
Kasun also enjoyed a hot start to her collegiate career at Florida Gulf Coast University. She tallied seven goals, seven assists, and a total of 21 points for the Eagles in her 21 starts as a freshman. Along the way she earned a unanimous selection to the Atlantic Sun All-Conference First Team, as well as being named to the All-Freshman First Team and the NSCAA Southeast Second Team.
Harrisburg City Islanders/LDC
Coach Mike McHugh’s City Islanders/LDC squad will feature a strong mix of college talent with 21 players either committed or already playing at the college level.
Among the colleges/universities represented on the roster are LaSalle, Niagara, Wilkes, West Chester, NJIT, Kutztown, Delaware, Walsh, Alvernia, St. Josephs, Hofstra, Coastal Carolina, Messiah, and Wisconsin.
Eighteen of the players on the City Islanders/LDC roster have played together before at the LDC academy, where McHugh was also head coach, and won the EYSA state championship and reached the regional finals.
Brinley Watts will hope to use the experience she gained in 19 starts for Mount Saint Mary’s University to propel City Islanders/LDC to the top of the table. As a freshman, Watts took a firm role in the backline and recorded two assists for the Mountaineers.
Adding to the chemistry will be the Mallets twins, who will look to aid LDC in its fight for a spot in Bradenton. Hannah Mallets recently committed to Alvernia University and Emma committed to Walsh University.
Keystone Athletic SC
George Denger will assume the role of head coach when Keystone enters the fray from northeastern Pennsylvania for the inaugural W-20 season. Athletic will feature one of the youngest squads in the division as well as the youngest player in the division with Zoe Tauriello having just turned 16.
Daniella Burkhart, a goal-scoring midfielder who is also capable of dropping into the backline, will look to lead the young ones by example.
Dianna Connor will add some offensive firepower to the Keystone squad. A junior from Pleasant Valley High School in Pennsylvania, Connor recorded 30 goals in her breakout junior year.
Northern Virginia Majestics
The Majestics join W-20 after being a fixture in its predecessor, the Super-20 League. Under the leadership of Coach Marie Schweitzer, the Majestics, based out of Manassas, Va., are hoping to top the table in this year’s North Atlantic Division. To date the NOVA roster contains eight current college players.
Annah Lindberg will be one to watch for the Majestics. Lindberg, set for her senior year in high school, has received offers from Wake Forest, UNC-Wilmington, North Carolina State and the University of Virginia.
Towson University’s Nicole Nicholas will anchor the defense for NOVA. During her sophomore year, Nicholas played in all 18 games for the Tigers, starting 15.
University of South Carolina-Aiken will provide two players for the squad - midfielder Heaven Tylee and forward Megan Smits - who will look to link up going forward into the final third. Last year in her freshman year with the Pacers Tylee led the team with three assists and tucked away one goal. Smits also had a productive year and led the team in goals (4), tallied an assist, and finished the season with nine points.
Sarah Dvorak will see time in goal for the Majestics after gaining experience with Roanoke College, allowing only one goal in seven appearances as a freshman in 2012 to finish the season with a 0.32 goals-against average.
Reading United AC
A top team in the Super-20 League in 2012, Reading United and coach Drew Kaufmann are expected to challenge for a spot in the finals once again.
Leading the charge will be returning forward Emily Gingrich. In 2012 Gingrich was named to the NSCAA All-American team, one of only 81 players nationally, and led Reading with 12 goals and three assists. In 2013 Gingrich will begin her collegiate career at Saint Joseph’s University.
United will showcase more than goals in 2013. An experienced backline led by Samantha Sanders and Regina Stump will help the squad keep things tight in front of goal. Sanders recently finished her sophomore year at the University of Mississippi, making 22 starts and seeing 1,921 minutes of action. Ole Miss finished the year with a 13-9-0 record and a +18 goal differential.
Stump brings similar experience after making 22 appearances and recording two assists in her sophomore year at Messiah College. In 2012 Messiah posted a 24-1-1 record and allowed only six goals.
Jenna Dubs will anchor the midfield and play a pivotal role as the liaison between the boxes. Dubs is coming off a solid year with the Marshall University Thundering Herd, where she started all 19 games as a freshman, recording a pair of assists.
Washington Spirit Academy
The newly minted Washington Spirit Academy, formerly D.C. United Women, should be a team to contend with in the 2013 W-20 season and are affiliated with the Washington Spirit Reserves of the W-League and the Washington Spirit of the NWSL, creating a true women’s soccer club pyramid.
A well-balanced squad features seven returning players from 2012’s championship finalists, as well as a few standout newcomers.
Forward/midfielder Stephanie Hamilton returns after tallying four goals and an assist last year. The James Madison sophomore has appeared in 20 collegiate games in two seasons, and should be one of the more dangerous attackers in the league.
Newcomer Olivia Collela, who just finished her freshman year at Longwood University, will look to make the most of the 20 games she put under her belt with the Lancers. Collela, a forward, managed three goals and an assist.
The Spirit will look to a pair of experienced goalkeepers including Erin Cummings, a rising sophomore with the Colgate Raiders, and Alexandra Weaver, who is heading to the University of South Florida in the fall, to provide ample cover in goal.
Not to be forgotten, utility player Annie Wickett can also play in goal though she filled the role of playmaker last year for the D.C. United Women, recording a goal and three assists as they reached the title game. During her first year at Eastern Kentucky University Wickett played in goal and found herself a spot on the All Ohio Valley Conference Second Team as well as a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference All Newcomer Team.