United Soccer Leagues News Release- uslsoccer.com
Friday, May 31, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. - The inaugural season for W-20, the premier North American under-20 women’s league, kicks off this weekend. W-20 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.
Three teams from each division will earn trips to the 2013 W-20 Championship, which makes every game important. Here is what you can expect from the Midwest Division in the 2013 W-20 season.
MIDWEST DIVISION
Dayton Dutch Lions
Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, the Dutch Lions join W-20 from the Super-20 League and Technical Director Sid van Druenen is hoping to channel his experience into this year’s team as it tries to cement a place in the finals in Bradenton.
Leading the team will be veteran Brittany Charles, who joins the Lions from St. Bonaventure University. In 2012 she played in all 20 games for the Bonnies and led the team in points (12). Following Charles’ example will be returnee Alexis Titus, who featured heavily for her school, Urbana University. Titus started 17 games in 2012 and played in all 19. Playing primarily out of the defensive end of the midfield, Titus was able to notch an assist during her freshman year.
The offensive threat is expected to come from forward Kasey Crow, who just wrapped up her freshman year at the University of Rio Grande. Crow put on an explosive display and tallied 10 goals, three assists, and a total of 23 points. Not to be left behind, Ashley Miltko, who joins the Dutch Lions after her freshman year with the Wright State University Raiders, has knocked in four goals so far in her college career and hopes to carry that form over to the W-20 season.
Kayla Klim will provide cover in goal for Dayton. Klim, a rising sophomore out of the University of Fraser Valley, put in a solid season for the Cascades with a 0.75 goals-against average.
Force Football Club Academy
Force Football Club Academy of West Bloomfield, Michigan will seek a return to the top in an effort to repeat its division title of a year ago.
Though it will lose some of its veteran leadership, Nicole Greenhalgh returns from the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Last year Greenhalgh managed to knock in four goals in the Force’s march to the top of the standings.
Also an expected offensive threat, newcomer Diana “Didi” Dedvukaj will line up for the first time with FFCA. Dedvukaj, a rising junior, started all 18 games in 2012 for the Western Michigan University Broncos and was second on the team in points with eight.
Not to be forgotten, Kyla Kellerman will sign on for the 2013 season after dominating her competition in the Summit League with Oakland University. Kellerman started 20 times for the Grizzlies and put away a team- and conference-best nine goals and 22 points. She proved herself to be a team player with four assists and earned Summit League Offensive Player of the Year and First Team Summit League honors.
Not limited to the final third, the FFCA will boast a bevy of experienced options on its back line.
An Eastern Michigan University trio, consisting of defenders Emily Dzik, and Marisa Kozikowski with goalkeeper Jenna O’Dell, will make it difficult for opposition forwards to put the ball in the back of the net. Dzik and Kozikowsi featured in all 19 games and managed to find a goal, three assists, and five points between them. O’Dell started 16 games and posted five shutouts.
Kalamazoo Kingdom
Cross-town rivals for Force, the Kalamazoo Kingdom, based in Kalamazoo, Mich., will also feature a roster with previous experience playing together.
The Vinton sisters, Samantha (19) and Sydney (17), will look to make the most of their reunion and contribute to Kalamazoo’s efforts to spoil Force Football Club Academy in its title defense.
The Vinton sisters will be accompanied by at least eight Grand Valley State University players. Goalkeeper Jesse Bultsma, forwards Michelle Foote, Olivia Emery, and Casey McMillan, midfielders Marti Coby and Katie Klunder, and defenders Erika Bradfield and Clare Carlson will all reunite for the upcoming season.
McMillan is coming off a great sophomore year with nine goals, five assists, and a total of 23 points.
Paige Wester will attempt to rally the Kingdom behind her experience as. A soon-to-be junior at Michigan State University, Wester started in 18 games for the Spartans last year and recorded three goals, an assist, and seven points. Her university teammate, Alexandra Heffron, will also join her at Kalamazoo. Heffron played provider for the Spartans with three assists in a successful year.
Toronto Lady Lynx Juniors
Coach Ian MacIver’s Toronto Lady Lynx Juniors also join W-20 from the Super-20 League. Toronto features two up-and-coming stars in Taylor MacIver and Hope Sabadash.
MacIver joins the Lynx from Ursuline College, where she started 12 games and recorded 10 goals with a team-leading average of 1.75 points per game.
Sabadash will be between the posts for Toronto after committing to Southeastern Louisiana University and participating in the training program at the National Training Center in Ontario for the Canadian U-20 National Team.
Waza FC
Head Coach Kris Geier leads the newcomers for the Midwest division, Waza FC, based in Detroit. Waza is building for the future as 13 of its players were born in 1995. This plethora of young talent will try to invigorate the squad as it stacks up against a host of more experienced sides.
Waza boast cohesion. Rebecca Fuerth, Charlotte Sivitter, Sam Geier, Jaclyn Marceau, and Lauren Benson all played together on championship winning side Tecumseh Warriors.
Sweeper Tianna Dupuis will also bring her success with her high school, St. Anne, on to the pitch when Waza kick off W-20 action.