W-20 Feature
Friday, June 21, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The 2013 W-20 season is three weeks in and teams have begun to rise to the top of the standings in the 20-team league, formerly known as the Super-20 League women. Caroline Houser, Alexandra Heffron, and Kyla Kellerman are among the players who posted top performances in last weekend’s fixtures to help their teams pick up vital league points.
Caroline Houser
Triangle FC
Playing their second game of a three-game road trip, the Triangle FC W-20s trailed 1-0 at the half against the unbeaten Carolina Elite Cobras. Houser scored back-to-back goals in the second half to lead TFC to a 2-1 comeback win.
Her first goal came in the 59th minute as teammate Gretchen Dettlinger picked up a loose ball at midfield. Dettlinger slipped a through ball to Houser, who ran onto it for a one-touch finish. Not long after, Houser was again on the receiving end of a pinpoint pass, this time from Maddie Cannon, and she did not miss her chance to win the match.
In the next game for Triangle FC, Houser netted two more goals in a 4-1 win against SSA. Triangle FC trailed after conceding within the opening two minutes, but Houser and Triangle FC responded well. TFC scored twice more to take all three points.
“I’m really proud of the effort from Caroline Houser over the three games this past weekend,” Triangle FC Head Coach Tom Misuraca said. “Being a U16 player competing at the W20 level has been a challenge that she’s met with tremendous success.”
“Her work rate and uncanny ability to put herself in the right spots to score goals helped our team find out rhythm this weekend”
Houser won the U16 Golden Boot as Triangle FC captured the 2012 Super Y-League National Championship at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida last year.
Alexandra Heffron
Kalamazoo Kingdom
The Kalamazoo Kingdom has taken 18 points from seven games to start their W-20 campaign, scoring a remarkable 35 goals while only conceding three times for an outstanding goal differential of +31. One big contributor to this success is midfielder Heffron.
In her last match, Heffron scored three goals and tallied an assist. A constant threat to the opposing team, her movement and aggressive play in the attacking third have caused problems for defenses throughout the Midwest Division.
“Alex’s movement as a center forward is the best I have seen in the women’s game. She is constantly making runs and always moving which makes her impossible to defend for 90 minutes,” Heffron’s head coach, Lewis Robinson, said.
“She creates so many chances and always makes players around her better. Alex has been a great leader for our team so far and she is getting fitter, sharper, and more match-fit with every game she plays.
“She is surrounded by a great cast of top level players who give her great service, which always helps too.”
Heffron will play at Marquette this fall.
Kyla Kellerman
Force Football Academy
Force Football Academy is undefeated this season, taking all of the nine available points so far. The team boasts a +11 goal differential, with 12 goals scored. Featuring at attack for Force Football Academy is Kellerman, who scored three goals and assisted another in FFA’s most recent match against the Dayton Dutch Lions.
“We knew that Kyla was going to be a special player for us after being named Summit League Offensive Player of the Year in 2012,” FFA W-20 Head Coach Kevin Garner said.
“We have been more than pleased with her efforts in our first three games of the year.”