As the staff at SAS Soccer Park put the finishing touches on the main stadium field, UCLA ran through drills on Field 2 in their final practice before they square off against the UNC Tar Heels in the 2006 Women's College Cup Friday afternoon at 3:30pm EST (live ESPN2 & ESPNU). The second match on Friday will feature Florida State v. Notre Dame at 6pm (live ESPNU, noon Sat. ESPN2). A limited number of general admission tickets remain and are on sale now through the NC State box office at (919) 865-1510 and will be on sale Friday morning at the SAS Soccer Park box office.
Returning to their first College Cup since they won the national title in 2003, Anson Dorrance and several of his players addressed the media on Thursday ahead of their semifinal match. The following are some of the highlights from UNC's pre-tournament press conference:
Kendall Fletcher, former UNC Women's Soccer player, is hosting a youth soccer clinic for 8 to 13 year old girls in conjunction with Carolina for Kibera on Saturday, December 9th from noon until 5pm. Among those assisting Fletcher with the clinic will be Corrine Black, Lorrie Fair, Cindy Parlow, & Leea Murphy. The cost of the clinic is $100 per participant and all funds go directly to fund a girls soccer program in Kibera, one of the largest slums in east Africa.
Registration is limited to 60 girls and players will have the benefit of small coach to player ratios with World Cup winners, Olympic gold medalists and collegiate national champions. Each player’s donation will go directly to Carolina for Kibera. Our time, energy, and support can directly help children in Kenya, children just like ours, to enjoy the game of soccer. Our support will translate into real results on the ground; for example $135 sends one child to school for a year.
Carolina for Kibera (CFK) is an international non governmental organization housed at UNC’s University Center for International Studies. Founded in 2001 by a Carolina undergraduate, CFK works in Kibera operating a youth sports association, young women’s center, medical clinic, and recycling program.
Wake Forest's Steven Curfman, who we profiled yesterday ahead of the College Cup, joins 6 other players with ties to the Triangle area on the initial list of 58 players invited to the 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine. Other local players in attendance at the annual player combine, which will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 5-8, 2007, will be Corey Ashe (UNC), Willy Guadarrama (Campbell), Michael Harrington (UNC), Kyle Helton (Duke), Justin Hughes (UNC), Chris Loftus (Duke). In addition, Duke head coach John Rennie will serve as coach for one of the combine sides.
The coaching staffs and general managers from all 13 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes four days before the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. The 2007 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007 in Indianapolis, Ind. in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention at the Indiana Convention Center. Of the 48 players selected in the four rounds of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, 23 had participated in the 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine.
Former Ireland Youth National Team Goalkeeper John O'Hara, who lead Sligo Rovers to the 2005 eircom League First Division title and promotion to the Premier Division has indicated that he is leaving Rovers to become the first goalkeeper to join Carolina RailHawks F.C.
The Sligo Weekender is reporting that O'Hara, who in 2005 conceded just 25 goals in 34 First Division games en route to earning himself a place on the PFAI First Division ‘Team of the Year’, revealed to his club that last weekend's tie with Bray Wanderers would be his last for the Irish club as he was off to America to join the new Cary-based USL-1 franchise.
When contacted, the Carolina RailHawks would not confirm that O'Hara has signed a contract with the franchise nor would they confirm that he would be one of several player signings they plan to announce at a press conference next week.
Sligo's goalkeeping coach Leo Tierney had this to say about his stopper who recorded 13 clean sheets in all competitions during Rovers' 2006 Premier Division campaign:
When Wake Forest kicks off the 2006 Men's College Cup on Friday night (delayed broadcast 2am Sat on ESPNU, 2pm Sat on ESPN2) against UC-Santa Barbara, 4 players with Triangle area ties will be looking to help the Demon Deacons secure a national championship. Joining Cary's Zach Schilawski, Durham's Will Clayton, and Raleigh's Evan Brown on the matchday roster will be senior Steven Curfman.
A native of Raleigh, Curfman will be looking to add a national title to an already impressive resume of accomplishments in his soccer career. Steven, who leads the 2006 Deacons squad with 5 goals and 8 assists, starred for the CASL Elite and Athens Drive High School before he packed his bags for U17 Residency Camp. As a member of John Hackworth's youth side, Curfman joined fellow Bradenton campers such as Freddy Adu, Jonathan Spector, Michael Bradley, Eddie Gaven, and Danny Szetela in several opportunities to represent his country on the world stage. Steven was a member of the U17 squad that won a CONCACAF championship in Guatemala, he scored his first international goal against Poland with a 40-yard blast in the Busan International Youth Tournament , and perhaps most memorably, he hit an amazing volley that chipped the South Korean keeper and earned no less than five golazos from the Galavision commentators during the 2003 World Youth Championships in Finland. (see the video here...and yes, this is the same match that Freddy Adu undressed about 5 South Korean defenders en route to a hat trick)
As the team prepares for their trip to St. Louis, Triangle Soccer Fanatics had a chance to ask Steven about his career, Wake Forest's excellent season, the team's preparation for the finals, and his future plans as a footballer.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year, the Big East's Offensive Player of the Year, and a current member of the U.S. Women's National Team comprise the three finalists for the 2006 women's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The finalists were determined in voting by Division I women's soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
North Carolina's Yael Averbuch, Notre Dame's Kerri Hanks and North Carolina's Heather O'Reilly are the three finalists for the award. The trio will be invited to the Busch Center on the campus of Saint Louis University on Saturday, Dec. 2, for a news conference where the winner of the award will be revealed. The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews (6:45 p.m. EST). A banquet at the Club that evening will feature the formal presentation of the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy to the winner.
Considering that all three finalist will be in Cary this weekend participating in the Women's College Cup, the NCAA might want to rethink the location of the awards ceremony on Saturday night!
I hope you are as eager for the Carolina RailHawks season as we are. Max and Molly Campbell can be seen here testing out the latest "supporters tool" that we here at Triangle Soccer Fanatics have acquired in anticipation of next season. Why are they beating the drum? Perhaps it's because they just found out the news that we'll be hearing about roster signings in less than a week!
On hand for the event will be members of the 25th Anniversary Women's Soccer Team, an honorary squad that features six UNC alum and UNC coach Anson Dorrance. Both current student athlete's and members of the 25th Anniversary team including Danielle Fotopoulos, Lisa Gmitter (Pittaro), Mia Hamm, Carla Overbeck, Jen Renola and Coach Anson Dorrance will sign autographs immediately following the event.
In conjunction with the upcoming Women's College Cup, the National Youth Sports Corporation, in collaboration with the NCAA, will be presenting a free youth soccer clinic for boys and girls ages 10 - 16 at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, NC on Saturday, December 2nd. Registration for the clinic is on-site Saturday morning at 8am and the clinic runs from 8:30am - 11:30am. The participants will receive hands-on (feet-on?) instruction from NCAA student-athletes and coaches.
The clinic is free to all participants and even includes a session on youth sports' issues for parents while their children participate in the clinic. Registration is limited and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. To register, download the clinic brochure and fax the registration form to the number provided. For more information, email YES_Clinic@yahoo.com, or call Morgan Stewart at 919-865-1436.
The Duke Blue Devils began their quarterfinal bid for a trip to the College Cup in dream fashion, taking the opening kickoff and scoring through Spencer Wadsworth just 25 seconds into their match Sunday against the UCLA Bruins. Things looked even better for the Blue Devils as first half substitute Chris Loftus gave Duke a 2 goal advantage just 3 minutes after he entered the match. But with over 70 minutes still to play, UCLA pressed and pressed the Blue Devils defense until they finally broke through in the 41st minute on a goal from Jason Leopoldo, assisted by freshman Kyle Nakazawa.
To Duke's credit, they didn't bunker in for the second half to defend their one goal lead and continued to try to get an insurance goal. But Bruin goalie Eric Reed kept the Blue Devils at bay. In particular, Tomek Charowski will probably rue the great looks at goal he had only to be denied by the keeper or fail to get off a quality shot.
UCLA finally leveled in the 78th from Sal Zizzo, again assisted by Nakazawa. It would be Zizzo who would eventually crush Duke's College Cup dream just 30 seconds into the extra time period when he finished a quick goal coming from the opening kickoff in not dissimilar fashion than Duke had scored to open the game. UCLA's 3-2 victory over the Blue Devils punches their ticket to St. Louis for a semifinal date with Virginia.
The UNC Women are returning to the College Cup for the first time since 2003, but it took two dramatic rallies from the Tar Heels to keep their hopes for a 19th national title alive.
Close to 5,000 fans at Fetzer Field witnessed the Texas A&M Aggies fall just short of becoming the first team in women's college soccer history to beat the Tar Heels twice in one season. With UNC trailing by a lone goal at the half, Heather O'Reilly equalized the score inside the first minute of the second frame, but the Tar Heels conceded again on a free kick in the 55th minute. They rallied again when Libby Guess found Whitney Engen in the box in the 62nd minute and Nikki Washington finally gave the UNC women the lead in the 74th minute as the Tar Heels hung on for a 3-2 victory.
The Women's College Cup kicks off Friday, December 1st at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, NC. The Tar Heels have drawn UCLA at 3:30 p.m. in a match that will be nationally televised on ESPN2. The second semifinal game will have Florida State going up against Notre Dame at 6 p.m. Should the Tar Heels advance to the final game, their victory over UCLA will mark UNC coach Anson Dorrance's 800th career college soccer victory at UNC. He is now 627-28-18 in his 28th year as the women's head coach. He also coached the Tar Heel men for 12 years from 1977-88, compiling a 172-65-21 mark.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons secured a 3-1 win over Santa Clara Friday night in Winston-Salem sending them to the final four of the 2006 Men's College Cup for the first time in school history. Cary native and Wake senior Steven Curfman equalized the match 1-1 just before halftime when he served up a 25 yard free kick past Santa Clara goalie Joseph Buttitta. Then Ryan Solle and Michael Lahoud added two second half goals to secure the Deacons ticket to St. Louis. Joining Curfman, Cary's Zack Schilawski, Raleigh's Evan Brown, and Durham's Will Clayton will represent the Triangle as the Deacons will face the winner of the UC Santa Barbara-Northwestern match on Friday, Dec. 1, at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.
Also on Friday night, Virginia beat Notre Dame 3-2 in Charlottesville to give the ACC two of the final four slots in the College Cup. Duke can make it 3 of 4 on Sunday when they face UCLA at 1pm at Koskinen Stadium in Durham.
Fans not able to make it to Chapel Hill on Saturday afternoon for the mouth-watering quarterfinal between the #1 ranked Tar Heels women and the #8 ranked Texas A&M Aggies, the only team to have obtained a result against UNC this season, need not be left out in the cold this Thanksgiving weekend.
AggieSoccer.com will be streaming the game free of charge via the internet on Saturday. Their pre-game show starts at 12:40pm EST with kickoff at 1pm. Fans can access the video from links on the front page of AggieSoccer.com and AggieAthletics.com on Saturday.
Star striker Abby Wambach scored two goals as the U.S. Women’s National Team notched a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Mexico in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup at The Home Depot Center. The victory earned the USA one of CONCACAF’s two direct berths to the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.
The victory earned the team its fifth consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance since the tournament’s inception in 1991. The USA becomes the 12th team to qualify for the event, joining host China, Australia and North Korea from Asia; Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and England from Europe; Nigeria and Ghana from Africa; and Canada, which defeated Jamaica, 4-0, in the first semifinal of the evening. The 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be staged from Sept. 10-30 in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu and Tianjin.
The CASL Elite U14 Girls were an extra time goal away from the national title, but were bested for the championship 1-0 by the Washington Crossfire. Ironically, CASL had downed the Crossfire in group play 2-1 but could not repeat the feat in the championship game. Both the CASL Elite U16 Girls and Triangle FC Navy U16 Girls advanced from their groups as well but both lost by the odd goal in their semifinal matchups. CASL fell to 2-1 to eventual U16 champs Chicago Magic while TFC was ousted by Wolfpack Blue's lone goal just two minutes shy of the end of the second extra time period.
The CASL Elite U15 Girls suffered the bad luck of a "group of death" draw and did not advance from their group that contained both eventual U15 finalists. The CASL squad finished the tournament 0-3-1 with their lone point coming from a 2-2 draw against finalist Reading Rage.
Those of you that have been reading TSF for some time know that this site evolved from a YahooGroups! mailing list that I started back in the Fall of 2002 shortly after I moved to Cary. But one year ago today, Triangle Soccer Fanatics took the step from an informal mailing list to a web-based news & photo service covering all manner of soccer in the Triangle.
When I first started this blog, I had no idea that one year later I'd be able to claim over 63,000 unique visitors to our humble site. And although I'm sure most readers see me as the public face of TSF, we wouldn't have gotten to where we are today without countless contributions and suggestions from a number of readers, local sports information directors, coaches, club administrators, other bloggers, and friends. I want to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to our success over the last year.
I thought it might be fun to quickly take a look back at some of the stories that have been featured on Triangle Soccer Fanatics over the past 12 months.
My Favorite 10 Stories on TSF in the last year (in chronological order)
01/31/2006 - Inspired by my first foray into investigative journalism with the previous story on Triangle Professional Soccer, TSF connected a few more dots and speculated that the US Men's National team would play a pre-World Cup friendly at SAS Soccer Park. Although our guess at the opponent was wrong, the match we speculated about was officially announced 3 weeks later.
05/22/2006 - TSF teamed up with Carlsberg and some local area pubs to organize World Cup watching parties this past summer. Hundreds of people would attend these gatherings and TSF was featured twice (here & here) in the News & Observer during the World Cup as a result of these parties.
08/09/2006 - Pictures which I had shot of the USL All-Star game in Cary were used extensively in the Sheffield Wednesday Matchday Programme. This is biggest photo credit I've ever received in my amateur sports photography career and I was quite proud to share my excitement with TSF readers.
08/16/2006 - The RailHawks Underground podcast was launched with the first part of a 3-part interview with RailHawks owner Chris Economides. Although the podcast episodes have been sporadic this fall, plans are to up the frequency of episodes as the 2007 starts up.
08/25/2006 - The very first Bic's View interview appeared on the TSF site following the Tar Heels' season opener. I really appreciate UNC sophmore Stephen Bickford taking time to periodically share his take on UNC's 2006 season with the TSF readers.
Are any of your favorite stories missing from my top 10 list? Use the comments section to add your favorite TSF story to the collection.
Steve Rogers is a soccer dad and current team manager for Triangle FC 90 Green Girls. He has recently started an op-ed column as part of the Triangle FC website. In his first column, Complacently, It’s Financially Rewarding, Rogers reminisces about the transition from rec to club soccer...and wonders about how much cheaper it would have been to not have been so competitively ambitious.
Several years ago, we were immersed in the world of Recreation or “rec” soccer. I was happy, the kids were having fun and the amount of time allotted to the sport was minimal. I guess I wasn’t thinking when I causally asked another parent, “What do you do if you want to really get better?” They turned and said, “Club soccer”...”club soccer?” I responded. “What’s club soccer?”
Pointing across the park towards a high school stadium, he said, ”See...look over there...that’s club soccer.” What I saw was breathtaking...
There are 16 teams left between the men's and womens' NCAA Tournament -- and two of them are ours. Both the Duke men and the UNC women breezed into the last 8 of their respective tournaments over the weekend.
The victories setup some very enticing quarterfinal matches to be played locally over Thanksgiving weekend. On Saturday, November 25st, the 24-1 Tar Heels face off against Texas A&M, the only team to have bested the UNC women during the 2006 season. Then on Sunday the 26th, Koskinen Stadium will be the venue for Duke's quarterfinal with UCLA, a team that boasts 2006's #1 recruiting class lead by USA U17 midfield dynamo Kyle Nakazawa.
It looks like the News & Observer is finally catching on to what Triangle Soccer Fanatics readers have known for sometime...there's some pretty darn good youth soccer being played here in the Triangle. In today's edition, Rachel Carter reviews the homegrown Triangle talent plying their trade in Division I and talks to some local youth and college coaches about the wealth of prospects we have here among our local clubs.
A couple of key stats from her article:
Nineteen percent of the players on the state's four ACC men's soccer teams are from the Triangle.
The entire North Carolina men's starting defense played for Raleigh's Capital Area Soccer League
CASL says 22 of its high school seniors, male and female, have committed to play at Division I schools next year, and 11 are going to ACC schools.
It's too bad her article overlooked Brian Ackley, whose sophomore season at Indiana keeps getting better -- it was the Athens Drive alums' 7th goal of the season that put the Hoosiers through to the 3rd round of the NCAA tourney.
I also might point out to the reporter that while CASL's track record is impressive, it's not the only youth club in the Triangle graduating players into excellent collegiate programs.
If you can't get your fill of soccer this weekend in the Triangle from all the games at the CASL Shootout Boys Showcase or either the UNC Women's or Duke Men's 3rd Round NCAA Tournament matches, there's yet another option for soccer viewing in the Triangle this weekend.
Our local CASL Elite began play in the tournament Friday against Colorado Rush, and will continue Saturday at 3pm against Pateadores on Campo Alex Ruiz and then Sunday at 11am against Irvine Strikers on Sheetz Field.
UNC concluded a disappointing 2006 campaign on Wednesday when they fell 1-0 to Old Dominion at Fetzer Field. Wednesday's loss marked the final home game for seven UNC seniors, who combined for 50 victories and four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Although sophmore Stephen Bickford saw only limited playing time this season behind two starting seniors, he still managed to finish among the team's statistical leaders. Stephen was tied for 5th in points, finished second in shot percentage, and first on the team in shots on goal percentage. Bickford also joined several other players at the top of the leaderboard for game-winning goals. As we have done all season long, TSF sat down one last time to reflect on the Tar Heels' season with Bic.
The CASL Shootout, spread out over 4 weekends in the late Fall, has become an annual rite of passage for youth soccer. With teams traveling to Raleigh from as far away as Alaska, the best youth soccer players in the United States test their skills on the pitches of the Triangle.
With the younger sides contesting their tournaments over the previous two weekends, the Shootout now moves to the first of its two marquee senior events. Starting Friday, the Boys Showcase begins, featuring U15-U19 boys teams. Of particular interest will be the U19 matchups which will pit the best high school and rising college players in the country against one another. Teams from CASL, Triangle FC, Triangle United, Carolina Soccer Club, and FVAA are among the local clubs playing in the showcase this weekend.
If you're more interested in Girls Youth Soccer, the Showcase for the U15-U19 ladies' sides will be in two weeks, concurrent with the Women's College Cup here in Cary.
In a game that turned out to be a microcosm of the Tar Heels entire season, UNC fell 1-0 to Old Dominion on Wednesday night in the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament. While the Tar Heels dominated both possession and scoring chances, out shooting ODU 13-3 and having a 7-1 advantage on corner kicks, it was lack of finishing that once again did Carolina in. With the Monarchs weathering UNC's storm, ODU got the break they were looking for when Tar Heels keeper Justin Hughes took down Jared Kent in the box as they both raced for a loose ball. Trevor Banks converted the ensuing penalty and the Monarchs withstood everything that UNC could muster in the last 15 minutes to hold on and advance in the NCAA tournament
At the other end of Tobacco Road, Duke cruised into the Sweet 16 with a 2-0 win over Brown. The Blue Devils got the go ahead goal from Michael Videira just past the midway mark of the first half and Mike Grella added some insurance less than 90 seconds into the second half as Justin Papadakis shutout the Ivy League competition. Duke now advances to the 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament and will host Lehigh who advanced past Rhode Island on PKs Wednesday night.
Both Duke and North Carolina get there NCAA tournament campaigns underway tonight on their home fields. Both matches kick off simultaneously at 7pm.
The tournament's #1 seed after beating Wake Forest in overtime of the ACC Championships Final, the Blue Devils will take on Brown in tonight's second round match-up. The Tar Heels, who host Old Dominion at Fetzer Field, are the #14 seed. Both teams received a bye through the first round of the 48 team field on virtue of their seeding.
The USL SoccerFest runs November 16th - 21st in Tampa Bay and will feature four Triangle area girls teams vying for Super Y League national titles.
Members of the CASL Elite U14 Girls, U15 Girls, & U16 Girls as well as Triangle Futbol Club's U16 Girls will be representing the South Atlantic division as part of 130 of the top youth teams from around the country contesting the Super Y finals. The championship tournament is one of a number of events planned for participants such as the USL 20th Anniversary celebration, a 5-a-side tournament, and a 2-day coaching symposium featuring England legend Alan Shearer.
Both the CASL Elite U14 Boys and Triangle FC Navy U14 Boys participated in the adidas MLS Youth Showcase this past weekend in Frisco, Texas. Photos from the teams' Sunday matches are available on Flickr by clicking the links below:
The Houston Dynamo have won MLS Cup 2006 4-3 on penalties after drawing with New England Revolution 1-1 after extra time. I shot over 400 pictures today at MLS Cup so check back late Monday for the full portfolio.
For the second year in a row, in what I hope to make an annual event, I'm headed out to MLS Cup this morning. I had a fantastic time last year and I'm looking forward to more of the same.
MLS Cup is one of the few sports finals in this country that families can actually afford to go to. (My tickets in the supporters section were $45 a piece; compare that to what I paid for the upper deck of the RBC Center for the Stanley Cup finals last Spring).
Although I'll miss most of the supporters weekend activities due to my coaching responsibilities this morning before I leave, there'll still be plenty to do on gameday. I'll be checking out the MLS Youth Showcase and the fan festival pre-match, and I have a date with the best pizza in the world after it's all over.
Don't forget to look for me on TV Sunday at 3:30pm EST on ABC. I'm in the neutral supporters section -- the buffer between The Midnight Riders and the Texian Army.
UNC-Asheville always knew it was going to be tough to open the NCAA women's soccer tournament on the road against the #1 seed in Chapel Hill. But I'm sure they didn't think it would be as rough as the night they had Friday. Yael Averbuch recorded a hat trick, tying UNC's school record for most goals scored in an NCAA tournament game, en route to a 7-0 Tar Heels victory. UNC moves on to play Navy, who beat William & Mary on penalties in the second game at Fetzer Field on Friday, at 1pm on Sunday in Chapel Hill.
Meanwhile, in Knoxville, the Duke Women’s soccer team advanced to the second round as the Blue Devils defeated 22nd-ranked Louisville, 6-5, in penalty kicks on Friday evening after playing to a scoreless draw. It is the 7th straight year that the Blue Devils have opened the NCAA tournament with a win. Duke now looks to square off against 4th seeded Tennessee on Sunday. Should the Blue Devils upset the home favorites in Knoxville Sunday, they would then face the winner of the UNC-Navy match next weekend.
Friday at 1pm EST, Don Garber will deliver his State of the League address from Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX. Key topics are sure to include next year's competition format and the new MLS Youth Initiative.
Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, the State of the League address was not webcast as planned, but early reports are that these were the main topics of discussion:
MLS will compete in a "Champions League" style tournament against the Mexican First Division in midweek games next season. More details will be announced Sunday.
Toronto FC will join the Eastern Conference
8 teams will be in the playoffs next year but the structure will change slightly: The top 2 teams from each conference make the playoffs, then from the remaining 9 teams, the best 4 teams in a consolidated table will advance to the playoffs
The MLS Youth Initiative linked above was discussed.
Whether you think it's funny or just downright cheesy, it is nice to know that the RailHawks have already launched their publicity campaign to build awareness for the 2007 inaugural season. Many of you may have already heard this running on radio stations around the Triangle area. But for those of you like me, with satellite radio or iPod buds stuck in your ears at all times, here's a podcast version:
The biggest professional soccer match in the United States will take place Sunday afternoon at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. But before the pros take the field, some of the countries best youth teams will showcase the star players of the future.
Among the teams involved in the 2006 edition of the adidas MLS Youth Showcase will be Triangle Futbol Club's U14 Navy Boys and CASL's Elite U14 Boys. Both Triangle-based squads will get a chance to play two matches on Saturday, November 11th and another on the morning of Sunday, November 12th against some of the best competition in the country. The tournament will be held on the fields of the Frisco Soccer Complex adjacent to Pizza Hut Park. The teams will wrap up their weekend in Big D by watching New England and Houston vie for the 2006 MLS Cup title.
For those attending MLS Cup who would like to come out early and support our local sides, here's the schedule for the showcase matches involving area squads:
Sat 7:30a - CASL v. TSC Texans 93s (Field - PHP11)
Sat 7:30a - TFC v. Texans FC (Field - PHP12)
Sat 1:30p - CASL v. Washington Premiere Black (Field - PHP12)
Sat 1:30p - TFC v. Beachside FC (Field - PHP14)
Sun 9:00a - CASL v. Match Fit Academy Rovers (Field - PHP12)
Sun 10:00a - TFC v. Nomads Academy (Field - PHP14)
Carolina RailHawks F.C. has announced information regarding open tryouts and their Spring player combine as they look to build their team for their inaugural season in the USL-1.
The first opportunity to impress new head coach Scott Schweitzer will be at open tryouts from 10am - 1pm on December 9th & 10th at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. Players at these open tryouts will be competing for a callback to the RailHawks formal combine which will be held March 15th, 16th, and 17th, also at SAS Soccer Park.
Those who know Michael Callahan will immediately tell you one thing about him: he loves soccer — a lot.
The sophomore on the North Carolina soccer team and former Green Hope High standout has been playing the sport since he was 5 years old. And he still finds as much enjoyment from it now as he did then.
“He’s very much inspired, still, and very driven,” Tar Heels coach Elmar Bolowich said. “When I was recruiting him, I could see how committed he is to the sport and the passion he plays with. He’s a player that pushes his limits, very competitive.”
During the half-hour program, Stasio speaks with Dorrance and his biographer. The interview covers Dorrance's remarkable record in Chapel Hill which has included 18 national championships, a 101-game unbeaten streak, and stars like Mia Hamm. Along the way, they discuss Dorrance's unique approach to coaching women and the coach's bitter legal battle with two former players who alleged sexual harassment.
Both the men's and women's College Cup brackets were announced today and both ACC Champions have been handed the top seed in their respective brackets.
On the men's side, Duke awaits the winner of the Brown v. Adelphi matchup for a showdown on November 15th in Durham. UNC received the 14th seed and also gets a first round bye. The Tar Heels await the winner of Gardner-Webb v. Winthrop for a match also scheduled for 7pm on November 15th.
The women Tar Heels claimed yet another #1 tournament seed and will host UNC-Asheville on November 10th in Chapel Hill. The Duke women also received a College Cup invitation and will play Louisville for their first round matchup. Should both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels continue to advance, their brackets position them for a potential third round matchup the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The men's final four will be contested in St. Louis, MO while the women's contest will once again be held at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. Both tournament finals will be played on Sunday, December 3rd.
When MLS Cup 2006 kicks off next Sunday, November 12th at 3:30pm EST at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX, two Triangle area university alumni will be squaring off on opposite sides of the pitch.
Jay Heaps' New England Revolution knocked off 2006 Supporter's Shield champions DC United 1-0 on Sunday to advance from the Eastern Conference playoffs. Heaps played for Duke from 1995-1998, was drafted 2nd overall in the 1999 MLS College Draft by the Miami Fusion, and then joined the Revolution in a trade in 2001. Jay not only played soccer at Duke, but he also earned a basketball scholarship as a walk-on point guard for the Blue Devils. Heaps, along with fellow ACC alum Michael Parkhurst (Wake Forest) has helped anchor New England's defense to their second straight MLS Cup Final.
On the other side of the ball will be Greensboro native and UNC alum Eddie Robinson. Robinson, also a defender, played for the Tar Heels between 1996 - 2000 and has been with the Earthquakes / Dynamo franchise since joining MLS in 2001. On Sunday, the Dynamo punched their ticket to Dallas with a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids.
Senior Libby Guess finished a give-and-go with freshman Whitney Engen 9 minutes into extra time to propel the women Tar Heels to their 17th ACC Championship. After a scoreless first half at SAS Soccer Park, India Trotter got behind the UNC defense in the 51st minute to give Florida State a 1-0 lead. But 7 minutes later when Florida State was sanctioned for dangerous play at the top of the 18 yard box, UNC's Yael Averbuch scored from the resulting indirect kick to level the affair at 1-1.
Although the Tar Heel women outshot the Seminoles 21-5, the game would remain tied through full-time but Guess' shot near the end of the first extra time period took a deflection from an on-rushing FSU defender and looped high over the stranded Seminoles keeper Ali Mims into the far top corner of the net.
UNC has now won the ACC Championship in all but 2 of the last 19 years. The win earns the Tar Heels the ACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and UNC will find out its seeding and first round opponent when the bids are revealed Monday between 3pm and 4pm on ESPNews.
Click on the video below for goal highlights from today's championship match.
After ninety-six and a half minutes of scoreless soccer, Mike Grella's 30 yard run, followed by a 30 yard knuckling blast that wrong-footed Wake Forest keeper Brian Edwards sent Duke to its second straight ACC Championship. The goal, Grella's 11th of the season, was the Duke sophmore's fifth game winning tally of the 2006 campaign. With the 1-0 extra time victory over the Deacons, the Blue Devils find themselves in prime position to host matches throughout the upcoming NCAA College Cup playoffs.
Both Duke and Wake Forest will learn their NCAA tournament fates on Monday during NCAA Tournament Selection show, which will be televised on ESPNNews between 4pm - 5pm EST.
Click on the video below to see Grella's game winning goal.
Both the men's and women's ACC champions will be decided today in matches broadcast live on Fox Sports Net.
At 1pm, Duke and Wake Forest meet in Germantown, MD to challenge for the men's title. Duke, who enters the match ranked 4th in the NCAA Division I, will be looking to knock off the Demon Deacons, who stand atop the national polls, for the second time this season. Duke leads Wake Forest in the all-time series by a margin of 20-11-4. The Blue Devils have won the last three games against the Demon Deacons, including a thrilling 4-3 victory during the 2006 regular season at Winston-Salem.
The men's tournament match will be followed directly at 3:30pm by the women's championship from SAS Soccer Park here in Cary. UNC heads into their 19th straight ACC final against Florida State the heavy favorite, having not lost a match since their opening day defeat at Texas A&M (when many of their regular players were away on US Women's National Team duty). That 20 game win streak includes a 2-1 win over the Seminoles in Chapel Hill earlier this season.
I don't think there was ever any doubt in Triangle Area residents minds, but Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal has made it official, declaring Raleigh / Cary jointly Soccer Town USA in their October issue. The Journal cites the number of key soccer events in the area as a huge boost to the Triangle's economy. Between the ACC Women's Finals, the NCAA Women's College Cup, and four major national youth tournament hosted by the Capital Area Soccer League, Street & Smith's estimates that soccer-related travel to the area will drive over 25,000 hotel room reservations in November and December alone -- an influx of soccer-related tourism dollars amounting to well over $7 million economic impact to the communities of the Triangle.
On the men's side, action kicks off at 5:30pm in Germantown, MD when Wake Forest matches up against Virginia, followed at 8pm by Duke v. Maryland. The Deacons hope to repeat their showing from their final match of the regular season when they defeated the Cavaliers 2-1 in Charlottesville while Duke hopes to reverse the fortune they suffered in College Park earlier this season when the Blue Devils fell 1-0 to Maryland.
All four matches will be broadcast live for the first time in ACC soccer history through the ACC Select internet streaming video site. Click on the link below for more information.
After losing in Durham to the Blue Devils on a Ted Odgers own goal, the Tar Heels managed to break their goal scoring streak that had run well over 400 minutes when Corey Ashe completed a brace and senior Ben Hunter added a third for good measure en route to a 3-1 win over Boston College. The victory over BC left the Tar Heels in 7th in the ACC, barely avoiding a first-day play-in match against cross-town rivals NC State. But if avoiding the play-in game was the good news, the bad news was that the Tar Heels drew the #1 ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the first round of the ACC Tournament. After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Deacons bested UNC on penalties, 5-4 in 6 rounds.
Zack Schilawski stepped up to the penalty spot in Germantown, Maryland and stared down goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty. The duel was one that Schilawaski and Haggerty had doubtlessly rehearsed hundreds of times over the last 4 years at Cary High School, but this time the stakes were bigger than ever before. The freshman Schilawaski, taking Wake Forests' sixth round penalty after the Deacons and the Tar Heels had battled through 110 scoreless minutes of soccer, bested his former prep teammate and put Wake Forest through to the ACC semifinals 5-4 on penalties. Haggerty, also a freshman, had just replaced Justin Hughes for UNC for the penalty shootout and managed to stop 1 of the Deacons' previous 5 attempts.
Wake Forest will advance to play the winner of today’s Clemson-Virginia match (5:30 p.m. Friday). The match is officially recorded as a tie, meaning Carolina is now 11-5-3, while Wake Forest is 15-2-2.
The elder Wellman brings over 30 years of management and marketing experience and an extensive familiarity with the Triangle area business scene to the RailHawks organization.
Wellman came to North Carolina as the corporate site executive for Cisco’s Research Triangle Park Development Center. He also served on the UNC-Chapel Hill’s Board of Visitors and N.C. State University College of Management’s Advisory Board.
As the team’s new assistant general manager, Brian Wellman will help head coach Scott Schweitzer and president and general manager Chris Economides build the RailHawks’ inaugural roster. Wellman comes to Cary from Strictly Soccer FC, where he was a youth head coach and trainer. He will also serve as the team’s liaison with the Triangle area’s youth soccer organizations, overseeing the club’s youth soccer camps and clinics.
Triangle Soccer Fanatics is an independent supporters club of the Carolina RailHawks.We invite you to join us in the 204 Depot -- Section 204 of WakeMed Soccer Park -- to cheer on our team.Club membership is $25 per season and includes many great discounts and freebies as well as complimentary membership in The American Outlaws.Learn more or join now!
