Georgia High School Championships

The Parkview Panthers won their third consecutive Class AAAAA girls state championship in a penalty kick shootout, and Collins Hill HS won the AAAAA boys title 1-0 over Centennial.

Marist and St. Pius X swept the boys and girls Class AAAA and Class AAA state championships, while the Walker School girls successfully defended their Class AA/A title.

Greater Atlanta Christian won its second Class AA/A boys championship with a 4-1 win over Westminster in a showdown between the state’s co-#1 teams in that classification.

Parkview Perfect On PKs

The Panthers and Harrison played to a 1-1 draw through overtime, forcing the game to be decided on kicks. Parkview took nine kicks, and made every one of them. Harrison took nine kicks and Panthers’ senior goalkeeper Chelsea Ramsey got her hands on the last one and the game was over.

Top-ranked Parkview finished the year 23-1-0, with the only loss being to South Carolina’s Irmo HS. Harrison, ranked #2, finished 20-2-1. The championship was the third straight for the Panthers, and fifth this decade. They now have a 49-game unbeaten streak against Georgia opponents dating back to April of 2007.

Harrison, with nine juniors and no seniors, will be strong again next year.
“We were fighting a heavyweight, two-time defending state champion and they were going to defend their title,” said Harrison coach Steve Riccard. “We took them 90 minutes, 9-8 in PKS, so that’s nothing to hang your head about.”

Win One For The Coach

The Collins Hill Eagles gave their coach, Stan Carpenter, the best going away present he could have had. Junior Malcolm Miller got the game’s only goal late in the first half.

The win was a bittersweet sendoff for Carpenter, who leaves for Mountain View next fall, along with assistant coach Jim Gassman. The Eagles finished the season 19-3-0. They allowed only one goal in the playoffs.

Centennial, which had scored 18 goals in four games coming into the final, finished 18-3.

A Nightmare For McIntosh

McIntosh came into the championship game unbeaten and ranked #1 nationally in the NSCAA spring prep poll. They were favored in the boys Class AAAA final, but Marist shattered the dream with a 2-1 upset.

Taylor Withorn gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead as he got on the end of a long throw-in in the final minute of the first half. McIntosh tied it in the second minute of the second half. The game winner was the result of another long throw-in, this time with William Raffety on the scoring end midway through the second half.

The game marked the Eagles’ third trip to the state finals, and their second state title (2006 and 2009).

In the playoffs Marist (15-7-0) beat #9 ranked Alexander, #6 ranked Lakeside Evans, #3 ranked Habersham Central, #2 ranked Lakeside DeKalb (also ranked #9 nationally), and then knocked off #1 McIntosh (22-1-0). The Eagles only allowed one goal in the playoffs, that coming in the final.

“The boys will never forget it,” said coach Brendan Murphy. “It was a story for the ages. The best soccer experience I’ve ever had and I’ve been around it all my life!”

Seven Goals In The Final

Marist captured the Class AAAA girls state title with a 4-3 win over Whitewater. Senior Mary Coffed, who is headed to Auburn in the fall, was a dominant force in her last game as a Marist Eagle.

She, along with Laura Eddy, Shannon Fitzpatrick, and Belen Diego shared the goalscoring honors as Marist finished the season 21-1-0 with their second straight state title. Whitewater finished the year 19-2-1.
7th State Title For St. Pius X Boys

It didn’t take long for St. Pius X (16-6-1) to break through a West Hall HS defense that had given up a goal since March 23. Less than two minutes into the game, Golden Lions forward Stephen McGill took a corner kick from Andy Leipold and headed it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

The final would be 3-0 with McGill and Zach Elstad getting the other goals. The win gave the Golden Lions a 16-6-1 record and their first state boys title since 2001. They got to the title game by knocking off top-ranked Carrolton 1-0 in the semifinal on a goal from McGill.

“I’m proud of what we did,” said West Hall coach Wolfgang Jager, whose team finished 18-4-0. “Being in the state championship game for the first time, that was a mental burden and it came out in the way we played. But I’m still proud of them.”

St. Pius Girls Nationally Ranked

The Golden Lions were the Golden Girls as they shutout the North Hall Trojans 3-0 for the Class AAA state title.

Senior Erin Hill got the opening goal, with senior Christine Christy getting #2. Junior Vronica Ramero finished the scoring late in the second half.
St. Pius ran the table for a 22-0-0 record and is ranked #1 nationally in the NSCAA’s May 12 girls spring poll. North Hall finished 17-4-0.

Hat Trick Drives GAC Victory

Chris Thomas scored three goals in his final game in a Greater Atlanta Christian uniform, as the Spartans won their second state title in four years with a 4-1 win over Westminster.

GAC (20-2-0) got off to a shaky start, falling behind eight minutes into the game on a goal by Robby Greenfield. Then Thomas went to work, and the Spartans defense and goalkeeper John Max Bolling (nine saves) shut down the Wildcats the rest of the way. Westminster was 16-4-2 on the season.

Two Straight For Walker Girls

Two second-half goals by Nicole Locandro were all that Walker needed. That and a stout defense as the Lady Wolverines blanked rival Lovett 2-0 for the Class AA/A girls state title.

It was the second straight state title for the Walker girls, and third overall.
Locandro extended her career single season goal scoring record to 33 with the two goals, and freshman Alyse Scott put up her 15th shutout of the season. She allowed only one goal in the playoffs.

Walker finished 18-3-0, while Lovett was 15-8-0.

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Blackhawks Take Flight In Atlanta

FC Atlanta Blackhawks have announced the launch of a United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL) franchise for the 2009 season. The Blackhawks will begin league play in May.

“With the number of quality college players coming out of the state of Georgia every year, a PDL team is a necessary part of the soccer landscape in this state. Our team will be a preview of the type of teams that they could put together if schools like UGA or Georgia Tech offered men’s NCAA Division I soccer,” stated Massoud Roushandel, Head Coach and Executive Director of the Blackhawks.

No stranger to the PDL, Roushandel is the current Executive Director of FC Atlanta youth soccer club and was the head coach of the PDL’s Augusta Fireballs in 2005 and assistant coach in 2006. In their first official season, Roushandel helped lead the team into the playoffs with a roster that included a majority of the players from his 2002 USYSA National Champion Atlanta Fire youth team. The Augusta Fireballs ceased operation after the 2006 season due to the difficulty of attracting Atlanta-based players who would need to commute to Augusta.

“The city of Augusta was great and the fan support was tremendous, but it was really difficult having to travel five hours round trip to play.”

The Blackhawks will unveil their new website and logo, as well as their home venue, in the coming weeks. The website will announce tryout dates along with other news and information including information on their reserve team/college prep program, summer camps, sponsorship opportunities, ticket sales, etc.

The team will compete in the Southeast division of the PDL along with the Baton Rouge Capitols, the Bradenton Academics, the Central Florida Kraze, the Mississippi Brilla, the Nashville Metros, the New Orleans Jesters and the Panama City Pirates.

Roushandel also states, “Without a current professional team in Atlanta, we hope to fill a void for the soccer enthusiasts that are looking for some good quality, entertaining men’s soccer during the summer months. The team will be a who’s who of top college players from throughout the Southeast along with several foreign players and ex-professionals. For all of the area youth players that aspire to play college soccer, watching PDL games will give them a good idea of what it takes to be an impact player at the collegiate level”

Single game tickets to Blackhawks games will cost $5 for adults and youth 4 and above. All others including senior citizens (65+) will be admitted for free. In addition, the Blackhawks will offer season tickets for $25 which will be good for all 8 home games. Season tickets can be ordered immediately by calling the FC Atlanta Blackhawks office at 404-372-8700 or by e-mailing Massoud Roushandel at massoud@fcatlanta.org.

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Silverbacks Women Re-sign Four

The Silverbacks Women signed four key players from the 2007 season that saw the women advance to the W-League final. The signings are the first for the 2008 squad. Returning are forward Sarah Steinmann, midfielders Tara Minnax and Melanie Schneider, and defender Monica Buff.

“Last year was a crucial building year for our program,” said Silverbacks W-League executive director Laura Fedrigo. “We saw where we need to improve in order to bring home the W-league title. Sarah, Tara, Mel and Monica have been with the team from the beginning and will be key in helping us reach that next level.”

Steinman’s 19 career goals in three years with the Silverbacks is a club best. She finished second in scoring in 2007 with six goals in eight appearances—one goal behind leading scorer Christine Lanham. In 2006 Steinman led the Silverbacks in scoring with eight goals and two assists in 13 appearances. She tallied five goals and one assist her rookie season (2005) after a four year career at Auburn University (2001-2005) where she was the SEC coaches selection for Player of the Year in 2002 and garnered All-SEC First Team honors in 2003.

Minnax leads the Silverbacks in appearances with 38 in three years with the club. In 2007 she featured 11 times, netting two goals. In 2006 she made 13 appearances, and 14 in 2005, tallying one goal and one assist. Prior to joining the Silverbacks Minnax played for the WUSL Atlanta Beat in the 2003 season and 2004 festivals. Minnax played collegiate soccer at the University of Tennessee from 1998 to 2002, winning the SEC Championship her senior year.

Schneider returns for her third year with the Silverbacks. In 2007 she featured in six games, tallying one goal, joining to the Silverbacks midseason after playing for the Swedish professional side FFC Brauweiler. In 2006 Schneider appeared in all 14 games for the Silverbacks recording two goals and two assists. In 2005 she appeared 12 times, adding one goal and one assist. Schneider was a four-year starter at Wake Forest from 2002 to 2005, earning NCAA All-Region honors in 2005.

Buff tallied once for the Silverbacks in 14 appearances for the Silverbacks in 2007. She is tied with Steinman for second in career appearances with 33 in her three years with the club. In 2006 she netted one goal in 12 appearances, and featured 14 times for the Silverbacks her rookie year after captaining her Vanderbilt University (2003-2006) her senior year.

The Silverbacks will continue to build the roster up until preseason begins on April 15. The annual player combine is being held March 28 and 29. Per NCAA regulations, a separate combine will be held for underclassmen on or after May 1. Details for the second combine have not been finalized.

The Silverbacks Women kick off the 2008 season against the Hampton Roads Piranhas May 10 at Silverbacks Park.

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Silverbacks Re-sign Three Players

The Atlanta Silverbacks have signed defender David Hayes, midfielder Macoumba Kandji, and goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh to contract extensions.

“We are excited to be able reward these three players for their commitment to the club,” said head coach Jason Smith. “They will all play important roles as we continue to build a championship team.”

Hayes, 31, signed a contract extension keeping the 2007 All-League and USL-1 Defender of the Year selection with the club through the 2010 season. Last season Hayes made 34 appearances in all competitions, netting seven goals and five assists, earning him USL-1 Team of the Week honors four times.

In 2006 Hayes appeared 27 times for the Silverbacks, scoring twice and adding four assists. Hayes featured 28 times for the Silverbacks in 2005, providing three goals and four assists, earning USL-1 Team of the Week honors twice. In 2004 Hayes made 26 appearances for the Richmond Kickers, where he also played the 2002 season, before moving to the Rochester Raging Rhinos for the 2003 season. Hayes played with the Milwaukee Rampage in 2001 after a three-year stint in MLS, with Chicago in 2001, and DC United. He was drafted out of Wingate University by United in the third round (28th overall) of the 1999 MLS SuperDraft.

Kandji, 23, also signed a three-year extension, keeping the midfielder in the fold through 2010. Kandji made his professional debut on August 4 against Charleston. In 12 appearances he netted two goals, and was once named to the USL-1 Team of the Week. Kandji is a product of the Silverbacks U23 PDL side.

McIntosh’s contract extension will keep him with the club through the 2009 season. Last season was the 24-year-old goalkeeper’s first with the Silverbacks and second as a professional. He won the starting spot midway through the season, making a total of 23 appearances with a goal against average of 0.913 in all competitions with nine clean sheets. McIntosh began his professional career in MLS with D.C. United, where he featured in seven reserve games.

Hudson, Liendo released, Smith signs with Wilmington, Millwood on the market

The Silverbacks parted ways with defender Alvin Hudson, defender Luis Liendo, midfielder Josh Smith, and forward Machel Millwood.

Hudson and Liendo were released. Smith, who missed all of 2007 due to injury, was not resigned by the Silverbacks and signed with USL-2 Wilmington Hammerheads. Millwood opted not to re-sign with the club and is pursuing other options.

Hudson made nine appearances for the Silverbacks in 2007, his only season with the club. He played for the Minnesota Thunder in 2003 and the Milwaukee Rampage in 2002, and was a member of the Canadian Under-20 and Under-17 National teams.

Liendo featured 27 times for the Silverbacks in his only season with the club, producing three assists. He joined the Silverbacks from Serie C side Novara Calcio, where he spent three of his six seasons in Serie C. Capped 13 times for the Bolivian National Team, he played for Bolivar and The Strongest in the Bolivian First Division from 1998-2001. He began his professional career in Argentina in 1996 in the Boca Junior system.

Smith did not feature for the Silverback in 2007 due to a torn ACL. In 2006 he appeared 25 times, scoring twice and adding one assist, and was named to the USL Team of the Week twice. Smith made his professional debut for the Charleston Battery in 2004, and appeared 32 times in two seasons with the Battery. Smith signed with the USL-2 Wilmington Hammerheads for the 2008 season.

Millwood joined the Silverbacks midway through the 2005 season, making a total of 49 appearances for the club. In 2006 he netted a team-best six goals in 21 appearances. In 2005 he featured 10 times. Millwood came to Atlanta from the Syracuse Salty Dogs, where he played in 45 games in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, tallying 12 goals and six assists.

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Silverbacks Sign Local Standout

The Atlanta Silverbacks have signed Justin Moore, a Lilburn, Ga. native and former U-16 U.S. National Team member will for the 2007 season. Moore, 6-0, 175, comes to the Silverbacks after spending one season with FC Dallas in the MLS.

“I’ve watched Justin develop as a soccer player since the first time I met him when he was four years old, up through his time at Clemson and FC Dallas. He’s a very composed and knowledgeable player; I look forward to working with him and hopefully he’ll be able to make an immediate impact,” said Head Coach Jason Smith.

The 23-year-old Moore began his professional soccer career in 2006 after being selected in the second round, 15th overall, in the MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. Moore played in two games for FC Dallas, recording 159 minutes during the 2006 season. Prior to being drafted, Moore spent four seasons in the starting line-up at Clemson University (2002-2005).

During his time with the Tigers, Moore was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team (2005), the All-ACC second-team (2004), and the ACC Honor Roll (2004). In addition to playing for the U-16 U.S. National Team, Moore went on to become a member of the U-18 and U-20 National Team pools.

A graduate of soccer powerhouse Parkview High School in Lilburn, Moore led the Panthers to the Georgia state championship match in 2000 and 2001; his team took home the title in 2001. He was named the 2002 Georgia Player of the Year in addition to being named to the All-County and All-State teams.

“Returning home and playing in Atlanta gives me a great opportunity all around. I’ll be able to continue to develop my skills while playing in front of friends and family. I’m looking forward to working with the great team Coach Smith has put together and working towards winning a championship,” offered Moore.

Moore and the Silverbacks began preseason on Monday, March 19. The team will have their season opener on April 21 against the Montreal Impact at RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium.

The Silverbacks also agreed to terms with forward Mauricio Salles. The agreement releases Salles from his contract with the Atlanta Silverbacks – a contract that was obtained by the Silverbacks in a trade with the Montreal Impact.

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Marshall Leonard’s Season Over

Georgia native Marshall Leonard saw his fifth professional season in Major League Soccer come to an end when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his left leg on April 24. He was officially played on the league’s season-ending injury list on May 24.

Marshall, who was a high school All-America at Shaw High School, also earned collegiate All-America honors at the University of Virginia before being selected in the fourth round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft by the New England Revolution.

Last season he was a regular starter for the Revs on the left side of midfield, and scored his first MLS career goal last year against D.C. United.

Leonard was injured on April 24 in a scrimmage at the Gillette Stadium practice fiels against Boston College. Team physician Bertram Zsarins, M.D., performed the surgery. Leonard’s expected recovery and rehabilitation period is expected to be six months.

By placing Leonard on the season-ending injury list, the Revolution is now allowed to sign another player to fill his spot on the 18-player senior roster.

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Georgia Perimeter Wins National JUCO Title

It was a heart-and-soul effort for the Georgia Perimeter College men’s soccer team that shocked five-time champion Yavapai College of Arizona, 3-1, to capture the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I men’s soccer national championship in Tyler, Texas.

Hernando Quintero, Ricardo Cardoso and Heyden Ayure scored first-half goals to lead the Jaguars to GPC’s first national title since 2001.
“With three wins over top-ranked opponents, it says a lot about our team,” head coach Marc Zagara said. “It was a really strong team effort. There were a few teams with maybe a few better starters, but our 12 through 16 spots were better than anybody and they really made a huge difference for us."

This is the first national championship for Zagara, who is the longest-tenured coach at Georgia Perimeter. The victory also represents the first national title for GPC in any sport other than tennis.

Dan Low put Yavapai on the scoreboard first with an early goal at the 4:45 minute mark. But Quintero and Cardoso added two goals for the Jaguars with assists from Ayure and Chris Deno.

Ayure put the game away for the Jaguars with a header off a kick from all-tournament selection Jamarr Miller for two-point advantage, 3-1, with one minute remaining to end the first half. Georgia Perimeter held the lead, with neither team scoring in the second half, to claim the championship. Goalkeeper Aaron Ingham recorded seven saves in the game for the Jaguars.

"I'm really proud of this group," Zagara said. "Our guys just wouldn't give up."

In the semifinals, a rematch of last year’s national championship game, the Jaguars knocked off defending champion and top seeded Mercer County Community College (19-1-1) in a 3-2 double overtime semifinal thriller. Alberto Chamarro scored the game-winning goal with a shot into the top corner of the net on an assist by Cardoso. Cardoso also scored one goal with an assist from Luis Campo and Christian Vallejos added a goal on a pass from Abigani Abdulahi.

In Thursday’s first-round match, Georgia Perimeter struck for two goals in the first nine minutes. Eduardo Rosas, Justin Williams and Vallejos each scored for the Jaguars on assists by Abdifatah Hassan, Ayure and Cardoso.

Cardoso, the tournament's most valuable player, was also named to the
All-Tournament team along with Campo and Miller. Zagara was named Coach of the Tournament. The Jaguars finished the season 20-2-1.

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Silverbacks Split Two In Virginia

The Atlanta Silverbacks opened their 2005 USL First Division season with a split of games on a two-game road trip to Virginia.

After dropping a 3-1 decision to the Richmond Kickers, the Silverbacks picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 shutout of the Virginia Beach Mariners.

The Kickers scored first on a goal by Kevin Jeffrey in Richmond’s victory, finishing a rebound of a shot by Joey Worthen in the first half. Atlanta tied the game two minutes later on a penalty kick by Rodrigo Rios.

The Kickers took the lead in the 71st minute on a goal by Matthew Delicate off a corner kick from Mike Burke. Delicate scored his second goal two minutes later for the final 3-1 score.

The Silverbacks, who had not beaten the Mariners in almost three years, broke open a scoreless game in the second half on a goal from Fabian Dawkins off a pass from midfielder Sergio Iniguez. Eight minutes later Dawkins made it 2-0.

Only 21 hours later, Atlanta traveled to Virginia Beach to face a Mariners squad they had not beaten in almost three years. Nonetheless, the gorillas showed no ill effects from the prior evening‚s 90-minute encounter, and battled to a scoreless first half against the locals.

The match was hard-fought and physical, with six cautions, nine substitutions, and injury stoppages that lead to an unusually large amount of added time, nine minutes.

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Miglarese Named New Covenant College Coach

Gardner-Webb assistant men‚s soccer coach John Miglarese has been hired as the new head coach at Covenant (Ga.) College.

Miglarese will assume duties immediately at Covenant, a small Presbyterian school located in Lookout Mountain, Ga. He will take over a Scots program that finished the 2004 season with a No. 19 national ranking, posting a 14-4-2 record and advancing to the NAIA Regional Semifinals.

“I’m excited and honored to be taking over the program at Covenant,” Miglarese said. “I’ve enjoyed my time at Gardner-Webb, and I’m sad to leave, but I’m very excited about this new opportunity.”

During his two-year tenure at Gardner-Webb, Miglarese served as goalkeeper coach and tutored one of the best keepers in GWU history in rising junior Tyler Kettering.

Miglarese graduated from Georgia Southern with a degree in sports management in 2000. A four-year player for the Eagles, Miglarese helped GSU to a #17 national ranking in 1997 and finished his career fifth on the school’s all-time saves list. The Charleston, S.C., native was an assistant at Georgia Southern from 2001-02, and earned his Master’s Degree in sports management there in 2002.

Prior to his coaching stint at Georgia Southern, Miglarese was the assistant coach and goalkeeper trainer for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Milligan (Tenn.) College.

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Georgia Perimeter Filling A Need

Times have certainly changed for Marc Zagara.

The longtime men's soccer coach at Georgia Perimeter College remembers Division III programs had more financial resources than he did when he started the GPC program in 1992.

Since then, though, Zagara has been able to find and to recruit better and better players to the Division I junior college in Clarkston, Ga.

Zagara also has benefited from a little luck. Since 1992, six of the school's 15 All-Americans have been walk-ons.

This past season was one of the program's best. GPC claimed its seventh state title in the past 11 years and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association title game, losing to Mercer County College (N.J.) 3-1. The loss ended a 22-2-1 season that saw GPC have three players named All-American, the most by any school.

GPC's achievements also garnered Zagara several individual awards, including South Region Division I men's Coach of the Year and NJCAA Division I National Coach of the Year.

"My philosophy at Georgia Perimeter has been not to get in the way of obvious success," said Zagara, a native of Pittsford, N.Y.

Zagara boasts a record of 174-65-5 in 13 seasons at GPC. The Jaguars defeated Darton College and Andrew College to win the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association Region XVII championship. They then beat St. Catharine College 5-0 to win the Southeast District championship and went on to upset top-ranked Yavapai College (Ariz.) in the first round of the national tournament and defeated Johnson County (Kansas) in the semifinals.

Buoyed by a roster that included 17 freshmen, GPC went 15-0-1 in the GJCAA. Two of those freshmen – forward Luis Campo and Ralph Rousseau – were named All-Americans.

Russo was named to the first team after he had a school-record 26 assists and finished 11th nationally in scoring with 64 points.

Rousseau earned honorable mention thanks to a 31-goal season (his 79 points were fourth nationally) that helped him break Josh Littleton's scoring record at the school.

Sophomore sweeper Sheldon Jardine rounded out the Jaguars' All-Americans.

Zagara said it has been "amazing" that he has had the good fortune to have so many talented players walk on to his team. The former men's and women's soccer and baseball coach at Community College of the Fingerlakes in Canadaigua, N.Y., attributes much of his success to GPC's location.

The school, which is the largest two-year institution in Georgia, has campuses in Alpharetta, Decatur, Lawrenceville, Rockdale, Dunwoody and Clarkston. He said he has been able to capitalize on the state's wealth of talent to build a solid program.

"In our first 10 years, we got a lot of kids who didn't have a lot of choices," Zagara said. "Fortunately for me, many of them were at a point in their lives that they wanted to make amends. We have been very good at giving second chances to kids who have the opportunity."

And as the program has had more and more success, word of mouth in and out of the state of Georgia has helped Zagara build his program. This past season, the team featured players who could trace their lineage to Columbia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Jamaica, among others.

"We look for the best kids. We don't care where they come from," Zagara said. "We're miles ahead of where we were in the past in identifying quality players and having inroads to get them."

For instance, Zagara said he already is recruiting Russo's cousins who live in the South Florida area.

GPC Athletic Director Greg Ward said Zagara's willingness to search for talented players is a primary reason the program has been so successful.
"He is a very hard worker," Ward said. "He works year-round and he gives up his own time to go recruiting."

Ward estimates the men's soccer program's budget has tripled in the past three to four years. He said the increased funding has helped the team continue to grow, but it would not be possible without Zagara.

"He has made a commitment to having a very good team, to being a very good coach and to having a successful program," Ward said.

Zagara, though, hesitates to take much of the credit. He prefers to consider himself a "keeper of the gate," and he said he hasn't changed much as a coach since he spent seven years at Community College of the Fingerlakes. He said his men's soccer teams at GPC have been significantly more talented, and he credits the assistant coaches he has had over the years (Ron Moore and Jerome Samuels were assistants this past year) and his players for helping to build a winning tradition.

"In the past, many of our kids flew under the radar," Zagara said. "But I do a lot of hard work because I like it. It's the kids who have worked hard here. I work hard, but they work equally hard."

Zagara admits the nature of junior college athletics can be challenging. He said he anticipates 12 or 13 of the freshmen to return to the team next season. His job is more complex because he has to blend the variety of backgrounds into a cohesive unit.

But Zagara said the diversity of styles of play in his program is becoming less and less of an issue.

"It is a very difficult starting point, but one of the areas we have succeeded in is getting the players to buy into one game and one purpose," Zagara said. "We have gotten them to come together. Our ability to do that has gotten easier from players knowing from friends who have told them what it takes here."

Zagara said the challenge for 2005 would be not to have the team's success in 2004 go to the players' heads and make them overconfident.
However, Zagara feels the Jaguars will be able to regain their focus to make another run at a national title.

"This group of guys was so much better than anybody else we have had here. We were loaded," Zagara said. "We have a higher quality of player to begin with now. That makes it so much easier."

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Baker Moves From FSU To Georgia

Florida State head coach Patrick Baker has been named the new head coach of the women's soccer program at the University of Georgia, according to an announcement Wednesday by UGA Athletics Director Damon Evans.

Baker, the third head coach at Georgia since the program's inception in 1995, comes to Athens with impressive credentials as he amassed an 80-46-11 overall record in six seasons at Florida State. He also led the Seminoles to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Baker was named the Soccer America National Coach of the Year in 2003 as he guided Florida State to a 17-8-1 record and a trip to the NCAA College Cup.

"We are very excited to have someone of Patrick Baker's experience join our coaching staff," said Evans. "He has enjoyed success at every level in which he has competed and coached. We believe he will lead our program to new heights."

"I am honored that Damon and Craig (White, Associate Athletic Director) feel that I am someone who can lead this program," said Baker. "I feel like there is a lot of potential. I was impressed throughout the interview process with what Georgia offers to the student-athletes, not only on the field, but off the field as well. I think this is an exciting time in the program, and I am proud to be a part of it."

The Seminoles went 12-5-3 in 2004, including a 1-0 win against Georgia in Tallahassee. Under Baker, the Florida State program has finished in the top 20 of the national rankings, including a top-5 showing in 2003. The Seminoles reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2000 and 2002, and they have registered 18 wins against ranked teams in the last six years.

Competing in arguably the toughest women's soccer conference in the country, Baker's team finished in the top three of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings three of the last four years and reached the ACC Tournament Championship in 2001 and 2003.

Baker has coached all four of the highest scoring teams in Florida State history. His Seminole squads hold records for wins, winning percentage, best ACC winning percentage, most ACC wins, most goals scored and fewest goals allowed.

Prior to his time at Florida State, Baker compiled a 42-37-5 record in five seasons at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He led the Quakers to the 1997 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship and was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. Baker enjoyed a successful five-year stint at North Carolina Wesleyan, where he led the team to three Division III NCAA Tournaments and was named the National Soccer Coaches of America (NSCAA) Division III South Region Coach of the Year.

Baker received his Bachelor of Arts from Otterbein College in 1989 as a double major in Radio & Television Broadcasting and Journalism with a minor in Public Relations. He graduated with a 3.67 GPA and was a four-year starter for the men's soccer team. He was named team captain as a junior and senior. Baker was a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) All-Academic Team from 1986- 89, was a first team All-Conference selection in 1989 and played on three OAC Championship squads. He played soccer for 11 years in England and Germany while his father was stationed overseas with the U.S. Air Force.

Baker is married to Kelly Sack-Baker, and the couple has two children, Emma Louise, 3, and Ryan Patrick, 1.

Baker inherits a Bulldog team that went 4-9-5 in 2004 under Sue Patberg, who resigned her position Nov. 1. Georgia failed to reach the SEC Tournament for the first time since 1998 and registered just two wins in conference play.

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Georgia's Sue Patberg Resigns

University of Georgia soccer coach Sue Patberg has resigned her position after five years heading up the Bulldog program according to an announcement Monday by UGA Director of Athletics Damon Evans.

Patberg amassed an overall record of 49-45-9 and a 21-22-4 mark against Southeastern Conference competition during her five seasons in Athens. Including seven years at Minnesota, Patberg owns a 146-87-18 record as a head coach.

In 2004 the Bulldogs posted a 4-9-5 overall record, including a 2-6-3 mark in the SEC. For the first time under Patberg, Georgia failed to reach the SEC Tournament, as only the top eight teams earn a berth in the annual event. Georgia finished ninth in the SEC standings this year. The Bulldogs were not in the field at both the 1995 and 1998 SEC Tournaments under then-coach Bill Barker.

During her time on the Georgia sideline, the team had two 13-win seasons, reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament on two occasions (2001 and 2003) and advanced to the championship match of the 2000 SEC Tournament, which was played in Athens. The program earned both its 75th and 100th victory under Patberg.

In addition to team success, several Bulldogs earned individual honors during Patberg's tenure. Last season former Bulldog Jessica Winton broke the Georgia single-season mark for points in a season with 39 and became the first Bulldog ever to lead the SEC in goals (16) and points. Senior Ashley Lindley was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for soccer in 2003.

Under Patberg, five Bulldogs earned NSCAA/adidas All-Region honors, including Andrea Velasco, who was a three-time honoree. Nine student-athletes received All-SEC accolades and two earned Soccer Buzz Freshman All-Region distinction since Patberg's arrival in 2000.

"We wish Sue the very best in all her future endeavors," said Evans. "We will move forward with the process of identifying potential candidates and hiring a new coach."

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Serafy Named Mercer Women's Coach

Grant Serafy was introduced as the new head women’s soccer coach at
Mercer on Wednesday by athletics director Bobby Pope.

Since starting the women’s team in 1994, Serafy has guided Stratford to
a 153-14-4 record entering this season and has won eight straight Georgia
Independent School Association state titles.

“We are delighted to hire Grant as our new head women’s soccer coach,”
Pope said. “He has experienced unparalled success at Stratford Academy and we are confident that he will be successful at Mercer. He has the
reputation of being a tireless worker who motivates student-athletes to achieve their best.”

While at Stratford, he also coached the boys team for the past 16
seasons, leading Stratford to five state titles in the last eight year and
racking up an impressive 215-64-13 record.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to be a part of a fine
institution like Mercer,” Serafy said. “I will forever be grateful to Stratford
for giving me the opportunity to build a successful soccer program. I had
to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life in leaving such a
fine school as Stratford Academy. It has always been a goal of mine to move to the college ranks and when the opening came at Mercer in January, I was grateful that they were willing to consider me. The Mercer position allows me to stay in the Macon community, which I enjoy so much.”

A native of Atlanta, Ga., Serafy played on two state championship teams
at The Westminster Schools and then played at Hartwick College.

After receiving his master’s degree from Springfield College in
Massachusetts, Serafy established Stratford as one of the premier
soccer programs in Georgia. He guided Stratford to its first-ever national
ranking in girls soccer, coming in 17th in the UMBRO/NSCAA girls high school top 20 poll in 1996. His 2000 squad was ranked 25th in the Fab 50 rankings by Student Sports Magazine. His undefeated 2002 team was ranked 17th in the same poll with his 2003 team coming in 34th.

He was selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
Coach of the Year for secondary schools in Georgia in 2000 and 2002. He was selected the Macon Telegraph Middle Georgia Coach of the Year in 1990-91, 1995-96, 1996-97, Telegraph Boys' Coach of the Year in 1997-98 and 1998-99, and Telegraph Girls' Coach of the Year in 2000-01 and 2001-02 and 2002-03. He has also been honored as the GISA Girls' Coach of the Year in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002 and the GISA Boys' Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2002.

Serafy hold an “A” license from the United State Soccer Federation and
a Premier Diploma from the NSCAA, the two highest forms of coaching
credentials in the country. He has been a staff coach for the Georgia
State Soccer Association and a coach for the Georgia Olympic Development Program.

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SILVERBACKS SIGN ALEX PINEDA-CHACÓN

Former Honduran International and MLS scoring leader joins Atlanta

In a dramatic move the Atlanta Silverbacks announced today the signing of star attacking midfielder Alex Pineda-Chacón to a two year contract.

One of the all-time greats in Honduran soccer, Pineda-Chacón played for legendary side Olimpia from 1988 until 2001, winning more championships that any other player in his country’s history. He scored more than 60 goals and added over 80 assists in league and cup play, including a Honduran league-leading 12 goals in his Most Valuable Player (MVP) season of 1993-94. Playing mostly as an attacking midfielder, he led Olimpia to ten league titles, five Central American championships and a CONCACAF Champions Cup title in 1988.

The 5’8” striker’s international career has also been stellar. A member of Honduran National Team for more than ten years, the veteran scored the winning goal in the 3-0 World Cup Qualifier against Nicaragua March 4, 2000. He also scored in the 1994 World Cup Qualifier against Canada and was the MVP of both the 1993 Gold Cup in Dallas and the 1996 edition in Los Angeles.

Pineda-Chacón came to the United States in 2001, where he has been a star in Major League Soccer (MLS), playing with the Miami Fusion, New England Revolution, Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew. He was the MLS MVP and scoring champion in 2001, scoring 20 goals in 31 games with Miami.

Atlanta Silverbacks Head Coach David Vaudreuil said of the club’s newest acquisition: “We’re extremely pleased to have signed Alex. The level of play and professionalism he has shown on and off the field will be an important example for our team this year as we look to improve on our record and set a very high standard for the season and the playoffs.”

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Mott Named Assistant Coach of the Year

Auburn soccer assistant head coach Matthew Mott has been named as an AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year for his contributions to the Tiger soccer program. Making the selections, which included high school and collegiate coaches was Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director magazine.

Mott has served as assistant head coach at Auburn for four seasons and has served under AU head coach Karen Hoppa for eight seasons. Coming to the Plains, Mott aided Hoppa in leading the squad from a last-place finish in the Southeastern Conference their first season, to SEC Champions in 2002.

"I am thrilled that AFLAC has honored Coach Mott in this way," Hoppa said. "Matt has been an instrumental part of our run from last in the SEC to SEC Champs and this prestigious award speaks volumes for what he has done for the program. He has done an outstanding job for us as our recruiting coordinator and continues to motivate as an on-field coach."

While Hoppa was away from Auburn serving as an assistant with the U.S. National team, Mott served in the capacity of head coach for the first two games of the 2002 season claiming wins over then No. 17 West Virginia (2-0) and Evansville (3-1).

"It is an honor to be recognized by AFLAC as a National Assistant Coach of the Year," Mott said. "It is certainly a team effort with Karen (Hoppa) and assistant Heather Welker. I am excited that our team's success is represented with an award like this. I appreciate AFLAC and the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director magazine for recognizing assistant coaches and the part they play."

Auburn finished the 2002 season with a school-best 15-5-2 record on the year and won the Tigers' first SEC title. The team also played to a second round NCAA Tournament appearance, which is also a first for Auburn.

The award is based on a coaches longevity, expertise, contributions to the school and community and special achievements throughout their careers. Nominations were made in their favor by head coaches, athletic administrators, past and current student-athletes, fans and Board members. The winners were selected from a field of more than 350,000 assistant coaches across the country.

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