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Chelsea Signs CASL Partnership Chelsea Football Club has announced the start of an unprecedented initiative to partner with America’s top youth football clubs. Chelsea is beginning to build a network of top youth clubs across America to develop Chelsea Soccer Schools, a new tournament called the Chelsea Sevens, coaching clinics and exchange programs. The first of these relationships is with the Raleigh, NC, based Capital Area Soccer League. The first time meeting between Chelsea FC and CASL came last December at Disney World, in the ‘91 boys championship game at the Disney Soccer Showcase. The CASL Elite ‘91 rallied from 1-0 down to win the game 2-1, so in a sense, as the old saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. “Our new Chelsea youth super club network is the latest of many strategic projects Chelsea have in the U.S., said Chelsea FC CEO Peter Kenyon. “They are all designed to assist the growth and development of U.S. soccer at the grass roots, as well as the top level. The youth movement in the United States is a massive part of that. “CASL is clearly one of the leading American youth football clubs and I am delighted they are the first to become part of this project.” Individual Chelsea first team players are likely to serve as special ambassadors to each youth club in the program, along with Chelsea Ladies midfielder and former U.S. WNT World Cup champion Lorrie Fair. Fair, who played collegiate soccer at UNC Chapel Hill, is currently playing professional soccer with the Chelsea Ladies. “We will be working with them (CASL) to support player coaching and development, and this will be beneficial for both organizations,” continued Kenyon. “In addition to our new partnership with CASL, and continued support from key partners like adidas and Disney, Chelsea’s work should positively impact youth soccer and the wider game in the U.S. This holistic approach is central to Chelsea’s philosophy as a club and a business.” The partnership will have an almost immediate impact. CASL will host three Chelsea Soccer Schools in late June, featuring courses from Fair and Chelsea Academy coaches. CASL will also host the inaugural Chelsea Sevens tournament, a 7 vs. 7 tournament for U10-U18 boys and girls at the WRAL Soccer Center. “From their young Academy players to the first team super stars, Chelsea are one of the elite clubs in international soccer,” said CASL CEO Charlie Slagle. “For them to devote time, resources and energy to our young players and dedicated coaching staff truly shows their commitment to the game here in the U.S. “We work very hard to be one of the top full-service clubs in the country and to be selected to form an affiliation with a club of Chelsea’s standard is very gratifying to understand what we are doing is having an impact beyond our local community.” Chelsea FC is one of Europe’s premier soccer clubs, finishing #2 in the English Premier League standings. The club traces it’s history to 1950. CASL has approximately 9,000 registered youth soccer players, making up nearly 800 teams, and totalling 20,000 players, coaches, officials, parents, volunteers, etc. The 2008 CASL Shootout and Showcase tournaments in November and December will be presented by Chelsea FC. These tournaments bring over 1,000 youth teams to Raleigh and have a regional annual economic impact of nearly $9 million dollars. “Chelsea are already providing us with an insider’s look at their coaching philosophy and training techniques,” said CASL Director of Coaching Jay Howell. “When we are dealing with young, elite players -- both boys and girls -- we have to expose them to higher levels of training and new approaches. Chelsea clearly have a genuine interest in the game and player development because they are working with players from all over the world and yet the U.S. is an untapped market.” Top of PageThe Carolina RailHawks and the New York Red Bulls of the MLS have announced that they will meet in a friendly match at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Friday, March 28th at 7:30 PM. This match is part of both teams’ preseason schedule and will be the last match for the New York team before their season debut on April 5th. Fans can expect to take a glimpse of such stars as Dema Kovalenko, Claudio Reyna and Juan Pablo Angel. “It’s a great opportunity to have this kind of competition during our preseason,” said Carolina RailHawks Head Coach Scott Schweitzer. “It will be great for our fans to be able to see Claudio Reyna, a former U.S. National Team captain, measure up against our players on our home field.” The Carolina RailHawks are planning other matches in preparation for their sophomore USL-1 2008 season and details will be announced as they become available. They will open their season on the road on Friday, April 19th, against the Atlanta Silverbacks and will return to WakeMed Soccer Park for their home opener on Saturday, April 26th, when they host the Charleston Battery. Top of PageAppalachian State Hires Shaun Pendleton Appalachian State University has hired Shaun Pendleton, NCAA Division II’s all-time winningest men’s soccer coach, as the 10th men’s soccer head coach in school history, The Sheffield, England native has compiled a 320-53-13 record in 19 seasons as a head coach, including two years at the University of Charleston (W. Va.) and the past 17 campaigns at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. His .846 career winning percentage ranked tops all-time among NCAA Division II coaches. At Lynn, Pendleton compiled a 293-42-12 overall record and led the Fighting Knights to a pair of national championships — with a 22-0-2 record at the NAIA level in 1991, his first season at the helm, and at the NCAA D-II level in 2003, when Lynn capped an undefeated 22-0-1 season with a 2-1 victory over Chico State in the national title game. Since Lynn joined the NCAA in 1996, Pendleton took the Knights to the postseason in 9-of-12 seasons and reached the national semifinals four times. Overall, he directed the Knights to the postseason play in 14 of his 17 years at the helm, where he put together a 38-12-1 record (.755). Under his tutelage, 46 LU players earned all-America status and, perhaps even more impressively, 23 garnered all-America Scholar recognition. As a player, Pendleton was a two-time all-America defender at the University of Akron in 1984 and ‘85. He also earned academic all-America plaudits in 1985 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education from Akron that same year. He was inducted into UA’s athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. Following his collegiate playing career, Pendleton went on to play four seasons in the American Indoor Soccer Association with the Columbus Capitals and the Memphis Storm, where he set a league record by playing in 177-conscutive matches. “We’re excited to bring in someone of Coach Pendleton’s caliber to lead our men’s soccer program,” Cobb said. “He built a championship-level program at Lynn and we look forward to him doing the same here at Appalachian.” “It’s an honor to be the coach of a program with the winning tradition that Appalachian has,” Pendleton said. “I truly believe that the foundation is here to return the program to Southern Conference and national prominence. I look forward to getting to work to take the program to the next level.” Pendleton, 46, holds a USSF “A” license and a NSCAA advanced national diploma. He and his wife, Jody, have a dog, Sheffield. Top of PageWake Rallies To Win National Title It was a bloody Sunday battle, but after 90 minutes of action at the SAS Soccer Park the Wake Forest men's soccer team walked away with their first ever National Championship following a 2-1 win over Ohio State. Zack Schilawksi, who grew up five minutes from the 2007 College Cup site, scored the game-winning goal in the 74th minute by taking a cross from Marcus Tracy and firing the center shot from 10 yards out. Tracy had the tying goal in the 66th minute, finishing a run from sophomore Cody Arnoux. "It's an exciting moment," Wake Forest head coach Jay Vidovich said. "We've taken a lot of grief over the years about dying at the end of the season. To have Wake fans here and former players from my first year here is just an unbelievable feeling. It's very gratifying." The NCAA title is the eighth national championship for Wake Forest athletics. The university also holds three titles in field hockey (2002, 2003, 2004), three titles in men's golf (1986, 1975, 1974) and baseball (1955). For seniors Julian Valentin, Pat Phelan, Brian Edwards and Alimer Gonzales, the game also marks the end of their college careers. Everything seemed to come full circle with the guys, as Phelan, Gonzalez and Valentin's first collegiate game was against Ohio State in the 2004 season opener where Wake Forest took a 2-0 win in Columbus. It was then redshirt-freshman's Edward's first collegiate start. With the win, #2-seed Wake Forest finishes the year at 22-2-2, the most wins ever for a single season. The loss set the fifth-seeded Buckeyes at 17-4-5 for 2007. Though Wake Forest held an advantage in possession through the first half, the Buckeyes dominated the shot-ratio, taking 12 shots to WFU's three. In the 11th minute, Demon Deacon goalkeeper Brian Edwards, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player, blocked a close-range shot by Geoff Marsh and defender Lyle Adams cleared the net when OSU's Andrew Magill attempted to capitalize on the rebound. Wake Forest had barely caught its breath from the near miss when Roger Espinoza scored on OSU's next possession in the 13th minute. Espinoza grabbed a Buckeye shot that bounced off the post for his fourth goal of the year. "We came out fired up in the first half," OSU defender Eric Brunner said. "We respected Wake Forest as an opponent, but we definitely didn't fear them. When we got our first goal, we were real confident going into halftime that we could hold the shutout." And statistically speaking, Brunner's confidence in holding Wake Forest wasn't too far-fetched. Sunday's match marks the first time in 2007 that the Deacons have come back to win a match after trailing at the half. Other games where Deacons had a goal deficit going into the locker room include the 1-1 tie with Elon on October 2, their first season loss at Boston College on October 27 (1-0) and the 2-1 ACC Championship loss to Boston College on November 18. But the Deacs weren't about to raise the white flag at the half. Wake Forest held the Buckeyes shotless and fired nine missiles of their own. After making a couple of charges for the net, sophomore Cody Arnoux finally got the open look he'd been waiting for and flicked the ball to Tracy who was waiting in the center of the penalty box. The goal knotted the match in the 66th minute. The goal was Tracy's third of the 2007 College Cup. His incredible scoring efforts earned him the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player award. With the goal, the crowd of 8,172 became electric and continued to light up the field as the North Carolina sun was setting. The goal and the enthusiasm of the Deacon fans helped trigger a momentum shift that sent the Buckeyes scrambling to regain footing. A little over ten minutes later Zack Schilawski netted the game-winner after teaming up with Marcus Tracy. The 78th minute zinger was Schilawski's ninth goal of the season. "Marcus did the work and the ball bounced my way. I saw the keeper coming after it a little bit and I knocked it in," Schilawksi said. There were 37 fouls and six yellow cards issued during the 90 minutes, including four cards in the second half. The final caution was called on Espinonza, when his foot met defender Valentin in the face in the 81st minute. Valentin received 30 stitches for cuts on his cheek, forehead and nose. After the game, the bloodied Valentin was stretched out in the training room receiving the stitches while sporting a grin from ear to ear. "Yeah sure it hurts," Valentin said. "But you know, right now, I really don't care. We're national champions!" Top of PageAfter a scoreless first half at the semifinals of the 2007 College Cup, Wake Forest junior Marcus Tracy converted on a free kick by Sam Cronin in the 51st minute, scoring the game-winning goal and earning the Deacons a berth in Sunday’s championship game against Ohio State. The Buckeyes reached the championship game with a second-half goal for
a 1-0 win over the University of Massachusetts in the second semifinal
game at SAS Soccer Stadium in Cary, NC. Top of PageDuke Tops Indiana To Reach Quarters On a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind.,
the Duke women's soccer team did something only two other Blue Devil squads
have done before -- advanced to the NCAA College Cup Elite Eight -- as
Duke defeated Indiana, 2-0, at Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. Duke
improves to 10-5-7, while the Hoosiers concludes their season with a 13-7-3
record. The Blue Devils will next travel to South Bend, Ind., to face
Notre Dame on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m The 2007 Duke team joins only the 1992 and 1994 squads that advanced
to the NCAA Elite Eight. Church is in seventh year at Duke and will be
taking his first Blue Devil team to the Elite Eight. Duke got on the board at the 40:50 mark. Less than eight minutes after entering the match, sophomore KayAnne Gummersall headed in her first goal of the 2007. Gummersall, who is from Wilmette, Ill., has been bothered by an injured ankle for most of the season and has seen limited action so far in the NCAA College Cup. The 5-8 forward led Duke in scoring a year ago with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Sophomore Elizabeth Redmond made it 2-0 at 62:16. Duke goalkeeper Allison Lipshe posted her second consecutive shutout. The Blue Devils, who finished seventh in the ACC regular season, join Florida State as the only ACC teams remaining in the Division I playoffs. The Seminoles host the University of Connecticut in Tallahassee on Friday, Nov. 30. Top of PageNorth Carolina’s fourth-ranked women’s soccer
team suffered only its seventh NCAA Tournament loss in history Saturday
afternoon as it fell to No. 11 Notre Dame 3-2 before 2,202 fans at Fetzer
Field. Carolina saw its season end at 19-4-1 while Notre Dame advances
to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals next weekend by improving to 18-4-2. Top of Page2008 N.C. Soccer HOF Inductees GREENSBORO, N.C. (November 5, 2007) --- Mia Hamm, whose All-American career at the University of North Carolina catapulted her into international soccer stardom and then into life as one popular culture’s most recognizable figures, headlines the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2008. Hamm is joined by long-time college coach Gary Hall and referee administrator Paul James as the Hall of Fame’s latest inductees. Hamm, Hall and Davis will be inducted at the Hall of Fame’s annual banquet, Jan. 26, 2008 in Greensboro, N.C. MIA HAMM At age 15, she already had been the youngest player to ever play for the U.S. national team. In fact, she didn’t play for North Carolina in 1991, instead helping the U.S. to the World Cup title in China. Hamm’s international career lasted 17 seasons, where her U.S teams won another World Cup title in 1999 and two Olympic gold medals (1996 and 2004). She finished her international career with 158 goals, more than any player in history – male or female. After helping the U.S. to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, Hamm retired in 2004 and married Major League Baseball star Nomar Garciaparra. Hamm also was Soccer USA’s female athlete of the year five years in a row (1994-1998), MVP of the Women’s Cup in 1995 and the winner of three ESPY awards, including Soccer Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year. In 2004, she and teammate Michelle Akers were put on FIFA’s list of the 125 greatest living soccer players, the only two women and only two Americans to be named. In 1999, she founded the North Carolina-based Mia Hamm Foundation, which is dedicated to bone marrow research after her brother, Garrett, died of the disease in 1997. GARY HALL Hall, a native of Winston-Salem, played collegiate at Fayetteville’s Methodist College, then transferred to Barton College (then called Atlantic Christian). His first coaching job was at Wake Forest, where he was an assistant from 1980-83. In 1984, Hall went to Lenoir-Rhyne, which was reinstituting its soccer program. The Bears went 7-5-1 that first season. After three seasons in Hickory, Hall went to Campbell, where he stayed for two seasons before heading to his alma mater of Barton. He coached the Bulldogs for 18 seasons, finishing with 149 victories before retiring earlier this year to focus his sole attention on being the school’s athletics director. PAUL JAMES The induction of Hamm, Hall and James to the N.C. Soccer Hall of Fame will bring the number of inductees to 32. Information about the Induction Dinner can be found online at: www.ncsoccerhalloffame.com. Top of Page Roanoke College, champions of the Old Dominion Athletic
Conference, will host the USA South champion Pride of Greensboro College
in the first round of the NCAA Division III men’s national playoffs
on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Salem, VA. The winner advances to play Messiah on
Saturday. The ODAC championship win was the first for Roanoke over the Generals
since 2004, and left the Maroons 16-10-3 all-time vs. W&L. "We won all three games in the tournament by shut outs, which says a lot," said GC Head Coach Bill Brady. "Obviously we defended well but we created chance and converted. I'm extremely pleased with our effort and for our seniors," In the semifinals Greensboro beat previously unbeated N.C. Wesleyan,
which was ranked #2 in the Division III men’s national poll. Wesleyan
fell to 16-1-0. Methodist finished the season 12-7-1. Top of PageUNCG Picked To Repeat as Women’s So-Con Champs SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Reigning regular season and tournament
champions UNC Greensboro has been selected to repeat as Southern Conference
women’s soccer champions by the league’s 11 head coaches.
In addition, the coaches have selected 12 student-athletes to the preseason
all-conference team, including 10 players who earned all-conference accolades
in 2006. Top of PageDuke’s John Rennie Set To Retire DURHAM, N.C. - The 2007 season will mark the final campaign
for Duke head men’s soccer coach John Rennie announced
on Monday by the 35-year coaching veteran. “My decision to make the 2007 season my last at Duke was finalized over the last several weeks,” said Rennie. “I absolutely love my job. However, it is time to move onto a new chapter in my career. I am eternally grateful to Tom Butters and Duke University for giving me this incredible opportunity. My wife Kathy and I have truly cherished the chance to live in and raise our family in this wonderful environment of Durham and Duke. It has been an honor to work with and coach the kind of people this great university attracts. I am very much looking forward to what I anticipate will be an outstanding 2007 season for our team.” Duke Director of Athletics Joe Alleva has announced there will be a national search conducted to find the next head men’s soccer coach. That search will not begin until the 2007 men’s soccer season concludes. “John Rennie is one of the best coaches in college sports and has developed an elite soccer program at Duke,” said Alleva. “He is a Hall of Fame-caliber coach who will always be remembered for bringing Duke Athletics its first national championship in 1986. He has gained the ultimate respect of everyone here at Duke, including the long list of outstanding young men who have played for him and represented this school in a first-class manner. We’re looking forward to an outstanding season in Coach Rennie’s final year in 2007. It has been a pleasure for me to work with him and develop such strong professional and personal relationships with him. He will be sorely missed.” Rennie has emerged as one of the winningest soccer coaches in the history of men’s soccer. He ranks third among active coaches with 443 career wins, 399 of which have come at Duke. He is also one of the winningest coaches all-time in the NCAA, ranking sixth in career victories in Division I history. Duke has been to the NCAA Tournament 19 times under Rennie. Prior to his arrival, Duke had played in just one NCAA Tournament contest. The Blue Devils reached the College Cup on five occasions during Rennie’s tenure. In just his fourth season at Duke, Rennie took an undefeated team to the 1982 championship match before losing to Indiana, 2-1, in eight overtimes. That eight overtime game against Indiana in was the longest match in NCAA history up to that point. Rennie and the Blue Devils stopped Akron, 1-0, to win the 1986 NCAA Championship, the first national title won by any Blue Devil athletics squad. He also led his troops to the College Cup in 1992 and 1995. Virginia knocked Duke out of the semifinals in 1992, but Duke would take revenge on the Cavaliers in 1995, defeating the four-time defending national champions in the semifinals only to suffer a 2-0 loss to Wisconsin in the championship match. The most recent trip to the College Cup for Duke was in 2004, when it fell to UC Santa Barbara. Rennie has made his presence known in the Atlantic Coast Conference as well. He holds the record for the most wins by a coach at an ACC school (399) and in ACC matches (91). The Blue Devils won the league title five times, in 1980, 1982, 1999, 2005 and 2006. The Duke head coach has been an instrumental figure in the inception and continued success of the ACC Tournament. Duke hosted the first league tournament in 1987, and did so again in 1989 and 1990. The Blue Devils became only the second team in conference history to repeat as tournament champions when they won in 2005 and 2006. Under Rennie’s 28-year tutelage, Duke sits among the most successful programs in the country with a winning percentage of .710 (399-153-33). In 35 years as a collegiate head coach, Rennie has compiled a .677 (443-199-47) winning percentage, ranking 15th among active coaches. Rennie has posted a winning record in 26 of his 28 seasons with the Blue Devils and has led his team to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last nine seasons. Throughout Rennie’s tenure, Duke’s defense has been solid with 236 shutouts, including 42 shutouts in the last six seasons. Included in the team’s success has been a wealth of individual honors. Flooding the trophy cases at Duke are numerous coach of the year awards and plenty of player accolades. Rennie was voted National Coach of the Year in 1982, ACC Coach of the Year in 1980, 1983, 1987, 1997 and 1999, and South Region Coach of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1997. During Rennie’s reign, six players have been named the national collegiate player of the year, including Joe Ulrich (1982), Mike Jeffries (1983), Tom Kain (1985), John Kerr (1986), Jay Heaps (1998) and Ali Curtis (2000). Duke has had 29 All-America selections and four Academic All-Americas during Rennie’s tenure. Kain, a 1986 graduate, was Duke’s first four-time All-America selection and Curtis, a 2001 Duke graduate, was a three-time All-America selection. Jason Kreis, a 1995 graduate, garnered All-America honors after the 1992, 1993 and 1994 seasons and has since become the all-time leading scorer in MLS history. Nineteen former Duke soccer players and coaches under Rennie have gone on to be affiliated with Major League Soccer. Along with success on the field, Rennie has developed the Duke program into one of the finest in terms of facilities and attendance. Koskinen Stadium is a lighted, natural grass surface with a capacity of 7,000. Annually ranked among the top collegiate teams in attendance, Duke hosts the South’s premier regular season tournament, the Duke/adidas Soccer Classic, each fall. The Blue Devils’ home turf played host to the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1987, with Rennie serving as coordinator. Rennie works with U.S. Club Soccer, serving on its executive board. He is also a member of U.S. Soccer’s technical committee, which handles player-development issues for the organization. Always concerned about the growth of soccer, Rennie organized and was
the first chairman of the NCAA Division I Soccer Coaches Committee, formed
for the nationwide development of Division I soccer. He recently was brought
back for a second term. Rennie founded and directs the Duke Soccer Camp, one of the most highly regarded soccer camps in the nation. He is also a co-founder and former president of the Triangle Futbol Club, a program in North Carolina aimed at developing the skills of the area’s most talented young players. A 1967 graduate of Temple, Rennie has been successful along the coaching
trail. He spent a year at Southeastern Massachusetts (now UMass-Dartmouth)
and six at Columbia University, building the latter into a national power.
Columbia won the Ivy League in his final campaign in 1978, with Rennie
earning New York Region Coach of the Year honors. He also led the Lions
to the NCAA Tournament in his final season. The Chatham, N.J., native is married to the former Kathy Redden. They
have two children, Theodore John (23) and Grace (19). Top of PageBlue Devils Picked #1 Among ACC Men A year ago the Duke Blue Devils advanced to the national quarterfinals. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Virginia Cavaliers went to the semifinals. Those are the top three picks in the ACC Men’s Preseason Soccer Poll by the league’s nine head coaches. The Blue Devils, which return a veteran team and arguably the nation’s top recruiting class, was picked to win it all. They are coming off an 18-4-1 season, the best since 1999. They have won the ACC tournament championship back-to-back. Duke will look to veteran midfielder Michael Videira this season. The senior scored eight goals and handed out seven assists last year and is on this year’s Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy watch list. Wake Forest was picked second and Virginia was picked #3. WFU, led by 2006 ACC Coach of the Year Jay Vidovich, returns nine of 11 starters from a team that tied for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in school history. The Deacons had three players, Wells Thompson, Ryan Solle and Steven Curfman taken in the 2007 MLS draft. Also coming off a 2006 NCAA semifinal appearance for the ninth time in Cavalier history, Virginia welcomes back six starters and 15 letterwinners, including second-team All-ACC and 2007 MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Yannick Reyering. North Carolina and Maryland are the coaches’ picks to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. The Tar Heels, led by Andre Sherard, will look to replace seven starters, yet return four of their eight top scorers from a year ago. The 2005 NCAA Champion Terrapins were 16-5-1 last fall and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAAs. In addition, the Terps set a school record in attendance with over 40,000 people last season. The 40,907 fans was the second highest total in the NCAA and the Terps' average attendance of 2,727 ranked third in the country. Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish is Clemson (35), Virginia Tech (24), Boston College (24), and NC State (17). Duke was rated as having the top recruiting class in the country by College Soccer News. In fact, five ACC teams were ranked among the top eight, and North Carolina was listed at #11. The Blue Devils brought in six recruits, and four of them are All-Americans. Doug Ferner and Christian Ibeagha are All-America defenders. Ibeagha is a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team. Graduate student forward Joshua Medcalf, who played three years at Vanderbilt, will provide veteran help right away. Virginia was credited with the #3 recruiting class with five recruits. Four of those have experience on the U.S. Under-18 national team, including two-time All-America Andy Adlard who plays club ball for the Chicago Magic. The class includes defender T. J. Cyrus who was the NSCAA Virginia State Player of the Year. The Demon Deacons’ class was ranked #6, and includes Coben Bone (Dallas, TX), one of the most sought after recruits in the country. Bone was named the 2006 NSCAA high school Player of the Year. Also in the class is midfielder Jeff Leech, a member of the U.S. Under-18 team. College Soccer News listed coach Trevor Adair’s Clemson class at #7. Included are midfielders Eric Cava (Annapolis, MD) and Tommy Drake (Chapel Hill, NC). two of three prep All-Americans in the class. Maryland was listed at #8 and they signed at least one player for every part of the field. Forward Billy Cortes from California is a two-time ESP participant. The class also includes midfielder Rodney Wallace (Rockville, MD) and defender Sean Flatley (Virginia Beach), as well as goalkeeper Will Swaim (Ellicott City, MD). Since UNC lost seven starters, it is likely that several players from its #11 ranked freshman class will find themselves in the stating lineup. The Tar Heels are bringing in eight, including Cameron Brown, a member of the U.S. U-20 MNT player pool, and a two-time prep All-America. The class also includes All-America defender Brett King (Wilmington, NC) and midfielder Drew McKinney (Cary), along with Ryan Adeleye, a junior transfer from Davidson who will help on the back line. Top of PageUNC Women Favored To Win Another ACC Title The UNC Tar Heels won the 2006 NCAA Division I championship. That in itself is not huge news. UNC has won the NCAA Division I national title 18 times. The big news was that at one point in the second half of a close 2-1 championship victory over previously unbeaten Notre Dame, the Tar Heels had seven freshmen on the field. The Tar Heels (27-1-0) lost Soccer America Player of the Year Heather O’Reilly, last year’s Honda Award winner, to graduation, but return 20 letterwinners and 11 other starters. Among those starters are ACC Offensive Player of the Year Yael Averbuch, along with All-Americans Jessica Maxwell, Tobin Heath and Nikki Washington. Averbuch started all 28 matches a year ago and led the league in goals cored (16), shots (136), shots per game (4.86) and game-winning goals (7). Carolina captured its second-straight ACC championship, its 17th overall, and drew 10 of the coaches 11 first-place votes for 120 points. Florida State got the other first-place vote and earned the #2 preseason pick with 104 points. The Seminoles return 13 letterwinners and six starters from the team that went 18-4-4 last fall and made its third trip in four years to postseason play. Among the Seminoles returnees are All-ACC Freshman Becky Edwards, All-American Katrin Schmidt and Mami Yamaguchi. Virginia, 12-8-2 last fall, was picked #3 with 89 points and returns a veteran club with 18 letterwinners and eight starters. Back in the Cavaliers lineup are All-Americans Becky Sauerbrunn and Jess Rostedt, and all-ACC pick Nikki Krzysik, who all helped UVa advance to the third round of the NCAAs last year. It was Virginia’s 13th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish are Boston College (86), Duke (74), Wake Forest (73), Clemson (60), Virginia Tech (36), Maryland (35), NC State (26) and Miami (23). Duke welcomes back 12 letterwinners and has brought in what has been described as the eight-best recruiting class in the nation. The Blue Devils were 9-8-4 last year and made the NCAAs. The top two scorers from last season return, sophomore KayAnne Gummerall (7g,2a) and Elisabeth Redmond (3g,7a), along with the starting goalkeeper, Allison Lipsher. Wake Forest will return 18 letterwinners, including seven starters from
a 16-6-1 team. Included are four players, rising sophomores Caitlin
Farrell, Bess Harrington, Allie Sadow and Sarah Winslow,
who played on the U19 CASL Spartan Elite ‘87 team at the Region
III tournament in Oklahoma City, earlier this summer. Top of PageThe Carolina RailHawks will step out of the United Soccer Leagues First Division to play Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA at SAS Soccer Park on Tuesday May 8th at 7:30 PM. “I am excited to have Chivas USA, which includes players such as Amado Guevara and Claudio Suarez, play against the RailHawks in our beautiful facility.” said Carolina RailHawks President and General Manager Chris Economides, “It will be a chance for our players to measure up to them and show their true talent.” Founded on August 2, 2004, Club Deportivo Chivas USA is the sister team of Club Deportivo Guadalajara, popularly known as 'Chivas', one of Mexico’s beloved soccer clubs. Chivas USA, an MLS expansion team in 2005, reached the Western Conference semifinals in 2006 where they were eliminated by the eventual league champion Houston Dynamo. "Chivas USA is pleased to be facing the RailHawks at SAS Soccer Park. The match comes in the middle of our first two-game road trip of 2007, and we look forward to spending several days in beautiful Cary, North Carolina as we look to build on our strong start to 2007,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday April 24th at all Ticketmaster outlets,
by calling 919-859-KICK (859-5425) or at SAS Soccer Park’s Box office
on the East side of the stadium Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30
PM. Ticket prices are $10, $15, and $20 in advance or $12, $17, and $22
on day of game. Carolina RailHawks Season Ticket holders will be able
to use their tickets to Exhibition Game #1 to gain access to the game. Top of PageEagles Open With Win over Crystal Palace The Charlotte Eagles opened their 15th anniversary season
hosting Crystal Palace Baltimore. Jacob Coggins scored
two goals and Jorge Herrera set up three and earned two
assists in the Charlotte Eagles 4-1 victory over visiting Crystal Palace
Baltimore to open the Eagles’ 15th anniversary season in the USL.
"An unbelieveable goal by Jacob Coggins,” said Charlotte head coach Mark Steffens of Coggins unassisted goal inside the left post for a 2-0 lead in the 28th minute. “One of the top goals I've seen a player create himself. Flicked it over the defender and played an early ball into the corner. A beautiful goal." The first half ended with the Eagles holding a 3-0 lead. Crystal Palace
Baltimore out-shot Charlotte in the first half 11-9, but Baltimore's chances
were off the mark, while Charlotte was dangerous on the attack. Charlotte's
Dan Benton was forced to make only two saves in the half.
Baltimore keeper Behonick had five saves. Top of PageFormer Tar Heel Named Houston Coach Susan Bush, a Houston native, has been named women's coach at the University of Houston. Bush, 27, spent the previous two years as the top assistant at Houston to Bill Solberg, who resigned after seven years at the helm to return to his hometown and accept a position with FC Milwaukee, a Wisconsin youth club. "I cannot imagine a better opportunity than to lead an NCAA Division I program in my hometown of Houston," Bush said. "The university's campus, facilities and personnel are among the best in the nation and there is no reason why this program should not compete on a national level." Director of athletics Dave Maggard made the announcement for a program heading into its 10th season. "Susan's been an outstanding recruiter and a great student of the game," he said. "She has high visibility and great respect around the country, but especially in the state of Texas. She will continue to be a great asset to our program and soon will have the women's soccer team in position to challenge for the Conference USA championship and gain national recognition." The Cougars were 9-10 in 2007, 3-6 in Conference USA, giving Solberg an overall record of 50-69-10 (.426), 24-38-7 (.399) in league play. Bush, a standout striker at University of North Carolina, played in 12 games (five starts) for the San Diego Spirit in 2003, the final season of the Women's United Soccer Association. Knee injuries ended further pursuit of a playing career and she then worked in private business in Washington, D.C., until becoming a UH assistant in 2005. "I feel confident in the direction we are heading at UH," Bush said. "My goal is to create a positive and winning atmosphere where our players will continually improve their abilities on and off the field. Bush played on NCAA Division I champions in her freshman and sophomore years at North Carolina, assisting on second-half tallies by Meredith Florance and Beth Sheppard in a 2-0 triumph over Notre Dame in the national final in 1999, her first year. She was named "Offensive Most Valuable Player" of the 1999 Women's College Cup, assisting on three of the Tar Heels' four goals in the final four. After capturing the 2000 national crown by defeating UCLA 2-1 in the title game, the Tar Heels lost to Santa Clara 1-0 in the 2001 NCAA final and were eliminated in the national semifinals 2-1 by SCU in Bush's senior year. Missing a significant number of matches in her sophomore and junior years because of injury, Bush missed numerous games in her sophomore and junior years because of injury, but played 71 games as a Tar Heel, starting 51, contributing 20 goals and 36 assists for 76 points. UNC was 90-8-4 (.902) during her playing career and she served as team captain as a senior. Bush was also a student assistant coach on the 2003 Tar Heels, who blasted Connecticut 6-0 in the NCAA title match. Bush appeared 10 times for the United States women, notching three goals and six assists from 1998-2003, playing on teams that won the Gold Cup and Australia Cup in 2000. She also represented her nation at the youth level, including playing with the under-20 teams that captured the Nordic Cup in 1999 and 2000. At St. John's High School in Houston, Bush was a Parade All-American
here final two years and the magazine named her its "National Player
of the Year" as a senior in 1999. Top of PageNCAAs Return To SAS In 2008-09 The NCAA has announced that a NCAA Division I championship College Cup will return to SAS Stadium in Cary, N.C. in 2008 and 2009. SAS previously had been selected to host the Division I men’s College Cup in 2007. The 2007 D-I women’s championship will be settled at Texas A&M University. The 2008 D-I Women’s College Cup semifinals and final will be played at SAS in 2008 with the men’s championship returning for 2009. Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, will host the 2009 Women’s College Cup, while the 2008 Men’s College Cup will be hosted by Southern Methodist University and FC Dallas of Major League Soccer at Pizza Hunt Park in Frisco, TX. "We are very pleased to announce the return of the Women's College Cup to College Station, Texas and Cary, North Carolina", said Paul Schlickmann, chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Committee and Executive Associate Athletics Director at Stony Brook University. “Both Texas A&M and the Town of Cary have displayed exceptional ability to successfully host and manage our most important event. Aggie Soccer Stadium and SAS Soccer Park are excellent venues, are supported by outstanding staffs who take a vested interest in running first class events and are situated in communities that are enthusiastic about the sport of women's soccer.” The host for the events at SAS will once again be Northj Carolina State University, the Town of Cary and the Capital Area Soccer League. "The committee was extremely pleased to receive several attractive bids for the 2008 and 2009 Division I Men's Soccer College Cup, each presenting exciting opportunities for future participants,” said Noreen Morris, chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee, Associate Athletic Director at Northwestern University. “After evaluating the options, our committee felt that Frisco and Cary presented the best overall atmosphere for Division I men's soccer at this point in time. Frisco is the home of Pizza Hut Park, one of the finest soccer specific facilities in the country. We are excited to take the 2008 College Cup to this venue, which offers fantastic amenities and a surrounding community that is a hotbed for youth soccer. “In turn, Cary and SAS Soccer Park are proven players when it comes to college soccer, having hosted four College Cups in the last four years. The partnership between Cary, SAS Soccer Park and the North Carolina State University will enable us to host yet another successful College Cup in 2009 in an area located in proximity to a large segment of tremendous college soccer enthusiasts.” Top of PageN.C. Boys Capture 1989 National ODP Championship The Arizona 1990 boys were the first team from Arizona to make it to the US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships and were hoping for gold, but met a North Carolina side in the final that seeking the same. North Carolina won the 2007 ’89 boys title 4-1 after a tremendous team effort. Spencer Lomax III (10:00), Brett King (42:00), Will Shull (51:00), and Sean Haglund (74:00) each scored for North Carolina and Kyle Parsons (28:00) scored the only goal for Arizona. “This is something we worked towards for the last two years. I don’t think there is one particular player that stands out from the rest. It is a good group of guys. The attitude is right and everything just came together,” said Bobby Muuss, North Carolina’s coach. “This is a good environment for them to learn and grow to get them ready for the next level.” Charlotte’s Clint Irwin (Charlotte United FC), North Carolina’s High School Player of the Year for 2006, earned the Golden Glove award as the top goalkeeper in the age group and Shelby’s Will Shull (Charlotte United FC) received the Golden Boot as the division’s leading scorer. Shull scored in North Carolina’s 2-1 semifinal victory over Massachuttes. The semifinal game wasn’t finished until the last seven minutes when Lomax (Statesville, NC) (83:00) and Shull (Shelby, NC) (89:00) each found the back of the net. “This is the boy’s last hurrah before college. They are all excited and intent to win. They are playing with emotion,” said Bobby Muuss, North Carolina’s coach. “Will Shull changed the game for us when he came in the second half and scored. He was the biggest asset in the second half.” The 1989 boys’ consolation match featured Michigan against Massachusetts. In the final minutes of play, Jonathan Evans (Brownstown, MI) found the back of the net in the 83rd. Michigan won 1-0. The ’91 girls championship was won by New Jersey 2-1 over California South, with North Texas winning consolation honors 3-2 over Michigan. Cal South and Illinois played to a 3-3 draw in the 1991 final, with Illinois taking the title on penalty kicks (3-1). Florida and Eastern New York played to a 0-0 draw in the consolation game. In the 1989 girls championship game Eastern Pennsylvania scored in overtime
to edge California South 1-0, while Michigan finished third with a 3-1
win over North Texas. Top of PageElon University assistant coach Dustin Fonder has been named the new men’s soccer coach at High Point University. He replaces Peter Broadley who resigned at the end of the 2006 season. “I am pleased to have Dustin Fonder as head men’s soccer coach,” said HPU AD Woody Gibson. “He has an excellent history as a player and an assistant coach and I expect him to increase the national profile of our men’s soccer team.” Fonder joins the High Point staff after having served as the assistant coach at Elon for the past three years. While with the Phoenix, Fonder helped with recruiting, scheduling and academic advising. He helped to build Elon’s men’s soccer program from an RPI of 165 in 2004 to its first ever Top-25 national ranking in the 2006 season. In the community, Fonder serves as the Director of Coaching for the Burlington Soccer Club where his responsibilities include hiring coaches, establishing curriculum, directing the BSC soccer academy and consulting on the future plans of the club. He also serves as a North Carolina Olympic Development Program coach for the 1990s age group. Fonder served as the assistant men’s and women’s soccer coach at Roanoke College prior to Elon. He was responsible for recruiting, scheduling, fund raising and academic advising. He coached the 1998, 2001 and 2002 Old Dominion Athletic Conference champions. While with the Maroons, Fonder coached thirty All-ODAC players, three ODAC Rookies of the Year and two ODAC Players of the Year. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity here at High Point,” Fonder said. “I look forward to the challenge of directing the men’s soccer program to the national prominence that the university as a whole has rapidly risen to.” A 1994 graduate of Roanoke College, Fonder was a member of the Maroons’ men’s soccer team where he was named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. Following his collegiate career, Fonder played professionally both in the USISL and the NPSL from 1995-1999. Top of PageDorrance To Receive NSCAA Women’s Award of Excellence Anson Dorrance, coach of the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team, has been selected by the NSCAA Women’s Committee as the eighth recipient of its Award of Excellence. The award is sponsored by the Washington Area Girls Soccer League (WAGS) and was established in 1999 to recognize those who have brought honor and distinction to women's soccer. WAGS has supplied sponsorship funds from this award to be used in the promotion of the women's game through various inner-city programs. Funds also will be donated to charities that promote female soccer participation. Whether at the collegiate, national or international level, Dorrance’s impact on women’s soccer is undeniable. In the 25 years the NCAA has sponsored a Division I women’s soccer championship, North Carolina has won 18 titles. Along the way he has compiled an 629-28-18 record, an amazing .945 winning percentage. He has coached 13 different players to National Player of the Year honors a total of 20 times. The list of athletes who have played for Dorrance reads like a Who’s Who of women’s soccer, including such legendary names as Mia Hamm, April Heinrichs, Shannon Higgins, Debbie Keller, Kristine Lilly and Cindy Parlow, all of whom won multiple National Player of the Year awards under his tutelage. In 1986, Dorrance accepted the position of head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, and in 1991 led that squad to the first Women’s World Cup title. He also was a strong influence in the gold medal won by the U.S. women at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games: two of the assistant coaches were former Carolina players and seven of the 16 players on the roster played at UNC. Dorrance also has been active in growing the sport at the local and national levels. He was the founder of the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association and the North Carolina Senior Soccer Association. As a member of the NSCAA Academy’s Senior National Staff, he helps instruct coaches from throughout the world on the finer points of teaching the game. A charter member of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Committee, he also has served as the chairman of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee and was the women’s chairman of the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America. The first male to receive the Women’s Committee Award of Excellence,
he joins two former players who are prior recipients: Heinrichs, who received
the inaugural award in 1999, and Lauren Gregg, who was
presented the award in 2001. The award presentation will take place at
the NSCAA Women’s Soccer Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, as part
of the NSCAA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Top of PageUNC Beat Irish For National Title Senior striker Heather O'Reilly went out in grand style with a goal and an assist and freshman forward Casey Nogueira celebrated her first career start with the same numbers as top-seeded North Carolina (27-1) claimed its 18th NCAA women's soccer championship Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 victory over second-seeded Notre Dame at SAS Soccer Park before a crowd of 8,349. The Tar Heels finished a magical season with 27 successive wins after
a season-opening 1-0 double overtime loss at In a game in which the Tar Heels dominated possession and had a 20-9 edge in shots, it still came down to the final minutes for the Tar Heels to salt the game away before handing an outstanding Notre Dame side (25-1-1) its only loss of the season. Carolina improved to 5-1 in NCAA Tournament games against the Fighting Irish. Sunday marked the first meeting between the two teams since the 2000 NCAA semifinals. O'Reilly was the sparkplug offensively for the Tar Heels and Nogueira provided the rest of the offense Carolina needed to prevail in a hard fought championship game. O'Reilly was named as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament and Nogueira also made the All-Tournament Team. Other Tar Heels on the All-Tournament Team included junior defender Robyn Gayle, the Defensive MVP, as well as freshman defender Kristi Eveland, sophomore midfielder Yael Averbuch and freshman midfielder Tobin Heath. O'Reilly's offense was the key as she celebrated a national championship just a day after she lost the voting for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy to Notre Dame's Kerri Hanks by a single point. O'Reilly put the Tar Heels on the board at 17:57 with a remarkable goal, one of a world class variety. It was her 12th of the season and 59th of her career. Nogueira centered the ball from the right side to O'Reilly who zoomed past the Notre Dame defense, drew Fighting Irish goalkeeper Lauren Karas out of the goal, dribbled around her and then lofted a shot to the far post over three Notre Dame defenders from 15 yards out. The goal was the 15th NCAA Tournament goal for O'Reilly as she tied Mia Hamm for second place in Carolina history in tourney tallies. Only Christine Sinclair of Portland (25 goals) and Lindsay Tarpley of UNC (16 goals) have now scored more NCAA Tournament goals than O'Reilly. UNC had two more great chances to extend the lead in the first half but Karas made big saves on shots by Whitney Engen at 26:06 and Sterling Smith at 43:23. Leading 1-0 at the half, the Tar Heels came out in the second half starting seven freshmen - the most first-year players in a single half of play in Tar Heel history to take the field at the beginning of a period. Only O'Reilly, Gayle, junior defender Ariel Harris and Averbuch were upperclassmen on the field at that point. Less than 1:30 into the half, the Tar Heel lead became two goals. O'Reilly won a header from a Notre Dame defender and dropped it at the feet of freshman Whitney Engen. Engen dribbled into the far right corner and sent a cross to Nogueira who was unmarked in the box. Nogueira headed the ball far post, earning her second game-winning goal of the College Cup. The goal by Nogueira came in her first career start and harkened back to a similar situation when Tar Heel Catherine Reddick earned the first start of her freshman year in the NCAA championship game against UCLA in 2000. In that game, Reddick, now a major star of the U.S. National Team, also scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Tar Heel victory. Nogueira would end up having three more chances to score with her laser-like shots but she missed the frame in the 72nd, 76th and 85th minutes. In a game marred by 41 fouls, one by the Tar Heels' 20 such infractions near midfield set up Notre Dame's lone tally at the 80:30 mark. Hanks sent a ball into the box that was headed on by ND's Brittany Bock over the outstretched hands UNC goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris from the six-yard line. The goal was Bock's 12th of the season. Notre Dame had a couple of tremendous chances to tie the game but the Tar Heel defense held firm the rest of the way. Harris saved a header by Bock at 86:11 of the match and then a wild scrum in front of the goal in the 88th minute became a very dangerous situation for the Heels. A shot by Michele Weissenhofer was blocked by the UNC defense and Tobin Heath eventually cleared the ball out of the box and out of danger. The Fighting Irish had one last shot at the tie when the Tar Heels were called for a foul at the 24-yard line. Hanks took the free kick but it sailed wide right in the Fighting Irish's last chance to earn the equalizer. O'Reilly finished her with 59 goals, tying her with Lindsay Tarpley and Meredith Florance for 10th place on UNC's career goal scoring chart. O'Reilly bookended her career by winning NCAA Tournament Offensive MVP honors as a freshman in 2003 and a senior in 2006. Top of PageUNC Advances With 2-0 Win Over UCLA Freshman striker Casey Nogueira scored the game-winner in the 84th minute and senior forward Heather O'Reilly added the insurance goal just over two minutes later as No. 1-ranked North Carolina edged third-ranked UCLA 2-0 in the 2006 NCAA Women's College Cup semifinals at SAS Soccer Park. Carolina advances to the NCAA title game Sunday at 12:30 p.m. against Notre Dame, which defeated Florida State 2-1 in Friday night's second semifinal match. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2. In a game that featured several great chances to score by two offensive-minded teams, both squads' defenses held firm until 83:31 was gone in the match. That's when Yael Averbuch sent a ball on the left side to Nogueira, who played a season high 64 minutes in the match. Nogueira dribbled to the center of the field and sent a blistering shot from 30 yards out that went to goalkeeper Val Henderson's left into the lower right of the goal. The strike by Nogueira, only her third goal of the season, sent the Tar Heel bench into a frenzy. It was just over two minutes later that the Tar Heels salted away the victory. Freshman Kristi Eveland sent a ball forward on the right side to Averbuch who saw O'Reilly on the far side of the pitch about 20 yards out. Averbuch curled a ball over the defense to O'Reilly who was completely unmarked. O'Reilly dribbled in, drew Henderson off her line and scored to the far post at 85:50. It was dramatic end to a game in which the Tar Heels were able to continually hold their back defensive line firm, drawing the Bruins (21-4) into 11 offside calls. UNC had to play the match without All-ACC defender Jessica Maxwell, who usually organizes the defense from her center back spot. Maxwell suffered a broken ankle last Saturday in UNC's come-from-behind quarterfinal win over Texas A&M. Without Maxwell, UNC asked Kristi Eveland, Robyn Gayle and Ariel Harris to go a full 90 minutes in the backfield. The Tar Heel defense limited UCLA to 10 shots, including only two from the Bruins' leading scorer, Lauren Cheney, who came into the match with 19 goals. Both team had some near misses in the first half of the game but neither side could put its shots on the frame of the goal as only one of the 10 shots in the first half had to be saved. At halftime, UNC switched goalkeepers to Ashlyn Harris after Anna Rodenbough played the opening 45 minutes. It was a predetermined switch by Carolina who went into the game intending to play each goalie 45 minutes. The decision by UNC head coach Anson Dorrance bore fruit as in the opening minutes of the second half, Harris came 35 yards off her line to clear the ball away from Danesha Adams who appeared headed toward a breakaway. At 54:11, Harris made the defensive play of the match as Adams dribbled in alone on her on a breakaway opportunity and had a point blank shot from eight yards out that Harris blocked away with her shoulder, putting the ball out of danger. Henderson made two saves on great scoring opportunities by UNC before the Tar Heels finally cashed in. At 56:39, Yael Averbuch sent a shot from 25 yards out that Henderson barely tipped over the bar. In the 69th minute, Libby Guess and Heather O'Reilly hooked up on a give and go and O'Reilly's shot from the 12-yard line was barely tipped over the bar by Henderson. The win gave coach Anson Dorrance his 800th overall coaching victory at UNC. He won his 628th game as the women's head coach Friday, improving to 628-28-18 in 28 years. He also coached the UNC men for 12 years from 1977-88, compiling a 172-65-21 record. The win was UNC's 26th in a row this season after it dropped its season opener at Texas A&M in double overtime 1-0. The Tar Heels are now 26-1 and they can tie the school record for wins in a season Sunday in the national championship match. Carolina outshot the Bruins 15-10 and had a 10-2 edge in corner kicks.
Henderson finished with five saves for UCLA and Harris had two second
half saves for Carolina. Top of PagePanther Coach Ends 9-Year Tenure High Point University Director of Athletics Dr. Woody Gibson announced November 9 the resignation of HPU head men's soccer coach, Peter Broadley. “I want to thank Coach Broadley for his commitment and years of service,” said Gibson. “He has had a positive impact on all of the student-athletes at High Point University and in the surrounding community. I wish him well in his future endeavors. A national search will begin immediately for a new men's soccer coach.” Broadley, who just completed his ninth season with the Panthers, compiled a 55-102-16 record at High Point including a 17-34-5 mark in Big South Conference play. He took over the program as HPU moved to the Division I level. During his tenure, High Point reached the semifinals of the Big South Tournament three times including a championship game appearance against Winthrop this year. “I am grateful to the administration at High Point University for
allowing me the opportunity to make a difference in our students’
lives over the past nine years,” Broadley said. “The men’s
soccer program is in good shape both on the field and in the classroom
and is made up of a group of fine young men. I am confident that they
will be successful in all that they attempt to do in the future and I
wish them the best.” Top of PageCHARLOTTE, N.C. (November 8, 2006) -- John Tart, who is the winningest coach in Charlotte history, stepped down yesterday after 12 years with the 49ers. Tart was 117-92-28 (.553) at the North Carolina school, where he moved following 13 years at Furman, his alma mater. Tart's overall record over 25 years as a head coach was 254-184-49 (.572). "I am truly grateful to have coached at UNC-Charlotte," said Tart, 47, who will remain with the team through the end of the month and will then assume fund-raising responsibilities with the 49ers Athletic Foundation. "There have been many great moments throughout this time. . . Mostly, I appreciate the student-athletes who played in our program. I wish the soccer program continued success." Tart guided Charlotte to two NCAA tournaments, including in 1996 when the 49ers advanced to the national semifinals, earning him Conference USA "Coach of the Year: honors. He was named C-USA "Co-Coach of the Decade" in 2004. Along with a record of 137-92-21 (.590), Tart led Furman to 10 Southern Conference titles, following a four-year playing career with the Palladins. He was named South Region "Coach of the Year" twice and Southern Conference "Coach of the Year" four times. Fifteen of Tart's players have played professionally, including goalkeeper Jon Busch (Columbus Crew) and midfielder Floyd Franks (Chicago Fire), who are currently in Major League Soccer. Charlotte director of athletics Judy Rose promised a national search for Tart's replacement. "He's been a very well-respected member of our coaching family and
we are pleased that he will continue to be a part of the 49ers for the
near future, albeit in a different role," she said. "At the
same time, we plan to take this opportunity to continue to elevate our
men's soccer program." Top of PageSophomore midfielder Will Friesinger's (Wilmington,NC) first collegiate goal came in the 60th minute and proved to be the difference for North Carolina-Wilmington which went on the road and shocked No. 5 Duke 1-0 in a non-conference match before 412 at Koskinen Stadium tonight. UNCW (5-1-1) last beat the Blue Devils (6-1-1) in 1980. Duke had won its last 27 against unranked opponents. "It's a huge win for us over a nationally ranked team," said Seahawks coach Aidan Heaney whose club is undefeated in its last six outings. "Our bench did a great job tonight giving us the spark we needed." Freshman defender Cameron Turney initiated the decisive sequence, gathering a ball on the right flank and carrying into the corner before crossing into the penalty area. The ball skipped past diving Duke junior keeper Justin Papadakis, leaving Friesinger an open target. His blast scraped the underside of the crossbar before going in to make it 1-0 with 59:02 elapsed. "You can't win if you don't score goals," Duke coach John Rennie said. "It's as simple as that. We had our chances. We had a great chance just before they scored. Mike Grella had a great chance right in front of goal and hit it over. They then came down, we made a mistake on that play and they punished us and got a goal." With five saves, UNCW senior goalkeeper Brad Knighton posted his third straight shutout and became the Seahawks all-time leader with 21. "Brad gave us his usual steady performance tonight," Heaney said. "It takes pressure off us knowing he has the experience and the knowledge of how to play in these type games." A minute earlier, the Blue Devils had a great opportunity when junior midfielder Joe Germanese carried around a defender at the top of the box and dealt the ball to sophomore striker Mike Grella's feet. Grella turned and shot over the bar. Duke also was denied on a fine opportunity in the closing moments. With three seconds left on the clock, senior midfielder Chris Loftus sent a corner kick into the box to junior defender Tim Jepson, whose shot was blocked by a defender as time expired. Duke held a commanding 22-10 advantage in shots, but each team managed
just five on goal. Grella, Duke's leading scorer with six goals, triggered
a game-high seven shots. Top of PageSometimes It Matters Most What You Do With Second Chances! Regionals and nationals are usually about championships. They are about
achievement and they are about success. They are about winning, and yes,
about losing, too. Top of PageThe Charlotte Lady Eagles saw their season comes to a close in the semifinals of the W-League North American Championships. Charlotte dropped a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Fury. The Lady Eagles had earned the berth in the Final Four with a 1-0 win over the Richmond Kickers Destiny on Heidi Drummond’s penalty kick to win the Central Conference championship. The Fury came into the match looking composed and ready for the match. In the sixth minute of play Amy Vermeulen put the Fury on the scoreboard. Rhian Wilkinson set up the goal with a beautiful serve in from the right side. Vermeulen, loosely marked in the box, finished the cross with a header into the left side of the goal for the 1-0 lead. The Lady Eagles were unable to score in the first half. Ottawa continued their solid play in the second half, possessing well. Charlotte worked to develop some offense with the speed of Darcel Mollon up top, combining with support from Swinehart and Drummond. The Lady Eagles developed a few chances but not enough to pull even in the match. The Fury scored their second goal of the match in the 80th minute. Wilkinson broke through the Charlotte defense on a couterattack and was taken down just outside the penalty box by Charlotte goalkeeper Deason. Leah Robinson took the awarded free kick and bent the ball over the wall and into the goal at the left post. Ottawa seemed to have the shutout in hand as the minutes slipped by, but in the final minute Ashley Swinehart put the Lady Eagles on the scoreboard. Lydia Vandenbergh took a looping shot from 20 yards out. The Ottawa goalkeeper got a hand on the shot which was headed for the crossbar. The rebound came out to Swinehart at the top of the 18 yard box. Swinehart scored with a hard one-timer into the left side of the goal seconds before the final whistle. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Ottawa. The Ottawa Fury advance to the W-League Final against Vancouver slated for Sunday night at 8:00pm PST. Vancouver defeated Seattle 5-0 to make it to the final. The Charlotte Lady Eagles will play in the 3rd place consolation game against the Seattle Sounders Saints on Sunday night at 5:00pm PST. Top of PageCHARLOTTE, NC -- The Charlotte Lady Eagles announced that
they have re-signed all three of the leading goal scorers in team history.
Ashley Swinehart (17 career goals), Christy Rife
(33 career goals) and Tina Murphy (53 career goals) will
all return to the Lady Eagles lineup for the 2006 W-League season. “We are so excited to have these three fabulous players back again with us for another season,” stated Head Coach Lee Horton. “Their leadership on and off the field, as well as their sterling character is a perfect fit for us with our organization, and we have been very fortunate to have them be a part of our team for these past few years.” Ashley Swinehart currently ranks third on the Lady Eagles goal scoring list with 17 career goals in four seasons with the club. She is part of a family goal scoring tradition as her older brother Dustin is a veteran goal scorer with the Charlotte Eagles (USL-2). A graduate of the University of Miami of Ohio, Ashley was named to the W-League All-League First team in 2004, as she was instrumental in leading the Lady Eagles to the Central Conference Championship game. While at Miami (OH) she was named the MAC Conference Player of the Year in 2003 and in 2004. Christy (Timbers) Rife ranks second on the Lady Eagles goal scoring list with 33 career goals in her five seasons with the team. A North Carolina native, she grew up in nearby Morganton and played her college soccer at UNC-Wilmington. As a Lady Eagle, her 21 career assists provide a perfect testament to her willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team. Tina Murphy is the all-time leading goal scorer in Lady Eagles’ history. Her 53 career goals and 30 career assists in her five year career with the Lady Eagles are illustrative of her determination and never-say-die attitude that inspires and motivates the team until the final whistle. After playing her college soccer at UNC Chapel Hill, she made a seamless transition to the W-League where in her first two seasons with the club she was named to the All-League team twice (2001 and 2002). “We are so excited to be able to bring these quality individuals back to be a part of our team again this year. We are even more excited to have these fine young women be role models both on and off of the soccer field for the young girls of the Charlotte area,” enthused General Manager Ethan Allen.
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