Soccer In Arkansas
Arkansas State University head women’s coach Tafazwa Ziyenge has added California native Indra Garcia to his Red Wolves recruiting class. Garcia spent the previous two seasons at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Cal., where she became the first women’s soccer player in school history to be named NSCAA first-team All-America. She had 17 goals and 16 assists last fall….Arkansas State freshman Lindsay Johansen was selected to participate in the Canada Under-20 National Excel camp earlier this year in Portland, Ore. She is the first Arkansas State women’s soccer player to be selected to participate in a national team camp at any level. Johansen was one of only four players to start all 20 games last fall, as the Red Wolves set a school record for most wins in a season (11), most wins at home (7) and the longest home winning streak (6).
Soccer In Kentucky
Evan Sutherland is the new boys soccer coach at Madison Central High School…..University of Louisville head coach Ken Lolla has announced the addition of former MLS and University of Penn goalkeeper Danny Cepero as an assistant coach on his staff. He comes to Louisville after spending two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast as the goalkeeper coach. Cepero is the University of Pennsylvania’s all-time leader in shutouts with 23. Cepero’s MLS debut was in 2008 with the New York Red Bulls in a win over the Columbus Crew. In that game, he became the first goalkeeper in MLS history to score a goal when he drilled home a free kick from 81-yards out……Ann Gilliland, a junior from Lexington, KY, has been invited to the U.S. U-23 WNT camp in Carson CA., April 13-20. Gilliland led the Kentucky Wildcats in scoring a year ago, tallying seven goals. Three were game-winning goals, and three others were game-tying goals. Also invited to that training camp is former Western Kentucky goalkeeper Libby Stout (Louisville). Stout is currently playing professionally in France with Yzeure…Two Union College Bulldogs, Callum Tychowski and Dino Sefer, will pay this summer for the Louisville River City Rovers of the USL Premier Development League. Joe Butcher is set to play for the PDL Michigan Bucks.
Soccer In Louisiana
Three New Orleans high school soccer teams captured 2012-13 Louisiana High School Athletic Association state championships. Sebastian Pereira-Pinza scored a header in the second overtime period to give New Orleans Jesuit a 2-1 victory over St. Paul’s for its fourth boys state Division I title in five year. Ben Franklin completed an undefeated season (20-0-0) and upset top-seeded Vanderbilt Catholic from Houma, 2-1, for the girls Division II title. The third New Orleans winner was Division III Academy of Sacred Heart, a 3-0 victor over Loyola Prep from Shreveport. Lafayette won the girls Division I title with a 2-1 upset win over St Scholastical from Covington. St. Louis (Lake Charles) won the Division II boys championship with a 3-0 shutout of Arnaudville’s Beau Chene. Game MVP Will Solare scored two goals to lead St. Louis Catholic to its fourth straight state title. Baton Rouge’s Episcopal edged Isidore Newman from New Orleans 2-1 for the boys Division III state championship…..The New Orleans Jesters ended their nine-year run as a member of the USL Premier Development League. The Jesters have moved to the National Premier Soccer League for the 2013 season…Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lion head coach Blake Hornbuckle loses eight seniors from his 2012 season and has signed eight newcomers, including midfielder Gisenia Utreras from Ontario, Canada, who played as a freshman last fall at Memphis. Utreras enrolled at Southeastern in January.
Soccer In Maryland
The University of Maryland women wrapped up their competitive spring season with a 5-0-1 mark after tying Big 12 champion West Virginia, 2-2. Rising sophomores Alexis Prior-Brown (Pasadena, MD) and Ashley Spivey (Sparrows Point, MD) scored for the Terps. Maryland’s annual women’s Alumni Game is set for Saturday, April 27 at Ludwig Field….US Soccer, the Delaware Youth Soccer Association, the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association, will host a national C License Coaching Course in New Castle, Delaware, at the Kirkwood Soccer Club, August 1-4 and August 8-11. This is considered to be a commuter course, but local hotel accommodations are available. Tuition cost for this national course is $750. Registration will close July 1. Questions regarding this course are to be directed to Lew Atkinson at coaching@dysa.org …..U.S. Naval Academy head coach Dave Brandt has announced the promotion of Nate Baker to assistant coach after serving as a volunteer assistant with the program last fall. Baker replaces Derek Potteiger, who left to become the head coach at NCAA Division III Gordon College earlier this year.
Soccer In Mississippi
The 2013 US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup for Mississippi will be held May 18-19 in Tupelo, MS. Mississippi winners advance June 6-9 to the US Youth Region III Presidents Cup in Decatur, Ala, and regional winners will qualify for the National Presidents Cup in Auburndale, FL, in July…..Sacred Heart, ridgeland and Florence celebrated back-to-back Mississippi High School Athletic Association soccer titles for 2013. Scared Heat blasted Philadelphia 8-0 in the Class 3A/2A/1A finals, while Ridgeland downed South Jones 1-0 to win the 5A girls title, which was a MHS AA-record ninth for the Lady Titans. Florance shutout West Lauderdale 2-0 for the 4A girls, the Lady Eagles third state championship. Sacred Heart beat South Pontotoc 4-1 to take their first 3A/2A/1A state championship back to Hattisburg. Madison Central won their first 6A boys state title as the Jaguars shut out Ocean Springs 3-0. Ocean Springs got a measure of revenge by winning its first girl soccer title, beating Tupelo 2-0 for the 6A championship. The 4A boys title was won by Pontotoc, 6-2, over West Lauderdale. Tre Taliaferro, a forward from Ridgeline HS in Ridgeline, MS, has signed to play at West Virginia Wesleyan. Taliaferro led Ridgeline HS to the 5A Mississippi State championship in 2010.
Soccer In West Virginia
Marshall University men’s head coach Bob Gray has added seven players to his program for the upcoming 2013 soccer season, including Brady Reymond, a goalkeeper from Point Pleasant, WVa. He is a two-time all-state player, who helped his club team, WVSC Wizards to two state cup titles….The West Virginia Chaos of the USL PDL, has appointed a former WV Chaos player as its new head coach for the 2013 season. Predrag “Petsa” Ivanovic, who is currently the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Charleston, will take over the reins of the Chaos. He played collegiate soccer at Jacksonville University…..West Virginia head coach Marlon LeBlanc has added Jack Elliott to his men’s soccer recruiting class for the fall of 2013. Elliott is a defender from London, England who was the leading scorer on his school team the last two seasons….West Virginia Wesleyan men’s coach Gavin Donaldson, has signed eight players for the fall of 2013, Five of whom are from West Virginia, including Evan and Ian Miles who are seniors at Hurricane HS. They will be joined by another Hurricane teammate, Alex White. The other two West Virginia recruits are Parkersburg’s Tyler Broadwter and Charleston Catholic’s Adam Fox…..The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will be replaced by the Mountain East in the fall. The MEC includes Charleston, Concord, Shepherd, Wheeling Jesuit, Urbana and Notre Dame of Ohio..