Maine Coast United is now accepting registrations for U10 and U11 players.
U9/U10 teams will meet twice per week and U11 teams will meet 3 times per week, beginning in December. Indoor foot skills will be held on Wednesday or Thursday evenings, indoor team training (U11 only) will be held on Thursday evenings, and indoor league games will be held on Monday evenings. Teams will play two sessions of indoor games. The outdoor spring season will begin in late April and will include practice once or twice per week, league play and two tournaments. For more information, including cost, and to register, please click on the age group below:
The U10 Boys program is full. We are not accepting registrations at this time.
Maine Coast United is sending six teams to the Region 1 Championships in Barboursville, West Virginia - more than any other premier club in Maine!
U16 Boys/MCU Moxie - State Champions
U16 Girls/MCU Magic - State Champions
U14 Girls/MCU Ninjas - State Champions
U13 Boys/MCU Maineiacs - State Champions
U12 Boys/MCU Strikers - Wildcard
U12 Girls/MCU Storm - Wildcard
Congratulations MCU teams!
Maine Coast United MAGIC win 4th straight title
The U16 girls Maine Coast United Magic won the state championship on Sunday May 18 prevailing over Seacoast United 1-0. The victory makes a remarkable Four straight titles for this team making it one of the most decorated girls teams in the state's history.
The Maine Coast United Ninjas U14 Girlsteam capped off a great State Cup season by winning the Final 3-0 against Seacoast United Maine. The Ninjas went undefeated in State Cup play, scoring a total of 14 goals, and had 0 goals scored against them. Congratulations to the Ninjas and their coaches. Now off to West Virginia for the Region 1 Championships!
Fair-Play Code
The FIFA Fair Play Code for football encapsulates all of the sporting, moral and ethical principles for which FIFA has always stood and for which it will continue to fight in the future, regardless of the influences and pressures that may be brought to bear.
The ten golden rules not only serve as a credo for FIFA as world football's governing body, but they also reinforce the sense of fraternity and cooperation among the members of the worldwide football family.
1. Play fair Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure. Playing fair requires courage and character. It is also more satisfying. Fair play always has its reward, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns respect, while cheating only brings shame. Remember: it is only a game. And games are pointless unless played fairly.
2. Play to win but accept defeat with dignity Winning is the object of playing any game. Never set out to lose. If you do not play to win, you are cheating your opponents, deceiving those who are watching, and also fooling yourself. Never give up against stronger opponents but never relent against weaker ones. It is an insult to any opponent to play at less than full strength. Play to win, until the final whistle. But remember nobody wins all the time. You win some, you lose some. Learn to lose graciously. Do not seek excuses for defeat. Genuine reasons will always be self-evident. Congratulate the winners with good grace. Do not blame the referee or anyone else. Be determined to do better next time. Good losers earn more respect than bad winners.
3. Observe the Laws of the Game All games need rules to guide them. Without rules, there would be chaos. The rules of football are simple and easy to learn. Make sure you learn them; it will help you to understand the game better. Understanding the game better will make you a better player. It is equally important to understand the spirit of the rules. They are designed to make the game fun to play and fun to watch. By sticking to the rules, the game will be more enjoyable.
4. Respect opponents, team-mates, referees, officials and spectators Fair Play means respect. Respect is part of our game. Without opponents there can be no game. Everyone has the same rights, including the right to be respected. Team-mates are colleagues. Form a team in which all members are equal. Referees are there to maintain discipline and Fair Play. Always accept their decisions without arguing, and help them to enable all participants to have a more enjoyable game. Officials are also part of the game and must be respected accordingly. Spectators give the game atmosphere. They want to see the game played fairly, but must also behave fairly and with respect themselves.
5. Promote the interests of football Football is the world's greatest game. But it always needs everybody's help to maintain its greatness. Think of football's interests before your own. Think how your actions may affect the image of the game. Talk about the positive things in the game. Encourage other people to watch and play fairly. Help others to have as much fun from football as you do. Be an ambassador for the game.
6. Honour those who defend football's good reputation The good name of football has survived because the vast majority of people who love the game are honest and fair. Sometimes somebody does something exceptional that deserves our special recognition. They should be honoured and their fine example publicised. This encourages others to act in the same way. Help to promote football's image by publicising its good deeds.
7. Reject corruption, drugs, racism, violence, gambling and other dangers to our sport Football's huge popularity sometimes makes it vulnerable to negative outside interests. Watch out for attempts to tempt you into cheating or using drugs. Drugs have no place in football, in any other sport or in society as a whole. Say no to drugs. Help to kick racism and bigotry out of football. Treat all players and everyone else equally, regardless of their religion, race, sex or national origin. Show zero tolerance for gambling on games in which you participate. It negatively affects your ability to perform and creates the appearance of a conflict of interests. Show that football does not want violence, even from your own fans. Football is sport, and sport is peace.
8. Help others to resist corrupting pressures You may hear that team-mates or other people you know are being tempted to cheat in some way or otherwise engage in behaviour deemed unacceptable. They need your help. Do not hesitate to stand by them. Give them the strength to resist. Remind them of their commitment to their team-mates and to the game itself. Form a block of solidarity, like a solid defence on the field of play.
9. Denounce those who attempt to discredit our sport Do not be ashamed to stand up to anybody who you are sure is trying to make others cheat or engage in other unacceptable behaviour. It is better to expose them and have them removed before they can do any damage. It is equally dishonest to go along with a dishonest act. Do not just say no. Denounce those misguided persons who are trying to spoil our sport before they can persuade somebody else to say yes.
10. Use football to make a better world Football has an incredible power, which can be used to make this world a better place in which everyone can live. Use this powerful platform to promote peace, equality, health and education for everyone. Make the game better, take it to the world, and you will be fostering a better world.
fifa.com
(FIFA.com)
Roger Levesque Signs Contract with Seattle Sounders (MLS) March 16, 2009 --
The Seattle Sounders FC has signed forward Roger Levesque
RENTON, WASH. – The Seattle Sounders FC has signed forward Roger Levesque to a Major League Soccer contract, the team announced today.
Roger is a former Maine Coast United Player who played on the first Maine Coast United team in 1995. He is the all-time leading scorer in the State of Maine with 106 goals over his 4 year career at Falmouth High School. He also was the first Falmouth High All American and a two-time state champ with Falmouth High School.
Drafted 23rd overall by San Jose in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Levesque, 28, appeared in three games for the MLS Cup champions before being loaned to the USL-1 Sounders that same season.
Levesque became a mainstay with the Sounders from 2004 through 2008. He scored eight goals in 2004 and led the team with 10 goals in its championship season of 2005. In 2007, he was named All-USL second team, as the Sounders again won the title. He ranks fifth in franchise history with 27 goals, and seventh in assists (16) and games played (130).
Levesque, a graduate of Stanford University, is a two-time All-American (2001-02) and led the Cardinals to the NCAA semifinals as a junior and championship game as a senior. He played alongside Sounders FC defender Taylor Graham at Stanford and for the USL-1 Sounders.
"Roger is a player who has been committed to the Seattle area,” said Coach Sigi Schmid. “He is very active and has a very good work rate.”
Confessions of a misspent youth April 20, 2009 --
The Universal Notebook
The Universal Notebook is Edgar Allen Beem's weekly personal look at the world around him. "Backyard Maine," a collection of his columns, is available now at local bookstores.
Watching my youngest daughter Tess play soccer on the all-too green synthetic surfaces of Citizens Bank Fields in Lancaster, Mass., a few weeks ago, it occurred to me that I have no idea what it feels like to run on rubber and fall on artificial turf.
I do, however, know exactly what it feels like to leap off a huge pile of soft loam and to be pelted by crab-apples as you run through the woods.
Playing premier league soccer since she was 10, Tess, now 18, has competed on turf fields in tournaments all over New England and the Northeast. Having grown up before the advent of over-organized youth sports, I ran wild through fields and forests, vacant lots, sandpits, quarries, orchards, rail yards, and industrial wastelands all over Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine.
Frankly, I'm not sure which childhood is preferable. Certainly, no responsible parent these days would give a 6 or 7 year old the run of a town, but that's pretty much what we had when, as my mother said to my little brother and me virtually every day of our young lives, "You boys run outside and play."
Let loose, we and the wild boys we befriended everywhere were like a pack of dogs, not mean or menacing, just foolish and free. In the days before e-mail and text messaging, before kids even used telephones, we found one another by chance or by standing outside a friend's house and howling his name – "Edd-dieee!"
We may have had a lot less in the way of organized recreation back then, but I have to believe we had a bit more imagination. And the things we thought up were often wonderfully adventurous and irresponsible.
The summer of 1960, a few months after we moved to Westbrook, I joined the Suicide Six Club, the initiation for which was nominally to ride your bike down Suicide Hill, a precipitous slope next to an abandoned quarry. As far as I know, none of the members ever actually did so.
What we did do almost daily that fall was stage neighborhood apple wars, a primitive forerunner of paintball fights. We'd divide into teams, fill our sweatshirts and jackets with fallen apples, and then have at it, chasing and ambushing the enemy and pelting them with rotting fruit. (A bit of strategic advise: never take shelter in an empty boxcar during an apple fight. Crab-apples ricochet wildly and the noise is deafening.)
Basketball, however, was the sport of kings in Westbrook. We played not in leagues, but in pick-up games, in the Cumberland Gym above Welch's Pharmacy, in Hurd's barn, on the concrete court next to the Tank (as the municipal swimming pool was known), but mostly in driveways. In winter we'd shovel off snow, chip away ice, and play outside in the cold, banking shots off rickety plywood backboards until our fingertips froze and cracked. After a season on the pavement, old leather basketballs became as wonderfully soft and furry as suede.
In the realm of pure play, there was always "guns." There was a field at the end of our dead-end street that was full of grassed-over loam piles left behind by contractors building homes on Deer Hill (the gentler slope of Suicide Hill). In this suburban Wild West, we played cowboys, staging epic gun battles that invariably ended with melodramatic (and repeated) plunges off the top of the loam piles into the soft earth and long grass below.
Then one day the girls arrived. Embarrassed at being caught at child's play, we never played guns again. Boyhood officially ended at 12.
The final wild place of my youth was Tall Pines, a grove of old growth in the midst of the little vestigial woods that separated my house from my girlfriend's. Jane and I would meet there to "make out," kissing as passionately as the chaste passion of a pre-teen permits. Then we would lie back on the warm, fragrant bed of pine needles at the base of the great trees, look up into the upper branches, and talk about what it would be like to be grown up, to have a car, a house, money, to be able to go wherever we wanted, to do whatever it was we wanted to do.
What we didn't realize, of course, is that we would never again be quite so content as we were lying there beneath the tall pines, nor as free as the wild boys at play in the fields and woods of Westbrook.
.
PORTLAND, Ore. – For the 60th time in the history of the two franchises, the Seattle Sounders faced the Portland Timbers.
Wednesday night in front of a sellout crowd of 16,382 at PGE Park in Portland, the two teams set the bar for intensity in the 34-year-old derby as the Sounders FC topped the Timbers of the USL 2-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
Roger Levesque (MCU and Falmouth High School) scored just 48 seconds into the match and Stephen King added a second in the 27th minute as Kasey Keller finished with three saves while allowing Portland’s only goal in the 43rd minute.
“We let them back into it by giving up the goal right before halftime but they put a lot of pressure on us,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “They play fairly direct and we weren’t winning enough of the head-ball duels toward the end of the first half and even for a period in the second half. But that’s what these games are. They aren’t always going to be the prettiest games. You have to roll up your sleeves and battle through it and that’s what we did in the second half.”
After a quick turnaround from Seattle’s 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids Sunday, the focus went quickly to the fervor of the Seattle and Portland crowds that have made the Cascadia derby so exciting through the years.
Much of that focus shifted to the Sounders who had faced Portland so many times with the USL club in previous years, including Levesque, who had tallied nine goals against Portland entering the Open Cup meeting.
“I’ve played a lot of games on this pitch so it’s definitely a special night,” said Levesque, who had drawn the brunt of the ire from the Timbers fans throughout the years. That made his first minute goal all the more sweet when he put the Sounders up 1-0 before security even had time to clear the smoke bombs that some fans had thrown onto the field.
“It all happened so fast,” Levesque said. “Sanna (Nyassi) is so quick down that right sideline. I knew he was going to get to the endline and cross the ball like he’s done so many times. I was just able to sneak in there and knock it to the near post. It all happened so fast, I don’t think Steve (Cronin, Portland goalkeeper) had time to react.” Seattle continued to control possession for much of the first half, grinding out each opportunity with the ball at their feet.
Then in the 27th minute, they struck. Nate Jaqua carried the ball into the attacking third until he approached resistance from the Portland defense, then dropped the ball off to King for a blast from 19 yards out, beating Cronin to the far post.
Seattle continued to grind, carrying possession for extended periods, though after falling behind 2-0, the Timbers got more urgent on the attack.
David Hayes got up the left side and crossed to the far post for Mandjou Keita for a header into the net to narrow the margin to 2-1 just before halftime in the 43rd minute. The second half continued at that tenor, with both teams threatening at various stages with no success.
Portland peppered the box with 13 shots on the night, but only managed a serious risk to Keller once in the second half while Pete Vagenas, starting for an injured Osvaldo Alonso, controlled the tempo for the Sounders in the midfield.
“I thought Vagenas did what he needed to do. It’s a hard game to play in midfield because it’s so direct and a lot of it is winning duels and challenges which isn’t necessarily his strength. But I thought he and Stephen King did a good job battling in midfield for us,” Schmid said.
In addition to Alonso, Seattle played without the services of Freddie Ljungberg, who has taken a pounding as one of the league’s most fouled players and was given a well-deserved day off, and Brad Evans and Tyrone Marshall, who were away with the US and Jamaican National Teams, respectively.
The win advances the Sounders to the quarterfinals against the Kansas City Wizards next Tuesday. Kickoff is set for 7 pm at Starfire in Tukwila.
MCU SWEATSHIRTS!
The coveted MCU Sweatshirts are back, and will be sold by the MCU U14 Girls team as a fundraiser. Don’t miss your opportunity to get one! We will have a limited amount ready for sale. The sweatshirts are Adults sizes and Youth Large, and cost is $28. For those of you who already have an MCU sweatshirt – they are different this year, so add another to your MCU collection. It is still a hooded sweatshirt in that great Ultra Cotton material, but is sport grey (darker than last year’s) and includes the MCU crest on the front of the sweatshirt.
We have great fleece hats for sale also! These are beanie style, navy blue with MCU embroidered in red. Price on the hats is $10, and are one-size-fits-all.
TOP Soccer...the Game for All Kids! TOP November 21, 2008 --
TOP Soccer...the Game for All Kids!
Starts December 4, 2008@Portland Sports Complex
•
How does TOPSoccer work?
Each child comes to the field Thursdays at 4:00 PM with a parent and plays soccer with the assistance of a Buddy.
•
How are teams set up?
Each Thursday at 4:00 PM, after a skills lesson and practice, teams are setup with the available children. This allows for different players each week. Each child plays in a manner that most suits him/her.
•
What is a Buddy?
A Buddy is a person who stays with the player, assisting them and makes sure he/she has a good time.
•
How can I be a Buddy?
Contact Todd Whitcomb (871-1205).
•
What is the cost?
The registration fee is $20/player
•
What does the registration fee cover?
Registration with USYSA, liability insurance and a uniform
•
Who pays the rest of the cost?
A Partnership between SoccerMaine and The Maine Coast United Soccer Clubthrough local sponsorships and grants from The Spurwink School
•
When do the kids play?
Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 PM at Portland Sports Complex
•
How do I sign my child up?
Please come to the first session December 4,2008
TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a national soccer program created to train young people with disabilities in a caring coaching environment. The program is generally carried out by volunteers at the SpurwinkSchool and within the club of MaineCoast united, with financial support from US Soccer, SoccerMaine Maine Special Olympics and Maine Coast United
The TOPSoccer program not only gives young athletes with disabilities an opportunity to play soccer, it also serves as a feeder program to recruit, assess and train players to participate in competitions offered by existing sports organizations for people with disabilities and mainstreams higher ability players on to regular youth soccer teams.
By providing a community-based training and team placement program for young people with disabilities, any boy or girl, age 5 to 19 who has a mental or physical disability will have the opportunity to learn and play soccer and become valued and successful members of SoccerMaine and the US YOUTH SOCCER family.
TOPSoccer was designed not as a competitor to the programs run by other sports organizations for people with disabilities, but rather as a complementary program that works hand in hand with organizations like Special Olympics to expand the overall training and competition opportunities for young people with disabilities. The TOPSoccer program often works as a feeder program: recruiting, assessing, and training new soccer players who would benefit from opportunities sponsored by these sports organizations.
Many of the sports opportunities currently offered to young people with disabilities are school based. However, many parents of these young people would like their child to participate in the same community sports program as their non-disabled brothers and sisters - to wear the same club uniform, play at the same fields, go to the same awards banquets, and if appropriate, play on a non-disabled team. TOPSoccer can fill this need. The TOPSoccer program has also helped introduce the Unified Soccer Camp in many areas, a concept developed by Special Olympics. The Unified Soccer Camp brings together disabled and non-disabled soccer players in a positive and fun environment, hopefully breaking down social barriers through a common love of the game.
A basic TOPSoccer program consists of two vital components. The first is a field site where soccer players with disabilities can receive high-quality training to help develop their soccer skills. Training sessions could include activities such as scrimmages, small-sided games (3 v 3, 4 v 4) and tournaments. The second component of the TOPSoccer program is an ongoing player assessment process that places participants in the most appropriate playing situation, including placement on non-disabled, intramural and club teams, or involvement in programs established by other sports associations for people with disabilities (i.e., Special Olympics).
Why do we need TOPSoccer? So that every kid can know the rewards of playing on a team, of trying to score – of being in the game! It brings a sense of accomplishment and sheer joy to kids who otherwise would have to sit on the sidelines. Parents can’t praise it enough, the siblings enjoy helping and cheering, the kids’ laughter and enthusiasm are infectious – In this program, everyone comes away a winner.” - Julie Foudy, US Women’s National Team Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist, World Cup Soccer Champion
For more information on TOPSoccer contact The Spurwink School
341 Pine StreetSouth Portland, M aine04062 [Phone: 207 871-1205 207 Fax871-1237
or email to: toddwhitcomb2002@yahoo.com
Dupee Named Second Team All-NEC
Nov. 9, 2008
FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior women's soccer player Britney Dupee (Portland, ME) was named Second Team All-Northeast Conference by a vote of league coaches this weekend. It was the second time in her career Dupee has received that honor, also being named in 2006 at the end of her sophomore season.
Dupee finished second on the team in scoring this season with three goals and an assist. She finished her career at SHU with ten goals and five assists.
Maine Coast United U10 & U11 Boys Program '08-'09
Developmental program designed for the young soccer enthusiasts
who can't seem to play enough soccer!
Organizational meeting TBA in early November; please check back for date/location
Mike Hagerty will be heading up program once again with a team of dynamic coaches & trainers
Program includes weekly indoor training, indoor league play and
spring outdoor season with 2 tournaments
For questions, or to add your name to email notification list, please email
Date / Times: August 10 – August 14 Camp - 9:00 to 3:00pm Location: Deering High School Girls and Boys ages 8 to 14 $ 225.00
MCU JUNIOR ACADEMY Ages 5 to 8 9:00 AM until noon $110
Registration is limited so register now! A $50.00 deposit made out to PAYSA confirms a spot.
A Note to Parents: Proceeds from the camp will go to PAYSA, a Maine nonprofit organization. Your cancelled check is your confirmation of acceptance and will reserve your child’s spot. Additional information will be mailed after registration, including a request for medical information.
THE STAFF The PAYSA Soccer Camp has again assembled a very strong staff of local and regional coaches. Our camp directors, Falmouth High School Varsity Boys’ head coach, Dave Halligan (1999 NSCAA National Coach of the Year) and Yarmouth High School Varsity Boys’ head coach, Mike Hagerty (2008 New England Coach Of the Year), have combined for over 525 career victories, 24 Western Maine Championships and 17 Maine State Titles. Their programs have also produced 7 All-Americans, 13 All-New England players, and 13 Regional ODP players. They have had or currently have players playing at an impressive list of colleges and universities. That list includes Providence, Stonehill, Virginia, Davidson, Quinnipiac, Colby, Bowdoin, Sacred Heart, UConn, NYU, USM, UMO. They have also had two players go on to play professionally.
This year’s staff is expected to include: • Rich Smith: Yarmouth High School Girls’ Varsity Head Coach • Mike Andreasen: Greely High School Boys’ Varsity Head Coach & NSCAA 2007 New England Coach of the Year • Todd Whitcomb: Falmouth High School Boys' Assistant Coach & NSCAA 2006 New England Asst. Coach of the Year • Rod Corey: Yarmouth High School Coach & former Colby College All New England player • Mark Roma: Bowdoin College Goalkeepers’ Coach
Greater Portland area college players will serve as assistant coaches. Many are former high school all-stars, and have played or are playing college soccer.
MCU U16 Girls Crowned Coastal Challenge Champs!
Maine Coast United's U16 Girls carried off top honours at the Father's Day Weekend Coastal Challenge. The team recorded wins over Halifax County (CND), Bruno United (MA) and Blackbear United (ME) in qualifying for the final where they made it a clean sweep with a 1-0 triumph over Scotia Soccer (CND).
The U15 Girls MAGIC clenched a 3rd consecutive State Title prevailing over Maine Metro 1-0 in Overtime. Karyn Barrett served a nearly perfect corner kick that landed in front of the net and Center Back Caitlin Costello took it into the goal after a scramble. The grueling game came a day after the Magic defeated the Coastal team 2-1 in a physical and hard fought contest, with goals by Kelly Burrell and Jessica DiPhilippo. The girls will be making their 3rd straight appearance in Regionals which is becoming something of an annual tradition with this bunch.
Coach Todd Whitcomb likened the early workouts of his Maine Coast United under-14 boys' soccer team to that of the first days of Little League baseball practice.
Everybody either wants to pitch or play shortstop, but an entire roster needs to be filled out and a set of roles must be assigned.
Whitcomb had plenty of players willing to score goals, but he had to stress the importance of defense. At the U.S. Youth Soccer Region 1 tournament this weekend, his team fulfilled his hopes.
Maine Coast United allowed only one goal in three games, and before the tournament, Whitcomb estimated his team gave up one goal in 17 games in front of goalkeeper Kyle DeVinney, with Ryan Rybka anchoring the defense.
The team won two games in the tournament and was denied a spot in the semifinals when it lost to New Jersey 1-0 on Sunday.
"It was people giving up a little of their own game to make the team better," Whitcomb said.
Whitcomb said his team built upon early-season competition and won a tournament in Connecticut over Memorial Day weekend.
"We had a lot of success at different tournaments and we started to believe that we could compete," Whitcomb said.
In Pool A, Maine Coast United defeated Beachside (Conn.) 3-0 and Syracuse Blitz (New York West) 5-0 and lost to the Pasco (N.J.) Stallions, 1-0. Pasco defeated FC Delco Roadkill of Pennsylvania 1-0 in the semifinals and will face Baltimore Casa Mia of Maryland for the U-14 title.
A new round of tryouts will come next year, which Whitcomb hopes will generate strong interest in his team.
"With success, hopefully people will want to be on the team," Whitcomb said. "This fuels that momentum."
Maine Coast United Player Selected Region 1 ODP Team
Congratulations to Sam White (U/14 Boys ) for being selected to the 1993 ODP Region 1 team for the second straight year. Sam was selected from the more than 400 players from fifteen state programs, which had qualified to attend the ODP Regional Identification event, This Thanksgiving break Sam will attend the Interregional being held at Disney's Widie World of Sports. At that tournament he will now vie for a position on the 1993 U.S. Soccer National Team.
MAINE COAST UNITED U16 GIRLS WIN STATE CUP June 3, 2007 --
Front Row (R to L): Taylor Sullivan, Caitlin Caldwell, Aimee St.Germain, Hillary Keach, Courtney Penny. Second Row (R-L): Lane Curran, Erin Woodbury, Alison Carpenter, Tess Beem, Corey Morganstern, Jessa Steinman, Taylor Applebaum. Back Row(R-L): Morgan Woodhouse, Elsa Mullin, Sara Bachman, Eliza LePage, Lexi Wing and Kim Loeffel.
The Maine Coast United (MCU) U16 girls won the Maine State Cup with a 1-0 win over FC Maine Metro and will represent Maine in the United States Youth Soccer Association Region I Championships to be held in Falmouth and Brunswick, Maine from June 28 through July 3, 2007.
MCU was the first seed from its State Cup bracket, on the strength of a 1-1 tie with FC Maine Metro, and a win over Coastal SC, followed by a shootout win over FC Maine Metro to determine the first seed. MCU defeated Southern Maine Premier in the semi-finals and then prevailed over FC Maine Metro, 1-0, in the final on a 22-yard blast from Sara Bachman of Falmouth. An outstanding defensive effort by the entire MCU defense and keeper Courtney Penny of Yarmouth preserved the shutout win over defending champion FC Maine Metro.
MCU MOXIE U14 BOYS TAKE TWO TROPHIES IN TWO WEEKENDS June 3, 2007 --
The Maine Coast United U/14 Boys Moxie continued their strong play this spring as they won The Oakwood Premier Invitational over the Memorial Day Weekend. Moxie beat a very strong field of premier teams from Massachusetts Connecticut and New York. Moxie opened up the tournament surprising the host Oakwood U/14 Boys 1-0. They followed up with a convincing 3-0 victory over the Nor'Easter Stingers (MA) in the afternoon. Sunday brought an early 4-0 victory of Clifton Park Premier. Later in the afternoon Moxie booked their ticket to the finals with a charged thwarting of Newington Benfica Premier (CT) 4-0.
The final was held Monday Morning and Moxie again faced Oakwood team that beat Western United (MA) 5-1 in the other Semi final. The game moment ebbed an flowed through out the match. Moxie taking a 1-0 lead and Oakwood matching with 5 minutes left in the first half. After 34 minutes of the 2nd half Moxie won a scrum in front of the net and Kyle Groves bicycled a winner in the net after the Oakwood goalie blocked two previous attempts. For the tournament Moxie scored 14 goals and only gave up the 1 in the championship. This is the first major out of state tournament win for MCU U/14 Boys.
On the weekend of June 2nd and 3rd, MCU Moxie continued their winning ways as they earned their third consecutive USYSA State Championship. Moxie entered the weekend as the #1 seed in pool play by defeating Coastal Soccer Club 9-0 and Black Bear United 6-0 in previous weekends. On Saturday MCU defeated a determined Bath Clippers Team 3-0 on the Strength of the defense, allowing only 1 shot to reach Goalie Kyle Devinney. On Sunday Moxie came out strong and scored early on a direct kick from Fazilhaq Nabi. Through continuous pressure and numerous opportunities Moxie walked off the field at half leading 3-0. After the break the pressure continued as goal 4 came early in the half and sealed Maine Metro's fate. Late in the game Metro ended MCU Moxie's in-state shut out streak with set piece off a foul. For the State Cup Championships Moxie out scored opponents 23-1 in 4 games.
MAINE COAST UNITED U14 GIRLS DEFEND THEIR STATE TITLE June 5, 2007 --
The Maine Coast United U14 Girls defended their state title by beating Maine Metro in a rematch of last year’s state championship. The game was ultimately decided by a round of penalty kicks when the game was deadlocked 1-1 after 110 minutes of play including overtime. Pictured above: Front Row: L-R Anna Lock, Becca Bell; Second Row L-R Natalie Salmon, Kim Bernard, Elizabeth Carew, Tori Armishaw, Kelly Burrell, Devin Simsarian, Abbey Cavalero; Third Row: Coach Larry Fischman, Lizzy Fischman, Allie Lycan, Karyn Barrett, Elizabeth Estabrook, Danielle Torres, Emily Bessette, Rachel Bauer, Jamie Sabo, Coach Marsha Lycan
May 1, 2007 --
U14 BOYS:
NOVIA SCOTIA-DANIEL MELONG, RICHARD RISK
FSA-BRYAN RUST, DANNY MICHALIK, KEVIN WANTROBA, SAL DITOMMASO, JOEY GIANATTI
MCU-FAZILHAQ NABI, CHARLIE DUPEE, KYLE GROVES, ANDREW LYNCH, MIKE BLOOM
SEACOAST UNITED-AUSTIN OUIMETTE, MICHAEL FORT, BLAKE HEYN, JASON WADE
BLACKWATCH- MIKE SOUSA, CHRIS DEVINE, GREG GEZZINES, JARED DAVIS
SOUTH CENTRAL PREMIER-JASON MENARD, NICHOLAS RIVAS-VAZQUEZ, MARLON RAFAEL, MIKE INGENO
UMO Men's Soccer Announces Commitments Nine student-athletes to join program this fall
April 30, 2007
ORONO, Maine - University of Maine men's soccer coach Pat Laughlin announced today that his program has received commitments from nine players to attend the University of Maine this fall. The class includes Pat Halligan, Kyle LeDuc, Thomas McCole, Jon Planer, Alex Rickett, Brendan Rogers, Kyle Shangraw, Corey Sinclair and Mikael Wasiuk. Four of the players are from the state of Maine and the class also includes five transfers.
"I am excited about the 2007 University of Maine men's soccer recruiting class," said Laughlin. "These players have decided to commit their academic and athletic futures to the University of Maine and I feel that they will be able to make an impact on the program in their time here. These nine student-athletes have a great deal of talent, experience, and desire. In the coming weeks we should be able to announce the completion of this class with three or four more commitments."
Pat Halligan is a 5-9, 150-pound midfielder and forward from Falmouth, Maine. He is joining the Black Bears as a fifth-year senior after spending four years playing for the University of Connecticut. Prior to Connecticut, he was a three-time state champion at Falmouth High School. He was twice named All-New England and in 2002 was named an All-American along with being the Gatorade and NSCAA Maine Player of the Year. "Pat is a hungry player who has decided to use his last year of eligibility at Maine," said Laughlin. "I have been impressed with Pat as a player since seeing him play at the U-17 age group. He is a dynamic one-vs-one player who should create some match up problems."
Kyle LeDuc is a 6-4, 200-pound back from Topsham, Maine. He will join Maine as a junior after spending the last two seasons at Providence College. Providence advanced to the NCAA Tournament in both 2005 and 2006. At Mt. Ararat High School, he was named an All-Eastern Maine selection twice and the team won a state championship. "Kyle is a player that has a great physical presence and loves the game of soccer," said Laughlin. "The past two years he has been a part of a very successful Providence College program. I expect him to bring toughness, experience, and help lead the backline this fall."
Thomas McCole is a 6-0, 165-pound midfielder from Toronto, Ontario. He was captain and two-time MVP at Cardinal Newman. McCole was a Golden Boot Winner of OYSL with Olympic Flame Soccer Club. He also is a member of the Canadian National Training Center and is currently training with Winstars Soccer Academy under Bobby Graham. "Tom is a player that came to my attention this fall while playing for the Winstars Soccer Academy," said Laughlin. "He was the first recruit I called when I was named the head coach at the University of Maine. He is a dynamic two way midfielder who possess great stamina. He is a player who will make an impact for the Black Bears in his career."
Jon Planer is a 6-3, 170-pound goalkeeper from Yarmouth, Maine. He was a captain and three-year letterwinner at Yarmouth High School, which won two state championships. Planer was an All-State, All-Western Maine and All-Conference selection. He also won a state title with the Coastal Soccer Club. "Jon is an athletic player who has his best years ahead of him," said Laughlin. "We feel that he is going to really develop with consistent training at college. His discipline and desire to succeed can be seen in being named All-State in both soccer and swimming."
Alex Rickett is a 5-9, 150-pound midfielder from Northville, Michigan. He was an All-State selection at Northville High School. He also played for the Michigan Wolves club team, coached by Brian Doyle, which were Michigan State Champions and USYSA Region II semifinalists in 2006. "Alex comes out of the Michigan Wolves club program," said Laughlin. "He is a technical player that can play both wide right and left in midfield. He should adjust quickly to college with his abilities and experience."
Brendan Rogers is a 5-10, 165-pound back and midfielder from Wakefield, Rhode Island. Last season he redshirted at Hofstra University and will have four years of eligibility at Maine. At South Kingstown High School, he was team captain and an All-State selection his senior season. He was twice named All-Division and also played club soccer with MidState United. "Brendan is a player that I know well as I coached him with the Rhode Island 87 ODP team," said Laughlin. "He is a versatile, physical player who will challenge for playing time in both the back and midfield."
Kyle Shangraw is a 6-0, 175-pound forward from Westbrook, Maine. He will be joining the Black Bears as a junior after playing at Bryant and Stratton College for two years, both of which ranked in the top fifteen in the NJCAA and were NJCAA Region III finalists. He was named NJCAA All-Region, All-Conference and All-Western New York. As team captain at Westbrook, he was named an All-State selection and team's leading scorer. "Kyle is an explosive player who is a tough competitor," said Laughlin. "His experience playing at Bryant and Stratton has prepared him to play at the NCAA Division I level."
Corey Sinclair is a 5-9, 175-pound back from Richland, Washington. He will join Maine as a junior, transferring from Northwest University and Walla Walla Community College. He started 25 games at Walla Walla, helping his team to a 22-1-2 record and a NWACC regular season title. At Richland High School, he was team captain, league MVP and first team All-State. "Corey is an outstanding athlete who brings experience and collegiate success with him to Maine," said Laughlin. "I expect him to come in and make a contribution immediately."
Mikael Wasiuk is a 6-1, 165-pound midfielder from Leesburg, Virginia. As a junior, he was team captain, MVP and a first-team All-District selection. He is team captain this season as well, with the season currently in progress. Wasiuk also played for Reston FC and has played internationally while in Sweden. "Mikael is a very creative player who is comfortable on the ball," said Laughlin. "His development is a product of the youth club system in Sweden where he spent the majority of his life growing up."
All National Letter of Intent signings and commitments are contingent upon admission to the University of Maine and compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations, including registration with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
The Black Bears' 2007 men's soccer schedule will be announced in late May. For more information on University of Maine Athletics, visit www.GoBlackBears.com.
MCU U15G 1st Place in Waterville CanAm April 11, 2007 - 06:00 PM --
The U15 Girls team won the U16 Girls Division of the All Pro SC sponsored Can Am Tournament, Waterville, ME on April 7th. The indoor Can Am tournament featured teams from Canada and New England.
They were also Runners Up of the U15 Girls Division of the Seacoast SC sponsored Nike Cup in New Hampshire The indoor 6 v 6 Nike Cup featured teams from ME, MA and NH.
Great work ladies!!
The MCU U/12 Girls Winners of the Maine Metro Winter Break Tournament-February 2007 MCU vs. Maine Terriers 2-1 MCU vs. Odyssey 1-1 MCU vs. Black Bear United 4-0 MCU vs. Black Bear United U11s 5-2 MCU vs. NFC (semi-final) 2-1 MCU vs. Scarborough Red Storm (final) 2-1
In Praise Of Fast Girls February 22, 2007 --
In praise of fast girls
By Edgar Allen Beem (published: February 22, 2007)
Track is one of those sports like swimming, golf, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, cross country and skiing where spectators tend to be limited to immediate family. Fans show up for football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and even lacrosse, but track stars tend to compete in relative obscurity, their accomplishments generally relegated to agate type in the box scores of the sports page.
Two weeks ago, I spent seven hours at the USM field house in Gorham watching the Western Maine Conference Class B indoor track championships. Daughter Tess won the junior 200-meter dash in a time of 27.86 seconds to remain undefeated in the 200 this year, but she was running (against doctor’s orders and dad’s better judgment) with a stress fracture in her left foot, so she may not compete in the state meet.
Seven hours (4 to 11 p.m.) is a long time to wait to watch a 30-second race, though Tess also anchored Yarmouth’s 4x200 relay and finished fourth (poor start) in the 55, so I actually got about a minute’s worth of family viewing pleasure out of the 420 minutes I spent in the bleachers. The rest of the time I spent enjoying the exploits of the other female athletes at the meet.
As the father of daughters, I find I am much more interested in girls’ sports than I am in boys’. I just love seeing strong, fit young women compete. And one thing I noticed in Yarmouth’s inaugural season of indoor track is that the best female track athletes tend to be soccer players. Most of the scoring for Yarmouth this year, in fact, came from three soccer players – Tess, Annie Clabby and Lizzie Fischman.
Many of the fast girls Tess competed against on the track were the same girls she competes against on the soccer field. Naturally, she didn’t have much good to say about most of her opponents, but I tended to see them for who they are – her counterparts, tough, talented and extremely competitive student-athletes who just happened to live in other towns. She’d love them if they were her teammates.
Chelsea Tewell of York (who Tess marked and shutdown in soccer) won the junior 55, junior 55 hurdles, and the triple jump. Carly Applebaum of Falmouth (ditto) won the senior 400 and was second in the senior 200, an extraordinary feat in events that are run so close together. Tess calls Carly “The Energizer Bunny,” and anyone who has seen her relentless determination will know why. I keep a photograph of the two of them on my desk – Tess in whites and Carly in blue battling it out on the soccer field, arms locked, each throwing a hip into the other, fighting for possession of the ball. Tess kept Carly from scoring, but Falmouth had too many horses and won anyway.
Ashley Robinson of Cape Elizabeth seemed to come out of nowhere at the WMC meet to win the senior 55, senior 200 and the long jump. Greely sweeper Georgia Doucette was second in the senior 55, third in the senior 200 and anchored the Rangers’ winning relay team. Last year, when Yarmouth didn’t have a track team and Greely coach John Folan allowed Tess to train and run with his team, Georgia took Tess under her wing, so Tess likes seeing her do well.
Tess’ Maine Coast United soccer teammate and good buddy Liza Page of Greely came in second in both the 800 and the mile. Alison Carpenter of North Yarmouth Academy, another MCU player, had to sit out the meet with an injury. Ironically, Alison hurt herself a month ago in the same 200-meter race in which Tess injured her foot.
The power, grace and beauty of young female athletes at play are a joy for a sedentary old man to behold. There is nothing in this life I would rather do than watch Tess and her peers compete. I just love the passion and sense of purpose with which they play. I just hope – for her sake and mine – that her foot has healed by the time the snow melts and lacrosse season is upon us.
MCU Busy Winning During The February Break February 24, 2007 --
The MCU Moxie U/14 Team finished off a the February Break with a decisive 4 win sweep through Seacoast United's Nike Indoor Cup. Moxie scored 18 goals and only gave up one goal during the the 4 game tournament. On their way to a championship Moxie beat Black Watch (RI) 6-0 Seacoast United U/13 Boys 3-0, Arsenal (NH) 6-1. Moxie's final game was a very decisive 3-0 win over the Seacoast United U/14.
The MCU U/12 Girls won the MMFC Winter Break Tournament held at Gorham Sports Center. The team finished 5-0-1, winning in the final against Scarborough Red Storm 2-1.
The MCU 15 Girls were runners up in the Nike Cup tournament hosted by Seacoast United. The girls finished 2-1-1 losing out on the champions spot to a goal five minutes from the in their final game.
The MCU U/14 Girls entered in the MMFC tourney made it to the finals and lost to the Boston Blast 0-2 in the finals.
A guide for youth coach on the most up to date thinking on the best approaches for developing young soccer players
Z.Z. brings her A-game for Lakers September 28, 2006 --
Z.Z. Leighton recently set a school record with four goals in a game and is close to becoming Lake Region's all-time scoring leader. But as Coach Lynn Harrison says, "She doesn't want to know about records. She wants to go and play."
NAPLES -- Z. Z. Leighton has become synonymous with athletic success, as she helped the Lake Region girls´ basketball team to a Western Maine Class B championship and ran a leg of the Lakers´ Class B 400-meter relay championship team in the spring.
But her most unusual moment this fall for the Lake Region girls´ soccer team came when the senior scored one of her four goals against Freeport on Sept. 15. While fixing her ponytail, the ball landed in front of her, setting up a prime scoring opportunity.
Lake Region girls´ soccer Coach Lynn Harrison considers Leighton skilled as a soccer player and selfless as a team leader.
"The ball just dances on her feet," Harrison said. "It´s like it´s attached to a string on her shoe." You just go, ´whoa.´ She brings an amazing sense of humor, but she sees everything as a challenge, as a chance to improve."
Leighton has 19 goals and six assists for the Lakers (6-1-1) and has 51 goals and 17 assists in four years. She´s in position to set the school´s single-season scoring record Friday against Wells.
"She doesn´t want to know about records," Harrison said. "She wants to go and play. She just wants her team to win. Sometimes she scores, sometimes someone else scores. But she wants to win."
Your given name is Elizabeth, but how did the nickname Z.Z. come about? When I was a lot younger, my brother was born and he couldn´t pronounce my full name. He called me Z.Z. and it´s stuck since then. I´ve been called that forever.
You´re a three-sport athlete and good at every sport in which you participate. But if you had to choose one sport to participate in, what would it be and why? That´s a tough question. Everyone asks me what my favorite sport is and I´m stuck between basketball and soccer. I love soccer, but I´m literally stuck, because I love my basketball coach and my team.
You´re in your fourth year of playing sports at Lake Region. What´s been the best moment? Basketball, winning the Western Maine championship and playing in states. In soccer, I broke the school scoring record while I was doing my hair during a game. There was a goal kick and one of our players touched it, and the ball came to me. I had a shot, took it and I couldn´t believe it went in.
What´s stood out so far about this season? Probably the talent on our team. We´ve always had to outwork teams, but we have really athletic freshmen this year, and our midfielders are very strong.
Your team plays in the Western Maine Conference, which is a very competitive conference. What´s it like to play in that conference? I like playing in the conference, and I find that when we play our toughest teams, like Falmouth, Yarmouth or York, those are the fun ones. To me, it´s a challenge.
Who is the best player you´ve faced in soccer? Caitlyn Butterfield from Gorham. I´ve played against her in club, and she´s so solid. She´s a defender, and I was constantly up against her.
Who´s the best player you´ve faced in basketball? From Yarmouth, Meredith Shaw and Aylie Baker two years ago. There´s no way you could shut them down, not when they have a foot of height on you.
What´s tougher to do, shoot a 3-pointer or score a goal? Shooting a 3-pointer. Basketball´s a confidence battle for me. I have more confidence on the soccer field.
How will the Patriots do this season? My dad says they´ll be great this season. The Pats will do well, but I´m more of a Red Sox fan.
How will the Red Sox do next season? They´ll do awesome. I love the Red Sox.
Who is your favorite athlete and why? Freddy Adu of D.C. United. He´s so young and so good. He´s one of those rare athletes who comes along, you can´t help but to admire him.
What´s your favorite food? Anything my grandmother cooks.
What is your favorite book? "The Five People You Meet In Heaven," by Mitch Albom.
What´s one celebrity scandal you´ve been following? It seems to be Paris Hilton, because she´s always got something going on.
What´s the first Web site you go to when you log onto the Internet?My browser is set to Yahoo, but usually I go to MySpace first, just like everyone else.
If you could base a reality show on your soccer team, what would it be? My favorite reality shows are "Two-A-Days" and "Real World" but if our soccer team had one, it would be the funniest show. Our team is hilarious!
What are your goals for the school year, personally and athletically? I want to keep my grades up this year, and I want to have fun. This is my last year with all the kids I´ve grown up with, and this is the last time we have before we go our separate ways. In basketball, I´d love to win a Gold Ball. In soccer, I want to know that we got the best that we could do. I want to know that when the season is over, we gave it our best shot, wherever the season ends.
What have you learned in the last year with regard to soccer?
I saw this thread on a soccer forum website and thought it made for an interesting discussion. "What have you learned in the past year with regard to soccer?" Heres my reply:
Ive learned that when someone says Im doing it for the kids hes probably not.
Ive learned that a 0-0 game can have as much offense in it as a 5-4 game.
Ive learned that its not parents or coaches or players that are a problem its egos.
Ive learned that 99% of the fans at a match think that the referee is terrible and is biased for the other team. The other 1% are not sure which one the referee is.
Ive learned never to judge a players ability until they are at least 16 years old.
Ive learned that some coaches are considered successful because they develop good players and others because they recruit good players. The ones that develop players are the ones I consider successful.
Ive learned that speed is good - but speed and size is better.
Ive learned that you should never dribble when you can pass and that you should never pass when you can shoot.
Ive learned you should never dive in when youre the last defender.
Ive learned that despite what I think, soccer will never be as popular in the U.S. as it should be.
Ive learned that all goals count the same no matter how theyre scored or who scores them.
Ive learned that way too many of my clothes have three stripes on them.
Ive learned that Im going to miss all this when my children quit playing.
Ive learned that I cant pass a large open field without thinking That would sure make a good soccer field.
Ive learned that I know much less about this sport than I used to think I did.
Ive learned that I would be much better off if I kept my mouth shut during games.
Ive learned that less than 50% of all coaches know the Laws of the Game and only about 75% of the refs do.
Ive learned that no matter how many cones and balls I carry to practice some will disappear like socks in a drier.
Ive learned that not all kids play soccer for the same reasons. Some want to compete and others want to socialize. But they all want to have fun. All coaches should remember that.
I've learned that every coach with an accent is not a "soccer expert".
Ive learned that not all soccer matches are exciting but neither are all baseball, basketball or football games.
Ive learned that soccer is both an incredibly simple game and an amazingly difficult game at the same time.
Ive learned that one of the hardest jobs is that of an assistant coach.
Ive learned that you should under-promise and over-deliver if you want to be successful as a coach.
Ive learned that sometimes the way a player plays or practices has less to do with the coach than with whats going on in his home or school life.
Ive learned that really competitive players want to be pushed out of their comfort zone.
Ive learned that you can shoot all you want but that the only shots that count are the ones in the back of the net.
Ive learned that every win is not good and every loss is not bad.
Ive learned that the harder you train the better your team will be, but that if you train too hard, youll miss all the fun and experiences that make sports worthwhile.
Ive learned you should never take any sport too seriously.
Ive learned that the best players never think they are.
Ive learned that every good referee Ive met has doubts about the calls they made in the game. But theyve learned to accept that they will make mistakes and try their best to keep them to a minimum. Coaches would do well to do adapt the same philosophy.
Ive learned that some of the most influential people in my life have been coaches and teachers and that all the really good coaches I knew were also really good teachers.
Ive learned that how I behave toward referees sets the standard for my players and that if I blame the refs my players will also blame the refs. Putting the blame on anyone other than ourselves is non-productive and wont make me a better coach or make my players better defenders or attackers.
Ive learned that attackers that want to score a goal shouldnt stand in the middle of the goal and hope that the ball will come to them.
Ive learned that if we want more of our kids to keep playing soccer as they get older we need more soccer-playing heroes for them to look up to.
Ive learned that a penalty kick is both the easiest and hardest shot in soccer.
Ive learned that its not always the most talented players who turn out to be the best soccer players but the best soccer players are almost always the ones that work the hardest.
Ive learned that not all great (soccer ball) jugglers are great players but almost all great players can juggle.
Ive learned that theres always a time later to teach tactics. At almost any age coaches are better off using practice time teaching skills.
Ive learned that if you dont shoot you cant score.
Ive learned that when a team I coach loses the players get over it much quicker than I do.
Ive learned that in the overall scheme of the universe, sports means very little and so much less than we (fans, coaches, players, parents) think they do.
Ive learned that some players take criticism better than others but all players take praise well.
Ive learned that it helps to have a mentor even if that person doesnt know what a mentor is.
Ive learned that hydration is more important than nutrition in sports just as in life. You can survive days without food but will die quickly without water. Encourage your players to drink lots of water. Its the simplest advice that pays the biggest dividends.
Ive learned that practice and not halftime is the best time to provide a coaching lesson.
Ive learned that you should always choose the wind at the start of a match you never know when itll change direction.
Ive learned that all athletes are just one serious injury from being spectators.
Ive learned that youre never too close to the goal that you can't kick the ball over the top of it.
Ive learned that I spend way too much time thinking about this stuff. ……..............
But most of all, Ive learned that I should always be sure Im wearing an athletic cup before I volunteer to be the goalkeeper in that practice-ending game of World Cup.
Ken Gamble - August 2003
MCU U/13 Boys State Champs June 18, 2006 --
The Maine Cost United Boys won their 2nd State Cup title beating a very competive MMFC team 2-1. This victory followed a 4-1 win over Coastal in the Semifinals On Saturday June 3rd. Recently MCU 13s have added to their trophy case by winning the Coastal Summer Challenge on Fathers Day Weekend. Thet will be preparing to play in the NationalChampionship Series being held in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Pictured left to right:
Front row, Drew Segerstrom (Falmouth) Andy Lynch (Cape Elizabeth) Abu Mannocchi (Waterville) Matt Goldstein (Falmouth) Sean Ross (Cumberland)
2nd Row, Brian Hart (Cumberland) Ian Omalley (Portland) Jon Coyne (Cumberland) Ryan Rybka (Cumberland) Cotter Jackson (Yarmouth)
3rd Row, Kyle Groves (Yarmouth) Matt Murphy (Yarmouth) Sam White (Falmouth) Isaac Wipfler (Portland) Charlie Dupee (Portland) Cam Olson (Durham)
MCU U/13 Girls Win first State Championship
The MCU girls U13 team won the 2006 Maine State Cup and the right to travel to compete in the Region 1 Championship at Virginia Beach in July.
Coaches: Marsha Lycan, Larry Fischman, Mike Hagerty Not pictured: Alli Thomas”
3rd row L-R: Jessie L’Heureux, Caitlin Costello, Allie Lycan, Rachel Bauer, Elizabeth Carew, Abbey Cavalero, Anna Locke, Elizabeth Estabrook, Danielle Torres, Devin Simsarian, Mascot Matthew Estabrook.
2nd row L-R: Mohdis Delijani, Jamie Sabo, Kelly Burrell, Becca Bell
1st row L-R: Natalie Salmon, Maria Hagerty, Lizzy Fischman
Britney Dupee Named SHU / Enterprise Rent-A-Car Student Athlete of the Week September 25, 2006 --
Britney Dupee Named SHU / Enterprise Rent-A-Car Student Athlete of the Week
Dupee's Two Goals Lifts Pioneers Past Holy Cross, 3-2
Fairfield, Conn. (September 25, 2006) - Pioneer women's soccer sophomore Britney Dupee (Portland, ME) has been named the Enterprise Rent-A-Car/Sacred Heart University Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of September 18th-24th.
Dupee scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner, to lift the Pioneers to their first win of the year, 3-2, over Holy Cross on Friday. Dupee got SHU on the board, converting a header off a throw in from junior Patricia Santangelo just before halftime. After Holy Cross tied the game at 2-2 midway through the second half, Dupee and Santangelo hooked up again, this time in the 84th minute. Santangelo again delivered a perfect throw where Dupee used her head again to delevier SHU the win. The two goal effort marks the first multi-goal game of Dupee's young career.
Dupee and the Pioneers open Northeast Conference play this weekend traveling to Mount St. Mary's and Monmouth.
Britney Dupee Makes All NEC Team
NEC Women's Soccer All-Conference Release NEC Women's Soccer All-Conference Release Nov. 2, 2006
NEC Women's Soccer All-Conference Release
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (November 2, 2006) - Sacred Heart senior Lisa Burbige (Babylon, NY) was named to the women's soccer All-Northeast Conference first teams Thursday afternoon while teammates junior Alyssa Long (Smithfield, RI) and sophomore Britney Dupee (Portland, ME) earned second teams honors.
The awards were presented at a banquet on the eve of the 2006 NEC Women's Soccer Tournament, set to commence on Friday, November 3 at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. In the semifinals, top-seeded Long Island hosts #4 seed Sacred Heart at 11:00 am, followed by #2 seed Monmouth facing four-time defending NEC champion and #3 seed Central Connecticut State. The championship match is slated for Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 pm.
A senior midfielder, Burbige leads the Pioneers with five goals and 11 points. Down the stretch, she scored three goals as the Pioneers went unbeaten over the last four matches of the regular season to snare the fourth and final NEC Tournament berth.
Sacred Heart can place the spotlight on second team all-stars Dupee and Long. Dupee, a sophomore midfielder, was an immediate contributor for the Pioneers and ranks second on the club with four goals and nine points. Long made it difficult for conference opponents to find the back of the net this season as the Pioneers gave up just nine goals in NEC play.
October 7, 2005 --
A Flyer with feet firmly on the ground September 8, 2006 --
Growing up in the Waynflete community, Alex Woodhouse has fond memories of watching the Flyers´ athletic success.
As an eighth-grader she watched as the Flyers fell to Lee Academy in the Class D girls´ soccer championship game, then helped the Flyers defeat Lee for the 2004 championship. It's like family, playing girls' soccer for Waynflete, and Alex Woodhouse is one of the family leaders. "She certainly has a strong sense about her, but it's more of a quiet presence. It serves this team very well," says her coach, Jon Shardlow.
In 2003 she watched Waynflete beat Woodland 39-36 for the Class D girls´ basketball state title.
Even with the school´s successes, she briefly thought about going to a public school and playing soccer there. After all, her father, Kevin, is the South Portland athletic director after 10 years as the Waynflete AD.
Alex Woodhouse grew up around the Flyers´ athletic program, and there was no reason for her to leave a school that has fostered a sense of family for her.
"It´s small and there´s a closeness between people here," Woodhouse said. "You know everyone and you see them pretty much every day."
Her soccer prowess has helped the Flyers. Woodhouse, a junior midfielder, had 17 goals and 11 assists last season as Waynflete reached the Western Class C championship game in its first season of reclassification.
After playing for years at forward with her recreational and travel teams, scoring has become second nature for Woodhouse, who has 28 goals in two years with the Flyers.
"I´ve become so used to it," Woodhouse said. "And people are always telling me to shoot, so I just shoot. And it works."
But the Flyers count on Woodhouse for more than goals. As a captain, she has a goal of setting a good example, and brings stability.
"As a center midfielder, Alex offers a great deal of composure," Waynflete Coach Jon Shardlow said. "When you´re required to work in a confined space, I think that serves you well. I also think that composure serves her well in terms of executing consistently.
"I think it provides us a stability in the midfield but a lot of what the other players need. It helps us time our runs a lot better, and there´s a bit of predictability in terms of distribution and I think that composure and that steadiness creates that predictability.
"She certainly has a strong sense about her, but it´s more of a quiet presence. It serves this team very well. We have a lot of girls who are very intellectual. They approach the game from an intellectual level and I think that type of leadership is needed, and they appreciate that from her."
Woodhouse also will focus on defense because midfield is a key part of the transition game in soccer.
"It´s half the job," Woodhouse said. "You do go up and you do get shots on goal, but you have to go back, pick up marks, work on getting the ball up to your forwards, and then you can make a run."
During her father´s tenure at Waynflete, Kevin Woodhouse helped direct the Flyers into the Western Maine Conference, and in 10 years the Flyers won 17 state championships in various sports.
This season Woodhouse hopes to add to her family´s legacy at Waynflete.
"I want us to work as hard as we can and put as much as we can on the field," Woodhouse said. "If it leads to a state championship, then that´s OK with us."
Football Tricks
Welcome
My name is Sean and I am a football juggler. What makes me unique is not only my ability to perform amazing displays but the ease with which I can teach others. Whether you watch me live or on my videos anybody can learn a trick.
What I do is travel the world teaching juggling tricks at football camps, at football tournaments or at major events such as the Sydney Olympics.
My DVD/Videos can be a fundraiser. We will discount the price for orders of over five copies and you can then sell the DVD/videos to your players at normal price the difference is funds for your club.
TOPSoccer took it game on the Road on the weekend of April 8/9 at The SoccerMaine AGM. We played an exhibition game and received a $500 grant from Scott Parolin of The Cumberland Socer Club and ALL State Insurance.
MCU U-15 GIRLS CHAMPIONS OF INTERNATIONAL SOCCER TOURNEY August 9, 2006 --
The Maine Coast United Soccer Club U-15 Girls were crowned champions of the St. Andrews (Scotland) International Football Festival with a 5-2 victory over Stonehaven Girls of Aberdeen, Scotland in the final of the tourney.The MCU girls, as champions of the tournament for 1990 Girls, were awarded the Botanic Gardens Cup.MCU defensive midfielder, Caitlin Caldwell of Gorham, was named the Most Outstanding Girl Player of the Tournament.The St. Andrews festival was held from July 30 through August 4, 2006 and attracted boys and girls teams from throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, as well as the United States.
The players on the MCU U-15 team are Sara Bachman, Corey Morganstern, Lane Curran and Taylor Applebaum of Falmouth High, Caitlin Caldwell and Aimee St.Germain of Gorham High, Liza LePage, Tess Carley and Jessa Steinman of Greely High, Tess Beem, Katie Swenson, Lauren Stackhouse, Lexi Wing and Courtney Penny of Yarmouth High, Elsa Mullen of Cape Elizabeth High, Hillary Keach and Alison Carpenter of NYA, Erin Woodbury of McAuley, and Morgan Woodhouse of Waynflete. The MCU U-15 girls are coached by Bob Keach and Annika Michaels.
The MCU Girls reached the finals after winning the round robin portion of the tournament with a decisive shut out win over Bridge Girls, a 2-2 tie with the Girls Club of Wales, a team including four members of the Wales Under-15 national team, and a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Stonehaven Girls.MCU then faced second-place Stonehaven for the decisive Cup final.
The St. Andrews tourney was the culmination of an eleven day European tour for the MCU girls during which they visited London and Manchester, England and Paris, France.The team played friendly matches in both England and Scotland, emerging undefeated in games against U-15 and U-16 teams.The tour started with training sessions with Gary Brown, a former English Premier League (EPL) player and coach, in Felsted, England, a scenic village in the English countryside, and included training at the academy ground for Manchester City, an EPL side, and a visit to Old Trafford, the home stadium of EPL giants, Manchester United, and also known as the “Theatre of Dreams.” Following five days in the beautiful seaside village of St. Andrews and playing in the tournament, the team visited historic Edinburgh, Scotland—including the massive and ancient Edinburgh Castle—before returning home via Glasgow, Scotland.
Maine Coast United is a premier soccer club with boys and girls teams from U-10 to U-18.The U-15 girls played in the Northeast Premier League, a subregional league of US Soccer’s Region 1, as well as in the SoccerMaine State Cup competition and US Soccer-sanctioned tournaments in the Northeast region.
MCU Welcomes Lisa Petrucelli to Club
Maine Coast United Welcomes Lisa Petrucelli to our 2006/7 Coaching Staff. Coach Petrucelli will be one of our footskills trainers. She will also train the U12 and U/16 girls
Head Coach
Lisa Petruccelli (USM Womens Coach)
Petruccelli comes to MCU after serving as the women's soccer head coach at SUNY-Potsdam for two seasons (2004-2005). Prior to her time at Potsdam, she was an assistant coach at Bowdoin College for five seasons (1999-2003).
An All-State high school player at Cape Elizabeth (Maine) HS, Petruccelli played four years at Smith College and graduated with a degree in biology in 1992. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at the Univ. of New England in 1992 and was a graduate assistant at the Univ. of Maryland in 1993.
Petruccelli got her first head coaching experience in 1994 when she served as the interim women's soccer head coach at the Univ. of Maine. She moved on to start the women's soccer program at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Stout in 1995. She was named the WIAC Coach of the Year in 1998. She has worked as coach, counselor, administrator or director at numerous soccer camps over the past 20 years. Coach Petruccelli is committed to the Division III ideal of excellence in the classroom and on the field
Region 1 Soccer Names Sam White and Fazalhaq Nabi to Olympic Pool Team August 15, 2006 --
– Region 1 is pleased to announce that Sam White and Fazalhaq Nabi have been named to the US Youth Soccer 1993 Olympic Development Program Pool Team.These players was selected from the more than 400 players from fifteen state programs, which had qualified to attend the ODP Regional Identification Camp, and he will now vie for a position on the U.S. Soccer National Team. White and Nabi also plays soccer for, Maine Coast United Soccer Club and Maine ODP.
The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) was formed in 1977 to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team would be selected for international competition.The US Youth Soccer ODP provides high-level training to benefit and enhance the development of players at all levels; and, through the use of carefully selected and licensed coaches, develops a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and curriculum to improve all levels of coaching. At all Regional Identification Camps players are evaluated on four major components that make up a soccer player: technique, tactics, fitness and a psychological component or attitude.
From 1982 until the present, international events for youth national teams have increased substantially and the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program has kept pace by instituting trials and player pools for five age groups in the boys' program, and five age groups in the girls' program. US Youth Soccer is the largest youth sports organization in the United States and registers more than 3.2 million players annually, ages 5 to 19.
