USL News Release
Monday, November 10, 2008
TAMPA – USLSoccer.com takes a closer look at the U13 Girls North American Finals. Among the contenders from on the onset, the Long Island Rough Riders (11-0-2), MPS Boston (9-0-1), North Cal Lamorinda (6-0-2) and the CASL RailHawks (9-0-0) all come into the 10th Annual North American Finals undefeated.
Mid Atlantic Division The Long Island Rough Riders ended the regular season with an unbeaten record of 11-0-2. The team netted the second-most goals in the division, an average of 3.38 per match. Against the Brooklyn Knights, Long Island drew 1-1. A formidable side, Brooklyn fell off the pace with a 2-1 loss to Quickstrike, and four one-point draws to TSF Academy, the NJ Rangers, Parsippany SC and Long Island. Against the same competition, Long Island put together a 3-0-1 record that resulted in a ten-point difference in the table.
The Freedom girls played out their qualification season in the 15-team, single table Mid Atlantic Division. They ended the summer in second place behind the undefeated Long Island Rough Riders. The only loss on the Freedom’s record of 11-1-1 was a 4-1 defeat to the Brooklyn Knights on Sunday, July 20. They also drew even with Match Fit Academy, 2-2 on Thursday, July 24. Washington had, by a large margin, the best offense in the division. They netted 53 goals in 13 matches for a goal-scoring average over four per game.
Midwest Division
Players from four different teams came together this summer to form the West Michigan Fire Juniors U13 girls’ team. From start to the finish the girls bonded on and off the field leading to a very successful summer. The team ended the season with the best goal differential in the U13 girls Midwest Division and thus secured their way to Super Y-League North American Finals. The team is coached by Courtney Nash, Director of Youth Development for the West Michigan Fire Juniors, who also plays for the West Michigan Fire W-League.
The Internationals finished in first place in the Midwest Division with a record of 6-2-2. The team went unbeaten in their last five games of the season. Playing their final match of the regular season, they needed a tie or a win to secure first place but fell behind 3-0 by halftime to Kalamazoo. In the second half, the Internationals pulled together for an amazing comeback scoring three goals and earning a 3-3 tie and clinching a spot in the 2008 North American Finals.
New England Division
MPS Boston’s U13 girls, coached by Sarah Dooley and Mark McDevitt, have had an excellent first season in the Super Y-League. The side finished in first place with 28 points and an undefeated record of 9-1-0. The team has a great work ethic and showed tremendous improvement as the season progressed. The only undefeated side in this group, MPS Boston relied on their defense to win the New England Division. They completed the task with a goals against average of 0.2 per match, one of the lowest totals in Super Y-League history. With the team’s spotlight on defense, the counterattack prospered. The side netted 33 goals in 10 matches.
Their first match in group play on Friday, November 21 will be against Diablo FC from the Northern California Division. The first goal of that match will be crucial, seeing as both sides revolve around the defensive mind frame. There was more parity in the Northern California Division this season and Diablo may be more prepared to handle a tight match as a result, but either way it should be a low scoring affair, a goalkeeper’s delight.
Northwest Division
The Washington Crossfire has been a mainstay in the U13 girls division the past two seasons. In 2006, their ’93 girls were bounced following group play in which they went 1-2-0. Last season the Crossfire’s ’94-born, U13 girls went 3-0-0 during group play. After winning a 2-0 semifinal decision over the Atlanta Silverbacks, the side fell one step short of a North American Finals berth. To date this season, the club’s ’95-born, U13 girls has a record of 12-1-0. They have scored the most goals (35) and allowed the fewest goals against (3) in the division.
Coached by Ajit Braich, Coastal WFC finished just behind the Crossfire with a regular season record of 8-3-2. Scoring 20 goals in 13 matches, Coastal possess the fourth-best offense in the ten team division. Their defense, which allowed on average 1.23 goals per game, also ranked fourth-best in the division. Coastal’s U13 girls are one of four girls sides the club has qualified for the North American Finals.
Northern California Division
Diablo FC ended their summer season with a record of 7-1-1. Their only loss of the year was to Juventus, 2-1. Diablo was able to split the season with Juventus as they downed the side 2-0 at home. Diablo won Group A of the split-division by posting better results than Juventus against their Group B opponents. Where Juventus went 1-2-0 against Group B competition, Diablo picked up a crucial 1-1 draw with undefeated North Cal Lamorinda. Diablo also defeated San Ramon Soccer club, 1-0, where Juventus fell 3-2.
North Cal Lamorinda drew more than that one time in their match against Diablo FC. They also were matched by Bayside Soccer Academy on Sunday, June 8. However, at 6-0-2 the side has yet to lose a match. Coached by Jorge Pearce, the team is well-balanced, averaging 2.12 goals per game while allowing just 0.5. In their first match of group play the Long Island Rough Riders, possibly their toughest draw of the competition.
South Atlantic Division
The 7-1-1 Atlanta Fire escaped a hot South Atlantic Division by one point over their cross-town rivals, the Atlanta Silverbacks. The Fire, who ended the summer with 22 points, edged the Silverbacks in head-to-head competition, 4-1 on Wednesday, July 16. Playing from behind the remainder of the season, the Silverbacks fell to the CASL RailHawks. With a chance to put the Silverbacks away though, the Fire also fell to CASL, and a 1-1 draw with the Northern Virginia Majestics opened the door for the Silverbacks. But in the end the deficit created by the face-to-face encounter with the Fire result was too much for the Silverbacks to overcome.
The CASL RailHawks are an unblemished side that ended the regular season with a record of 9-0-0. Their closest match of the season came on Sunday, June 29 against the Atlanta Fire. That game ended 1-0 in favor of the RailHawks and doubled as the Fire’s only loss on the season. CASL’s offense netted 53 goals in nine matches and allowed on average, just 0.33 goals per match.
Southeast Division
Schulz Academy’s U13 girls simply ran away with the Southeast Division title this summer. Averaging a ridiculous 4.8 goals per game average, the team bested everyone they faced with the exception of West Pines United. That loss was by a 3-1 count. Coached by Josef Schulz, the team has rattled off 13 straight wins heading into their North American Finals opener against the West Michigan Fire Juniors.
