USL News Release

 

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

 

TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced the Week 4 Teams of the Week Tuesday, honoring Vancouver’s Jason Jordan, Charlotte’s Dustin Swinehart, Ocean City’s Ruben Mingo and Atlanta’s Kerry Gragg as the USL First Division, USL Second Division, PDL and W-League Players of the Week. Cavitt Academy’s Jesse Rodriguez and Match Fit Academy’s Taylor Collins were also honored as the Super Y-League Players of the Week.

The Vancouver Whitecaps had scored just one goal through its first three matches, but Sunday night was a Jason Jordan highlight show as the Player of the Week tallied all four goals in the team’s eye-opening victory over the Charleston Battery.

Jordan connected from 12 yards out in the 29th minute for a 1-0 lead at the break and then poured in three more in the second stanza. He chipped goalkeeper Chris Doyle in the 49th, struck a volley from eight yards to complete a hat-trick in the 55th and struck from five yards out in the 77th.

Jordan's goals moved him well past the 150 point milestone for the Whitecaps.  He now has 61 career goals and 35 assists for 157 points in 182 games.  He needs four more points to pass John Catliff and move into second place in Vancouver's all-time scoring list. Over the last three seasons, the Whitecaps are 13-0-3 in games in which Jordan has scored.

It appeared the 2004 finalist Charlotte Eagles were going to suffer their first loss of the campaign Saturday before Dustin Swinehart proved hero yet again with two goals for the home side as they trailed 1-0 to Long Island in the final minutes.

An 88th minute throw-in flicked on to the far post by Clay Roberts found an awaiting Swinehart, who headed it over goalkeeper Paul Grafer tied the match and Swinehart converted on a penalty kick in stoppage time for the win.

Swinehart also hit the road on loan with the Richmond Kickers, tallying an assist on the game-winner in the club’s 2-1 win at Atlanta Sunday.

The returning Premier Development League MVP Ruben Mingo started the 2005 campaign off with a bang, registering four goals in a 6-2 road win over the Westchester Flames.

Mingo opened the scoring with back-to-back goals in the seventh and ninth minutes on assists from Byron Carmichael, who returned to the team after leading the Utah Blitzz to the USL Second Division championship last season. Two Westchester goals on both sides of the break cut an early 3-0 lead to 3-2, prompting Mingo to catch fire again. Carmichael found him again for the hat-trick in the 60th for a two-goal lead. Mingo turned provider to Tony Donatelli in the 72nd and scored the final goal of the match in the 81st unassisted.

Mingo helped lead the Barons to an unbeaten 14-0-4 regular season mark last season as the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals and five assists.

The expansion Atlanta Silverbacks Women have opened their season with two wins with Kerry Gragg leading the way with three goals and an assist.

In a thrilling 4-3 affair, Gragg tallied a goal and an assist in the Silverbacks win over the visiting 2003 champion Hampton Roads Piranhas in the season opener for both teams. Gragg connected with Sara Steinmann for the club’s first goal nine minutes in and scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 41st minute as the second half went scoreless.

A week later, the Silverbacks dominated the visiting Bradenton Athletics with Gragg scoring twice in the match. She struck in the 26th minute on an assist from Carrie Kveton to make it 2-0 and again unassisted in the 56th as Atlanta rolled to the win.

Jessie Rodriguez led Cavitt Academy’s U15 boys in a commanding 5-1 win over Deanza Force Saturday with a hat-trick and an assist and Taylor Collins struck twice for the U14 girls of Match Fit Academy for a 3-1 road win over the Brooklyn Knights to earn the Super Y-League Player of the Week honors.