Richmond Kickers Host Open Tryouts, February 1-3, 2013

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, November 1, 2012) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to host open tryouts February 1-3, 2013 and March 22-24, 2013 for eligible college seniors, qualified free agents and talented amateur players that are seeking a professional contract. A select number of players will be invited to participate in three days of intense training and scrimmages in front of the Kickers technical staff at the Kickers state-of-the-art training facility Ukrop Park in Richmond, Virginia.

Attendance at the joint player combine is one of the best ways to ensure that a player’s complete soccer resume and professional evaluation is in front of key decision makers for the Richmond Kickers. Training sessions will take place in front of professional coaching staff, led by Kickers Director of Soccer, Leigh Cowlishaw, who will be joined by an array of experienced technical staff and former professional players.

Past Kickers trials have produced such prominent players as Clyde Simms (New England Revolution, D.C. United and U.S. Men’s National Team), Ronnie Pascale (Three-time USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year), Tim Brown (New Zealand National Team) and Robert Ssejjemba (2006 USL-2 MVP and Ugandan National Team).

“Richmond was the first pro team that I played for, playing with the caliber guys that they had there at the time,” commented Simms. “The team was great – the staff and players were very welcoming and professional. I was able to get a good amount of playing time there, which was huge for my development and being able to make it to the next level.”

Discovered at the Kickers 2004 combine, Simms spent one season in Richmond before being recognized by D.C. United and the U.S. Men’s National Team. Simms appeared in 31 games for 2,571 minutes with the Kickers and started more games than any other rookie that season (28). Since then, he made 182 appearances over seven seasons, posting over 13,000 minutes, in a D.C. United uniform before signing with the New England Revolution following the 2011 campaign.

Simms is one of 18 D.C. United players who played with the Kickers over the past two decades, with the roster of former Kickers players also including 2011 Major League Soccer MVP Dwayne De Rosario, Mike Burke, Jeff Causey, Ben Crawler, Brian Kamler, Mike McGinty, Richie Williams, Mark Simpson and Robert Ssejjemba. Players who have featured with the Kickers on loan include Brian Carroll, John DiRaimondo, Justin Mapp, Andy Metcalf, Bryan Namoff, Anthony Peters, Long Tan and Ethan White. In franchise history, 22 players have progressed from the Richmond Kickers into Major League Soccer.

Interested players should please submit an application and $150 registration fee by January 22 or March 12. Space is limited and applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Registration fees are non-refundable. Application fees increase to $175 after the registration deadline. Attendance at all sessions is required.

William and Mary Senior Mallory Schaffer Repeats as CAA Player of the Year

Courtesy TribeAthletics.com

Thu, November 01, 2012

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - For the second year in a row, William and Mary senior co-captain Mallory Schaffer was honored as the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year on Thursday night at the league's annual awards banquet.  The Allison Park, Pa., native joins former W&M standouts Missy Wycinski '99 and Claire Zimmeck '08 as the only individuals to repeat as the conference player of the year.  Additionally, Schaffer is the sixth student-athlete from the College to earn player of the year distinction.  In all, nine members of the Tribe were honored as All-CAA selections.

Joining Schaffer on the All CAA First-Team were seniors Cortlyn Bristol and Kiersten Harpe.  Junior Dani Rutter and sophomore Emily Fredrikson took home second-team accolades, while freshmen Nicole Baxter, Leci Irvin, Caroline Casey, and Barbara Platenberg garnered all-rookie team honors.

Despite consistently drawing the oppositions' best efforts defensively, Schaffer shined in 2012 as she ranked third in the CAA in points (23) and goals (10).  Her finest moment of the season occurred in the Green and Gold's pivotal match against Hofstra on Oct. 21.  Down 2-1 with less than three minutes remaining and with the league regular season title on the line, Schaffer netted the equalizer, and sent the contest into overtime en route to helping the College defeat Hofstra, 3-2.

Off the pitch, the awards and accolades accumulated for the All-American.  Before the start of the season, Schaffer was named to the 2012 MAC Hermann Trophy Award Watch List for the second consecutive year.  Additionally, she was named one of 10 national finalists for the 2012 Senior Class Award.  On Sept. 3, she was named the league player of the week and earned a spot on Soccer America's Team of the Week after scoring two goals and registering an assist against Richmond and Auburn.  

A three-time All-CAA First-Team honoree, Schaffer has netted 41 goals and 96 points during her career, which rank sixth and seventh, respectively, most in school history.

Bristol earned a spot on the league's first team for the second year in row.  In arguably her most accomplished season in a Green and Gold uniform, the Chantilly, Va., native has tallied a nation-leading 13 assists to go along with five goals scored in 2012.  Against UNCW on Oct. 4, the preseason All-CAA selection tallied a career-high three assists in the College's decisive victory over the Seahawks.  

After scoring the game-winning goals and netting an assist in consecutive matches against George Mason and Towson, Bristol was named the CAA Player of the Week and earned a spot on TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week.  Additionally, Bristol's 13 assists this season are tied with Ann Cook '97 for W&M's fifth-best single-season total, while her 28 career helpers are tied with Natalie Neaton '95 for fourth most in program history.

Harpe garners All-CAA First-Team distinctions for the first time in her career.  For the year, the Lake Mary, Fla., native has tallied two assists from her defensive position and was named to the Villanova All-Tournament team after an outstanding weekend on the pitch in Philadelphia, Pa.  The anchor of the Tribe's backline, Harpe has made 64 career starts in 70 appearances for the Green and Gold.    

Rutter, who ranks third on the team with 17 points coming on seven goals and three assists, headlined the College's second-team honorees.  On two occasions this season, the York, Pa., native scored a pair of goals in the College's victories over Old Dominion and UNCW.  For her efforts against the Monarchs, Rutter was named the CAA Player of the Week on Oct. 29.  This year's all-league accolade is the first of her career.  

For the second straight year, Fredrikson was named to the conference's second team after another impressive season on the College's line of defense.  Furthermore, Fredrikson tallied an assist in the Green and Gold's, 3-2, overtime win over Hofstra on Oct. 21.  For the season, the Ashburn, Va., native has started every match for the Tribe, which has only allowed 14 goals this season and ranks second in the CAA. 

Headlining the Tribe's representation on the all-rookie team was Baxter, who netted 10 points on four goals and two assists.  Joining the Pennington, N.J., native on the all-rookie squad was freshman keeper Caroline Casey.  Starting all 19 matches between the posts for the College, Casey's exceptional season has seen the Chesapeake, Va., native earn Tennessee and Villanova All-Tournament team honors.  In the CAA, she ranks second in goals against average (0.76) and save percentage (.837), while her six shutouts stand in third.

Also making impressive debuts this season were Irvin and Platenberg, who landed spots on the all-rookie team.  A starter since the season opener, Irvin has cemented herself as one of the Tribe's most consistent performers as the Charlottesville, Va., native tallied two assists in 19 contests.  Meanwhile, Platenberg demonstrated her skills early in the season en route to registering five points on two goals and an assist.  On Oct. 8., the Fairfax Station, Va., native was named the CAA Rookie of the Week after she scored a pair of goals in W&M's win over Georgia State. 

The Tribe will begin its quest for the program's 11th conference championship when it takes on Hofstra in Friday's second semifinal match.  The contest is scheduled to kick-off at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field at 7:30 p.m.  Fans can follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live stats.  Additionally, CAASports.com will provide a video stream free of charge of Friday's semifinals and Sunday's championship match.

UMW Men's Soccer Beat Salisbury in CAC Semifinals

Junior David Heller scored the game's lone goal on an Omar Ismail assist at 105:30 to lift the fifth-seeded University of Mary Washington men's soccer team past top-seeded Salisbury University, 1-0, in the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals on Thursday in Salisbury. The Eagles advance to the CAC Championship for the first time since 2006.

The game proceded to be a defensive struggle, as neith team could score through 90 minutes of regulation and 15:30 of extra time. But Heller provided the heroics after a scrum following an Ismail corner kick.
The Eagles led in shots, 14-8, while Salisbury led in corner kicks, 8-3. Sophomore goalie Tyler Back set a new UMW school record with his 10th shutout of the year, making five saves.

Mary Washington will visit York College on Saturday for the 2012 CAC Championship. Game time has yet to be determined. UMW last won the CAC Championship in 2001.

NASL Adding Team in Virginia

The North American Soccer League (NASL) will be adding a new team to the league that is scheduled to start play in Loudoun County, VA beginning in 2014. (Washington Business Journal Story)

To learn more about the NASL Virginia club you can visit their official website: www.naslvirginia.com, like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NaslVirginia, and even follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/naslvirginia.

NPSL Team creates new path for Chesterfield United’s future

Chesterfield, VA (Thursday November 1st, 2012) - The National Premier Soccer League, or NPSL is a USSF Sanctioned league and considered the 4^th Division of professional soccer here in the United States.  It is similar to the PDL where youth and college players are able to fill roster spots without affecting a player’s amateur status.

“We wanted to provide an avenue for the club to continue to serve players in our club and surrounding areas by providing opportunities for current players, alum, and others to play at a high level over the summer without losing their amateur status.  The staff here at Chesterfield United has worked really hard to make this a success so far, and when the first season is over, we can look back on it and say that we put together something special.”-Pat McStay, Technical Director

The NPSL (www.npslsoccer.info) season will run from May through July.  Chesterfield United will play in the South Region with at least two other teams from Richmond and one team from Myrtle Beach.  The NPSL team will play out of the Ft. Lee area and the schedule will be finalized in early March.  Chesterfield United also has plans to field an NPSL Reserve team and women’s team this summer.  More details will be available on their website in the next few months. (www.chesterfieldunited.com)

Matt Lacey, NPSL Team’s Co-General Manager will also be featured on the field and is looking forward to getting back to playing at a high level.  “We have worked very hard to create this NPSL team and we look forward to seeing the benefits it provides for our membership. The clubs players will now have a new goal to play for the NPSL team as they continue their growth through our player development pyramid. It will also have a great impact on the local community as it will provide Chesterfield and beyond a local sports team to take pride in and get behind. We are all very proud of the fact that we have been able to make this happen and I am personally looking forward to having the privilege of representing Chesterfield United at the next level.”

Sponsors and partners have played a big part in making this new team a reality.  Our biggest and most exciting sponsor, Colonial Orthopaedics, signed on to be a 5 year sponsor of the club and team.   Chesterfield United also wanted to thank Primrose School, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Jersey Mike’s, First Command Financial Services, and Insulation Specialties Inc. for also becoming sponsors of the club and team recently.

Every child playing under the Chesterfield United banner will be allowed free entry into games just by wearing their Chesterfield United jersey.  Parents can purchase season tickets at the United FC Office for $20 or online at www.chesterfieldunited.com for $25!  The first 200 season tickets purchased will come with a FREE Chesterfield United NPSL Supporters shirt!  

Joe Farrell will take the reigns as the team’s head coach and has high hopes for what will be a special first year.  “I am tremendously excited about the upcoming NPSL season. This is a huge step for our club as It shows that we have not only drive and ambition but the quality of staff to achieve something great.  My hope is that our NPSL team will be extremely competitive with some outstanding talent on show. I expect us to do well and compete with all the teams in our division.”

Chesterfield United plans on having clinics and camps in the Ft. Lee area over the summer.  Dale Parker, the club’s Director of Youth Programs plans to expand his reach into the Colonial Heights/Ft. Lee area this summer.  “I am very excited to be able to reach out to the Ft Lee area and provide camps and clinics for the local players.  Hopefully these camps will generate more interest in the game and the NPSL team and inspire future generations of soccer players!"

For more information about tryouts, player selection, Chesterfield United’s NPSL team, NPSL Reserves and Women, please email our Director of Operations, Matt Beale, at bealemj6@yahoo.com or visit the NPSL site on our homepage.  Thank you!