Kickers Legendary Goalkeeper, Pascale to Retire

PASCALE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Kickers Veteran Goalkeeper Bows Out After Legendary Career

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, November 15, 2012) – Veteran goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale officially announced his retirement today, concluding a legendary 13-year career with the Richmond Kickers.

Ronnie Pascale | photo © Brian L. Zimmerman

"It's been an incredible 13 years with the Richmond Kickers, so much more than I ever could have dreamed, but it's time for me to officially announce my retirement,” stated Pascale.  “I am very proud of the success we have had as a team and as an organization over the past 13 years, and I feel truly lucky to have been able to do what I love to do for as long as I have.”

“I'd like to thank the Kickers organization, staff, coaches, fans, and friends for all the support throughout my career,” he added.  “It has been an honor to be a part of such an extraordinary organization, to have played in front of such great fans, and to have played with so many great players and friends.  I would especially like to thank my family, Stacy, Tabatha, and Brayden, who sacrificed and supported me more than anyone could ever know, and I couldn't have done it without them."

“We are going to miss a truly unbelievable individual,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach and Director of Soccer.  “Ronnie has served the Kickers admirably over the last thirteen years. He is a top class goalkeeper, an inspirational role model to our youth players and a dedicated advocate for our club in the community.  We wish Ronnie well in all of his future endeavors and look forward to him being an important part of the Kickers family for years to come.”

Making more appearances than any other Kickers player in club history, Pascale reached the 300 games played milestone on July 27, 2012 against the Charlotte Eagles and has logged over 27,000 minutes in a Kickers uniform.  Since becoming the club’s starting goalkeeper in 2002, the franchise player has led the team to six Championship appearances and two league titles.  Most recently, he played every minute of every game in during his final season in 2012, adding eight clean sheets, for a total of 98 career shutouts.

Consistently one of the top netminders in the league, the three-time USL Goalkeeper of the Year backstopped the team to historic USL PRO and U.S. Open Cup Semifinals in 2011, ending the campaign with a miniscule 0.960 goals against average in 30 games played. Shoring up one of the best defensive units in the league, the experienced goalkeeper led the back line to a career-best 11 shutouts in 2011, while allowing just 29 goals on the season.  Pascale posted his career-best goals against average (0.740) in 2007, en route to his third consecutive USL title match.

Prior to signing with the Kickers, Pascale spent his rookie season with the Atlanta Silverbacks out of Furman University where he was named Southern Conference Rookie of the Year in 1995. A four-year starter at Furman University, he was named to the Southern All-Conference team four times, Conference Goalkeeper of the year three times, and was twice named to the Second Team All-South. After his senior season, Pascale was named the Furman Male Athlete of the Year (1998/99).

Preview: Kickers vs. Eagles at Home Saturday

KICKERS HOST CHARLOTTE SATURDAY

Veteran Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale Named USL PRO Player of the Week

RICHMOND, VA – (Wednesday, June 6, 2012) – The Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium this Saturday, June 9 to host the Charlotte Eagles at 7 p.m. 

The Kickers claimed four points on the road last weekend during a two-game trip to Harrisburg and Rochester.  Defender Shane Johnson notched his first professional goal in the 1-1 draw against the City Islanders before Luke Vercollone registered the Kickers lone tally against the Rhinos the following day.  Veteran goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale posted 19 saves on the weekend to preserve his second shutout of the season, taking USL PRO Player of the Week honors.

“We really need to continue the positive momentum into the Charlotte weekend,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach and Director of Soccer.  “We still need to treat every game as a cup final if we are to qualify for the playoffs.  Charlotte's position in the league standings is very misleading and by all accounts they are a very accomplished team this season.”

Despite posting a 2-7-2 record and eight points during the regular season, the Eagles are coming off a remarkable 2-1 overtime win against the San Antonio Scorpions in last night’s U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round game.  Knocking off Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas one week earlier, the Eagles advanced to the Quarterfinals for the first time in franchise history when Mauricio Salles converted a 116^th minute penalty kick to oust the NASL team from this year’s tournament.  One of three USL PRO teams to make it through to the next round, the Eagles will travel to The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA to take on Chivas USA on June 26.     

The Kickers and the Eagles meet for the first time this season, having exchanged 2-1 victories during the 2011 campaign.  After suffering a loss during a rain-soaked marathon in Richmond, the Kickers sought revenge 24 hours later in Charlotte.  The dramatic back-to-back weekend ended when Kickers midfielders Luke Vercollone and Edson Elcock registered in the second half before Charlotte midfielder Darren Toby pulled a goal back in the final minute of regulation. 

With an all-time series advantage of 19-9-9 over the Eagles, the Kickers’ extensive rivalry dates back to the club’s inception in 1993.  In addition to heated regular season matches, the perennial Championship contenders have a long history of battling in high stakes games.  The two clubs met in the 2007 USL-2 Semifinals when the Kickers came away with a 2-1 overtime win, boosting Richmond to their third consecutive appearance in the finals.  In 2006, the Kickers hosted Charlotte in the Championship when the same scoreline fell to the home side in regulation, granting the Kickers their third league title in franchise history.  Three years later, the rivals met again in the title match, when the Kickers rallied from a one goal deficit to reclaim the USL-2 crown, 3-1, over the Eagles in 2009.

Following Saturday’s contest, the Kickers swap home field advantage with the Eagles when they travel to Charlotte Christian Stadium on Saturday, June 16.  Next month, the two teams face off in back-to-back matches on Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28, to conclude the season’s four-game series.

Players to Watch

Kickers:  Stalwart defender Shane Johnson (#3) has played every minute of every game during the 2012 campaign, netting his first goal with the Kickers against the Harrisburg City Islanders last Friday, earning USL PRO Team of the Week honors.  Integral on both sides of the ball, the Longwood University product contributed to the Kickers second shutout of the season against the Rochester Rhinos 24 hours later.  Midfielder Nozomi Hiroyama (#9) made his first start of the season against Rochester, setting up the lone goal of the night inside the first five minutes.  With professional experience extending to four continents, Hiroyama unleashed a 20-yard curler to the far post that was destined for goal but instead rattled the crossbar, allowing Luke Vercollone (#4) to finish the rebound with a diving header.  A former New England Revolution midfielder, Vercollone has played all but three minutes during the 2012 campaign and reached his 100^th appearance with the Kickers against the Chicago Fire during last year’s U.S. Open Cup Semifinals.

Eagles:  Late heroics by Mauricio Salles (#27) boosted the Eagles through to the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals this week when he converted a 116^th minute penalty kick to upset the San Antonio Scorpions, 2-1.  The experienced forward has added one goal during the regular season, to avoid a shutout in the Eagles 2-1 loss to Harrisburg in April.  Colombian midfielder Jorge Herrera (#10) led the Eagles in 2011 with four goals and seven assists for 15 points on the season.  Picking up where he left off, he has registered two goals and an assist during the 2012 campaign, most recently notching the game-winning goal against Harrisburg last month. In his tenth season with the Eagles, Josh Rife (#29) continues to anchor the defense, which shutout Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup Third Round last week.  The veteran defender has received All-League honors multiple times, and was named USL-2 Defender of the Year in 2005.

Kickers' Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale USL Pro Player of the Week

USL PRO NEWS RELEASE, TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2012

Kickers’ Pascale Named Player of the Week

Standout performance earned Richmond victory against Rochester

TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO announced its Team of the Week for the eighth week of the 2012 season today, honoring Richmond Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale as Player of the Week after a standout weekend that saw him record 19 saves in a pair of games as the Kickers took four of a possible six points on the road.



Player of the Week - Ronnie Pascale

Pascale had a standout performance in the Kickers’ Friday-night contest against the Harrisburg City Islanders. Making nine saves in wet and windy conditions, Pascale helped Richmond earn a point in a 1-1 draw. But it was his performance the following night, when the 13-year veteran made 10 stops to shut out the Rochester Rhinos at Sahlen’s Stadium, that saw Pascale at his best.

Watch Replay of Richmond vs. Harrisburg

Pascale made three big saves late in the first half, including denying Tam McManus from a free kick, before a diving stop at full stretch on JC Banks in the second half kept the Rhinos scoreless. The 35-year-old, who has announced his retirement after this season, showed that he is getting ready to leave while still at the top of his game, while helping the Kickers move up to fourth place in the USL PRO standings.

Joining his Kickers teammate on the Team of the Week was defender Shane Johnson, who scored his first professional goal in Richmond’s 1-1 draw against Harrisburg on Friday night. Kickers midfielder Luke Vercollone was also honored after scoring the game-winning goal against the Rhinos while also putting in a strong two-way performance to help the Kickers take victory.

Other top contenders for Player of the Week honors included Wilmington’s Corey Hertzog, whose two goals and assist helped the Hammerheads hand Orlando City its first loss of the season, and Charleston’s Nicki Paterson, who had a pair of goals in the Battery’s 3-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Thursday night. Paterson also took the lead in the USL PRO scoring race with his brace, giving him five goals this season.

Hertzog was joined on the Team of the Week by Hammerheads teammate Mark Briggs, whose perfect first-time pass set up Hertzog’s opening goal before their roles were reversed for what proved to be the game-winner, Briggs volleying home Hertzog’s long throw-in.

In addition to Paterson, Charleston’s Colin Falvey and Dane Kelly were also named to the Team of the Week, with the Irish center back putting in two strong performances as the Battery moved into second place in the standings. Kelly recorded a goal and an assist in the Battery’s two victories to earn his place on the team.

Kickers name GK Ronnie Pascale Player/Assistant for 2012

Official Kickers Press Release:

RICHMOND, VA – (Monday, February 13, 2012) – The Richmond Kickers continue their strong tradition of hiring from within the organization, naming veteran goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale player/assistant coach for the 2012 season, pending USL and USSF approval.

“Ronnie is a welcome addition to the pro team coaching staff as he brings extensive playing and coaching experience to our squad,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach and Director of Soccer.  “He understands firsthand the expectations, tradition and culture we demand from our players and I look forward to working closely with him this season to produce a team capable of winning a Championship.”

"I'm excited to play one more season with the Kickers and finish my professional career here in Richmond,” added Pascale.  “It's been an amazing journey and to be able to play my last year while celebrating the Kickers 20th Anniversary means a lot.”

“I'm very grateful to Leigh and the Kickers organization for selecting me for the assistant coach role, and I'm looking forward to a successful 2012 campaign,” continued Pascale.  “I know it's going to be an extremely fun season for the Kickers and our fans, and I'm just happy to be a part of it and to be able to play one more season in front of my family and the best fans in the league."

A franchise player entering his 13^th season with the Kickers, Pascale has been Richmond’s starting goalkeeper since 2002, logging over 25,000 minutes in a Kickers uniform.  Consistently one of the top netminders in the league, Pascale backstopped the team to the USL PRO and U.S. Open Cup Semifinals in 2011, ending the campaign with a miniscule 0.960 goals against average in 30 games played.  Shoring up one of the best defensive units in the league, the experienced goalkeeper led the back line to a career-best 11 shutouts in 2011, while allowing just 29 goals on the season.  The longtime Kickers veteran tops the all-time games played list with 279 appearances and is a three-time USL Goalkeeper of the Year, honored in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Named Southern Conference Rookie of the Year in 1995, Pascale was a four-year starter at Furman University and was named to the Southern All-Conference team four times, Conference Goalkeeper of the year three times, and was twice named to the Second Team All-South.  After his senior season, Pascale was named the Furman Male Athlete of the Year (1998/99).

Reserve 2012 Season Passes and celebrate 20 years of professional soccer with the Richmond Kickers.  Richmond Kickers season passes offer unbeatable value, VIP benefits and incredibly low prices to all regular season home games.  Guaranteed to see 12 highly competitive USL PRO games for the best possible pricing, order a Family Pass ($129), All-Access Pass ($95) Adult Pro Pass ($60) or Youth Pro Pass ($30, ages 3-17).

Kickers Face Wilmington Hammerheads in USL Pro Quarterfinals

Playoff soccer is finally here in Virginia as the Richmond Kickers concluded the 2011 USL PRO regular season as the third seed in the American Division with a 12-7-5 record and 41 points and will travel to Wilmington, NC this Friday, August 19 to face the #2 seed Wilmington Hammerheads (14-7-3, 45 points) in the first round of the playoffs.  Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. on USLLive.com from Legion Stadium.  The winner of Friday’s match-up will advance to the USL PRO Semifinals to face the winner of the #1 seed Orlando City versus #4 seed Charleston Battery match on Saturday, August 27.  

Should both the Kickers and the Battery advance to the Semifinal Round, the Kickers will host the match at Richmond City Stadium on Saturday, August 27.  If they are successful in the Semifinals, the Kickers will host the winner of the National Division in the Championship match, as the league’s third seed overall, on Saturday, September 3. Kickers versus HammerheadsWith a rivalry dating back to the 2006 season, the Kickers hold an all-time series record of 9-3-3 over the Hammerheads. 

The two clubs face off this weekend for the third time in 2011, having most recently met on August 10 in Wilmington when the Kickers handed the Hammerheads a 2-0 decision on their home turf.  Kickers midfielder Ryan Heins notched the eventual game-winner in the 18th minute before forward Matthew Delicâte added an insurance goal 16 minutes from regulation. 

The Kickers staunch defense, led by goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, posted their second of four shutouts that week to conclude the 2011 regular season schedule. Earlier this season, the American Division rivals met at Richmond City Stadium when the Kickers narrowly edged the Hammerheads 2-1 on May 7. 

Wilmington opened the scoreline in the 3rd minute and held the advantage until Kickers midfielder Gerson dos Santos unleashed an unstoppable low drive past goalkeeper Brock Duckworth to tie the score at one apiece in the 65th minute. 

With the momentum shifting in favor of the home side, it was the Kickers inexhaustible goal-scorer, Delicâte, who pulled through with an 80th minute game-winner. Over the past 19 seasons, Richmond has qualified for postseason play 17 times, and reached the title match in 2010 for the sixth time in the past nine campaigns, falling just short of the Championship title following a 2-1 loss to the Charleston Battery. 

Richmond's seven previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown twice against Charlotte in 2006 and 2009.  

USL PRO PlayoffsThis weekend, the USL PRO playoffs will see eight teams compete in the postseason’s opening round, with the top four teams from each the American Division and National Division squaring off in four single-game Division Semifinals.  

The postseason begins on Friday, August 19, with the National Division champion Rochester Rhinos hosting the #4 seed Pittsburgh Riverhounds at 7:30 p.m. at Sahlen’s Stadium. The Rhinos completed a season sweep of the Riverhounds last Saturday with a 1-0 victory, and have yet to concede a goal against Pittsburgh in 2011, having earned a pair of 3-0 victories earlier in the season.

The other National Division Semifinal will also take place on Friday night as the Harrisburg City Islanders host the #3 seed Los Angeles Blues at the Skyline Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m. The #2 seed City Islanders went undefeated against the Blues during the regular season, taking a win and two draws in their three meetings. 

USL PRO regular season champion Orlando City closes out the divisional semifinals on Saturday night as it hosts the Charleston Battery at the Florida Citrus Bowl at 7:30 p.m. The Lions have won three of the teams’ four meetings this season against the Battery, including a win in the U.S. Open Cup. 

Charleston earned its place in the playoffs last weekend with a 4-3 win against the Charlotte Eagles, and will be hopeful of springing an upset as it tries to earn back-to-back championships. The single-game Division Finals will be played August 26-28, with the 2011 USL PRO Championship, hosted by the highest remaining seed, to be played Saturday, September 3, live on Fox Soccer Channel.