Monthly Archives: January 2010

Kelly O’Hara Named Hermann Winner

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Kelly O'Hara, Stanford Cardinals

Kelly O'Hara, Stanford Cardinals from SFgate.com

ST. LOUIS, MO. – (Jan. 8, 2010) – Senior forward Kelley O’Hara from Stanford University and sophomore forward Teal Bunbury from the University of Akron are the winners of the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, presented to the top female and male players in NCAA Division I soccer. The winners were decided by a vote of NCAA Division I soccer coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

O’Hara (Fayetteville, Ga.), shattered Stanford season records for goals (26) and points (65) this season while leading the nation in both categories. She also dished out 13 assists in 2009, the third-best mark in school history. The senior captain led Stanford to its first NCAA championship final and its’ best-ever record (25-1). O’Hara earned Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and NSCAA first-team All-America honors. She also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-America honors.

O’Hara completed her collegiate career with 57 goals and 156 points, No. 2 in Cardinal history in both categories. O’Hara is the first player in Stanford history to claim the MAC Hermann Trophy. Last month, she was one of 24 players named to a December training camp for the full U.S. national team. O’Hara has played internationally from the under-17 to the under-23 age groups.

The first runner-up was North Carolina senior midfielder Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.) followed by UCLA senior forward Lauren Cheney (Indianapolis, Ind.).

KC Wizards to hold third annual open tryouts in March

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KC Wizards logoThe Kansas City Wizards will hold its 3rd annual open tryouts from March 13-14, 2010.

The tryout costs $200, and players can sign up and get all the information on the tryouts by going to www.kcwizards.com/opentryout. Any additional questions can be sent to tryouts@kcwizards.com.

“The last two years we have been pleased with the number of talented players who have taken part in our open tryouts,” Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said. “We are always looking to improve our roster, and these tryouts give us a chance to get a look at players who might be trying to take a less conventional route to MLS.”

Participants will take part in matches Saturday, with the top players called back for Sunday’s session. Finalists will then get the opportunity to tryout with the Wizards first team in March with the chance of securing a contract. Final tryout location and times will be provided to each participant closer to the event.

The Wizards held an open tryout in 2008 for the first time since their inaugural 1996 season, with the event drawing over 200 players from 15 different countries. Two players eventually signed for Kansas City; midfielders Kevin Souter and Nelson Pizarro. Both went on to play in MLS matches for the Wizards in 2008, and Souter started the final four games of the regular season and both MLS Cup Playoff matches for Kansas City. Another 200 participants took part in the tryouts in 2009. Numerous talented participants stood out, and five of the open tryout players were invited back during the season to train with the Wizards.

Kansas City Wizards Open Tryouts
March 13-14, 2010
Kansas City Wizards Swope Park Training Center
6310 Lewis Road
Kansas City, MO 64132

Game On for AC St Louis As NASL/USL Come To Terms

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AC st louisPRESS RELEASE CHICAGO (Jan. 7, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Federation, United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL) have come to an agreement on the formation and operation of a Division 2 professional soccer league for the 2010 season. Under the agreement, U.S. Soccer will oversee the league for the 2010 season, working with both the USL and NASL on the day-to-day league activities.

The agreement pertains only to the 2010 season, and during the next year U.S. Soccer will continue to work with USL and NASL to build a long-term solution for the future. U.S. Soccer will also be developing new standards to govern Division 2 professional league applicants to ensure the long term viability and sustainability of the leagues and teams.

“We are extremely pleased that we were able to come to a solution that ensures we will have Division 2 professional soccer in the United States in 2010,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “This agreement allows us to continue to develop the professional game in many important markets around the country, while at the same time working towards the long-term stability of Division 2 professional soccer. I’d like to thank the representatives from both the USL and NASL for the time spent during our negotiations, especially their efforts in the past seven days.”

The league will consist of two six-team conferences – the USL Conference and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference will include teams from Austin, Minnesota, Portland, Puerto Rico, Rochester and Tampa Bay. The NASL Conference will consist of teams from Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis and Vancouver.

In the near future, U.S. Soccer will announce details of the new league, including league rules, a match schedule, television rights and other important operational issues.

As part of the agreement, all pending claims between the USL and NASL will be dropped.

3rd Annual Shriner Futsal Classic Opens – Register Now!

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3rd Annual Shriner Futsal ClassicMark your calendars for another exciting weekend filled with Futsal action. The Springfield Shrine Mosque and your Springfield Demize have partnered again to host Springfield’s 3rd Futsal Tournament. The 2010 Total Shriner Futsal Classic will bring more fast-paced eye-popping Futsal action. The 2009 Total Shriner Futsal Classic was a success with over 33 teams throughout the divisions. This is an event you don’t want to miss!

This year’s featured tournament match will go down in the record books for Springfield, MO. The Springfield Demize will host the first ever professional indoor soccer match in Springfield, taking on the Professional Arena Soccer League’s St. Louis Illusion in this historic event, Saturday, January 16th at 7:00pm at Lake Country Soccer.

Tournament Details:
When: January 15th, 16th and 17th
Where: Springfield Shrine Mosque
601 St. Louis St.
Springfield, MO 65806
Who: Boys and Girls (Ages: U8-U18)

Registration Deadline: January 14th
How Much: $125 per team

Questions? Contact Tournament Director Armen Tonianse via armen@demizesoccer.com

Please make checks payable to and send to
Total Demize Soccer Club
P.O. Box 1394
Nixa, MO 65714

Pulaski County Soccer Focuses On The Kids

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nelsonmorgan1989From the Waynesville Daily Guide comes this story: Kiwanis Club won’t pursue soccer program

After announcing its departure from the Community Joint Recreation Board and plans to start its own soccer program, the Kiwanis Club has decided it won’t pursue the endeavor after all.

The newest announcement by the club, made Tuesday, Jan. 5, cited a recent decision by the Community Joint Recreation Board to continue its own soccer program.

A statement from the Kiwanis Club said Kiwanis members believe operating two soccer programs will create a division of youth in the area, and has the potential to make the registration period confusing.

“Kiwanis members would like to thank all players, coaches, parents and supporters for over 22 years of soccer in the area,” the statement said.

It’s nice to see the adults behaving like adults and making decisions in the kids best interest. It reminds me of the excellent experiences I had as a member of Key Club in High School in Honolulu. Well done ladies and gentlemen.

You may recognize the photo, provided by Skylor Morgan, of his father Nelson who helped found the Pulaski County youth soccer programs.

In addition to the Youth Soccer program, there is now a pair of Select Programs available in Pulaski County Missouri targeted to traveling teams and advanced training. Check out Pulaski United FC and the training programs offered by the Reyes brothers at United Soccer Training Academy.

Lakers District Title Top Sports Story For Lake of the Ozarks

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Photo By Stephen Herzog, lakenewsonline.com

Photo By Stephen Herzog, lakenewsonline.com

Congratulations yet again to the Camdenton Laker’s boys team. Their first ever District Title, won in overtime against regional foe Rolla, was chosen as the No. 1 sports story of the year by Stephen Herzog, Sports Editor for the Lake Sun Leader.

1. Lakers soccer wins district
A regular season win against the Bulldogs was their first in team history, and they knew winning a second time would be a challenge. After fighting back to tie the game and force overtime, the Lakers ended up in a golden-goal situation. Rayder Bennett found Travis Miller on the wing and Miller found the back of the net. The rest is history.

3. School of the Osage debuts soccer
• The Indians marched out a soccer team for the first time in school history.
• The team finished with a surprising 13-15 record in their first season.

I’m working on my list for the region in 2009. Feel free to offer your suggestions by contacting Ole.

AC St Louis Announce Open Men’s Soccer Tryouts

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AC st louisThere are still some details to be worked out when it comes to the league (North American Soccer League or NASL) and it’s sanction by the USSF, but it’s time to start preparing if you are interested in exploring 2nd Division soccer in the US.

OPEN TRYOUT INFORMATION

Interested in trying out for AC St. Louis? AC St. Louis will be playing in the newly formed North American
Soccer League. Below are the important dates regarding the tryout process.
• Register by January 14 – please send us the tryout form, payment and the signed waiver. More details on where / how to send the forms and how to pay is noted on the form.
• January 23 and 24 – Open Tryouts will be conducted at either St. Louis Rams Park or AB Soccer Park
• January 30 and 31 – Invite Tryout will be conducted at either St. Louis Rams Park or AB Soccer Park

We will post exact location of the tryouts soon on www.AC-StLouis.com. Again thank you very much for your
interest in AC St. Louis.

Sincerely,
AC St. Louis Coaching Staff