Pritchard notches hat trick, Gold team gets tie by Logan Hoffman of the News-Leader (and Drury Panthers goal keeper)

Photo Gallery by Mark Schiefelbein for the News-Leader

Q&A: Tyler McElroy, Glendale Soccer by Michael Stacy, post-game.

Tying Times by Jeff Kessinger at the Christian County Headliner offers feedback and interviews with Ozark Tiger players Robbie Curtis and Jake Lumby. His co-worker Kyle Wilson covers the Girls game with Tying Times, while chatting with Erica Hogan from Ozark and Stephanie Allen from Nixa.

Bad weather good for Allen is TJ Brice’s contribution to the News-Leader coverage that evening, chatting with Stephanie Allen, Jacklyn Finley and Coach Evan Palmer from the Nixa Eagles. He covers the Boy’s game with Ozark duo plays last game together and his conversations with Ozark’s Robbie Curtis and Jake Lumby.

Pritchard tallies all 3 goals in All-Star tie by Dave Roberts at the Waynesville Daily Guide offers a game update

I’ll add more as I find them.

Also some articles leading up to the game:

On The Move Again by Kyle Wilson of the Christian County Headliner and Finley ready to take game to next level by Logan Hoffman of the News-Leader with stories about Jacklyn Finley of the Nixa Eagles

Hogan excited for final high school soccer game about Erica Hogan, Ozark Tigers, also by Logan Hoffman

Soccer All-Stars to compete in Springfield from the Cassville Democrat regarding goalie Anthony Larson and forward Ryan Schlichtman of the Cassville Wildcats

Area soccer standouts set to compete in Southwest Missouri All-Star Games about the Waynesville Tigers and Crocker Lions representing last night - Michael Davis from Waynesville and Nathan Rigsby from Crocker on the boys side, along with Katie Pritchard, Sade’ Boswell, Lauren Kelly, Tash Lord and Shanna Neeley from the Girls team at Waynesville.

Camdenton soccer all-stars take to the field Thursday from the Lake Sun Leader regarding Josh Baldwin and Nate Lipps as well as Blair Baker, Megan Manzer and Alisha “Girdy” Morice from the Girls team.

Falcon seniors dominate field in all-star soccer offers conversations with Lou Opfer and Justin Rogers of the Glendale Falcons in advance of the game.
Q&A: Patrick McCarthy, Glendale soccer prior to the game.

Chiefs to dominate all-stars offers interviews with Heath Melugin, Zack Hay and Jessica McCutcheon prior to the game.

I was asked by a reporter from the News-Leader about what the All-Star game represents for me. After spending a couple of hours digging through hundreds of photos, and posting 98 of them to my Flickr and SmugMug sites, I think I can distill it.

The players always exceed my expectations.

The All-Stars have led their teams. They’ve excelled on the larger stage as well, and when you bring them together their pride and their competitive spirit ensure that these games will allow them to thrive while also enjoying themselves. As one player noted, there is no pressure. But there is, the best kind though, the pressure they place on themselves. At the same time, they discover a new side of the players they’ve competed against, or read about, for the past four years because now they are teammates. Much like the journey many of them will make on college teams, or as college students, I’d like to believe this game is about their opportunity to prance, to display their spirit and their skills, and they always deliver. Thanks!

Here is a slideshow of my photos.

I’m going home to get some rest. I’ll be back tomorrow to point you to the professional writers who were out to cover the game. Enjoy.

Facebook photo album - Girls Game - and - Boys Game - tag yourself and become a fan of SGFsoccer.com.

Girls game at 6:00 pm
Boys game at 8:00 pm

First played in December 2004, the game is dedicated to recognizing High School seniors who have exhibited skill and leadership on the pitch. The players in that initial game, and subsequent, consider it a significant event in their High School playing career. We hope today’s players enjoy the same experience.

The All-Star rosters feature over 30 players headed for college careers following tonight’s game.
* Missouri State has signed three (Tara Bailes, Heath Melugin and Justin Scicluna - West Plains)
* Drury has signed a pair (Katy McLain, Kyler Temple) from Kickapoo.
* Missouri Southern has four (Brianna Ragains - Lebanon, Randi Russell & Stephanie Taylor - Joplin and Stuart Ziegler - West Plains)
* Missouri S&T has signed one (Zack Hay).
* Southwest Baptist has a pair headed to Bolivar (Natasha Lord - Waynesville, Blair Baker - Camdenton).

Chealsey Russell (Kickapoo) is headed for Rice (D1), although she is injured tonight
Katie Pritchard, who set a State career scoring record with 171 goals will play basketball for the Drury Panthers.

The Great Lakes Valley Conference is also represented by Anne Prenger (Catholic, UMSL) and Tyler McElroy heads for Rockhurst. The MIAA Conference has additional representation with Lou Opfer (Glendale/Truman State).

Robbie Curtis (Ozark/Springfield Demize) has signed to play for last year’s NCAA D2 finalists, Lincoln Memorial University.

There is a total of 15 players who were recognized at the All-State level as well, across all classes.

Dr Rusty Bond joins us from the Cox Health Athletic Advantage program. Check out the information on their services on the back cover of the program.

Thank you to Cox Health Athletic Advantage, Lake Country Soccer, J&K Soccer, The Copy Shoppe, Baywash Car Wash in Cassville as well as the Springfield Demize and Coester’s, for their support of the game and these players..

The event is organized jointly by SGFsoccer.com, Southwest Missouri’s soccer resource, and Springfield Soccer Club, home to over 20 teams including the two time State Champions and Regional Semi-Finalists, the U17 boys team.

For additional information, please contact:
Steve Ole Olson —– Jeremy Alumbaugh
SGFsoccer.com —– SpringfieldSportsClub.com

Thursdays storms dump record rainfall on Springfield

We’ll play the girls game at 6:00 pm and the boys at 8:00 pm as originally planned, at Lake Country Soccer. We’ll start over so the goals scored by Katie Pritchard (yeah, she’s still got it) and Brianna Ragains for their respective teams will be wiped from the record books and we’ll try again.

The gate will be on the honor system. If you have already paid, let us know and we’ll welcome you back. I will note that the gate is what allows Jeremy and I to put this game on, it pays for our time organizing the event. ‘Nuff said.

Thank you to our sponsors who’s support provides for the facility, the game shirts the players get to take with them to represent Springfield Soccer as they continue their playing days, and the programs.

Thank you to Cox Health and their Athletic Advantage program, Lake Country Soccer, the Springfield Demize, Coesters Restaurant, The Copy Shoppe, J&K Soccer, Baywash Car Wash in Cassville as well as Rick & Tami Dorman and the Booster Clubs at Kickapoo, Glendale, Catholic and Ozark. Thanks as well to the Opfer family, including Scott, Tracy, Austin, Alix and Kasey; The Melugin family, including Phil, Kim, Megan and Miriam; and the Bailes family, including Scott, JoAnn, Allie and Mandy.

Thank you to our referees, trainers and volunteers. Zack Larsen heads off on vacation so our fine MSU Events intern will miss the beautiful game as it’s played here. If you’d like to learn about the advantages of adding an MSU student intern to your next event, contact me and I’ll fill you in on my experiences this year with two different events.

See you next Thursday. Players - contact me to confirm your availability please!

We’ve got a full day today folks.

Turn your radio on this morning, Thursday at 9:30am. Catch All-Stars organizer and Springfield SC Director of Coaching Jeremy Alumbaugh with All-Stars Katy McLain, Heath Melugin and Tara Bailes on JOCK 98.7, The Sports Reporters

In addition to watching the finest seniors in Southwest Missouri tonight, you can also catch the 1st Quarterfinal match of the European Championships today. Germany takes on Portugal at 1:45 pm, consider coming by Coester’s for a pre-game meal. Great soccer and the food is uniformly good.

The Girls game is at 6:00 pm.
The Boys game is at 8:00 pm.
Cooper Field #1 at Lake Country Soccer on Pythian Street in Springfield. Players need to register at the field 1.5 hours in advance of the game. Remember to bring your cleats, shin guards, white socks, black shorts, a water bottle and be prepared for the warm evening.

The lineups were announced earlier this week. Boys lineup. Girls lineup.

The Coaches for this evenings games include:
Girls Red: Jeff Rogers, Glendale Falcons and Evan Palmer, Nixa Eagles. The Falcons returned to the Quarterfinals this year for the first time since 2004. Evans working on replacing the Eagle’s top 2 career goal scorers on the girls team.
Girls Gold: Tom Davidson, Ozark Tigers and Ben Timson, Catholic Fightin’ Irish. The Tigers won their 1st ever large school District title this year while getting Tom his 500th win as a coach. The Irish made it to the Class 1 Quarterfinals yet again.

Boys Red: Eric Crain, New Covenant Academy and Mike Gow, Lebanon Yellowjackets. The Warriors earned their first District title in Fall 2007. Gow wraps up 12 years with the Yellowjackets this past Spring and heads for the sideline with the Waynesville Tigers in the Fall.
Boys Gold: Phil Hodge, Kickapoo Chiefs and Mike Howard, Rolla Bulldogs. The Chiefs were the #1 Public School boys team in 2007, taking 3rd place at the State Finals in Phil’s first season as head coach. Mike Howard earned his 500th win in the third game of the girls season.

Our Announcer this evening will be Bob Florez, who also handles the microphone for the Missouri State Bears men’s team. He’ll see two future Bears on the pitch this evening - Heath Melugin (Kickapoo) and Justin Scicluna (West Plains).

We will have Dr. Rusty Bond, a Cox Health sports medicine physician on the sidelines along with a trainer from the Athletic Advantage program at Cox. Dr Bond is part of the Southwest Spine and Sport office at Cox as well as the father of All-Star Jamie Bond (#4 on the Red squad). Thanks to Cox Health for their support of the players and this game.

Referee’s this evening include
Girls
Elizabeth Unruh - Referee
Andy Ellsworth - AR
Anthony Solari - AR

Boys
Trey Smith - Referee
Anthony Solari - AR
Todd McCutcheon - AR

Sponsors of this years event, in addition to Cox Health Athletic Advantage, include Lake Country Soccer, the Springfield Demize, Coesters Restaurant, The Copy Shoppe, J&K Soccer, Baywash Car Wash in Cassville as well as Rick & Tami Dorman and the Booster Clubs at Kickapoo, Glendale, Catholic and Ozark. Thanks as well to the Opfer family, including Scott, Tracy, Austin, Alix and Kasey; The Melugin family, including Phil, Kim, Megan and Miriam; and the Bailes family, including Scott, JoAnn, Allie and Mandy.

You’ll get a final glimpse of Katie Pritchard, Class 2 career scoring leader, before she puts on her Converse and heads for the gym (they still wear Converse, right?) at Drury.

There are 18 All-State players participating in the game. There are over 30 players headed for college careers following tonight’s game. Missouri State has signed three (Tara Bailes, Heath Melugin and Justin Scicluna - West Plains) and Drury has signed a pair (Katy McLain, Kyler Temple) from Kickapoo.

Missouri Southern has four (Brianna Ragains, Randi Russell, Stephanie Taylor and Stuart Ziegler) while Missouri S&T has signed one (Zack Hay). Southwest Baptist has a pair headed to Bolivar (Natasha Lord, Blair Baker). Chealsey Russell is headed for Rice (D1) while Anne Prenger will be at UMSL (D2) and Lou Opfer at Truman State (D2) which means we’ll see them when they play Drury, MSSU or SBU.

There are 5 players who follow older siblings in representing their school at the All-Star game. Zack Hay’s older brother Nick played in the first game in December 2004, Ryan Schlichtman’s older brother Nick, now at Truman State, played in 2006. Tyler McElroy’s older sister Laura played last year, and was Freshman player of the Year for Grinnell this past season at GK. Carter McKay’s older brother Adam played in the first game in December 2004 and Erica Hogan’s older sister Melissa played last year (Ozark).

So there are plenty of great stories and it’s always a competitive game. Josh Scott coaches his final game before becoming AD at Waynesville, he’s joined by Mike Gow on the sideline. They’ll face off against Phil Hodge and Mike Howard in the boys game. Tom Davidson (Ozark) and Jeff Rogers (Glendale) face off for the hundredth time it seems as they will both patrol the sideline during the girls game, assisted by Ben Timson (Catholic) and Evan Palmer (Nixa). For Tom, it will be one last time to coach his former Kickapoo players.

We hope to see you at Cooper Soccer Complex at Lake Country Soccer in Springfield on Thursday evening. Girls play at 6:00 pm and Boys play at 8:00 pm. Represent!

All-Star game flyer

Waynesville visits Catholic on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 pm. The Varsity play first and we’ll have a chance to see the two teams that have beaten Kickapoo and Glendale this season. It will also be one of your last chances to see Katie Pritchard with a ball at her feet, since next October she’ll be playing roundball for the Panthers. She’s a goal away from claiming second in career scoring in Missouri, and number one in large school scoring. And both teams are gearing up for the State Playoffs and this is a great way to send a message.

There’s one other game of note this week that needs no introduction. The Glendale Falcons visit Kickapoo on Wednesday for their Ozark Conference match up. The Chief’s lost 0-4 in early April as sophomore Lindsey Sprouse had a hat-trick in the Falcon’s shutout. Kickapoo will be without Jessica McCutcheon in goal due to injury (their 5th starter to go down) but the rivalry is strong. There will be a crowd out to cheer on both teams.

Congratulations go out to the Springfield SC who had two teams advance to the semifinals this weekend at the Missouri State Cup. The U13 boys won their first two games ever in achieving that goal, before losing to a Scott Gallagher team yesterday morning. UPDATE - Got to call you on this sentence!! The U13 division is the youngest age group at state cup. The U13 team won their first two games at Cup and got to the semifinal…the first time ever a U13 team from SGF has done that (including current U17s). BTW the U17 game was won by one of the best shots you’ll ever see anywhere, an absolute corker straight into the top corner through a penalty box of defenders, by Tim Griffin from about 25 yards out. The U17 boys, defending State Champions, defeated Scott Gallagher in OT to advance to the Final again this year. It will be played this Saturday at 3:00 pm at the SLYSA Fields in St Charles, MO. I’ll be there to cover the story and celebrate Mother’s Day with my Mom. It’s also my Dad’s birthday on Saturday so lot’s of good reasons to be in St Louis rather than Springfield.

I mention that in advance of reminding you that Saturday is also the home opener for the Springfield Demize. I normally make the Professional Development League (PDL) games a priority but I’ve got a a conflict this weekend I think they are a great opportunity to see some quality soccer with future professional players you’ll be able to say “I remember when…”

We’re in the final stages of the Southwest All-Star game as well. As noted earlier, I’m out seeing as many games as possible as part of the evaluation process. We anticipate making the announcement of the Girls Roster by Wednesday May 14th.

If your Booster Club or business would like to recognize the players that will be represented and support our efforts to bring you this game, please contact me so I can provide information on placing an ad in the Program. Thanks Folks, see you at the pitch!

One reason for the reminder is to also introduce you to Zack Larsen. Zack has joined the All-Star team from the Missouri State University Entertainment Management program. He’s working with Jeremy and I as an Intern as part of his degree program and he’ll be reaching out to the Coaches this week and next to introduce himself. It’s time to reconnect with the boys who will be playing this summer, We are also beginning to compile the list of girl players that will be considered for this years game.

Zack is a soccer freak, a Chelsea fan and former college roommate of Andy Wilkinson, who many of you know as a regular commenter on this website as well as his work as a graduate of the MSU Athletic training program and his pursuit of a National Referee license. So he’s got cred and we’re very glad to have his assistance this year. If you’re an invited player, he’ll be reaching out to you to keep you up-to-date. If you’re a Coach, he’ll be looking to accomplish the same.

In the meantime, feel free to Friend Zack and Friend Ole. And there is an event already set up on Facebook as well. Join us!

The rosters for the Boys Teams, high school seniors who will graduate in May 2008 and recently completed their high school careers, is listed below. Formal invitations will be going out to the players this week. There were over 80 boys nominated this year, representative of the strength of play we saw in the Region this year.

The 4th Annual Southwest All-Stars Roster

Last Name, First - Team - Pos, Honors
Linggi, Michael - Crocker Lions - M, District 5 1st team
Rigsby, Nathan - Crocker Lions - F
Barnhart, Miles - Greenwood Blue Jays - D, District 5 1st team
Jones, Stephen - New Covenant Warriors - M, District 6 1st team
Libel, Matt -Springfield Catholic - M, District 5 1st team
Casey, Peter - Bolivar Liberators - F, WSW Region 1st team
Roberts, Tanner - Bolivar Liberators - D, WSW Region Defender of the Year
Toombs, Ryan - Bolivar Liberators - M, WSW Region 1st team
Chirwa, JT - Carl Junction Bulldogs - M, District 5 1st team
Guzman, Nelson - Carthage Tigers - D, WSW Region 1st team
Larson, Anthony - Cassville Wildcats - GK, WSW Goalkeeper of the Year
Schlichtman, Ryan - Cassville Wildcats- F, WSW Region 1st team
Handley, Michael - Webb City Cardinals - M, WSW Region 1st team
Martin, TJ - Webb City Cardinals - F, WSW Player of the Year
Hunt, Brice - West Plains Zizzers - M, WSW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
Scicluna, Justin - West Plains Zizzers - M, WSW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
Ziegler, Stuart - West Plains Zizzers - F, WSW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
Baldwin, Josh - Camdenton Lakers - F, Ozark Conference 1st team
Lipps, Nate - Camdenton Lakers - GK, Ozark Conference 1st team
McKay, Carter - Central Bulldogs - D, District 11 1st team
Downs, Tucker - Glendale Falcons - F, Ozark Conference HM, District 11 2nd team
McCarthy, Patrick - Glendale Falcons - GK, SW Region Goalkeeper of the Year, Ozark Conference 1st team
McElroy, Tyler - Glendale Falcons - D, Ozark Conference 2nd team, District 12 1st
Morris, Shaun - Glendale Falcons - M, District 11 2nd team
Rogers, Justin - Glendale Falcons - M, SW Region and Ozark Conference 1st team
Medlin, Mark - Joplin Eagles - D, Ozark Conference & District 12 2nd team
Hay, Zack - Kickapoo Chiefs - D, SW Region Defender of the Year, Ozark Conference 1st team
Legg, Adam - Kickapoo Chiefs -GK, Ozark Conference 1st team
Melugin, Heath - Kickapoo Chiefs - M, All-Midwest, SW Region Player of the Year
Temple, Kyler - Kickapoo Chiefs - F, SW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
Strong, Adam - Lebanon Yellowjackets - D/MF, District 11 2nd team
Becerra, Edger - Neosho Wildcats - F, District 12 1st team
Curtis, Rob - Ozark Tigers - F/M, District 12 1st team
Lumby, Jake - Ozark Tigers - F, District 12 2nd team
Beckett, Matt - Parkview Vikings - D, Ozark Conference 2nd team, District 12 1st
Griffin, Will - Parkview Vikings - D, SW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
Maddy, Kam - Rolla Bulldogs - M, SW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
McNulty, Rick - Rolla Bulldogs - D, SW Region & Ozark Conference 1st team
Samaranayake, Chamal - Rolla Bulldogs - M, Ozark Conference & District 11 2nd team
Davis, Michael - Waynesville Tigers - M, Ozark Conference & District 11 1st team

This year’s boys roster includes players representing 21 teams for the 40 players. The breakdown by school and class includes:
• Class 1 – five (5) players from four (4) schools
• Class 2 – twelve (12) players from six (6) schools
• Class 3 - twenty-three (23) players from eleven (11) schools

The roster includes players from the three regional teams that reached the State Final 4 this year - Kickapoo, Cassville and Crocker.

The roster is led by Heath Melugin, Kickapoo/Missouri State, recognized this year at the All-Midwest level. Melugin was also recognized as the Player of the Year in the Southwest Region while teammate Zack Hay/Missouri Science & Technology was chosen the Defensive Player of the Year. Glendale’s Patrick McCarthy was Keeper of the Year in the Region.

Additional top field players include:
• Michael Linggi, Crocker Lions forward, a Swiss foreign exchange student
• TJ Martin, Webb City Cardinals, Class 2 Regional Player of the Year
• Tanner Roberts, Bolivar Liberators, Class 2 Regional Defender of the Year
• Kam Maddy, Rolla Bulldogs central midfielder & Class 3 Regional player
• Justin Rogers, Glendale Falcons central midfielder & Class 3 Regional player
• Kyler Temple, Kickapoo Chiefs forward & Class 3 Regional player who has committed to the Drury Panthers
• Will Griffin, Parkview Vikings defender & Class 3 Regional player
• Richard McNulty, Rolla Bulldogs defender & Class 3 Regional player

There are four (4) goalkeepers invited this year. In addition to McCarthy,
• Adam Legg, Kickapoo Chiefs, 4th place in State & Ozark Conference 1st Team
• Nate Lipps, Camdenton Lakers, Ozark Conference 1st Team
• Anthony Larsen, Cassville Wildcats, Keeper of the Year Class 2 Regional polls and 4th place in State

The games feature the best graduating high school seniors in the region, as chosen by Steve Ole Olson of SGFsoccer.com and Jeremy Alumbaugh of Springfield SC. Nominations were sought from the Coaches at the twenty-nine (29) boys teams in three classes that play soccer in the Southwest Missouri region.

The event is organized jointly by SGFsoccer.com, Southwest Missouri’s soccer resource, and the Springfield Soccer Club, home to over 20 teams including the regions first State Championship squad, the U16 boys who also reached the Region II Semi-finals.

I shot video tonight so there won’t be any pictures unless there are some family and friends who want to email me some of their shots. I’ll work on editing the video and making copies available to those who are interested in a couple of weeks, after my travel to Des Moines and St Louis this next week.

Thanks go out to the Referees who volunteered their time to support the game. They include …. Chris Shuler put the team together for us and he’s sending me the list, right Chris! In addition, Bob Florez for handling announcing duties, Eric Sorlie and Zach Alumbaugh for their efforts at the gate and other efforts preparing for tonights game.

Thank you to The Big Easy Grill - the best Cajun in Southwest Missouri. Stop by 3027 E Sunshine and introduce yourself to Hank Visio. Enjoy his Gumbo, Jambalay and Po’Boys and thank him for his support. I make certain to stop and eat there when I’m on the Southeast side of town.

Thank you to Nixa Dental Care. If Joe Kofron is half as enthusiastic and focused on his dental care as he is on supporting soccer in this region, you and your kids will be well taken care of for many years. Call 725-3108 for more info.

Thank you to The Copy Shoppe. Bryan & Michelle Baltz are not only soccer parents like you, with son Nick as part of the 1st All-Star game and son Patrick well on the way to representing in a two more years, they are also printers and members of Springfield’s Best. The program looked great didn’t it!

Thank you to Baywash Car Wash in Cassville. The Schlichtman’s are also All-Star parents, with Nick playing last year (and at Truman State now) while Ryan is on the radar for next year. Think about them the next time you’re on the West side of the Lake, eh. Roaring River is just South of their place.

The Springfield Demize have brought top-level soccer to Springfield, offering additional opportunities to our graduates, including former All-Stars Patrick Carver & Brian Fishback, and entertaining soccer. There are three home games remaining - this Saturday, along with June 29th and July 7th. 7:30 pm start time at Cooper #1. Come see the way they play at the next level!

Thank you to our contributors, that include Kim & Keith Chaffin (with All-Stars Sam & Ross Chaffin), Nadia & Howard Cavner, Tami & Rick Dorman. Thank you to the Glendale Boosters, Kickapoo Boosters, Ozark Tiger Boosters, Parkview Boosters, SpringHigh Select and Springfield Catholic Boosters.

Thank you to our in-kind contributors, whose donations allow us to put the game on. Lake Country Soccer, J&K Soccer and Electronic Video Systems provided the field, the game balls and top quality video gear. These are establishments where I shop.

How about the game. Despite the conditions, the play was entertaining and two way as these players love to compete. While it’s never easy to chose, we always offer a game ball to a player on each team who is chosen by the coaching staffs for their effort.

Tonights games featured some high scoring in the girls game, with Gold winning 5-2. Jessie Yach of the Nixa Eagles put in four goals for the Gold squad and opened some eyes on the sidelines, much like I’m sure she’ll do for Missouri Valley this Fall. Katie Rodriguez of the Neosho Wildcats and a future Missouri Southern Lion scored a very early goal (30 seconds) and made her teammates look good all evening for the Red squad. Congratulations ladies.

On the boys side, a 2-0 win for the Gold team was a nice going away present. Adam Peterson, Kickapoo and part of Alf Bilbao and Ryan Swans strong local recruiting effort at Drury, scored the first on a wonderful shot. Stephen Conner of Glendale and future teammate of Adam’s (and Alex Palmer) at Drury, earned the Red team award for making some incredible saves to keep it close the 2nd half. As someone on the sideline noted, he continues to intimidate.

That’s it for 2007. Look for information in mid-August this year about the 2008 game as we continue to learn what is needed to make this a better game, and a bit easier for us to put on. Us is Jeremy Alumbaugh and the Springfield Soccer Club along with me, Steve Ole Olson of SGFsoccer.com. Jeremy’s a good partner, unafraid of work and someone I trust to do the job properly. And he knows his soccer which helps immensely. Thanks Jeremy, thanks to the Coaches, players, families and friends for making this an event that is helping Springfield and the region to recognize the growing impact soccer has on this community year round.

Ciao!

For friends, family, Booster Clubs and other fans, your support in recognizing the players and helping us make this happen is critical. Download the
Southwest All-Stars Game Flyer - put the information on your team website, mail it out to your players and to anyone who might be interested in supporting the players and the event.

There is one open item that remains. We have a nice group of sponsors, primarily Booster Clubs who have purchased Ads in the Program. But frankly, we are short of the commitments necessary to lock in our friends from Mediacom to tape the game for delayed broadcast. Last years event was done gratis as an outreach on their part but we need to pay them this year.

I need 10 more half page ads, at $100 a page, to accomplish that. If you would like to know more about the ads or supporting the All-Stars game, give me a call at 417-569-8062. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!

Sponsors Ad Submission