Roseville graduate Melissa Phillips, 23, takes over women’s soccer program at CSU Bakersfield
Kelsey DeCarlo Verbally Accepts to Humbolt State University
In her own words…
“I have been playing soccer for thirteen years and began playing at age four. In the beginning, I wasn’t quite sure if soccer was the sport for me. Per my parents, my first year of soccer I stood in the middle of the field with all of the other four and five year olds running around me, sobbing and begging to come off of the field.
The following year, my parents almost didn’t register me to play soccer, but came to me last minute with the proposal to play. I decided to give it one more chance. I thank God that I did because for the last twelve years, soccer has been one of the most important and rewarding aspects in my life. I truly love the game and all that comes with it!
As of recent, I was extended a scholarship offer to play soccer for Humboldt State University. After attending a women’s soccer game in the fall and visiting the campus with my parents last month, I verbally accepted the offer without hesitation during the visit. I love the Humboldt campus and the college-town feel. While I am currently a junior and still have one more year of high school, I am very excited and anxious to attend Humboldt and have the opportunity to play on their women’s soccer team. The new soccer field and accommodations are beautiful and the coaching staff I consider very warm and inviting.
I am very aware that I most likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend college on scholarship and play soccer in college if it weren’t for Placer United Soccer Club. Since entering Placer United at U-11, I was placed with three of the most exceptional coaches, who include: Jason Gantt (U-11 & U-12), Gene DuChateau (U-13 through U-15) and Ron Benjamin (U-16 & U-17). However, I feel it wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t also recognize the coaching my dad provided me in my early years, U-6 through U-10, and the guidance and instruction he has continued to give me throughout my entire soccer career. Without the support, direction and knowledge of the game each of my coaches have given me; I doubt I would’ve had the opportunities offered to me today. Not only has Placer United provided me outstanding coaches, but it also granted me an amazing team to play with and strong friendships.
I would like to take this time to thank my family, Placer United, and God for without any of these three, this wonderful opportunity wouldn’t have come my way.”
Go Lumberjacks!
Tyson Rietz All Conference in Volleyball
Tyson Rietz, formerly of Placer United Soccer Club, is all conference in volleyball at Emmanual College in Boston. Rietz played U10-U19 with Placer and went on to accept a scholarship his freshman year to UC Irvine as a goalkeeper.
Danielle Zezoff of ’93 Girls to Study at Cal Poly
In her own words…
“Soccer has been a big part of my life having played for 14 of my 18 years. I have played competitive soccer with Placer United for the past 3 years. This has been an experience that has been rewarding and very humbling as I have been challenged both on the field and off the field to never give up and work hard to excel at school, improve my game and rebound from numerous injuries. These traits will serve me well in college and in life. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged and supported me along the way as I have reached this milestone in my life. In the Fall, I will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where I will major in biology. Cal Poly has a great motto “Learn By Doing” which is key to truly learning and I look forward to the new challenges. I plan to continue to play soccer at a more recreational level.”
CDA Well Represented on U.S. Men’s U18 National Team
California Development Academy’s players represent three out of the twenty-four player roster (or, 13% of the roster). No other Development Academy can boast more than one player, the only Development Academy providing multiple players!
CHICAGO (April 11, 2011) — U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team head coach Mike Matkovich has named 24 players who will train in Portland, Ore., from April 16-24, on the Nike Campus. The training camp will feature friendlies against the Portland Timbers on April 19, and will finish with a pair of friendlies on Saturday, April 23, against the University of Portland and the University of Washington.
Two players on the roster will come from the professional ranks, with Victor Pineda representing the Chicago Fire and Jon Kempin representing Sporting Kansas City. Both players signed Home Grown player contracts with their respective clubs after spending time in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, while 20 other players are current Academy players representing 17 different clubs. Furman University’s Walker Zimmerman is lone collegian on the roster.
There will be 14 players traveling to Portland who were part of Matkovich’s last training camp in Phoenix in February. The roster is made up entirely of players born in 1993.
U.S. U-18 MNT Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeff Gal (Sockers FC; Bartlett, Ill.), Jon Kempin (Sporting Kansas City; Leawood, Kans.)
DEFENDERS (8): Jonathan Campbell (NC Fusion; Greensboro, N.C.), Matt Jeffery (PDA; Freehold, N.J.), Mitchell Lurie (Concorde Fire; Alpharetta, Ga.), Timothy Parker (Albertson SC; Hicksville, N.Y.), Grant Silvester (CDA; Sacramento, Calif.), Scott Thomsen (New York Red Bulls Academy; Brick, N.J.), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders Academy; Seattle, Wash.), Walker Zimmerman (Furman University; Lawrenceville, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Stefano Bonomo (De Anza Force; Hillsborough, Calif.), Seth Casiple (CDA; Sacramento, Calif.), Daniel Cuevas Granados (CDA; Sacramento, Calif.), Miguel Lopez, Jr. (Classics Elite; Alton, Texas), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bollingbrook, Ill.), Marcus Salandy-Defour (D.C. United Academy; Kensington, Md.), Christopher Somerville (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; West Chester, Pa.), Gabe Stauber (FC Westchester; Waccabuc, N.Y.), Will Trapp (Crew Soccer Academy; Gahanna, Ohio), Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler (CASL Chelsea SC; Cary, N.C.)
FORWARDS (4): Villyan Bijev (Cal Odyssey; Fresno, Calif.), Isaac Kannah (Minnesota Thunder Academy; Plymouth Minn.), Luis Rendon (FC Richmond Magic; Chesterfield, Va.), Khiry Shelton (Lonestar SC; Leander, Texas)
Placer United in CYSA State Cup Final
The Placer United U17 Girls ’94 Gold reached the CYSA State Cup Final and in doing so, will represent CYSA in the USYSA Far West Regional Championship to be held in Boise, Idaho in June 2011.
The U17 Girls ’94 Gold did not get there the easy way, far from it. They played two teams ranked in the top five of Cal North, and the top twenty in the Region. So this is a really big time achievement for the girls, to come out on top against the best teams in the State and advance to the State Cup Final.
The girls beat Santa Clara Sporting (ranked 4th and the 2010 finalists), in the quarter-finals on Saturday 1-0 and then went on to defeat the Santa Rosa Aftershocks (ranked 5th and the 2010 semi-finalists), 2-1 in the semi-finals on Sunday.
Both games were so tight and nerve racking that the Placer United board received an invoice from Cherry Island for the amount of chewed up finger nails that were found on the side of the fields, not to mention the remains of 2 T-Bone steaks close to where Vegan Coach, Ron Benjamin coached.
The Placer United girls play this Sunday at Noon, against the current State Champions Mustang Rampage at Bartholomew Sports Park in Elk Grove.
The Placer United Board require all fans planning to attend to get a manicure and to bring a Caesar Salad for Ron to chew on…
Placer United Girls State Cup Challenges and Successes
Four of the Placer United girls teams played in elimination games in State Cup action this past weekend at Cherry Island. The Placer United U17 Girls ’94 Gold reached the State Championship game and have also secured a spot in the Far West Regional Championships in Boise, Idaho this June.
The U17 Girls ’94 Gold survived very stiff competition against some of the best teams in the State to advance to the State Cup Final. The girls up-ended Santa Clara Sporting in the quarter-finals on Saturday 1-0 and then went on to defeat the Santa Rosa Aftershocks 2-1 in the semi-finals. The girls will play this Sunday at noon, versus Mustang at Bartholomew Sports Park in Elk Grove. The girls also qualified for the Far West Regional Championships this June in Boise, Idaho. Please come out and support the girls and the Placer United Soccer Club this Sunday.
The U18 Girls ’93 Gold squared off against the MVLA Avalanche on Saturday and lost a heart-breaker 1-0. The clash between these two teams is an old rivalry and the girls came up short in the quarter-finals. Congrats to all of the players and families of the 93’s as they have secured great memories for the Club including the 2008 U.S. Club Soccer National Championship.
The U16 Girls ’95 Gold had a very difficult matchup in their quarter-final. They faced a very talented Lamorinda squad and came up short, losing 1-0. The girls left everything on the field and had a a handful of quality chances to equalize. The girls had a fantastic season highlighted by a semi-final appearance in the Summer Surf Cup in San Diego.
The U14 Girls ’97 Gold made it all the way to the quarter-finals and had a date with the two time State Cup Champion, Mustang. Aside from a 15 minute lapse in the first half, the game was played at a furious pace, going back and forth, with both teams having quality scoring opportunities. The girls were defeated 3-0 but the game was much closer than the score line. This group of girls won the State Cup Championship in 2010.
Congrats to all of the teams on a fantastic run through the State Cup. Special acknowledgment to the U18 ’93 Girls team who have now completed their youth soccer career with Placer United. They will all now go their separate ways to study and play college soccer.
Please join the U17’s on Sunday in Elk Grove for the State Championship game!
Jesse McGinley Verbally Commits to University of North Carolina
Jesse McGinley
“I have recently verbally committed to the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I have always wanted to go to college some where in North Carolina, so I’m very excited that I get the chance to play soccer and live my dream of going to school there. When I went on my visit, I instantly fell in love with the school. I know that sounds cliché but it’s so true; every quality I wanted my “dream school” to have, Greensboro had it. I loved the team, the coaches, the campus, and it has a really good program for what I want to study in the future, which is kinesiology, so everything was very ideal.
Before my visit, Tracy Noonan, who has helped me with everything, especially my college search, said this quote to me: “Whenever possible, try to be in the place that makes you feel there’s no other place you’d rather be.” And UNCG is that place for me. So I’m VERY excited to go there. The soccer program is very competitive and it will allow me to grow as a player, and help me achieve the goals I want to accomplish.
First of all, I want to thank my parents because they have supported me in everything and have always been there for me. Thank you Ron Benjamin for helping me get to where I am now and pushing me to be the player I am today. Thank you Leo Marin for EVERYTHING you have done for me, such as coming before and staying after the regular practice to train me. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me! Along with my Placer coaches and my parents, I want to thank Tracy Noonan, who has been an amazing coach and so helpful to me through everything, whether it is a college coach’s number or advice on goalkeeping she has been there to help me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without any of you and I can’t thank you enough!
Go Spartans!
Friends Reunited
Ron Benjamin with Kasey Keller
The greatest goal keeper the United States has ever produced took some time to catch up with Placer United Girls Director Of Coaching, Ron Benjamin.
The current Seattle Sounders stopper who has appeared in no less than four FIFA World Cups met Ron at a recent MLS game. “Kasey is one of the greatest ever exports to the European game, playing at the highest level in the English, Spanish and German leagues,” said Ron.
Ron and Kasey are friends from time spent together at the University of Portland.
Placer United Girls Teams Thrive in State Cup Competition
Placer United U14-U18 Girls Teams have all participated in State Cup Competition. Here is a breakdown of the Cup games:
U14 Black 97 – The girls made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the Norcal Cup Gold Division. They opened with a 2-1 defeat to Turlock and then went on an excellent run. They defeated Livermore 3-0, drew with Walnut Creek 0-0, defeated Marin FC Red and Bay Oaks 1-0. In the quarter-finals, they were defeated by Milpitas 2-1.
U14 Gold 97 – The girls made it to the Round of 32 with 3 solid victories in the State Cup. They had a 3-1 win over Bay Oaks, 2-0 win over MVLA Blue and a 3-0 win over San Carlos. The girls play this weekend against Diablo FC.
U15 Gold 96 – The girls had an excellent weekend, yet came up a bit short. They opened with a 3-2 win over Castro Valley and then had a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Livermore Fusion. The draw was such that two of the better teams in the State had to match up in the first round. It was a very tight game with Placer United having many chances to equalize the score. They finished up with a 1-1 draw with Bullard.
U16 Gold 95 – A 2-2 draw with Orchard Valley and a 5-0 win versus Mustang Velocity have put the 95’s into a penalty kick shootout on Sunday with Orchard Valley to see who advances to the Quarter-Finals.
U17 Gold 94 – The U17’s went undefeated in group play. They had a 0-0 draw with Deanza Force, 12-0 win versus E. Fresno and a 8-0 win over Delta. They advanced to the Quarter-finals and face arch rival Santa Clara Sporting.
U18 Gold 93 – The 2008 U.S. Club National Champions won all three of their matches in the first round. They had a 1-0 win over Fremont, 2-0 win over DeAnza and a 5-0 win versus Merced. The girls now see rival, MVLA Avalanche in the Quarter-finals.
Great job to all of the teams in Cup competition!