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2008-2009 Season Team News
| Two teams from West-Mont United, that play in the Suburban Counties Soccer League, participated in the West Chester Rec Tournament over Memorial Day weekend.
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| On Saturday 5/23, the boys' U18 team comprised of players from our 3 U18 teams went on to WIN the Tournament after 4 overtimes in the final! It was said afterwards, this was the first time in a number of years that West Chester did not win the tournament.
On Sunday 5/24, the girls' U18 team comprised of players from U18s, U16s and even a U14 player went on to finish SECOND. They did not lose a game and only allowed one goal, which was the deciding factor. The Plymouth Soccer team came in first. Congratulations to both teams!! Suburban Counties SL is comprised of recreational coed teams, U12 to U18, that travel and play other nearby clubs. |
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U10 Girls The Fury - State Cup Champions West Chester, PA - The West Mont United Fury squared off against the HMMS United (Harrisburg, PA) (defending state champions) in a battle of top five ranked teams to determine the 2009 Pennsylvania U10 Girls Division State Championship. The first half would see great ball control action by both teams. The United would see some great cross field passes en route to the first shots of the game. The Fury defense of Grace Gvodas, Missy Moore, and Gabby Kane would recover and move the ball up-field to allow the offense to place shots on net, nearly missing a high corner shot. Strong mid-field play by Avery Cotter would allow Hannah Thomas, Camryn Jones, and Juliana Alessandroni more opportunities, but the United goalie stood strong. As the half wound down, the United would mount another strong charge on net, but great play by Tierney McDonnell would keep the game scoreless at the half. In the second half, Alyssa Conway and Lauren Mensch would join the defense fray and they also continue passing the ball up-field. Assisting the mid-field and offense would be Amanda Byrd, Mikayla Teets, Jackie Gonda, and Elise DiGuiseppe. These girls would continue to battle the United for position and ball control across the field. Both the United and the Fury would create rush after rush through excellent passing and through balls. With approximately 12 minutes left in the game, the Fury would mount a flurry of shots on net and Gabby Kane would send a rebound to the back of the net to give the Fury the lead. The United would not go quietly and would mount a final few rushes of their own, clanking one off the post, and the others would be deterred by the Fury defense and a few spectacular saves by McDonnell. The West Mont United Fury would win 1-0, giving the West Mont United Soccer Association its second champion in program history. It would also give Head Coach Brian Jones and Assistant Coach Greg Alessandroni a title game in their final game. |
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U11 Girls Blue Lightning - Champions - Quakertown Invitation! In conditions much nicer than Hempfield, the U11 Girls Blue Lightning became the 2009 Champions of the 25th Annual Quakertown Invitational. The first match on Saturday showed little rust as they went up against a strong Valley Galaxy team in their first real game action since last November. It was a see-saw affair with opportunities for both squads until a defensive breakdown led to a Valley goal in the second half. Undaunted, the Blue Lightning continued to battle and put in a high shot over the keeper from 20 yards out to secure a 1-1 tie. The next game was against the Lower Merion Flames whom the girls had met out in Lancaster. The offense came out strong and scored three times in the first half while the defense could not be cracked. The offense continued the pressure in the second half building a 4-0 lead before cruising to a 5-1 victory. The first game on Sunday was against a very aggressive Souderton Inferno team. Souderton was able to apply great pressure on the ball and made it difficult for the Blue Lightning to mount any kind of offensive threat. If not for outstanding goal-keeping and defensive play this game could have easily been lost. A Blue Lightning scoring chance in the final minutes made it very exciting, but it ultimately ended in a 0-0 tie. With all of the ties, the girls knew that every point was valuable going into the final game against the Quakertown Blue Lightning. Striving for the extra shutout point, the goal-tending and defense were again able to keep the opponent from scoring. Meanwhile, the Quakertown goalie was playing great and stopped several good scoring chances. The strikers and mid-fielders kept plugging away and were able to put some in from all angles for a 5-0 victory. The nine tournament points scored over the weekend were enough to be crowned Champions! It was a great balanced weekend with the defense giving up only two goals in 240 minutes of play and the offense providing scoring from seven different players. The defense was led by the goal-tending of Kelsey Castner who gave up zero in her 180 minutes in goal. In front of her was the stellar defensive play of Lindsay Blandon, Caitlin Corcoran, Kelsey Kehm, Emily Lowry, Rachel Monte, and Natalia Tackett (1). Controlling the middle of the field were Kailey Edwards, Madison Gosselin (1), Erica Litle (1), Melissa Lopez (1), Bridget Ringenwald (1), and Karleigh White. Providing the offensive pressure at striker were Meghan Drakas (5), Taylor Hainley, and Madison Mitchell (1). Thank you to the coaches, team manager, parents, and especially the 16 girls who made this a great weekend. Other than a short break in December, these girls have been practicing and training hard together for the last ten months and it is great to see dividends paid out on the field and in the trophy case. Congratulations girls, you deserve it!! The Fury advance to Challenge Cup semi-finals! "Saturday 4/25/09 - On the hottest day this spring, the 6th ranked West Mont United Fury hosted the 3rd ranked FC Revolution 98/99 Lightning (Reading, PA) in the quarterfinal round of the 2009 Pennsylvania Challenge Cup Tournament, U10 girls Division. The high level of play by both teams would lead to an instant classic, a double overtime game full of great up and down field action. In the opening minutes, the Fury would drive deep and place some shots on net, but the Lightning would respond with physical play that resulted in their own shots. Great ball control and some key passes would lead to more chances as both offenses would put pressure on the defenses in a first half draw. In the second half, the Fury offense would continue to pressure the Lightning goalie. However, she would stay strong until the Fury sent a strong blast that would bounce off a defender and past the goalie for a 1-0 lead with ten minutes to play. The Lighting would not bend so easily, using ultra physical play to net the tying goal with two minutes to play, ultimately sending the game into overtime. In the first overtime, the Lightning would start off with a quick attack that resulted in another shot, but the Fury goalkeeper would keep it tied. This would mark the last time the Lightning would pose a serious threat on goal. Once gaining possession of the ball, the Fury girls would continue to show masterful ball control and would begin to take control of the game, but could not find the net in the final minutes. In the second overtime, the Fury wasted no time in cementing their control on the game by quickly driving for the go ahead goal early in the period. A few minutes later, a quick steal and nifty passing would lead to another Fury goal to put the game away, pushing the final score 3-1, and earning a trip to the state semi finals. Strikers are Inaugural United States Outdoor Champions! On Saturday March, 28 the Strikers took to the road and headed to the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown, PA to take part in the First Annual Winter Invitational Outdoor Turf Tournament. Although the weather was damp and cold, the Strikers came out on fire tallying three consecutive wins at 3-0, 9-0 and 9-0 in the afternoon's finale. Throughout all three matches, the Strikers exhibited impressive ball control, relentless pressure and a balanced offensive attack with 8 different players finding the back of the net. As a result of their dominance, the Strikers were crowned champions of this inaugural tournament. This makes the third 1st place finish for this determined group of girls in this young 2009 season!!! Way to go STRIKERS, keep up the great work girls!!!! Undefeated Strikers take Far Post Session II Championship! The West-Mont Strikers entered the Far Post Session II Division 1 playoffs as the top ranked team winning all their scheduled games. The top bracket included our very own West-Mont Victory who always comes ready to play hard, as well as PAGS division 1 rivals Lower Merion Galaxy, and the only team to defeat the Strikers in fall league play the TEYSA Hotspurs. Game one vs. Lower Merion was a hard fought battle on both sides, and ended in a 0-0 tie that featured stellar goalie play by Leslie Adams. The defensive unit kept Lower Merion to minimal shots, and were steady all day. The defense was led by the wonderful play of Kaylie O'Donnell, Kalie Kratz, Bergen Bycoski and Codi Wilkinson. Game two was a tough West-Mont v West-Mont battle that saw the midfield of the Strikers take control of the game and set up our Strikers to some quick hitting goals. The mid-fielders were Elly Bycoskie, Allsion Cappelli, Mackenzie Mitchell, Kelly Franz and Brooke Ritchie. Their wonderful passing and aggressiveness led the Strikers to a 3-0 win. Game three against TESYA was a terrific game going back and forth. Kayla Mesaros who was tremendous at Striker all day netted the first goal on corner kick where she was fed a touch pass by Mackenzie Mitchell. The battle continued until the last minutes where our defense calmly cleared a ball and then Leslie Adams hit Kalya Mesaros on a long feed that sent her in on a break away goal which ended the match in a 2-0 victory for the Strikers. The Championship would match the Strikers back up with a now very determined Hotspurs team who in the first minute came out flying and jumped to a 1-0 lead netting the only goal that was to be scored against the Strikers. However, the Strikers were very determined to not let their indoor season slip away so easily. After TEYSA took down Kayla Mesaros on another breakaway, Kaylie O'Donnell blasted a free kick from outside the box just under the crossbar for a 1-1 tie. Despite near misses by both teams in regulation the battle extended to "golden goal OT" and only 4 players and no goalies remained on each side. The Strikers started the scoring attempts on near misses by Mackenzie Mitchell and Kayla Mesaros. The HotSpurs had multiple rushes that were thwarted back by Allison Cappelli and Kalie O'Donnell. Finally O'Donnell pinched in her defensive corner cleared a nice pass to Cappelli, who in turn hit a streaking Kayla Mesaros down the left sideline where she let the game winner rip from 10 yard inside midfield line. What a thrilling victory! Way to go Strikers! U11 Wildcats - Victorious at the 2009 Jefferson Cup Ranked as the 4th youth soccer tournament for girls in the United States, the West-Mont United SA Wildcats captured the prestigious Jefferson Cup on March 22, 2009. The Wildcats would prove undefeated as they faced 4 teams while in Richmond, Virginia - 2 from Virginia and 2 from North Carolina. On Saturday, March 21st the Wildcats met the Beach FC Piranhas from Virginia. On paper this team should give the Wildcats the best competition all weekend. It didn't take long for this to be the case. A defensive miscommunication put the Wildcats down 0-1 in the first minute of the game. The girls buckled down and kept constant pressure on the Piranhas and with less than 10 minutes to go in the first half a 30 yard strike from Laura Suero tied it up. At half time the score remained tied 1-1. In the second half the Wildcat defense of Kayleigh Kardos, Cayla Veverka, and Ashley Darreff kept the Piranhas out of the backfield. Pressure was maintained up front from Ashley Dowiak, Gabrielle Vagnozzi, Taylor Newhart, Kylie Erb, Kelsey Giese, Laura Suero, and Megan Gray. With three minutes to go the Wildcats delivered two unanswered goals. Goal #2 would be from Brianna Loube to Laura Suero who brought the ball down with her lace and volleyed it into the net for the go ahead goal. Two minutes later, Gabrielle Vagnozzi put one in on a cross from Cayla Ververka. Aggressive goal playing by Brianna Loube and Erin Tinneny kept the Piranhas out of the net. Game two put the Wildcats against another team from Virginia, PWSI Courage 97 Red. A team in which the Wildcats beat in the Fall at the WAGS tournament. The Wildcats, still drawing energy from the first game, scored three goals in the first 6 minutes of the game. Brianna Loube applied pressured up the middle, expertly navigating 2 midfielders and a defender to get a rocket strike off into the back corner of the net in the first minute of the match, which set the tone for the rest of the match. Goal #2 came from Kelsey Giese and goal #3 came from Christie Balestra, assisted by Gabrielle Vagnozzi. At half time the Wildcats were up 3-0. The second half saw another goal by Gabrielle Vagnozzi fed by Kelsey Giese who solidly controlled the midfield. Outstanding defense from Brianna Loube, Erin Tinneny, Kayleigh Kardos, Brianna Cirino, and Cayla Ververka kept the PWSI Courage 97 Red at bay. Final score 4-0. Keeping the shutout were goalies Erin Tinneny and Christie Balestra. The Sunday morning chill welcomed an early third game for the Wildcats against SCSA 97 Gold from North Carolina. The stage was set as both teams had two wins from Saturday proving this to be a grudge match. The Wildcats dominated the first half with solid defense from Brianna Loube, Kayleigh Kardos, Brianna Cirino, and Cayla Ververka. Pressure maintained in SCSA's end but the Wildcats couldn't finish. SCSA got a corner kick opportunity on a break away from midfield and converted it into a goal putting them up 0-1. The score remained at 0-1 at the half. The second half was a nail biter. The Wildcats kept constant pressure on the SCSA team but could not find the net until... With 10 minutes left, penetration up the middle from Gabrielle Vagnozzi led to a through ball on the left side of the 18 to Kayleigh Kardos who hit a rocket, left footed shot over the outstretched arms of the SCSA goalie-making it 1-1. A takedown outside the box with 5 minutes to go gave the Wildcats a direct kick at the 25 yard mark. Cayla Ververka hit an arching ball that went over the wall and underneath the cross bar to put the Wildcats ahead 2-1. A tremendous effort, and great composure by all, with a solid performance in goal by Erin Tinneny. The final game of the tournament would match the Wildcats against the undefeated WCWAA Weddington Black from North Carolina. A back and forth first half resulted in a scoreless first half. The second half saw Weedington score first. They came down the left side of the 18. The shot went under a diving Erin Tinneny bouncing off the post. A scramble in front of the net resulted in a score for the opposition. Director of Coaching, Malcolm Wilson, recommended a change in the Wildcat formation which resulted in the tying goal. A four player combination from Laura Suero, to Brianna Cirino, to Taylor Newhart, with the goal being scored on a beautiful spin-move by Gabrielle Vagnozzi. A few minutes later a nice through ball to Gabrielle Vagnozzi led to a breakaway. As Gabrielle maneuvered past the last defender she was taken down in the box. A penalty kick was rewarded to the Wildcats. Cayla Ververka calmly approached the ball and placed it in the back of the net. GOOOAAALLLL!!!!! The Wildcats defenders, Ashley Dowiak, Ashley Darreff, Kylie Erb, Megan Gray, Brianna Loube and Kayleigh Kardos, held off the last few attacks by the Weddington team with excellent goaltending from Christie Balestra and Erin Tinneny. The final score was 2-1 and the West-Mont United SA Wildcats were the Jefferson Cup Champions. U10 Fury - Contenders at the 2009 Jefferson Cup The West-Mont United Fury (U10A) girls traveled to Richmond, VA to compete in the prestigious Jefferson Cup Strikers Soccer Tournament. This tournament is currently ranked as the #5 youth soccer tournament for girls in the United States. Each year the tournament draws an average of over 150 State Cup Champions, over 50 Regional Champions, and over 5 National Champions throughout the nine age groups. In their opening stanza on Saturday, the Fury would square off against the NVSC Junior Majestics '98, currently ranked #4 in the Virginia state rankings as well as the national rankings (according to USA Rank). The Fury would show no signs of rust from the hours of travel, coming out and dominating the game from the onset. Some beautiful up-field passing would result in an early goal to set the tone of the game. However, the Majestics would net one as time expired in the first half to tie the game. The second half would see the Fury continue their dominance by keeping the ball on the offense side of the field, and placing some nice shots on net. A few outstanding saves by the opposition would keep the game a draw in the end. Later in the afternoon, the West-Mont United Fury would clash with fellow Pennsylvania representative, Penns Forest Cheetahs (Pittsburgh area). This game would find the Fury defense shutting down another offense and controlling the field of play. The offense would send shots on net, but would be unable to punch one past the netminder and would have to settle for a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Fury would compete against the Charlotte United FC 97 Chelsea G, currently ranked #1 in the North Carolina state rankings (according to USA Rank). This game would be one for the ages between two great teams. The first half would see Fury battle toe to toe, pushing the ball up-field with some nice passing, placing shots on net. Chelsea would battle back, but once the ball would cross mid-field, the stout Fury defense would shut Chelsea down as they did all weekend. If not for superb goal play by the Chelsea, the Fury would have surely netted a goal. In the closing minutes of the first half, a close call would give Chelsea free kick. The talented Chelsea Midfielder came through with a top-shelf direct kick to score the decisive goal to end the half. In the second half, the Fury defense would be challenged again, but would also come through to continue their mastery of shutting down powerful opposing offenses. Despite a few more rushes by the Fury offense, they could not muster the tying goal in the closing minutes. Charlotte United FC 97 Chelsea G would go on to capture the Jefferson Cup title later in the afternoon. The Fury would prove that they could play at the caliber of competition that makes up the Jefferson Cup tournament field. With the added confidence, they now turn their attention to the Pennsylvania Outdoor State Cups, with group play starting this weekend as the Fury host the Council Rock Tornadoes at Hilltop Farm in Limerick, PA. U11 Wildcats - Champions at the March 2009 Penn Legacy Academy Cup The West-Mont United SA Wildcats won the March 2009 Academy Cup hosted by the Hempfield / Penn Legacy Soccer Club. This invitation only, premier level tournament was the kickoff to the Spring 2009 outdoor season for the Wildcats. The weather cooperated with a partially cloudy sky and temperatures in the high 50's. The tournament featured four premier level games, all played in one day. The day started out against the HMMS Blaze, who had beat the Wildcats in the Fall, by a score of 1-2. Gabrielle Vagnozzi started off the game with a stellar goal in the first two minutes of play, brilliantly threading the HMMS defense on a through ball from Ashley Dowiak. This early goal set the tempo for the rest of game number one. The Wildcats had the Blaze on their heels for the entire first half with pressure up front from Megan Gray, Molly Hynes, Gabrielle Vagnozzi and Taylor Newhart. The Wildcats had another nine shots on goal and dominated play throughout the first half of play with solid midfield play of Erin Tinneny, Kylie Erb, Laura Suero, Christie Balestra and Ashley Dowiak. In the second half, the Blaze brought their A game and pressured the Wildcats' defense for most of the second half. The second half Wildcat goalie, Erin Tinneny, did a fantastic job, protected by the rock solid Wildcat defense of Ashley Darreff, Cayla Veverka, Hannah Epps, and Brianna Cirino. The game ended with a 1-0 result and started the day off well for the Wildcats. Game number two was against the host team, Penn Legacy Black. The "Black" are currently the best team in the state of Pennsylvania and proceeded to show the fans why. The game started out rocky for the Wildcats. Penn Legacy's possession and ball movement was flawless in the first half. They controlled the entire pace of play and constantly challenged the Wildcat defense. Penn Legacy went up 0-1, at the 10 minute mark, on a cross from the right corner and the Wildcats found themselves behind. The Wildcats' defense of Brianna Loube, Hannah Epps, Ashley Darreff, and Cayla Veverka fought off the pressuring offense of Penn Legacy and the half ended 0-1. At halftime, the team made some line up adjustments that proved effective throughout the second half. The Wildcats fought back with strong play in the second half from its midfield of Erin Tinneny, Molly Hynes, Gabrielle Vagnozzi, Brianna Cirino and Taylor Newhart. The Wildcats played with heart in the second half and fought to keep play around midfield. Ten minutes into the second half, the Wildcats lifted their game on a solo goal by Laura Suero, which tied up the match 1-1. Pressure up the middle, from center midfielder Taylor Newhart, allowed Laura to expertly split the Penn Legacy defense and find the lower left corner of the net, patiently easing the ball by the outstretched arms of the Penn Legacy goalie. With the momentum shifting to West-Mont, pressure up front from Kylie Erb, Kayleigh Kardos, Megan Gray, Laura Suero, and Gabrielle Vagnozzi almost put the Wildcats ahead several times. Unfortunately, Penn Legacy regained control of the ball and answered back five minutes later, with a break-away goal from mid-field. With no one deep enough to catch up, Penn Legacy capped off the match and made the final outcome 1-2 in favor of Penn Legacy. The Wildcat goalies, Erin Tinneny and Brianna Loube, both played outstanding halves in goal, deserving recognition by helping contain the offense of Penn Legacy to only two goals. Game number three found the Wildcats facing a large club team from Maryland, the Baltimore Bays. The Wildcats started off with an early goal from Taylor Newhart and the tempo was established. The Wildcats completely dominated the Bays throughout the first half and missed sixteen opportunities on the net. Strong pressure up front was provided by Kayleigh Kardos, Erin Tinneny and Megan Gray, with outstanding midfield support from midfielders Cayla Veverka, Kylie Erb, Brianna Cirino, and Laura Suero. The Bays made some adjustments in the second half and kept the Wildcats out of the net for most of the second half. The Bays pressured throughout the second half and the defense of Molly Hynes, Hannah Epps, Ashley Darreff, and Cayla Veverka stood unified against the energized Bays offense. During one Bays drive, goalie Taylor Newhart made a world-class save, diving up into the upper right corner of the net to stop a rocket shot from the Bays. In the closing minutes, a coordinated Wildcat attack on the Bays goal from Laura Suero and Ashley Dowiak led to a beautiful finish by Megan Gray, putting the Wildcats up 2-0 and solidifying a win over the powerhouse out of Baltimore. The fourth and final game was played under the stadium lights against the Lighthouse Fire. The "Fire" had beaten the Wildcats 1-3 in the Fall season. Unfortunately for the Lighthouse Fire, this was a Wildcat day! With a surprising amount of energy for their fourth game of the day, the Wildcats pressured right from the start and didn't let up the entire match. Strong defense from Molly Hynes kept the Lighthouse star left forward under control, while the Wildcat midfield of Kylie Erb, Kayleigh Kardos, Taylor Newhart, Megan Gray and Brianna Cirino combined with forwards Erin Tinneny, Ashley Dowiak, and Gabrielle Vagnozzi to put the Wildcats up 1-0 in the first half. The way the tournament scoring worked out, the Wildcats needed a 2-0 win to win the tournament outright. If the result had been 1-0, the Wildcats would have been forced into a fifth, golden goal match, against Penn Legacy, to break the tie in the tournament scoring. With the HMMS Blaze and the Penn Legacy Black in the stands, cheering loudly for the "Fire", the Wildcats silenced the crowd with a second goal by Gabrielle Vagnozzi, on a combination play from Laura Suero, to put the Wildcats up 2-0. After the second goal, the stands started to clear out and the Wildcats pressured the "Fire" until the final whistle, rarely allowing the ball out of the "Fire's" end for most of the second half. Solid defense by Hannah Epps, Ashley Darreff, Cayla Veverka, and Molly Hynes made the difference in this match. With their 2-0 win, the Wildcats were crowned tournament champions against a premier level field of teams. Congratulations to all the Wildcat players on a great four-game outing to start off their Spring 2009 season! All Strikers Final at the QSC Indoor Challenge! The West-Mont U9 girls entered two teams of 5 in the Quakertown Soccer Club Challenge on 2/15/09. They came away with an extremely positive result placing both teams in the final to play for the title. The Strikers1 team (M.Mitchell,K.O'Donnell,M.Green,L.Adams,K.Kratz) just edged the Strikers2 (K.Mesaros,K.Franz,A.Cappelli,C.Wilkinson,B.Ritchie) in a tight , well played, 5-3 final, that wasn't decided until the final minute. Both teams went undefeated, had balanced scoring, and dominant wins leading to the #1 and #2 seeding for the semi-finals. Strikers1 scored 28 goals and only allowed 5 through the 5 games. They even had to survive a golden goal OT game in the semi's, where Kaylie O'Donnell hit the game winner from mid-field to seal the game 3-2 . Strikers 2 also had convincing wins of their own in the other bracket. We are certain there will be a rematch at an upcoming practice with this competitive group! All the parents and coaches are so proud of both teams for playing at such a high level all day, and representing West-Mont so spectacularly. Way to go girls! Two West-Mont United Players Selected to Represent the EPYSA U14 ODP Team in Costa Rica Two players from the U13G WMU Blue Devils were selected as part of the EPYSA U14 ODP team to go to Costa Rica and play in a four game series. Lauren Mengel and Katie Thomas wrote a recap of this amazing trip and wanted to share it with everyone. Day 1 - Our first flight was on January 18th from Newark, New Jersey to Houston, Texas. We arrived at the airport to meet with one of our coaches, Danielle, as we waited for everyone else to arrive. We got our plane tickets and went through check in. Since we were early we all got a bite to eat and hung out together. When we arrived in Houston, we were all tired and excited. We had lunch in the airport and watched the Eagles game. We then got on the plane to fly to San Jose, Costa Rica to meet up with all the other girls who were already there. Landing at the airport around 10 o'clock, we met our tour guides and drove to the hotel, the Best Western. Exhausted, we called it a night and went to bed. Day 2 - After breakfast, we had a presentation about Costa Rica and previewed all the exciting things to come. After our presentation we had team training with an opportunity to show how we play as individuals and as a team. We played several games, did a little of a workout, and ended with a scrimmage. After team training we all got showers and headed to the room where we were going to eat lunch. The next activity on our agenda was our first game against UCEM. The girls on this team were amazing. Their foot skills were great and they knew how to truly play the game of soccer. Unfortunately, we lost the game 1-4, but we played well. At the end of every game we would give the girls on the other team a shirt of ours and an EPYSA pin. Speaking for myself, I would say that when I gave my shirt away the looks on their faces were amazing. They were so excited with big smiles, like they have just won a million dollars. Afterwards, we all got together and took a photo with the other girls. We all drove back to the hotel and got showers and headed out for dinner. After dinner our tour guides put together a special presentation of cultural dances from Costa Rica. We first watched the dancers and then they taught us how to dance. We then headed to our hotel rooms and went to bed. Day 3 - On Tuesday, January 20 we had breakfast in the Best Western Hotel and headed on the road to the Zip Line Canopy Tour in San Lorenzo. The workers there put the equipment on us and we went zip lining from tree to tree seeing the top of the rain forest and the beautiful views. We also did this thing called the "tarzan swing," it was like a giant swing and to me that was the most fun because you could go up side down overlooking huge drops. Afterwards, we ate at their restaurant where we were served noodles and Costa Rican drinks like cuss and mango juice. We left the zip lining and went to our next hotel, the Tilajari Hotel. After we got settled in our rooms, we got our bathing suits on and headed to the Hot Springs were we had a buffet dinner and swam in the hot springs. The hot springs had both hot and cold areas. Our favorite was the water slides into the hot springs. We had a blast but we had to leave and went back to the hotel, took showers, and went to bed. Day 4 - We woke up to a beautiful view of the nearby pond and got ready for breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. After breakfast we traveled to the La Fortuna Waterfall, one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. We traveled down steep steps to the bottom of the waterfall and we swam in the cold water of the waterfall. It was beautiful. Traveling back up the steps was hard, trying not to fall. Next we traveled back to the hotel for lunch and got ready for our next game against San Carlos. The field was at the hotel and we got to play under the lights. Before the game we lined up and they played both our national anthems. What a feeling, to stand there with your hand over your heart hearing your national anthem and knowing it was for you. The game ended in a draw, 2-2. Afterwards, we gave them our game shirts and their reactions were the same, excited and thankful. They shared fruits they had brought for us. We all walked to the hotel restaurant and had dinner. Tired and ready for sleep, we went to our rooms and called it a night. Day 5 - Thursday, January 22 we ate breakfast and went back to our rooms and got ready for our second and last training session. We did several drills, worked on foot skills, and techniques. Then we ate lunch in the hotel, packed up, and left to go back to the Best Western Hotel in San Jose. On the way home we stopped at a huge and very cool souvenir shop where we both got souvenirs for our family members. The bus rides were a blast, we would fool around and take crazy pictures with all the girls. We finally arrived to the hotel and ate dinner. We hung out in the lobby for a little while and then went to bed. Day 6 - We woke up to a beautiful view from our 4th floor rooms and went down for breakfast, where we had fruits, pancakes, cereal, hash browns, and rice and beans. We drove to the Children's Community Center where single mothers would drop their kids off from 5:30 in the morning and might not pick them up until as late as 6:00 at night. The kids were so excited and many cheered and cried with excitement. The kids thought of us as older sisters as we played soccer with them and gave them piggy-back rides. They were so excited and loved taking pictures with our cameras. The opportunity was great and like nothing else we had done. Some of us cried, including myself because the look on their faces made my day. For Katie and I, that was the best place we visited on that trip. We wanted to stay longer but knowing that we were there made those kids so happy and that's all that mattered. We searched our bags and gave them as many clothes as we could, but definitely not enough for all 238 of them. That experience was life changing. After the kids center, we went back to the hotel and had lunch. Then we got ready for our next game against San Jose. We won the game 7-2. We gave them our shirts and pins and we took a photo with both teams together. We headed back to the hotel, got showers and headed to our Costa Rican dinner. There they served us local Costa Rican foods and after dinner we played games. One game was similar to musical chairs and we did the limbo, I came in second and won Oreos. After dinner we went back to the hotel, hung out for a little bit and went to bed. Day 7 - Saturday, January 24 was our last full day in Costa Rica. We woke up and ate breakfast in the hotel. Afterwards, we got our sneakers on and grabbed our cameras for a walking tour of downtown San Jose. We visited places such as their National Museum, Legislative Assembly, Central Park, Supreme Court, and their National Theatre. While walking, we stopped at a flea market and bought hand-made jewelry. We drove back to the hotel and ate lunch. After lunch we played our final game against their regional team, San Joaquin. We won the game 3-2. It was a great game and their players were amazing. There were several things we learned that can change our game as well. Our last dinner in Costa Rica we were treated to T.G.I.F. We saw a presentation with all the photos from the week and our tour guides said their last goodbyes. Day 8 - Our last and final day. We woke up early and headed to the airport with our breakfast in a baggy. We flew home very sad but excited to see our family and friends. Afterwards... Katie and I talked all the way home about the trip and loved everything about it. It was an AMAZING experience and we would do it all over again if we could. We would like to thank EPYSA for the opportunity and Costa Rica Soccer for making this a very memorable trip. Good luck to all the girls hoping to make ODP this year. Lauren Mengel and Katie Thomas U10 Girls Fury - Champions - Coliseum Super Winter Tournament After a winter break, the West-Mont Fury traveled to Teaneck, NJ for an opportunity to play at The Soccer Coliseum in their Super Winter 1-day Soccer Tournament. This would give the Fury a chance to play against outstanding teams from New York and New Jersey in indoor soccer action. The Fury competed in the U10 Division and would be grouped in Bracket A in the 8 team tournament. The Fury would square off against MSC Porto (Manhattan, NY) in the opening stanza. The dominating Fury "D" seemed to pick up where it left off in November and would control the ball. After some nifty passing, the Fury offense would come alive and score 3 unanswered goals for a 3-0 win. The next round would pit the Fury against a Premier Level team, The Soccer Institute (Waldwick, NJ). After some ultra tough up-and-down field action, both teams would find themselves just missing their shots on goal. The Fury offense would find its mark late in the game and cashed in 3 tallies, adding another shutout on the day. In semi-final action, the West-Mont Fury girls would find themselves against Bracket B runner-up, the WPYSC Sting (White Plains, NY). This time the Fury offense would not wait for the "D" to set the tone, scoring two early goals en route to a 5-1 victory and earning a spot in the finals. The title game would be a rematch between the Fury and Soccer Institute. After the Fury would score early in the game, the Soccer Institute would pose a serious threat to the Fury's perfect day, adding a pair of goals to pull within one in the closing minutes. The "D" would take over and shut them down, earning a 3-2 victory and their first tournament championship in 2009. Superb passing and striking would be key to the Fury's great day. Scoring for West-Mont would be Gabby Kane, Cammy Jones, Avery Cotter, Grace Gvodas, Juliana Alessandroni, Amanda Byrd, and Tierney McDonnell. Notching shut out play at goalie were Amanda Byrd, Tierney McDonnell, and Grace Gvodas. U11 Girls Cheetahs - Champion - Deep Run Thanksgiving Turkey Tournament As the only travel team for West-Mont United SA at this year's tournament, the U-11 Girls Cheetahs represented the club superbly while wrapping up their fall season with a 1st Place win at the Deep Run Thanksgiving Turkey Tournament on 11/28/2009. Assisting the Cheetahs were guest players from the U11 Wildcats and U10 Fury. While still working off the Thanksgiving Day feasting, the Cheetahs easily defeated the Montgomery Twisters 6-0 on a chilly early Friday morning. After a short 1 hour break, they played a tough, physical game against the Horsham Hawks defeating them 1-0. On Saturday morning in frozen field conditions (gotta love 8 am games in November), they faced their PAGS Premier division foe, the Amity Blue Lightening. In the final 5 minutes of the game, the Cheetahs got a game winning goal to win 1-0 which later determined the championship in this "round robin" bracket. In their last game playing PA Rush, their opponent took an early 1-0 lead which would hold until late in the 2nd half when they were able to scoring a tying goal to secure their 1st place win. On the prior weekend, the Cheetahs played in the Hempfield Fall (Snow) Classic in Division 1. On Saturday in the snow and freezing temperatures, they defeated a tough Beadling team from Pittsburgh 2-1 (one of the top teams in western PA) and later Hereford from northern Baltimore, MD in a snowy 2-0 win. On Sunday, they faced the West Chester Predators in a very physical game. Despite a very even first half of play, the Cheetahs took a tough 0-4 loss to fall out of contention. For the fall league season, the Cheetahs finished in 3rd place with a 6-3-0 record in the PAGS Premier Man United division. They lost in the PAGS Playoff Semi-Finals 0-1 against YMS Premier Inferno. Playing some of the best U11 teams in the Philadelphia/Central PA area including Super Nova, Haverford, GCVSA, Amity, YMS and others, the Cheetahs played very solid soccer with 17 GF and 13 GA. They are looking forward to winter training at 422 Sportsplex starting in late January in preparation for the EPYSA Outdoor Cup and spring tournaments. Thanks goes to the Coaches, Trainer, and Team Managers. And, thanks to every parent who cheered us whether we won or lost every weekend, and got their daughters to practice on time every week since June. We are very proud of our 17 girls in how much they improved this summer/fall from all of their hard work & dedication and giving us great soccer to look forward to every weekend!! The Blue Lightning are Champions at Hempfield The U11 Girls Blue Lightning are the 2008 Champions of their division at the 23rd Annual Hempfield Fall SNOW Classic. With snow on the field and wind chill around the teens, the Blue Lightning came out strong against the Centre Blue Lightning and scored two goals in the first half with the wind at their backs. The defense played strong in the second half with the wind in their faces and allowed only one goal to secure the 2-1 victory. The afternoon game against the Lower Merion Flames was their best all-around game of the season and produced a complete 2-0 shutout win. Sunday morning was sunnier, but just as cold and windy as they faced a physical Hockessin Galaxy squad. The game was a 1-1 see-saw affair until Hockessin scored in extra time, but the victory against Centre provided the team a championship game appearance. As the temperature finally reached the 40s (maybe), the Blue Lightning faced off against the Tredyffrin-Easttown Wildcats at 3:30 Sunday afternoon. The first half saw both teams play solid defense and ended scoreless. Almost midway through the second half, the Blue Lightning were able to put one into the back of the net followed by another just a few minutes later. The Wildcats did not back down and turned up the pressure and finally cracked the defense to put one in with about eight minutes left to play. They continued to apply the pressure, but in the end the Blue Lightning were able to hold them off to become Champions! The defense allowed only four goals in four games and was led by the outstanding goalie play of Kelsey Castner and Lindsay Blandon. In front of them was great team defense from Caitlin Corcoran, Kelsey Kehm, Emily Lowry, Rachel Monte, Natalia Tackett, and Karleigh White. The most improved area of play was at mid-field led by Kailey Edwards, Madison Gosselin, Erica Litle (1 goal), Madison Mitchell (1), and Bridget Ringenwald. The scoring punch at forward was provided by the dynamic duo of Meghan Drakas (3) and Taylor Hainley (2). Mid-fielder Melissa Lopez was away on vacation, but she was with us in spirit. Congratulations girls - CHAMPIONS - the coaches are all very proud of you! The U10 B Lazers - Runner-up at Delco League 13 passionate players had a great season and the team went undefeated all the way to the championship game. They played hard and made parents and coaches very proud even though we lost 3-2 in the championship game. Something notable is that 9 of these 13 players are brand new travel players coming from West-Mont United's intramural program and finalized undefeated after playing 8 games during the regular season. Their record was 7-1-0. Players - Kevin, Josh, Matt, Grant, Jack, Corey, Sean, Dylan, Robbie, Giancarlo, Erick, Matthew and Ryan - and coaches - Victor and Tony - keep working hard and are looking forward to the upcoming tournaments and indoor sessions in order to continue keeping the West-Mont United name really high. The West Mont Fury traveled to East Petersburg this past weekend to compete in the U10 Premier Division of the Hempfield Fall Classic. The Classic is one of Pennsylvania's toughest tournaments with the top teams coming from all over the East Coast. On snow covered fields, the Fury would square off against SPIRIT United in the frigid opening stanza. The Fury offense would match the windy 32 degree temperature for much of the first half, trailing The momentum gained from their second half performance would be needed, as they would face the West Chester Predators in their second contest of the day. Looking to avenge their earlier loss a month ago, the Fury would find themselves down 1-0 early in the game. As the snow began falling, the Fury would kick it into high gear, scoring two quick goals before the half to go ahead 2-1. In the second half, the defense would set the tone, keeping the Predators out of scoring range while the offense would dominate the passing lanes and shot selections, tallying another goal to finish the game 3-1 and put an end to their losing streak against West Chester. The West Mont Fury would be back in action the next morning against Penn Legacy (formerly known as Hempfield). Against one of the more dominant teams in the tournament, The Fury would be up to the task from the onset. Once again an early goal would test the mettle of the Fury, who responded by tying the game on a penalty shot from just outside the box that would find the top shelf. In the second half, the Fury defense would shut out The Legacy while the offense continued their dominance of the passing lanes, finishing off Penn Legacy 2-1 and earning a spot in the finals.,br /> The U9 "Heat" braved the weather again in their trip to the 23rd Annual Hempfield Day two proved to be even more frigid as the boys started against arch-rival Methacton. Zach Monastero capped a great personal weekend with an amazing goal off a corner kick but it wasn't enough as Methacton took the game 4-1. Going into game 4 against Rheems, the boys knew they had to come out with a win for the chance of a trophy. Hunter Jones opened the scoring but they soon fell behind 3-1. The Heat then came alive in the second half to score three goals. Hunter Jones and Nick Harshaw got it tied at three while Drew Furhman put in the winner to give the Heat second place in the A division. Factoring in the horrible weather conditions, the boys had an outstanding weekend to end the fall season on a high note. After finishing the regular season in fourth place, the U9 Boys "the Heat" were faced with first place Greater Chester Valley SA in the semi-final. The boys fought against the wind and finished the first half tied 0-0. With the wind at their backs in the second half they pressed for goals. It paid off in the 35th minute when Hunter Jones buried a long range shot in the back corner of the net. With a 1-0 lead, Patrick Jucker kept GCVSA at bay with stellar goalkeeping while Jake Rogers and Daniel Mancini anchored a rock solid defense. With the 1-0 win, they were into the finals where they would meet West Chester United SC. Once again the elements proved to be a major influence on the game as a water soaked field and freezing temperatures kept the boys shivering the entire day. Andrew Zielke started the scoring with With a tremendous effort, the boys are proud of the second place finish and vow to win it all next year. The Fury Takes 1st Place in the Battle At HillTop Tournament The 5th ranked West Mont Fury (U10A team) opened their season this weekend on their home turf at the Battle At HillTop tournament. Saturday morning saw the defending tournament champions, Fury play four preliminary pre-season style games, outscoring their opponents 9-0 to earn the top seed in the tournament. Saturday evening saw the Fury officially start their regular season by playing the Reading Rage Soccer Club. The Rage SC came out determined to upset the Fury and battled fiercely from the opening whistle. After a series of steals and nifty passing, the game was scoreless at the half. In the second half, play remained physical between the teams. After scoring the Fury's initial goal of the season, Mikayla Teets would crash head first into the goalpost and leave the game. This fired up the Fury who raised their level of play with Alyssa Conway, Elise DiGuiseppe, and Lauren Mensch clamping down on the defensive side of the ball, allowing Hannah Thomas and Gabby Kane to put the game away by adding a pair of goals late in the game. Sunday would see the Fury square off against the 2007 Battle At HillTop tournament runner-up, Methacton Tidal Wave. The game proved to be a defensive contest from the onset. Both teams would battle hard and find it tough crossing midfield. The Fury would again find themselves heading into halftime scoreless with a shot sailing high as time expired. In the second half, it would be more defense on display. While Lauren Mensch, Avery Cotter, Tierney McDonnell, and Grace Gvodas would be working hard shutting down the Tidal Wave, Elise DiGuiseppe, Camryn Jones, and Amanda Byrd would team up with Missy Moore and Alyssa Conway for scoring opportunities. A few minutes later would find the Fury on the scoreboard as Hannah Thomas would punch the first of her two goals into the back of the net. Juliana Alessandroni would add another goal to finish off Methacton. In the finale game, the Fury would square off against their U10B team counterpart, the Blues. The Blues would come out on fire, driving the length of the field and putting pressure on the Fury goalie. The Fury would keep their cool due to some steely tough defensive play by Amanda Byrd and Grace Gvodas. The first half would come to a close with Missy Moore and Camryn Jones putting shots on net. At the start of the second half, the Fury came out on fire with Gabby Kane and Avery Cotter putting the ball on net. The Fury would pull away from the Blues, with Hannah Thomas and Juliana Alessandroni tallying the goals in another impressive second half display that is surely becoming an early season trademark. Fury 3 Reading Rage SC 0 (1-0) The Fury Takes 4th Place in the Kickoff Classic Tournament The 6th ranked West-Mont Fury traveled to Downingtown to play in the Kickoff Classic, Pennsylvania's largest youth soccer tournament. The U10 Championship Division fielded three brackets of the best teams in the region. The winner of bracket A would face the winner of bracket B in a semi-final game with that winner facing the winner of bracket C. The Fury would be competing in bracket C, the largest bracket that featured the top ranked teams in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Saturday saw the Fury take the field against the number one ranked U10 team in Maryland, Baltimore Bays. The Fury were quick to the scoreboard as Mikayla Teets opened the game up with an early goal. After sharing back and forth shots on net, both teams would settle into a defensive mindset until late in the first half when the Bays would tally two unanswered goals, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, Tierney, McDonnell and Avery Cotter would begin to take charge of the defense and shut down Baltimore. Getting help from Missy Moore, Grace Gvodas, and Alyssa Conway, there would be no more shots on goal from Bays in the second half. Despite the Fury offense being stymied, Juliana Alessandroni and Hannah Thomas would lead a late barrage of shots on net in the closing minutes with Thomas scoring from a mid-field shot to tie the game at 2. They would end this game by tying the top ranked team in Maryland, now knowing they could play with the best. Later in the day would see the Fury tackle the defending Pennsylvania State Champions, and current number one ranked HMMS United. Again, the Fury would be quick to score as Hannah Thomas would nail a beautiful corner goal. As is normal with top tier teams, the Fury and HMMS would settle into a defensive game with both teams struggling to cross mid-field for any length of time. Leading the defensive charge in this game would be Grace Gvodas, Missy Moore, and Lauren Mensch. They would be relentless in attacking the ball, giving Juliana Alessandroni a few breakaways, feeding the ball to Avery Cotter. Fury goalkeeper Amanda Byrd would be stout in goal, shutting down the few scoring opportunities she faced. However, the first half would end by seeing HMMS score on a rare penalty shot to tie the game at 1. HMMS would come out on fire in the second half, sending a barrage of point blank shots on Byrd who would double as a brick wall and stop all of them. With both defenses stepping up, it would take a very late turnover for HMMS to squeak the game winner in the final minute of play. On Sunday, the Fury would take on tournament host Sprit United. Having faced the best teams in Maryland and Pennsylvania, the Fury showed up like a team on a mission. Lauren Mensch, Alyssa Conway, and Amanda Byrd played strong defense and would keep the United on their half of the field. Elise DiGiseppe, Tierney McDonnell would set up Camryn Jones and Mikayla Teets for early goals. Hannah Thomas would put the game out of reach late in the first half, scoring her third goal of the weekend. The second half would see more stout defense by the Fury and some precision passing as Thomas, Alessandroni, and Gabby Kane would place several shots on net. The tournament would end with a rematch of the state finalists HMMS United and CRUSA Wildcats. Council Rock would have their revenge, downing HMMS 4-0 to earn the tournament championship outright. HMMS United would keep their runner-up status due to the 27 points earned. Third placed would find The New Jersey Sting with 18 points, and the West-Mont Fury bringing home fourth with 16 points. When all was said and done, the U13 WMU Blue Devils were the Champions of the 20th Annual Colleen Reilly Girls Invitational Soccer Tournament in Horsham, PA. After coming off a strong pre-season camp week, the girls were anxious to get out on the field and get started. The goal this weekend was to play the right way and not get caught up in winning or losing. The Blue Devils got off to a quick start against the host team, the Horsham Hurricanes...getting goals from four different girls. This year's team has a balanced attack and everyone will be contributing. Coach Hess said, "It's great to see the girls moving the ball around and playing tough, destroying defense." A great start for the new team. The next game proved to be a true test for the Blue Devils, going against the PA Rush 95-96 team. After giving up a quick goal off a rebound from a set play, the girls found themselves down 0 - 1 at the end of the first half. Keeping to their game play and not hanging their heads...the girls continued to attack and move the ball around. In the end, the result was a draw....1-1. A tough physical game for the girls. Next up was a tough Montgomery Strykers team. However, after sixty minutes of play, the Styrkers just couldn't keep pace and fell to the Blue Devils 4-1. The Blue Devils played tough defense and kept constant pressure on the Stykers. The Devils faced the CRUSA Rockets in the final game of the tournament and the outcome would determine the champions. With constant pressure on the ball, the CRUSA team struggled to get the ball past midfield while the Blue Devils continued to move the ball around the field. Letting the ball do the work was the key and the Blue Devils won, 4-0. The Blue Devils ended up with 3 Wins and 1 Draw, scoring 13 goals and only giving up 2. Their performance showed that "playing the right way" pays off. Coach Hess looks at every game as a pop quiz - a test to judge how the girls have done at training and what areas they need to work on. From this weekend's results, it looks like they passed. Congratulations Blue Devils! U9 Strikers win West Chester Classic The U9 Strikers exploded onto the scene going 4-0 at the West Chester Classic posting four straight shutouts. The championship game was won with four seconds left in double overtime. Congratulations on a job well done!
Blue Devils Win 3v3 Live Soccer Tour in Philadelphia
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Six members of the the Blue Devils played in the national 3v3 Live Soccer Tour this weekend. What started out as a "fun in the sun" type approach ended up as a "we can't lose" finals match against the Aztecs from Vincent United. The girls only loss in pool play was to the Aztecs 3 - 5 in their second match. The Blue Devils came out slow and expected an easy win. After the loss, the girls knew they had to battle back and get another shot at Vincent. WInning their next two games, the finals were set...the Blue Devils and the Aztecs, a rematch. This time, there was no let down or slow play or "fun in the sun"...this was for the championship. The Blue Devils came out quick and played tough defense throughout the entire twenty minutes. The final score, Blue Devils 3...Aztecs 1. With the win, the girls qualify for the 3v3 Live Soccer Tour National Finals in Las Vegas, NV. in January '09. The girls ended up with 4 wins and only 1 loss....scoring 33 goals and giving up 6. Nice job Marie, Mango, Megan, Erin, Aley Kate, and new to the team....Kayla.