This coming Saturday at 6:00pm, the Shattuck St. Mary’s U18 Developemental Academy team will be taking on former players in the 2nd Annual Alumni Game. 

 This is an exciting weekend for the alumni to visit Shattuck on break from their respected colleges. It is also an exciting time for the current Shattuck players, who get to see their friends and hear about life in college soccer. The list of players returning for the weekend has grown from last year and the list consists of an MLS player (Ben Sippola), Division 1, 2, and 3 players. The list is as follows:

1. Samuel Asante
2. Ben Sippola 
3. Gideon Asante 
4. Luke Sollie 
5. Saul Rosales 
6. Edison Crespo 
7. Babalakin Omosegbon
8. Joey Tennyson
9. Patrick Donyen 
10. Tyrel Spitler
11. Michael Gandier
12. Adekunle Oluyedun
13. Jack Thesing 
14. David Abidor
15. Jide Oluyedun
16. Max Cainker                
17. Hollie Gray
18. Chris Sutton

Please come out and enjoy a fun environment at the Shattuck St. Mary’s Boys Soccer Alumni Game!

12/14/11…This coming weekend the boys teams at Shattuck St. Mary’s will be competing in the 2011 SSM Adidas College Showcase, in Faribault, MN. The BU18DA team will play a friendly game against MTA on Friday night as the featured game. Both the U18YS and U16DA teams will play three games total.

12/14/11…Two weekends ago the U18DA and U16DA teams traveled to Sarasota, Florida to compete in the Development Academy Showcase. Both teams did well, finishing the showcase with a 2-1 record.

U18DA

First game vs. FC Delco

SSM jumped off to a quick start with a goal in the first minute of the game.  FC Delco tied the game on a 30 yard shot midway through the first half.  Several minutes before the half ended FC Delco got a second goal after winning a ball off a pass back to a SSM defender.  Half ended 2-1.

Second half saw SSM hold off FC Delco as they pushed forward for another goal.  Last 15 minutes of the game SSM pushed up to try and get the equalizer.  SSM got in behind the defense and sent two crosses in from the right side but was unable to make anything of the cross.  Game ended 2-1.

Second game vs. Seacoast United

SSM controlled the game from the start, as several players who didn’t start of Saturday made the starting 11.  The ball movement and mobility of the SSM players created numerous opportunities and forced Seacoast to spend most of the half inside their defending third of the field.  The teams went into halftime 2-0 in favor or Shattuck.

Seacoast started the second half strong, stepping up to try and pressure SSM in their defending half of the field.  However, even with the pressure SSM held off Seacoast and kept a clean sheet on the day. 

Third game vs. FC Greater Boston

SSM entered this final game wanting to complete the showcase with a win.  SSM again dominated possession in the first half but each team traded off penalty kicks with Christian Foust making the save to keep FC Greater Boston scoreless in the first half.  John Lujano, whose penalty kick was initially saved put away the rebound to score for SSM.  The half ended 1-0.

Twenty-seven seconds into the second half Jacob Gandarilla stole a ball from an opposing player, wins in a 1v1 situation and then beats the goalkeeper on a shot from the top of the box, 2-0 for SSM.

FC Greater Boston has a man ejected for serious foul play but responds positively minutes later by scoring a goal to make the score 2-1.  For the remainder of the game FC Greater Boston tries to push forward in search of the tying goal while SSM looks to counter.  SSM gets into the opposing penalty area four different times on counters but cannot get the ball past the opposing goalkeeper to put away the game.  The final few minutes of play are frantic as SSM has to deal with long balls into the box and long throws to the near post.  The game ends 2-1.

BU18 DA completes showcase with a 2-1 record.  Overall record for BU18 is 4-1.  All games played so far are out of conference games. 

U16DA

First Game vs. FC Delco

 SSM came out in and played a solid game that was even matched with an FC Delco side. In the first half, Corey Saurewine put SSM on the board with a slashing goal around the 21st minute.

In the second half, Akeem Ward put Shattuck on the board again with a goal off of a corner kick. Although the game was evenly matched, FC Delco did not have many quality chances on goal. The game finished 2-0 for SSM.

 Second Game vs. Seacoast United

 Coming off a quality win the day before, SSM started right where they left on a goal from Tom Bisset in the ’3 minute of the game.

http://www.ussoccer.com/media-library/Videos/Academy/Academy/2011/1112-NIF-Winter-Showcase/111205-Academy-Goals-Day-3.aspx

This goal would be the enough for the victory as SSM held on to win 1-0. 

Third Game vs. Greater Boston

This game was tough for the SSM side. From the start of the game they struggled to connect enough passes to make any quality scoring chances. In the first half, Greater Boston scored two goals midway through. The second half, didn’t see much change with the game ending 2-0 to Greater Boston. This is the first time this season the the U16DA team has been shutout.

BU16DA completes showcase with a 2-1 record. Overall record for BU16DA is 3-1-1. All games played so far are out of conference games.

The U18YS team comes home from the CASL Showcase in North Carolina with a win and two loses. The squad learned a lot from the weekend playing in an older U19 age group. The boys dropped the first two games against SAC Premier and Dixie Lions Athletic, but finished the weekend with a win against host CASL Elite.

On Friday the boys took on SAC Premier out of Maryland. Right off the bat the game was not in the sabres favor. They had three starters go down with injuries in the first half. They snuck out of the first half only being down 1-0. The second half was a different story when SAC capitalized on three quality chances, finishing the game 4-0.

The next morning, the sabres took on Dixie Lions Athletic out of Canada. Playing in the U19 division, the sabres were clearly the younger team according to size. The Canadian team came out strong, but the Shattuck players were up for the challenge. Dixie Lions scored right before halftime off of a corner kick. With the sabres not finding many chances in the second half, that is how the game ended at 1-0 in favor of Dixie Lions Athletics.

Sunday ended up being the best day for the Shattuck St. Mary’s team so they continued to get stronger throughout the weekend. They took on a CASL Elite team out of North Carolina, and the host’s of the showcase. The game was evenly matched from the start, but the sabres had more of the ball and better chances on goal. Late in the second half, with four minutes left, top goal scorer, Neal Usry came up big for the sabres, slotting home a through ball from newcomer Geoffrey Dee.

Next up for the U18YS team is the Shattuck St. Mary’s College Showcase in Faribault, MN.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the U18 Girls traveled to San Diego, California to participate in the 2011 Surf Cup.  The girls meet back on campus a few days before Thanksgiving Day to fly out together. The girls played one game on Friday against New Mexico Rush, and two games on Saturday against OSSA (OR) and San Diego Surf.

In the first game of the tournament sabres took on the New Mexico Rush squad. After going down 0-1 in the 10^th minute, Darian Powell came on as a sub in the last 5 minutes of the first half to play a perfect through ball to Kennedy Ulrich who equalized just before half-time. The sabres dominated the second half, hitting the post and having multiple shots on goal, but couldn’t find a winner.

In the second game of the tournament agaisnt OSSA the sabres went down 0-1 in the 4^th minute. Hope Lundberg equalized on a looping header just before half-time.  The squad gave up another goal at the beginning of the second half that ended up being the game-winner. The sabres played well the rest of the game, but were unable to find the back of the net.

In the third and final game for the sabres, they went out on a good note beating the San Diego Surf 6-0. The team had goals from Kennedy Ulrich (2); Mackenzie Graybill (2); Darian Powell; Karina Fredette.

Both Developmental Academy teams had a good start to there 2011-2012 seasons. The club went 3-0-1, with the U18 team winning both games and the U16 teams finished with a win and a tie. The teams competed against the Chicago Magic and the Chicago Fire. Next up for the two teams is the DA Showcase in Sarasota, Florida the first weekend in December.

11/7/11…Every team in action this past weekend played their games on Sunday, November 6th. The boys U16DA and U18YS teams traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to take on Eastern Iowa United. And the girls U18 team traveled to La Crosse, Wisconsin to take on their last MRL opponent in Elm Grove.

Boys U16DA: Early on Suday morning, the squad took on Eastern Iowa United’s strong U18 team and lost a tough match due to a free kick late in the game 2-1. In their second game of the day the sabres took on the U17 Eastern Iowa team, coming out with a point in a 1-1 draw. Scoring goals on the weekend were Steve Eneme and Akeem Ward. 

Boys U18YS: Unlike the U16DA team, the squad only played one game on the day. In the afternoon the U18YS team took on the Eastern Iowa United U18 team. The sabres jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals from Eddosa Muhammed and Norbey Putt-Ryan. Both goals were scored in the first eight minutes of the game. After letting in a goal late in the first half, the sabres held on to win the game 2-1.

Girls U18: The girls U18 squad traveled to La Crosse, Wisconsin for an afternoon game against the always strong, Elm Grove. The sabres came out strong and behind two goals from Player of the Match Kennedy Ulrich, won 2-0. Ulrich scored her first goal in the 17th minute off an assist from Karina Fredette, and the two linked up again in the 68th minute for the second goal of the match. The shutout gives the sabres their 6th consecutive clean-sheet in all competitions. The girls finished their Fall MRL season in second place behind Grand Rapids Crew, with a record of 8-1-0. Up next, the girls will be traveling to Del Mar, California to take part in the Surf Cup over Thanksgiving break.

10/31/11…The Shattuck St. Mary’s COE teams that were in action this past weekend had quality matches against the likes of the Chicago Sockers, South Dakota United, and the Chicago Fire Juniors. All teams fared well on the weekend getting positive results in every game.

 BU16DA:

The U16DA team traveled to South Dakota to take on the South Dakota United U16 and U18 teams on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday against SDU U16 team, the sabres got off to a good starting winning 4-3, getting goals from Steve Eneme (2), Cory Saurewine, and Luke Stauffer. On Sunday against the SDU U18 squad the sabres kept a clean-sheet behind goalkeeper Loren Whittaker, winning the game 4-0. SSM got their goals from Karl Frisk (2) and Luke Stauffer (2).

BU18YS:

The U18YS team traveled to Chicago with the U18DA to play a mixture of different players from the Chicago Sockers club. On Saturday, the U18YS squad won a close game 1-0 on a goal from Emil Gonsalvez, and got a clean-sheet behind Dary Dewalt and Adam Prevost who split the game in net. On Sunday, the U18YS went up against a tougher team and had their hands full early on, going down 1-0 at halftime. With a late surge and a formation change the sabres tied the game off of an unassisted goal from Julio Gaviria. The game ended at 1-1.

BU18DA:

The U18DA team played the same Chicago Sockers club, but a different mixture of players both days. O Saturday, Chirstian Foust was the goal-keeper who was awarded the clean sheet in a 3-0 win. The sabres goals came from Ricky Lopez, Patrick Barnes, and Mike Bajza. On Sunday, the U18DA squad poured on the goals in the second half, finishing their game 5-1. Patrick Barnes has two goals and two assists on the day, and other goals were scored by Mike Bajza, Petter Aasa, and Lucus Beato.

GU18:

The U18 girls team traveled to Madison, WI to play in their second to last MRL league game against the Chicago Fire Juniors on Saturday afternoon. The sabres came out strong shut the Fire down, behind their goal-keeper Stos Behle who recorded the clean sheet in their 2-0 win. The sabres received a goal from their leading goal-scorer Darian Powell, and one from their center-mid Civanni Moss. The U18 team heads to La Crosse, WI next week for their last MRL game against Elm Grove.





10/24/11…This past weekend four out of the five COE soccer teams at Shattuck-St. Mary’s were in action. All four teams had winning results in their games.

Saturday 10/22/11:

On Saturday, the boys U16DA team was in action against the U18 Omaha FC. After a physical game, the boys came out on top 2-0. Steve Eneme continued is goal scoring tally, netting a goal in the first half. Panamanian defender Francisco “Tito” Narbon scored his first goal of the season in the second half. Loren Whittaker was credited with the shutout for the Sabres.

Sunday 10/23/11:

Sunday morning saw the boys U18YS team take on the U18 Omaha FC squad and come out on top 4-1.  After starting out slow and going down 1-0, the sabres tied the game off of a goal from Neal Usry, the leading goal scorer on the team. Usry scored quickly after halftime for his second on the day. Defender Trey Benhart scored his first goal of the season on a corner kick midway through the second half. Josh Parris finished off the game with a tap in off of a rebound in the last ten minutes of the game. 

The boys U16DA played their second game of the weekend against the U15 Omaha FC team. They had a scoring frenzy, with a final score of 10-0. Akeem Ward and Pascal Rathle both had a hat-trick on the day. Isaiah McCoullough finished with two goals, while Tom Bissett and Heath Honald had one each.

The boys U18DA team traveled to play Iowa Central Community College, and finished the day with a 5-0 win. The Sabres got right off the bus a started scoring with Christian Hernandez finding the net in the ’2 minute. Eddosa Muhammed scored in the ’22 minute to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead. Lucas Beato opened the scoring in the second half, followed by  Ben Borns-Moore in the ’65. Ricky Lopez finished the game with a goal in the ’78 minute.

The girls U18 team traveled to La Crosse, Wisconsin to take on their MRL opponent, the Madison 56ers. After a tough game with the weather and field conditions, the girls won 1-0 on a strike from their leading goal score, Darian Powell. Powell’s goal came in the last five minutes of regulation, to put the SSM Sabres in 3rd in the MRL table. They have a few games left in the fall MRL season, which they are looking to win for the third year running.

Check out the SSM website for more information on this years teams and results!

10/16/11…This past weekend was Fall Family Weekend on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s and all five COE teams were in action. All five teams had good results in front of the friends and family in attendance.

On the boys side, the U16DA and the U18YS teams had convincing 6-1 and 4-0 wins, respectively. While the U18DA team had more of a battle, where they came out on top off of a John Lujano goal. In the U16DA game, Steve Eneme continued his goal scoring trend, putting in two on the day. The other goals from the U16DA came from Akeem Ward, Karl Frisk, and Cory Saurewine. In the U18YS game, Neal Usry came off the bench to score two goals and have an assist. Rasmus Hansen and Norbey Putt-Ryan each tallied a goal for their team and Dary Dewalt kept a clean-sheet on the day.

The girls teams had just as impressive performances during Fall Family Weekend. The U18 team won 5-0 against a Dakota Alliance team, where the top goal scorer on the day was Karina Fredette. Fredette scored three goals on the day, and the Sabres also got goals from Darian Powell and Hope Lundberg.  The U17 girls won their game in the afternoon against Dakota Alliance 5-1.

Please check the schedules for up-coming games for SSM!

10/14/11…Today begins the start of the 2011 Shattuck St. Mary’s Fall Family Weekend. The three day event is a time for parents of all students to visit campus and watch the variety of activities that take place. All five soccer teams will be in action this Saturday.

Kicking off the games will be the U18 Girls team taking on Dakota Alliance and the U16DA team taking on U18 White Des Moines Menace. Both games start at noon. The girls game will be played on the Parade field, and the boys game will be played on the turf field.  Following the U16DA game, the U18YS team will take on the U18 Premier Des Moines Menace at 2:00pm. At 3:00pm the U18DA team takes on the University of Minnesota club team on the Parade field. And to finish off the day, the U17 Girlsteam takes on Dakota Alliance at 4:00pm.

All of the teams look to get positive results infront of the their family and friends. Come out and support the Shattuck teams!

BU16DA midfielder, Luke Stauffer, is gearing up to head to Brazil this coming Saturday to represent the United States in the 2011 Gran Prix of Futsal.  At 16, Luke is the youngest player on the roster for the United States. He will earn at least five international caps while playing in Manaus, Brazil.

Last week Stauffer attended the U.S. Full National Team camp with 20 other men, all fighting for a spot to play in Brazil for the United States. The camp was held at South Coast Soccer City in Torrence, California. ”I was the youngest one there, and didn’t know what to expect,” said Stauffer. The players participated in two training sessions each day for four days. Stauffer was unsure of his future at the end of the camp, but was soon called into the coaches office where he was given the exciting news that he would be representing his country in Brazil. ” This has been a dream of mine since I touched a soccer ball!”

Find out more about Luke and the United States Futsal team at http://www.futsalplanet.com/news/news-01.asp?id=15208

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=kxofiegab&v=001kzo9741iy2roAjdLWJ-4E8P_HT4ARFEOumc-yzF2UVJpXYipLm-Q7CBOJPoLvVu2Tu4o1c69csScKvkO0TtivZC1FWJ_REkuA3hCSi0i-hkEkokbwHwDyA%3D%3D

 Congratulations Luke! Best of Luck!

10/3/10…On Sunday afternoon the U18 Girls finished their fourth game in less than two days, scored 19 goals while only allowing 1, and won the Challenger Sports Invitational Championship. The U18 Girls are repeat champs, having also won the tournament in 2010.

Going into Sunday’s final in Overland Park, Kansas, the girls were scoring at will, winning 12-0 and 5-0 on Saturday. They drew their third game 1-1, but were already in the championship match. Kaelyn Korte was the hero on the day, scoring the game-winner in the 85th minute of the championship match to give Shattuck the 1-0 lead, and the victory. The Sabres had been knocking on the door the whole game, hitting the crossbar on three different occasions.  The goalkeeper Stos Behle made a few keys saves to keep the shutout for the Sabres.  In addition to Korte, Darian Powell,Civanni Moss, Lily Jilk, Karina Fredette, Kennedy Ulrich, and Hope Lundberg also scored during the weekend for SSM.

The U18 Girls now have a few days off for recovery before preparing to play their sixth MRL game on Sunday at 3 PM in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin.

9/26/11…Coming out of halftime locked at 1-1, the Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 boys team put 5 goals past the Des Moines Menace goal keeper. 

On a clear afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, the U16DA found their way in the second half of their first game of the season. With a lot of possession, SSM conceded an early goal to the Des Moines Menace, but quickly tied the game off a Karl Frisk goal before the half.  Early in the second half, midfielder Pascal Rathle put SSM ahead with his strike in the ’41 minute. The third goal came from defender Robby Sagel who came forward on a corner kick in the ’57 minute. Finishing up the day with a hat-trick, Steve Eneme converted all three of his goals within eight minutes of each other. 

The second game of the day saw the SSM U18YS team tie 2-2 against the U18 Des Moines Menace. After coming out strong in the first 15 minutes, the U18YS squad went into halftime down 2-0. Coach Steve Cornish asked the boys to respond in the second half. Respond they did, coming out in the second half and putting the Menace under pressure from the start. Neal Usry came off the bench to score his first goal of the season in the ’62 minute. SSM kept pressing, which led to Will Smith slotting in his first goal in the ’78 minute. Forward Josh Parris was a handful for the Menace defenders in the second half, getting in behind their back four and earning his side multiple corners. 

Back in Minnesota, the U18DA traveled to Minneapolis to take on the University of Minnesota Gold. In a tough match, where they were without a few key players, the U18DA team dropped their first match 1-0. This is the first game for a team that is a mixture of two squads from the 2010-2011 season.

Next up for the Boys Soccer Teams: U18DA @ Dakota County Technical College (September 30th, 7:00PM)
                                                          U18YS vs. U16DA (October 1st, 3:00PM)
                                                          U18DA vs. Iowa Central Community College (October 2nd, 3:00PM)

9/22/11…This coming weekend all three Shattuck-St. Mary’s boys soccer teams play in their first friendly games of the 2011-2012 season.  The U16DA and the U18YS squads will travel together to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the Des Moines Menace at 12pm and 2pm.  The U18DA squad head to Minneapolis to play the University of Minnesota Gold club team.

After a long trail process, all the players and coaches are ready to kick off the season in the right way with three victories. Good luck to all of the boys in their games this weekend!

To see full schedules visit the TEAM tab our homepage

9/19/11…It was a good weekend for the Shattuck-St. Mary’s Girls Soccer Program, as both the U17 and U18 squads had good results. The U17 team went 3-1 on the weekend, losing in the semi-finals of the Just For Girls Fall Invitational, and the U18 team went 2-1, playing three MRL games.

The U17 team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa on Friday to play in the Just For Girls Fall Invitational. They started off the weekend with two victories on Saturday, winning 2-0 against KCFC Fusion and 1-0 against KCFC Fury. They came back the next day with a 2-1 win against Ames Soccer Club, which placed them in the semi-finals of the tournament. With their fourth game in less than 48 hours, tired legs began to set in during the semi-final game and the U17 girls lost 4-1 against Wichita Storm.

In Muscatine, Iowa, the U18 team took on three different MRL opponents. The U18 team faced their toughest opponent first in Grand Rapids Crew on Saturday morning, where they lost 3-0. They bounced back that afternoon, in a come from behind 2-1 victory against Michigan Rush. They capped off their weekend on Sunday morning with a convincing 7-0 win against the Michigan Hawks.

Next up for both teams is the Challenger Sports Invitational on the weekend of October 1st, in Overland Park, Kansas.   

The U18 girls kicked their season off in the right direction with two victories in Rockford, IL this past weekend. The girls had a convincing 6-0 win on Saturday against the Palatine Celtics, and followed it up the next morning with a 2-1 win over Fox Valley Strikers.

 On Saturday afternoon, the U18 girls got off to a slow start in the first half against Palatine Celtics, where they headed into halftime locked at 0-0. Right after the break, the scoring started and didn’t stop until it was 6-0 and the final whistle blew.

Powell (46. Moss); Ulrich (71. Patterson); Moss (74. Fredette); Lundberg (80. Ulrich); Lundberg (85. Fredette); Jilk (89. Lundberg)

Coming off a great win, the girls had an early start the next morning at 8am against the Fox Valley Strikers. The scoring took place early on in this match with all three of the games goals coming in the first 25 minutes. The SSM girls were able to hold on to a 2-1 win to get their second victory of the early season.

Powell (8. Ulrich); Fox Valley Strikers (10.); Powell (22. Lundberg)

The SSM U18 girls are now sitting on top of the MRL First Division Red, with 8 goals for, and only 1 goal against.  This coming weekend the girls travel to Iowa to take on three strong Michigan opponents in the Michigan Rush, Michigan Hawks, and the Grand Rapids Crew.

9/8/11…This coming Saturday the girls U18 team travels to Rockford, IL to start their 2011 Fall MRL season.  The girls will be taking on the Palatine Celtics on Saturday afternoon and Fox Valley Strikers on Sunday morning.

 The Shattuck-St.Mary’s U18 girls have won the Fall MRL title the past two years and are looking to make it a three-peat. The team has been training everyday for the past two weeks, and are looking forward to getting on the field for their first competitive games of the season.

The U18 team has four returning players from last years squad, Kaelyn Korte, Lily Jilk, Amanda Goulet, and Dani Patterson. Along with the four returning players, the team is made up of a quality group that played on the U17 squad last season. Head coach David Linenberger feels that his side is ready for the weekend games, stating, “I feel that we have a quality squad this year. A hard working group with good team camaraderie.”

SSM will kick-off with Palatine Celtics Saturday @ 5pm, and have a quick turn around for their kick-off with Fox Valley Strikers the next morning @ 8am.

Good Luck to the U18 Girls this weekend!

9/6/11…Starting today the boys soccer program will begin their placement trials for the 2011-2012 season.  The group of 55 players will be evaluated by the coaching staff for the next two weeks.

Along with the daily placement trials, the boys will be getting their fitness tested two mornings a week for the next two weeks. Everyone in the soccer department is excited to get back on the field and for the start of the soccer season. The rosters for the three boys teams, along with the schedules, will be posted in the weeks to come. Good luck to all the boys in trials!  

Congratulations to GU18 forward, Darian Powell who has been selected to the Regional ODP team. Darian will represent Region 2 over Thanksgiving break in Florida at the inter-regional tournament.

In early July, Powell attended the Regional camp with her Minnesota state team. She was invited to stay back with the other top players at the camp for pool play. Darian was contacted a few weeks later with the great news that she had been selected for the team. She said, “I was very nervous after the pool play was over with because I had never made the Regional team before. And I was very excited to get the acceptance letter.”

Over Thanksgiving she will have the opportunity to play in front of National team coaches where the same process will take place, with the potential to be invited to National Camp. Of her Shattuck teammates, Powell says, ” All of my Shattuck teammates are very happy and supportive of me. They have all been congratulating me!”

The Shattuck St. Mary’s community and soccer department would like to congratulate Darian and wish here good luck at the tournament…Good Luck Darian!

Congratulations to U16 Developmental Academy player Luke Stauffer on his invitation to attend the United States Futsal National Team I.D. Camp held in Torrance, California.  From September 12-15, Luke will be playing and training with men of all ages for the full Futsal National Team, in hopes of being selected for the team. The Shattuck St. Mary’s community and soccer program want to wish Luke the best of luck at the camp.

6/5/11…On a beautiful Sunday morning in Isanti, MN the Shattuck-St. Mary’s U17 Boys accomplished another one of their goals by beating St. Croix and becoming the 2011 Minnesota State Cup Champions. The team will now head to Regionals at the end of June.

5/29/11…Sunday was a good day for the Shattuck St. Mary’s U16 and U18 boys soccer teams. In the early game the U18 boys finished their chances in a 4-1 result against the Colorodo Rapids. In the second game the U16 boys fought back from an 0-2 hole to finish the game 2-2, John Lujano (picture above) scored both goals for Shattuck.

In the U18 game, SSM went down 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids halfway through the first half. After a few changes to the lineup by Coach Tim Carter, the U18 boys came out firing and tied the game on a Christian Blandon tap-in. After controlling the play, Jide Oluyedun found the back of the net to put the Sabres up 2-1. Super Sub, Eddosa Muhammed finished off the scoring by putting in two goals of his own. Coach Carter felt that, “this was the first game that we have played at home since May 1st, and it was good to be back on our field where we are comfortable.” 

The U16 boys game against the Colorado Rapids was more of a battle than the U18s. SSM went down 1-0 early on in the second half and conceded a penalty kick shortly after to go down 2-0. There was still fight left in the young Sabres, and led by their captain, John Lujano fought back to tie the game 2-2. Lujano scored in the run of play with about fifteen minutes left in the game. And the skipper tallied his second goal of the day on a free kick in stoppage time. Coach Bob Moullin said after the game, “today we played against a good team, and our guys have done this before (coming back in games). These boys don’t know when they are beat and today we were inspired by our captain Lujano.”

Both teams play next on June 11th and 12th against Scott Gallagher DA on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s. 

5/26/11…The U17 Boys clinched the MRL regular season title with their 1-0 win over Minneapolis United on the campus of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Emil Gonsalvez was the hero on the day, slotting home a pass from Patrick Barnes for the only goal of the game.

Shattuck-St. Mary’s held the 1-0 lead coming out of halftime and started the second half strong. They saw three quality chances sail wide, with one shot from Alejandro Gomez rattling the post. The Shattuck back line had to fight off the heavy pressure that the Minneapolis United team put on them the last fifteen minutes of the second half. 

Congratulations to the Shattuck-St. Mary’s U17 Boys, 2011 MRL Champs!

The U17 team will try to win their second championship of the season when they play in the State Cup on June 5th and 6th in Isanti, MN. 

05/16/2011…This past weekend the Shattuck-St. Mary’s U17 Boys team played to a 0-0 draw with the Minnesota Thunder on Saturday morning. The draw was all the SSM team needed to win their group and advance to the Semi-Finals against PSA BU17.

After winning their first two group games against Valley United (5-0) and Minneapolis United (3-1), the U17 team went into the weekend sitting at the top of the group and in full control.  Although they didn’t go into the game playing for tie, head coach Steve Cornish made his players fully aware of the situation at hand, and explaining how to control the game.

The game started out with a fast pace, where both teams wanted to test the defense early on. Both teams were well organized in the back and limited each others scoring opportunities through out the game. The Shattuck boys settled down and began to control midfield halfway through the first half. Patrick Barnes, SSM’s leading goal scorer, showed his usual work rate, but was double teamed every time he saw the ball and he found it hard to get a clear chance at goal.

Going into the second half SSM let their guard down early on and opened the door for the Thunder for two quick chances on goal. The SSM shot stopper, Christian Foust came up big on Thunder shots. Foust showed a lot of grit staying in net for the Sabres after being kicked in the jaw during a challenge in the first half.  The best chance on the day came from SSM’s central play-maker and captain Jacob Gandarilla.  Gandarilla collected the ball 35 yards out in the center of the field, surprised no one stepped to him, he took three touches towards goal, and drove a low shot on target, but the shot was deflected out for a corner. 

The U17 boys play on Saturday, May 21st in Isanti, MN at 11:30am. 

 05/12/2011…The U16 boys were awarded the pleasure of playing with a former World Cup player during their training session on Thursday morning on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s.  Tony Sanneh, a product of Minnesota youth soccer, represented US Soccer as a scout during the training session.

Tony was there to evaluate the U16 boys as a group and on an individual bases. After a short period of time, he couldn’t take it anymore and had to jump in and play.  He participated in the possession warm-up, finishing game, and the 11 aside game at the end of training. He concluded the practice by talking with the team and giving his feedback on the way the team trained, and on the performance of certain players.

Head Coach Bob Moullin was delighted to have Tony come out to watch the boys and said “It was a pleasure having an ex-World Cup star not only playing and evaluating our squad, but also giving players and coaches excellent pointers to help them get better!”

On behalf of Shattuck-St. Mary’s soccer, we would like to thank Tony for coming out and spending quality time at our training session.

Up-coming games for the SSM teams (5/14/2011):

Girls U17- State Cup game in Isanti, MN Saturday, May 14th 10:00am

Girls U18- State Cup game in Isanti, MN Sunday, May 15th 4:00pm

Boys U16- DA game in Blaine, MN Saturday, May 14th 11:30am

Boys U17- State Cup game in Isanti, MN Saturday, May 14th 8:00am

Boys U18- DA game in Blaine, MN Saturday, May 14th 9:00am

5/4/11…On Wednesday, four members from the Shattuck-St. Mary’s U18 girls team signed their national letter of intent to play college soccer next year. Annie Renaud, Lindsey Roberts, McKenzie White, and Stephanie Krzywania (not pictured) were all very excited to put pen to paper and solidify their college choices.

Annie Renaud
St. Eustache, QC Candada
Back
Winthrop University

Lindsey Roberts
Edmonton, AB Canada
Back
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff

McKenzie White
Flower Mound, Texas
Goalkeeper
University at Buffalo

Stephanie Krzywania
Markham, ON Canada
Forward
South Dakota State University
(not pictured)

4/25/11…The ropes course is the perfect place to create a  unique atmosphere for team bonding, and earlier this week the U18 Girls did just that.  Heading into the 2011 State Cup, and the strongest group in the state, the girls coaching staff thought it was important for their players to take a break from training and have some fun at the ropes course on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

The U18 girls were suppose to kick-off State Cup on Thursday, April 28th against Eden Prairie, but due to heavy rain the game was postponed.  All of the State Cup games will be played in Isanti, Minnesota. The U18 group schedule is listed below, as well as, more pictures from their day at the ropes course.

State Cup Group Schedule:

Saturday, May 7th (10:00 AM) vs. Wayzata

Sunday, May 8th (10:00 AM) vs. Minnesota Thunder Academy

Saturday, May 14th (TBD) vs. Eden Prairie

Semi-Finals –TBD

Finals–TBD

More Pictures from the Ropes Course

3/21/11…With the students back from break and the weather getting warmer, an important time of the year is upon us here at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, the spring soccer season.  Both the boys and girls soccer programs have exciting events and games that highlight the upcoming spring season. 

The U16 and U18 boys team will continue to compete in the Developmental Academy, where they are both in respectable positions, and looking forward to making runs to the top of their groups.  Recently, both teams defeated the Minnesota Thunder Academy by a score of 3-1.  Their next matches will be on April 2nd against Sporting Kansas City at home. 

The U17 boys will be travelling to Dallas, Texas in April to compete in the Dallas Cup.  Their MRL season begins with two games on April 2nd and 3rd against Madison 56ers and SC Waukesha at home. May brings the State Cup, where the U17 boys team will look to get out of their group and advance to the finals. 

On the girls side, the U18 team will be looking to make it 3 for 3 U18 MRL spring championships, as they will facing strong competition.  The U18 girls were drawn in a tough bracket for State Cup, with the top three teams in Minnesota in the same bracket.  Along with SSM, the bracket includes Eden Prairie, Minnesota Thunder Academy, and Wayzata.  The State Cup games begin on April 28th at Isante Soccer Complex.

The U17 girls are coming off of a strong weekend at the Jefferson Cup where they went undefeated scoring eight goals and only having two scored against. Their State Cup highlights games against Dakota Rev, Minnesota Thunder East, and Wayzata. Their league schedule will start in May and should be out within a few weeks.

Visit http://soccer.s-sm.org for full schedules on all five SSM soccer teams.

Faribault, MN (February 3, 2011) –- 9 members of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s Soccer Center of Excellence made their college decision final by signing a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the signing period for soccer. In addition, three other student-athletes also made their choice of college public by signing an institutional letter of commitment or by making a verbal commitment.

“It is an exciting day for these players, their families, our soccer program and our school,” said Scott Curwin, Director of Athletics at SSM. “These twelve student-athletes represent countless hours of practice, travel, and sacrifice to achieve this moment. On behalf of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s School faculty and staff, I would like to congratulate you on this accomplishment and wish you success in the future.”

Players signing a National Letter of Intent are:

(Information provided: Student-athlete Name / Hometown / Position / College Choice)

Girls

Sarah Anderson / Marshalltown, IA / Defender / St. Cloud State (MN)

Natalie Fettinger / Hemlock, MI / Goalkeeper / University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)

Alex Pantze / Faribault, MN / Midfielder / University of South Dakota (SD)

Camille Varin-Tremblay / St. Hubert, Quebec (CAN) / Midfielder / University of Maine at Orono (ME)

Boys

David Abidor / Northbrook, IL / Defender-Midfielder / University of Dayton (OH)

Hollie Gray / West Des Moines, IA / Defender / Presbyterian College (SC)

Dennis Sanchez / Albuquerque, NM / Goalkeeper / Furman University (SC)

Kevin Schafer / Albuquerque, NM / Defender / University of Evansville (IN)

Tom Skelly / Wooster, OH / Midfielder-Defender / Georgetown University (DC)

Players verbally committing or signing an Institutional Letter of Commitment are:

Girls

Hayley Engel / Mendota Heights, MN / Midfielder / University of Rochester (NY)

Boys

Brett Habermehl / Moberly, MO / Midfielder-Forward / American University (DC)

Max Morice / Stillwater, MN / Midfielder / Yale University (CT)

1/31/11

This past weekend, the 2nd annual Girls Adidas College Showcase took place on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, MN.

Dane Family Field House was the host to sixteen U17 and U18 girls teams from across the Midwest. Along with the teams that participated, 57 colleges from every division were represented during the three day event (Div I – 19 / Div II 9 / Div III 26 / NAIA 3).  A complete list of the schools that were in attendance is below.

The SSM girls teams fared well on the weekend, both going 2-0-1 and delivering some impressive individual performances that caught the attention of the coaches in attendance.

The U17 girls started off the weekend with a 1-1 drawagainst the Chicago Sockers.  Coming back the next day, they controlled the game and beat the Madison 56ers 2-1. Finishing out the weekend, the girls battled in a 1-0 victory over Iowa Rush.

The U18 girls started strong with a 2-0, shutout victory over the Chicago Sockers on Friday. Saturday was a tough fought, 3-2 game that saw SSM come out on top over the Rockford Raptors. FC United handed the U18 girls their biggest challenge, playing them to a 0-0 draw on Sunday afternoon.

Throughout the weekend many positive comments and remarks were expressed by college coaches in attendance, the teams participating and the parents who travelled to Dane Family Field House.  The site was given many praises by the college coaches who were able to watch game after game without moving to different fields.  They were able to watch full games, with quick turnover between matches. When asked what he thought about the weekend, Director of Girls Soccer, David Linenberger commented that, “It was a great weekend for Shattuck-St. Mary’s girls soccer. We had coaches from almost 60 college programs represented and I was very pleased with the way our teams performed.  From last year’s showcase to this year’s outcome, shows good progress.”

The weekend was a big success and the Shattuck-St. Mary’s coaching staff would like to thank all of the coaches that attended and teams that participated.

College Coaching List- 2011 Girls Adidas College Showcase:

Form SSM player, and college standout, Ben Sippola was drafted 28th overall by the Columbus Crew.

This past Tuesday, the Columbus Crew of the MLS drafted midfielder Ben Sippola from Butler University. Sippola is a graduate of Shattuck St. Mary’s and a former midfielder on the Centers of Excellence soccer program. 

After the Christmas holiday, Sippola returned to Shattuck to train with the U18 boys team in preperation for the MLS Combine. At the combine Ben impressed the Crew coaching staff enough for them to draft him with their 28th pick of the Supplemental Draft.

To read more about the Crew’s draft choice visit: http://www.thecrew.com/news/2011/01/crew-nab-two-midfielders-supplemental

Boys U18 Defender, David Abidor, recently committed to playing college soccer at the University of Dayton

David Abidor was recently featured in an article on TopDrawerSoccer, for his college commitment to the University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio. David was included on a list of high school seniors who compete in the Development Academy that have decided on the next step in their academic and soccer careers. 

Next year as a Dayton Flyer, Abidor will play in the competitive Atlantic-10 conference.  In 2011, he will compete for a starting position on a young, talented roster. Visit topdrawersoccer to see full article on David.

http://topdrawersoccer.com/players-to-watch/players-to-watch-archives/nid-19480/Academy-standouts-release-commitments 

Former SSM player, Gideon Asante was recently named as a member of the National All-Freshman team by College Soccer News

NORFOLK, VA–Old Dominion’s freshman midfielder Gideon Asante (Sunyani, Ghana) has been selected First Team All-Freshman by College Soccer News.

Asante scored four goals along with two assists for 10 total points this year. He scored two goals in the Monarchs 2-1 victory over second ranked North Carolina. Earlier Asante was named to the second team All-CAA squad as well as the CAA’s All-Rookie team. Asante earned first team NSCAA All-South Region honors as well.

After leading the Monarchs to the win over North Carolina, Asante was named to TopDrawer’s Soccer National Team of the Week, and College Soccer News national Player of the Week.

Asante is the fourth Monarch freshmen to receive national honors. He joins Steffen Rabben in 2008, Trevor Banks in 2005 and Attila Vendegh in 2000.

The Monarchs finished the season with a 10-7-2 record and advanced to the NCAA College Cup’s second round after defeating defending National Champion Virginia, 1-0 in the first round. ODU has competed in seven of the last nine College Cups and reached the second round in each.

COLLEGE SOCCER NEWS 2010 ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
1st Team
Darren Mattocks-Akron(F)
Soony Saad- Michigan (F)
Juan Castillo- SMU (F)
Dylan Mares- Louisville (MF)
Kelyn Rowe-UCLA (MF)
Perry kitchen -Akron (MF)
GIDEON ASANTE- ODU (MF)
Tyler Polak-Creighton (D)
Sebastian Ibeagha -Duke (D)
Shaun Foster-Hofstra (D)
Cody Mizell- Clemson (GK)

Teal Bunbury Recently Trained with Stoke City of the EPL

Article from the New York Times

Written By: Jack Bell
It was last October in the tunnel leading to the field at Red Bull Arena when Teal Bunbury found himself standing next to his boyhood idol as the Kansas City Wizards prepared to play the Red Bulls.

“Arsenal is my favorite team and growing up Thierry Henry was always my favorite player,” Bunbury, 20, said in a telephone interview from California, where he is training with the United States national team. “And there I was standing next to him. At first, it was weird. I was in awe. But I had to snap out of it and play the game. We talked briefly and he sent me one of his Red Bulls jerseys autographed.”

“I was there for 10 days and they gave me an opportunity to train and build relations,” Bunbury said. “Guys like Gudjohnsen and Fuller helped me out and gave me advice on how to take things to the next level.” He was referring to striker EiDUR Gudjohnsen of Iceland and the Jamaican striker Ricardo Fuller.

But a transfer to the Premier League?

“That’s most people’s initial reaction, but they don’t know what’s really going on,” Bunbury said. “It’s just good to go out and train and play against some of the best. No, I’m not going to sign with them.”

No yet, at least.

Bunbury is among a cadre of mostly young players training with the United States national team ahead of the international friendly against Chile at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Jan. 22. Among the two dozen in camp are mostly players from out-of-season M.L.S teams and Americans playing in European leagues that are on their winter break, half of whom have never played for the senior national team. Bunbury made his debut for the United States late last year in an international friendly at South Africa.

He is also one of a handful of young players who, faced with a choice, have pledged their allegiance to the United States national team program.

Last week, Coach Bob Bradley added a Europe-based player to his roster. Eugene Starikov, 22, a striker for Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia who is playing on loan with Tom Tomsk, chose the United States over Ukraine. He was born in Odessa but grew up in Florida and played at Stetson University.

Then central midfielder Fabian Hürzeler, 17, of Bayern Munich, who was born in Texas but grew up in Germany, decided to play for the United States under-20 national team, which is preparing for this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia.

The United States currently has in camp midfielder Mikkel Diskerud, who was born and plays in Norway, but whose mother is an American from Arizona.

Their choice to play for the United States mildly assuages the disappointment at losing players like striker Giuseppe Rossi (born in New Jersey) to his father’s native Italy and defender Neven Subotic (born in Serbia, grew up in the United States) to his homeland.

For Bunbury (whose father, Alex, played 65 times for Canada from 1986 to 1997) and others, it is mostly about opportunity (Canada has not played in the World Cup since 1986) and pride.

“It’s just where I felt my heart was,” said Bunbury, who grew up in suburban Minneapolis. “You can’t please everybody and you have to do what’s right for yourself.”

Bradley, 52, who was given a four-year contract extension after last summer’s World Cup in South Africa, said he might also take on the role as coach of the Olympic team, should it qualify for the 2012 London Games. He had a number of players in the senior national team camp — Bunbury, Juan Agudelo, Brek Shea, Anthony Wallace and Diskerud — who also are eligible to play in the under-23 Olympic tournament.

Ben Sippola ’07 was recently named to the NSCAA All-American first team.

Ben Sippola

http://butlersports.com/sports/m-soccer/2010-11/releases/121110aaa

Ben earned this honor while leading his Butler men’s soccer  team to a 16-1-3 record and a final ranking of 6th in the nation. The Butler soccer team also had 4 other former SSM soccer players on its roster.  Julian Cardona ’09, Adekunle Oluyedun ’10, Adam Glanzer ’10 and Joel Zimmerly ’10 were also members of the team.

In addition to his All-American honor, Ben was named the Horizon conference player of the year and was a Semi-finalist for the NCAA top individual soccer award, the Herman Trophy. As a semi-finalist, he is recognized as one of the top 15 players in the country. This award was won last year by another former SSM soccer player, Teal Bunbury ‘08.

Ben Sippola 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year
2010 November 11
by Brian Quarstad

 Ben Sippola
 

Minnesota’s Ben Sippola has been chosen as the 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year. Sippola  is from Northfield, Minnesota and played for Shattuck – St. Mary’s before attending Butler University.

According to Sippola, the senior midfielder is playing a more attacking role this year for his school which has allowed him to lead the Bulldogs (15-0-2) in scoring with 7 goals. Sippola was also chosen as the Offensive Player of the Year and voted in as first team All-League which are both decided by league coaches.

Sippola currently leads the league in assists (9), while ranking second in total points (23).  He’s ranked ninth in the NCAA Division I in assists with 11.

Najar and Bunbury ponder USMNT option

For MLS rookies Andy Najar and Teal Bunbury, the decision on what national team they would represent may have seemed easy a year ago. Today, both appear to have serious decisions to make.

Both Najar and Bunbury have turned down national team call-ups, Najar by Honduras and Bunbury by Canada, as they weigh their options and try to balance the beginnings of their professional careers. For Bunbury, who can play for either Canada or the United States, he didn’t seem to have much of a decision to make after having represented Canada on the youth national team level, but now he is clearly considering the United States.

For Najar, the situation isn’t as simple. He is a native of Honduras and can represent the Catrachos immediately, but he is at least considering the possibility of waiting until he is eligible to play for the United States. He turned down a call-up for Honduras’ upcoming friendly vs. Panama, a call-up that makes it clear Honduras is worried about losing him.

Are Najar and Bunbury wise to wait on their decisions, and are they players who could help the United States down the road? The easy answer to both is yes.

There is no rush for either player. Najar is 17 and Bunbury is 20. Both are very promising prospects who could absolutely provide depth to the U.S. national team pool, though maybe not right away.

Bunbury’s combination of size and speed would make him an attractive option for Bob Bradley, and perhaps more importantly, he’s still young and learning his trade. He came on strong late in the year for the Wizards, finishing with five goals and two assists. Solid numbers considering he started just 13 games.

Najar is a dynamic force who could develop into a difference-maker on the wing. The only issue with him is that he’s still several years to go before he could represent the United States. Does he wait on American citizenship, or does he commit to Honduras now and potentially earn a place in their World Cup qualifying plans?

At 17, Najar is hardly in a position where he has to rush. He’ll be 21 when the 2014 World Cup rolls around so he isn’t facing the same type of time crunch that forced Yura Movsisyan to choose to play for Armenia rather than waiting for American citizenship.

Bunbury’s decision is likely to come sooner, and it will be a tough one. Can he pass on Canada, who his father played for, or will he pass on the United States to play for a national team with a track record of inconsistency and underachievement? He is clearly torn at the moment, meaning he just might choose the United States.

Tough decisions for two young talents. Decisions USA fans will be waiting anxiously for.

What do you think? Hoping both players choose to play for the United States, or do you think they’re better off choosing other options?

By Sheldon Shealer
ESPN RISE
(Archive)

Shattuck/St. Mary’s Soccer

Teal Bunbury, who was selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft, helped put Shattuck-St. Mary’s on the soccer map.

.

12 January 2010

Canadian U-17 women meet in Toronto

Canada’s women’s U-17 team has announced a 24-player roster for its first camp of the 2010 season in preparation for this year’s CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship. The camp, which runs 9-17 January in Toronto, ON, will include three exhibition games against local clubs. The Canadian team will play National Training Centre Ontario’s team on Sunday 10 January, the University of Toronto on Wednesday 13 January, and the Ontario U16 boys team on Saturday 16 January.

Canada’s women’s U-17 team is preparing for the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship which runs this March in Costa Rica. Canada needs to finish amongst the top-two teams to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trinidad & Tobago 2010. Two years ago, Canada qualified for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008 after finishing third in its confederation.
Canada’s January camp features six new players to the national-team program: Eve Badana, Emily Campbell, Katherine Caverly, Ally Courtnall, Kinley McNicoll, Amélia Pietrangelo. All six incoming players, however, have participated in the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Training Centres and BMO National Championships.

Canada, whose title sponsor is BMO Financial Group, is looking to qualify for its second-straight FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. At New Zealand 2008, Canada recorded a 1:0 victory in the first game and went on to reach the quarter-final stage. Since 2002 when the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup was introduced, Canada’s women’s teams have qualified for eight of nine FIFA events.

CANADA
G- Badana, Eve | CAN / NTC Ontario
G- Beanlands, Rachelle | CAN / Ottawa South United
F- Achille, Charléne | CAN / Longueuil
F- Beaulne, Caroline | CAN / Longueuil
M- Campbell, Chantale | CAN / North London
D/M- Campbell, Emily | CAN / North London
F- Cantave, Haisha | CAN / Ottawa South United
D- Caverly, Katherine | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
D- Clarke, Alison | CAN / Winnipeg South End United
D/M- Courtnall, Ally | USA / Eagles SC
F- Davis, Kylie | CAN / Lac St-Louis Lakers
F- Ghoneim, Nour | CAN / Richmond Hill
M- Hémond, Sabrina | CAN / Lac St-Louis Lakers
D- Jainudeen, Shannen | CAN / Ajax United
M/F- McNicoll, Kinley | CAN / NTC Ontario
D- Ongtengco-Hintzen, Yazmin | CAN / Ajax United
M- Parkinson, Victoria | CAN / Dartmouth United
F- Pietrangelo, Amélia | CAN / NTC Québec
D- Price, Haillie | CAN / Burlington Tigers
M/F- Raymer, Abigail | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
D- Renaud, Annie | USA / Shattuck St. Mary’s Soccer Academy
M- Setterlund, Nicole | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
M- Simpson, Diamond | CAN / Dixie Dragons
D- Thérien, Sophie | CAN / Lac St-Louis Lakers

Akron’s Bunbury is Men’s Player of the Year
by Paul Kennedy, Friday, Dec 18, 2009 8:45 AM ET

[SOCCER AMERICA AWARDS]  Akron sophomore Teal Bunbury, who led the nation with 17 goals, earned 2009 Soccer America Player of the Year honors. It’s the second year in a row an Akron player was named Player of the Year and only the third time a sophomore won the award, which was first handed out in 1984. Steve Zakuani, another sophomore, was the 2008 Player of the Year.

Bunbury is the son of former Canada international Alex Bunbury, who spent seven seasons at Portuguese club Maritimo before finishing up his career with MLS’s Kansas City Wizards. Alex says his son is more of a natural goalscorer than he was.

Teal Bunbury, a product of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minn.) High School’s soccer program, headed the nation’s most potent attack (2.32 goals a game). Five of his goals were game-winners, and four of his five assists set up winning goals.

Zakuani, who also led the nation in goals in 2008, signed as the No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft with the Seattle Sounders.

The only other sophomore to win Player of the Year honors was Virginia’s Claudio Reyna, who won the first of back-to-back awards in 1992.

2009 Soccer America Men’s Player of the Year
Teal Bunbury, Akron
Position: Forward. Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Prior Lake, Minn.
High School: Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School
Club: Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School

Attakora, Stewart named Canadian U-20 Players of the Year

The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that Nana Attakora and Chelsea Stewart have been named Canadian U-20 Players of the Year for the 2009 soccer season. The two stars were honoured in a vote shared by national-team coaches (50%) and Canadian coaches who have taken the Canadian Soccer Association’s national course at the B and A levels (50%).

Stewart split her 2009 international season between Canada’s national and U-20 teams. She made six appearances at the national level under new head coach Carolina Morace, making her debut on 5 March 2009 at the Cyprus Women’s Cup. At the women’s U-20 level, she made four appearances as Canada began preparations for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010. She served as a team captain at the U-20 level.

The defender/midfielder from The Pas, MB split her club season between Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Vanderbilt University. She played in 10 W-League games for the Whitecaps and 18 college games for Vanderbilt. She scored three goals for Vanderbilt.

As for Attakora, the North York, ON defender is now a two-time winner of the Canadian U-20 Player of the Year award. Like Stewart, he served as a Canadian captain at the U-20 level. In March, he represented Canada at the 2009 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship. He made his 20th appearance at the U-20 level on 9 March 2009, a 2:0 victory over Mexico.

At the club level, Attakora played 20 games for Toronto FC during the 2009 Major League Soccer season. He recorded two goals and four assists. He also played in four Nutrilite Canadian Championship games, helping Toronto FC win the 2009 Voyageurs Cup.