Northern Virginia Repeats as U14 North American Champions

Northern Virginia Repeats as U14 North American Champions
Majestics Top Chicago Fire in Penalty Kicks, Jordan Kestel Named MVP
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Taken from USLSoccer.com

After being 30 seconds away from elimination during group play two days earlier, capturing their second consecutive Super Y-League North American Finals title was especially sweet for the Northern Virginia Majestics. The Majestics needed penalty kicks to get the job done for the second consecutive day, defeating the Chicago Fire Juniors by a 5-4 margin following a scoreless tie.

Central defender Jordan Kestel produced the winning kick in the sixth round, and even that produced its own level of drama as Kestel’s high shot hit the crossbar, bounced straight down and then back up off the crossbar and into the net. It forced Kestel’s teammates, primed to rush the field to celebrate, to do a studder-step on the sidelines before piling on their team MVP.

"Obviously you’ve got to be proud of the girls," Majestics Head Coach Chris Jones said. "Two days in a row penalty kicks and all the players came up huge."

Jones singled out the play of keeper Arianna Reichardt, who for the second day in a row made a huge stop after one of her teammates had missed. It was Reichardt’s save on the Chicago Fire’s sixth shooter that set up Kestel’s heroics. (Photo courtesy of Gerald Barnhart)

Northern Virginia Gains National ODP Honors

Northern Virginia Gains National ODP Honors
Royals, Majestics, and NOVA FC Earn 30 National Camp Player Selections
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Taken from USLSoccer.com

United Soccer Leagues announced today the player selections for the Super Y-League’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Camps to be held at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida next February. Northern Virginia FC is well represented on the list of chosen attendees, claiming thirty spots in the national elite pool.

Each nominated player has been identified as one of the top players in their birth year, and among the top 2% of players in the previous 2010 Super Y-League season.

The Super Y-League ODP camp represents an elite group of players coming together to display their soccer talent and work ethic to collegiate and national team scouts. The ODP focus groups this year will be for the top players (216 Girls & 216 Boys) born in either 1994/1995 or 1996/1997. The additional lists showing those players born in 1992 & 1993 are posted to recognize the top players from those birth years. That list will be promoted to over 1,000 colleges as well as to the USSF National Staff or the Canadian Soccer Association.

USL National Technical Director Peter Mellor, who has spent the past 18 years as a member of the U.S. National Staff and 25 years as an ODP coach, will direct the camps.

“Our Super Y ODP program continues to offer talented players from throughout North America a chance to reach the next level,” Mellor said. “As a coach or as a player, whether you’re at the competitive youth level or the professional level, you want a great environment to play, train and compete in. There’s no better environment than IMG.”

Mellor is keenly familiar with the facility having been a longtime assistant coach for the U.S. Under-17 program, based at IMG. In addition to moving to the facility, Mellor is also aiming to upgrade the quality of experience and coaching for the players attending the camps, with IMG’s facilities offering a great setting to implement those improvements.

“One of the components we’re going to introduce this year for the first time is mental conditioning so our athletes understand the demands of the game and how to deal with them,” Mellor said. “We’re also going to film and analyze the players, and we’re going to provide a college recruitment seminar for players and parents to help them through the process.

“We’re also exploring the possibility of arranging exhibitions against international teams for our ODP All-Star teams on the final day of the camps, which is very exciting.”

Northern Virginia Football Club, comprised of the Northern Virginia Royals (male), Northern Virginia Majestics (female), and NOVA FC (male and female) USL teams, is represented by seven teams in the 2010 North American Finals as well as thirty-three players in the previous SYL ODP Camp pool.

Northern Virginia FC SYL ODP Camp Selections:

1996/1997 GIRLS
JEWEL CHRISTIAN
ANNAH LINDBERG
ASHLEY SKERTIC
ANNAGRET VENTER
TAYLOR WOODS

1994/1995 GIRLS
AUTUMN BERRY
MAGGIE CHAPMAN
NIKANYA CLARK
MEGHAN COX
MEGAN O’KEEFE
THYLA PETERSON
NICOLE SCHWEITZER

1992/1993 GIRLS
KATRINA GUILLOU
CATHERINE MACKLIN
SYDNEY MORRIS
KAILYN SLADE

1996/1997 BOYS
DIVINE KONI
RYAN LAM
JAMES LEE
PHILIP LITTLETON
ANTONIO MOSQUEIRA

1994/1995 BOYS
BENJAMIN FERRELL
DIEGO GALVIN
CHRISTIAN GUSMAN
DYLAN KATZ
NICHOLAS METZLER
ANTHONI TEOS

1992/1993 BOYS
KYLE BROPHY
AARON ETIENNE
MIKIAS ETICHA

Super Y League Soccer

Please follow the Northern Virginia Majestics U14 girls through their summer league games. CLICK HERE to be taken to the current schedule.

CLICK HERE to be taken to the Majestics U14 page on the USL SYL website.

Recent Team Accomplishments

2009 Super Y South Atlantic Region Champions
2008 WAGS U13 Fall Division I Champions
2008 US Region I U12 Champions
2008 Virginia State Cup Champions U12
2008 WAGS U12 Spring Division I Champions
2008 the Virginian Tournament Champions – U12
2008 the Jefferson Cup Tournament – Champions Division Finalist U12