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)
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Sunday, December 5, 2010
U14 Majestics Edge Freedom to Advance into Championship
U14 Majestics Edge Freedom to Advance into Championship
Goalkeeper Ari Reichardt Saves Three Before Scoring Winning Penalty Kick
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After ninety grueling minutes and an additional twenty of overtime, the U14 Northern Virginia Majestics and Washington Freedom faced penalty kicks to resolve the scoreless morning in the Super Y-League North American Championship semifinal match Monday morning in Tampa, Florida. Both sides showed their grit and resilience by remaining deadlocked after ten penalty kicks each, but Northern Virginia goalkeeper Ari Reichardt finally decided the stalemate in dramatic fashion with a low blast untouched into the right corner.
Fresh off a dramatic victory the night before, the Majestics squared off against a Freedom squad filled with familiar faces from the Northern Virginia and DC metro area. Each side launched numerous aggressive attacks forward, only to find their efforts thwarted by sturdy defensive lines throughout the match and overtime. Although scoring opportunities were rare, each squad exhibited quality play through the midfield to no avail.
As fatigue became apparent on the faces and wobbly knees of the players, the referee’s whistle sounded to end the second overtime period and the start of penalty kick tie-breakers. The initial round of five kicks concluded with an athletic save from each keeper, but could not produce a decision. Five rounds later, Reichardt found herself in an unusual position, lining up to shoot the ball rather than deflect a penalty kick. With twelve yards and a solid Washington keeper separating herself and a victory for her team, Reichardt calmly strode to penalty spot and struck true to launch the ecstatic Majestics into the title match.
The U14 Majestics face a rematch with the Chicago Fire Junior to defend their North American title earned in 2009. Northern Virginia and Chicago met in the group rounds, with the Majestics emerging victorious on a last minute own goal to win.
NVFC, comprised of the Northern Virginia Royals (male), Northern Virginia Majestics (female), and NOVA FC (male and female) USL teams, is also represented by thirty-three players in the previous SYL ODP Camp pool announced last February. Thirty-two players from the Royals, Majestics, and NOVA FC Super Y-League programs comprised Northern Virginia’s representation the previous year.
The USL North American Finals will be held in Tampa, Florida, and is scheduled to run from November 19th through November 23rd. A total of sixteen teams will clash at every age level in the boys Super Y-League’s U13-U17 divisions. On the girls side, twelve teams will meet from each of the five age divisions. The 2010 version of the Super Y-League finals is the greatest representative of elite youth talent in North America now that the league encompasses nine regions across the United States and Canada.
Goalkeeper Ari Reichardt Saves Three Before Scoring Winning Penalty Kick
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After ninety grueling minutes and an additional twenty of overtime, the U14 Northern Virginia Majestics and Washington Freedom faced penalty kicks to resolve the scoreless morning in the Super Y-League North American Championship semifinal match Monday morning in Tampa, Florida. Both sides showed their grit and resilience by remaining deadlocked after ten penalty kicks each, but Northern Virginia goalkeeper Ari Reichardt finally decided the stalemate in dramatic fashion with a low blast untouched into the right corner.
Fresh off a dramatic victory the night before, the Majestics squared off against a Freedom squad filled with familiar faces from the Northern Virginia and DC metro area. Each side launched numerous aggressive attacks forward, only to find their efforts thwarted by sturdy defensive lines throughout the match and overtime. Although scoring opportunities were rare, each squad exhibited quality play through the midfield to no avail.
As fatigue became apparent on the faces and wobbly knees of the players, the referee’s whistle sounded to end the second overtime period and the start of penalty kick tie-breakers. The initial round of five kicks concluded with an athletic save from each keeper, but could not produce a decision. Five rounds later, Reichardt found herself in an unusual position, lining up to shoot the ball rather than deflect a penalty kick. With twelve yards and a solid Washington keeper separating herself and a victory for her team, Reichardt calmly strode to penalty spot and struck true to launch the ecstatic Majestics into the title match.
The U14 Majestics face a rematch with the Chicago Fire Junior to defend their North American title earned in 2009. Northern Virginia and Chicago met in the group rounds, with the Majestics emerging victorious on a last minute own goal to win.
NVFC, comprised of the Northern Virginia Royals (male), Northern Virginia Majestics (female), and NOVA FC (male and female) USL teams, is also represented by thirty-three players in the previous SYL ODP Camp pool announced last February. Thirty-two players from the Royals, Majestics, and NOVA FC Super Y-League programs comprised Northern Virginia’s representation the previous year.
The USL North American Finals will be held in Tampa, Florida, and is scheduled to run from November 19th through November 23rd. A total of sixteen teams will clash at every age level in the boys Super Y-League’s U13-U17 divisions. On the girls side, twelve teams will meet from each of the five age divisions. The 2010 version of the Super Y-League finals is the greatest representative of elite youth talent in North America now that the league encompasses nine regions across the United States and Canada.
Majestics Lead 12-Team Field To Tampa
Majestics Lead 12-Team Field To Tampa
USL Feature
TAMPA, Fla. -- The 12-team field for the Girls U14 Division of United Soccer Leagues’ Super Y-League North American Finals has been completed, with reigning U13 champions the Northern Virginia Majestics returning to try and add a second title at the tournament scheduled for November 19-23 in Tampa, Fla.
The Majestics picked up where they left off in 2009 over the summer, going 9-1-0 in the South Atlantic Division, the only tie a 1-1 draw in their opening game against fellow qualifier the Richmond Kickers. The goal the Majestics conceded in that contest was the only one they allowed throughout the season, outscoring their opponent 47-1 in 10 league games. Annah Lindberg led the Majestics offense with 16 goals.
While falling in their second contest with Northern Virginia, Richmond also had a strong summer, going 8-1-1 to finish three points behind the Majestics. The Kickers balanced squad saw eight players finish with multiple goals, Katherine Cousins leading the way with seven.
The side Northern Virginia defeated in last season’s U13 final also returns, with the Rage SC from Reading, Pa. winning Group B of the Mid Atlantic Division with a 9-0-1 record. Emily Diehl scored 10 goals in as many games for the Rage, who edged out fellow qualifier the Washington Freedom (8-1-1) by two points.
Match Fit Chelsea from Bayonne, N.J. won Group A in the division, losing only once in its 16-game schedule to finish with a record of 11-4-1. In a highly competitive group, MFC won almost half of its games by just a goal, including a 2-1 victory against group runner-up the Long Island Rough Riders on June 13.
Long Island also finished with only one loss, but finished six points behind MFC thanks to a large number of draws to leave the Rough Riders with a record of 8-7-1. Both teams will be joined in Tampa by the Perugia Grifos, who finished third in Group A. The Grifos finished ahead of Quickstrike FC on goal difference within their own group and held a higher point percentage than Group B third-place finisher Real Maryland FC to advance.
Coastal FC, which advanced to the U13 semifinals in 2009, won the Pacific Northwest Division, but it came down to the final day of the season for the club as it edged out Coquitlam Metro-Ford by a point as both sides drew in their final contests.
CMF earned four points from its contests with Coastal, but a run of draws allowed to Coastal to capitalize and take a one point lead for the only qualification berth from the group. On July 18, Coastal played to a 0-0 tie with Mountain FC, giving CMF an opening to jump them with a victory, but CMF were held to a scoreless draw on the same day by third-placed Thompson-Okanagan FC to send Coastal through.
Single teams also advanced out of the New England and Southeast Divisions, with Seacoast United claiming the berth from the New England Division with a 2-1 victory in their penultimate game against the MPS Lady Knights. Goals from Kendall Ham and Courtney Benson gave Seacoast victory and a seven-point cushion over the Lady Knights, who had only two games remaining.
West Pines clinched the berth from the Southeast Division in style, winning all eight of its games without conceding a goal. Melanie Monteagudo led the team with nine goals in eight games as 10 different players found the scoresheet throughout the season.
Rounding out the field are the two qualifiers from the competitive Midwest Division, which was won by the Chicago Fire Juniors from Michigan. The Fire finished with a record of 6-3-1 as eight points separated the top five teams in the division. The Cleveland Internationals finished a point behind the Fire, going undefeated through the season with a record of 5-5-0.
Both sides also had a pair of players who finished with six goals apiece, the Fire’s Isabella Fiorenzo and Mariah Otolski and the Internationals’ Marissa Milazzo and Emily Ogle all finishing tied for the league lead.
USL Feature
TAMPA, Fla. -- The 12-team field for the Girls U14 Division of United Soccer Leagues’ Super Y-League North American Finals has been completed, with reigning U13 champions the Northern Virginia Majestics returning to try and add a second title at the tournament scheduled for November 19-23 in Tampa, Fla.
The Majestics picked up where they left off in 2009 over the summer, going 9-1-0 in the South Atlantic Division, the only tie a 1-1 draw in their opening game against fellow qualifier the Richmond Kickers. The goal the Majestics conceded in that contest was the only one they allowed throughout the season, outscoring their opponent 47-1 in 10 league games. Annah Lindberg led the Majestics offense with 16 goals.
While falling in their second contest with Northern Virginia, Richmond also had a strong summer, going 8-1-1 to finish three points behind the Majestics. The Kickers balanced squad saw eight players finish with multiple goals, Katherine Cousins leading the way with seven.
The side Northern Virginia defeated in last season’s U13 final also returns, with the Rage SC from Reading, Pa. winning Group B of the Mid Atlantic Division with a 9-0-1 record. Emily Diehl scored 10 goals in as many games for the Rage, who edged out fellow qualifier the Washington Freedom (8-1-1) by two points.
Match Fit Chelsea from Bayonne, N.J. won Group A in the division, losing only once in its 16-game schedule to finish with a record of 11-4-1. In a highly competitive group, MFC won almost half of its games by just a goal, including a 2-1 victory against group runner-up the Long Island Rough Riders on June 13.
Long Island also finished with only one loss, but finished six points behind MFC thanks to a large number of draws to leave the Rough Riders with a record of 8-7-1. Both teams will be joined in Tampa by the Perugia Grifos, who finished third in Group A. The Grifos finished ahead of Quickstrike FC on goal difference within their own group and held a higher point percentage than Group B third-place finisher Real Maryland FC to advance.
Coastal FC, which advanced to the U13 semifinals in 2009, won the Pacific Northwest Division, but it came down to the final day of the season for the club as it edged out Coquitlam Metro-Ford by a point as both sides drew in their final contests.
CMF earned four points from its contests with Coastal, but a run of draws allowed to Coastal to capitalize and take a one point lead for the only qualification berth from the group. On July 18, Coastal played to a 0-0 tie with Mountain FC, giving CMF an opening to jump them with a victory, but CMF were held to a scoreless draw on the same day by third-placed Thompson-Okanagan FC to send Coastal through.
Single teams also advanced out of the New England and Southeast Divisions, with Seacoast United claiming the berth from the New England Division with a 2-1 victory in their penultimate game against the MPS Lady Knights. Goals from Kendall Ham and Courtney Benson gave Seacoast victory and a seven-point cushion over the Lady Knights, who had only two games remaining.
West Pines clinched the berth from the Southeast Division in style, winning all eight of its games without conceding a goal. Melanie Monteagudo led the team with nine goals in eight games as 10 different players found the scoresheet throughout the season.
Rounding out the field are the two qualifiers from the competitive Midwest Division, which was won by the Chicago Fire Juniors from Michigan. The Fire finished with a record of 6-3-1 as eight points separated the top five teams in the division. The Cleveland Internationals finished a point behind the Fire, going undefeated through the season with a record of 5-5-0.
Both sides also had a pair of players who finished with six goals apiece, the Fire’s Isabella Fiorenzo and Mariah Otolski and the Internationals’ Marissa Milazzo and Emily Ogle all finishing tied for the league lead.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
U14 Majestics Set To Defend Title
Clinch spot in 2010 Super-Y Finals
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Northern Virginia Majestics News Release - novafc.org
August 3, 2010
With two games remaining in the 2010 Super Y-League South Atlantic regular season, the U14 Northern Virginia Majestics guaranteed themselves a return trip to Tampa following a 2-0 defeat of instate rival Richmond Kickers. The young Majestics return to the North American Finals after going undefeated at the tournament a year ago to claim the Super Y-League continental title at the U13 age group.
The U14 Majestics claimed an automatic spot into the United Soccer Leagues Youth North American Finals following two winning results this week, knocking off Fredericksburg 3-0 on Tuesday evening before beating the Kickers on the following afternoon. With two berths awarded to the U14 South Atlantic Division, the wins guaranteed the Majestics a first or second place finish in the grouping.
Northern Virginia currently remains in a tie with Richmond for first place atop the division in points, however the upstart Majestics hold both a head-to-head advantage and a game in-hand over the Kickers. The Majestics also hold a healthy plus 32 goal differential advantage in the division, assuring them the top seed with a win in either of their two remaining games.
With games still remaining against Triangle FC and NOVA FC, the Majestics have only given up a single goal for the 2010 season so far. In 2009, the Majestics gave up only two goals on the year, one during the regular season and one in the 3-1 North American Finals championship match victory against Rage SC.
Several other Northern Virginia youth teams are within reach of qualifying in their respective age groups over the next week of play. On the boy’s side, the U14 Royals have nearly clinched while the U15 and U16 Royals each are closing in on championship spots. The U16 NOVA FC boys also remain in contention for one of two championship bids in that age group. The U15 Majestics could earn the trip to Tampa with a Wednesday win over Triangle this week and the U16 Majestics remain alive on the girl’s side.
The USL did not field a South Atlantic Division in the U17 age groups for boys or girls in 2010.
The USL North American Finals will be held in Tampa, Florida, and is scheduled to run from November 19th through November 22nd. A total of sixteen teams will clash at every age level in the boys Super Y-League’s U13-U17 divisions. On the girls side, twelve teams will meet from each of the five age divisions. The 2010 version of the Super Y-League finals is the greatest representative of elite youth talent in North America now that the league encompasses nine regions across the United States and Canada.
Northern Virginia Football Club is comprised of the Northern Virginia Royals (male), Northern Virginia Majestics (female), and NOVA FC USL teams. The club was represented by both thirty-three players in SYL ODP Camp pool and nine teams in the 2009 North American Finals. Northern Virginia FC was named the number one Super Y-League club in North America in 2010, a ranking system that combines team performance, division championships, and club operations.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
U13 Majestics Claim the 2009 North American Super-Y League (SYL) Title
From novasc.org
The U13 Majestics Super Y League team made up of the players from the NVSC Jr. Majestics 95 Gold travel team swept the competition and clenched the Super Y-League (SYL) North American Championship title at Ed Radice Soccer Complex in Tampa, Florida.
The U13 Majestics capped a perfect (12-0-0) 2009 Super Y league season with 35 goals for and just 1 goal against. The team’s record captured the South East Region and classified the Northern Virginia Majestics as the top seed going into the North American Championship Tournament.
The 2009 season centered on a well balanced team starting with a “Solid Wall” Defense (Goalie- Arianna Reichardt, Defensive Backs- Brianna Aldo, Olivia DuPont, Jordan Kestel, Bertha Martinez and Siobahn O’Toole), a “Controlling” Mid-Field (Maggie Chapman, Jessica Leonard, Ashley Skertic and Cassidy Rowell) and “Fast & Furious” Forwards (Jewel Christian, Dixie Johnson, Annah Lindberg and Thyla Peterson).
The U13 Majestics took their “shut them down and attack” formula into the North American National Super Y League Tournament and out classed their competition. Through teamwork and communication, they shut out their preliminary competition (3-0-0) with 8 goals for and 0 against. The Defensive Wall frustrated their opponents’ scoreless advances allowing the Midfielders to press the ball goal-ward to the “ever attacking” and focused Forwards. The team extended this formula into the semi-finals defeating Coastal FC (3–0).
The Championship game against Rage SC started quickly with the defense and midfielders controlling the ball and generating an early strike by Jewel Christian. The Defense kept the Rage out of their goal box for most of the game and a pair of goals from Annah Lindberg proved enough to capture the 2009 North American Championship (3-1). Lindberg’s efforts won her the SYL Tournament MVP. Coach Chris Jones, his first national title, praised the team's efforts, "Their teamwork and motivation lead to a classy tournament win."
The four-day tournament featured the top SYL clubs in the United States and Canada. The North American tournament title capped a perfect 17-0-0 season for Northern Virginia in the squad’s first SYL season.
Super-Y enhances the year round development of NVSC players and provides the opportunity to play Top Rated Nationally ranked teams. Teams train and compete over the summer season for the North American Finals held in November.
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