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July 5 Keene NH Friendlies

A combined u14, u15 and u17 Western United boys team traveled to Keene NH on Saturday July 3, 2010 to play a series of friendlies against teams from NH, Vermont and Einbeck Germany. Playing older teams, the highlight of the day for the Western squad was the game against the talented German squad. The German team was very disciplined, athletic and skilled. The first half saw the Germans speed of play, disciplined style of play and athleticism control the tempo. In the second half the Western boys began to adjust to the speed of play and climbed back into the match. The Western team jumped out to a deserved 1-0 lead only to see the Einbeck team tie the match. Western then late in the game had a shot parried off the crossbar by the Einbeck keeper and the match ended 1-1.

The event was a lot of fun. The organizers had an opening ceremony that included the singing of the nationals anthems of America and Germany. In addition the organizers of the event had set up 3 large flat screen tvs under a tent so that the German squad could watch their home country thrash Argentina. As Western's early game was taking place , we always knew the score of the Germany game based on the roars of approval coming from the tent area. At the end of the day each player was given a commerative medal for participating in the event. Western parent Paul Pare is to be thanked becuase he was responsible for organizing the event for Western.

Amherst Head Coach Jen Hughes joins coaching staff

June 22 Western United F.C. is pleased to announce that Jen Hughes, head coach of the Amherst College women's soccer program, will be joining our coaching staff as head coach of the U15 Girls. Hughes is entering her seventh year as head coach at Amherst College where her career record is 64-20-17. Amherst has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years, advancing to the national quarterfinals in 2006 and 2008.

A 1997 graduate of Colgate University, Hughes spent two seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater before earning masters degrees in both business administration and sport management at UMass Amherst. Hughes graduated from UCONN Law School in May 2010.

Hughes was one of the best women's soccer players in Colgate history, leading the Division I Red Raiders to three consecutive Patriot League Championships and a trio of Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) titles, earning NCAA Division I Soccer Buzz All-America, NSCAA Regional All-America, First Team All-Patriot League, ECAC Tournament MVP, Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, Patriot League Tournament MVP, Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and Colgate Team MVP honors as a senior co-captain. She capped her collegiate playing career as a four-time First Team All-Patriot League, three-time NSCAA Regional All-America and two-time First Team All-Northeast Region selection, and graduated as Colgate's all-time leader in goals (40), assists (26) and points (106). Hughes was a 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee and a winner of the ECAC Merit Medal for excellence in academics and athletics, and was one of 32 players chosen for the 1997 Umbro-Select Senior All-Star Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Hughes went on to play professionally for Tyreso FF of the Damallsvenskan Futbol League in Stockholm, Sweden, and was one of 250 players worldwide invited to the inaugural Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) combine and player draft. Hughes is one of only two players in Colgate women's soccer history to have her jersey number retired.

Chris White joins coaching staff

Western United F.C. is pleased to announce that Chris White, an assistant coach in the women's soccer program at Amherst College, will coach the rising U14 boys team for the 2010-2011 season. A 1996 graduate of Colgate University, where he was a Division I First Team Regional All-American goalkeeper, Coach White earned Master of Science degrees from the University of Manchester (UK) and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Coach White has extensive experience in coaching both boys and girls in club, ODP, and high school settings.

Spring 2010 season accomplishments

updated June 21 Congratulations to the U14 girls and U18 boys for advancing to the State Cup finals; to the U11 boys for advancing to the Andre Cup finals; to the U16 boys for advancing to the State Cup semifinals; and, to the U12 girls and U12 boys for advancing to the Irwin Cup semifinals.

June 3 Congratulations to the U11 Boys, winners at the NESC Memorial Day Tournament, with a 5-0 record , 17 goals for and 1 goal against.

June 2 Congratulations to the U16 Boys, winners at the Oakwood Premier Invitational Memorial Day Tournament, and to the U17 Boys, who finished as runners-up in their Oakwood age group.

Well done to the U17 Girls, who triumphed in the Region I Presidents Cup, outscoring their opponents 22-2 on their way to the title and advancing to the National Presidents Cup to be held in Tennessee in July. The U14 Boys also fared well at the Region I Presidents Cup, defeating teams from New Jersey, New York, and Maine and tying a team from Maryland before falling to cross-state rival Shalrie Joseph Soccer Club in the finals.

May 25 Congratulations to the U11 and U12 girls for winning the titles in their respective MAPLE divisions for the 2010 spring season. The U11 girls went 6-1 in the U11 Girls Green Division and the U12 girls went 5-0-2 in the U12 Girls Blue Division to claim their league crowns. Great job, girls!

May 24 Congratulations to the Western United U14 boys, U16 and U17 girls for winning the Massachusetts President Cup this spring season. All three teams move on to represent Massachusetts in the Region 1 President's Cup regional Memorial Day weekend in Saratoga, New York. Good Luck teams.

The U14 boys completed their spring MAPLE season with a 6-0-1 record clinching the 2010 MAPLE  U14 Division 1 Boys title.  The team had a combined 12-1-2 record in Division 1 MAPLE this year. Congratulations boys.

The Western United U14 Girls earned the Region 1 Northeast League Blue Division Championship.

Mike Soucy joins coaching staff

Western United is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Soucy to the coaching staff. He will begin working in the Developmental Program this Spring.

A 2000 graduate of Keene State College and 2008 master's degree recipient from Fitchburg State College, Coach Soucy is currently a math teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton and varsity boys' soccer coach at Northampton High School. Under Coach Soucy's guidance, Northampton High School advanced to the Division 1 Western Massachusetts Semi-Finals for the first time in school history. Previously, he served as varsity co-coach and junior varsity coach of the boys' soccer teams at South Hadley high school. Coach Soucy played on the varsity soccer team all four years at Keene State College and was a two-time all-state performer and a four-time member of the Class M state championship team as a high school player in New Hampshire.

February '10: Western United players participate in Portugal ODP trip

Western players Jesse Welborn, Hayden Van Brewer, Eli Heath, & Harrison Rapant, pictured in the above Portugal Record news photo, participated in the U13/U14 ODP pool's Portugal trip in February.

 

Haiti Fundraiser raises over $7000

A swimathon fundraiser organized by Western (U12 boys black) coach Jim Mercer and the Chicopee Comprehensive High School Swim Team which he also coaches raised over $7000. See this news article and this TV 22 Video for details.

January 19 '10: U18 Boys honors

U18 Boys Michael Jordan named high school All American

U18 Boys Jake Bartnik, Michael Jordan and Casey Marini named high school All New England Also, Casey Marini was selected to the All-Massachusetts team (omitted in earlier report).

January '10: College All American honors

Western alum Alex Dos Santos , at WNEC, made the 2nd Team NSCAA All American team

Western alum Meg Murphy, a senior at Amherst College, made the NCAA Division III all-new england 1st team and NCSAA 3rd Team All American.

2009

Intra Squad All-Day Tournament

Boys coaches Peter Demello and Jim Mercer ran the annual intra-squad tournment on December 28th and 29th. In the U14 to U18 group 16 boys played, and Mike Fisher won the morning Street Soccer competition as well as leading his team to the afternoon tournament championship. In the U10 to U13 group, about 45 players participated, with Aidan Greenwood's squad capturing the tournament victory.

NSCAA Awards

U18 boys Western United player Mike Fisher was named a 2009 HS NSCAA Scholar All American. He will be honored at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia this January.

"To become a Scholar All-America at the interscholastic level, a player must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or better (on a 4.0 scale), must have demonstrated excellence in soccer at the high school level and must have performed service in his or her community."

Colin Murphy, a member of the 2009 Western United 18 Boys team, was called into the US Mens National Team u20 camp in Chula Vista, California.

Western United Alumnus Alex Dos Santos (a junior at WNEC) made 2nd Team NSCAA All American.

Read the articles linked above for more details about these Western players and alumnis. Congratulations to Alex, Colin, and Mike.

November 25: Former Western United Player Scores Winning Goal in MLS Cup

Robbie Russell, who formerly played for Coach Ron Dias' powerhouse Western United team of the mid-1990s, played collegiate soccer at Duke University and was drafted upon graduation by the Los Angeles Galaxy. But Robbie decided to play in Europe where he competed in the first leagues of both Denmark and Norway. He was signed last year by Real Salt Lake City in the MLS and made his mark in a big way in the MLS Cup final. The Real team had a losing record in the regular season and was not given a chance to knock off the Galaxy in the MLS finals. But they did... It cam down to penalty kicks and Robbie Russell converted the 7th kick for Real to seal the victory. Congratulationss to Robbie on his success! For a report on the MLS Cup finals, click here ---> MLS Finals

November 25: Western United Player Named to U.S. National Pool

Caitlyn Riley of Western United's Under-17 Girls team, coached by Meg McTear, was named to the U.S. ODP National Pool in the U16 age group. Caitlyn is a sophomore at Williston-Northampton School in Easthampton. Congratulations to Caitlyn and best wishes for continued success at the national level!

November 25: Post-Season Honors Update for Former Western United Players Competing at the College Level

Western United has many of its former players competing in soccer at the collegiate level. Below is a list of some of this year's honors garnered by our alums:

• University of New Hampshire: Junior goalkeeper Colin O’Donnell was honored as "Goalkeeper of the Year" in the America East Conference. Midfielder Josh Bronner was named to the conference All-Rookie Team. O’Donnell was solid in net for the Wildcats this season, ranking first in the conference in goals against average and save percentage with marks of 0.65 and .850, respectively. He also compiled 51 saves this year, a total that ranks him fifth in the conference. Bronner started in all 17 games, tallying a goal and notching 12 shots.
• Brown University: Defender Evan Coleman (Amherst, MA), received Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors. Coleman has been a solid force for Brown’s back line, as he was named the Defensive MVP of the adidas-Brown Soccer Classic. He has played and started in all 17 games and has scored one goal and handed out one assist this season.
• Amherst College: The New England Small College Athletic Conference released the All-Conference teams this afternoon, tabbing Amherst senior co-captain Meg Murphy (Springfield, MA) for its First Team. Today’s award marks the fourth straight season that Murphy has earned First-Team All-NESCAC honors. This fall, Murphy has been the prime target for nearly every opposing team’s defense. Despite drawing all that attention, Murphy leads Amherst in scoring for the third straight season, having scored five goals with six assists for 16 points, through just 16 games. With another three game-winning goals in 2009, Murphy has scored the crucial goal in 10 games for Amherst during her career.
• Roger Williams: Named to the The Commonwealth Coast Conference first team was Sophomore Laurin Pendleton. Pendleton was the team’s leading scorer and third in the TCCC with 17 goals, one assist for a total of 35 points. Laurin was a 2008 NSCAA ALL New England third team selection as a first year.
• Clark University: Sophomore Kenny Howard was named to the New England Men's Athletic Conference’s First Team All-Conference soccer team. Howard started all 14 games he appeared in, registering a goal in the 2-0 win over Fitchburg State and an assist in a 5-0 win over Johnson & Wales.
• St. Lawrence University: Freshman Sam DeMello was named to the second team 2009 Liberty League men's soccer all star team. DeMello, a midfielder, was the second leading scorer for the St Lawrence Saints with seven goals, four of them in league play. His seven goals tied for fifth among all Liberty League players.

  
  

  Some Western United players who competed in this fall's Division I NCAA Tournament: Colin Murphy (Boston College); Dan and Chris Kent-Tweed (Duke University); Evan Coleman and Sean McGrath (Brown University)

  
  

  Some Western United players who competed in this fall's Division III NCAA Tournament:

  • With Western New England College: Shaun Dacruz, John Rusin, Alex Rosario, Alex DosSantos, Marco Gomes, Nick Starr
  • With Wesleyan University: Ian Waldron, Evan Hazlette
  • With Westfield State College: Heather Dragon, Colleen Kenney
  • With Amherst College: Meg Murphy
  • With RPI: Tyler Iosue

  
  

  Some Western United players who competed in this fall's ECAC Postseason Tournament (Wentworth defeated Castleton State 1 - 0 in the Championship Match):

  • With Wentworth College: Jeremy Nasman
  • With Castleton State College: Billy Lund and Dylan Zaengle

  
  

  November 25: Western United Players Recognized at Western Mass Soccer Awards Banquet

  

  Western United Boys Pictured Above: (Back Row from left) Brian Borowiec (All State Honors), Nate Banas (All State Honors), Ryan Malone (All State Honors), Mike Fisher (All State Honors), Jake Bartnik (All New England Honors); (Front Row from left): Jamie Mercer (All State Honors), Michael Jordan (All American Honors), Dan Chmura (All State Honors). All of the boys pictured above played for Western United's U17 Boys team last year, under Coach Jim Fisher, with the exception of Dan Chmura who played for Coach Kevon Isa's U16 Boys.

  Western United Girls Pictures Above (from left): [unidentified player], Sarah Waltsak (All State Honors), Nicky Stasz (All State Honors), Ali Blanchette (All State Honors), Mel Stier (All State Honors), Hanna Strong (All State Honors). All of the players named here play for the Western United Under-17 Girls team, coached by Meg McTear.

  Congratulations to all of the awardees for their hard work and love of the game!

  
  

  Updated Nov 23

  Congratulations to fall Maple League teams. The U14 Girls and U14 Boys teams each won games against top of division teams Sunday, assuring solid finishes in their 1st division Maple brackets for the fall pending make-up games for final positions. The U11 Boys White team joins the undefeated U11 Boys Red team advancing to the blue division for spring play. They're joined by the 1st and 2nd place finishers U12-blue and U11 girls, and the U12-blue boys who finished a point out of a first place tie after beating previously undefeated Stars 2-1 in a make-up game

  November 9: UMass Women's Soccer Coach Joins Western United Coaching Staff

  
  Western United F.C. is pleased to announce that Angie Napoli, the University of Massachusetts Head Women's Soccer Coach will be joining the coaching staff of the Under-14 Girls team for the remainder of the 2009-2010 soccer year (through June 2010). Angie has just completed her first season as the Umass Women's Head Coach, and her fifth year with the program (her previous 4 years were as Assistant Women's Coach). She brings with her a great deal of knowledge and experience as both a player and a coach. Angie has coached at the University of Colorado, University of Albany, and William & Mary prior to taking up her position at Umass. She has also coached club soccer with the Colorado Force. Welcome to Western United, Coach Napoli!

  
  

  (Updated October 12th): Recent Western United "Graduates" Playing College Soccer

  Congratulations to the following Western United Alumni who are currently playing and contributing at the collegiate level. Western United players are competing in colleges throughout the Eastern U.S., with several playing in the ACC, such as Chris and Dan Kent-Tweed who are playing at Duke (Chris got the assist in a key win against #2 Maryland recently). Also in the ACC, Colin Murphy is starting for Boston College and has already notched his first collegiate goal. Colin O’Donnell and Josh Bronner are each playing for the University of New Hampshire, while Mark Dangleis has taken his flip throw-in to UMASS. Sean Sullivan is at Siena, which upended BC last week, and Evan Coleman and Sean McGrath are playing in the Ivies for Brown. And Greg Balicki continues his magic at the University of Rhode Island. Here is a list of recent alums and where they are playing. We will add to the list as more information becomes available. (See also our "Hall of Fame" pages.)
  • Evan Coleman (Brown)
  • Sean McGrath (Brown)
  • Mark Dangleis (UMass)
  • Josh Bronner (UNH)
  • Colin O'Donnell (UNH)
  • Nick Rouzier (Villanova)
  • Chris Tweed-Kent (Duke)
  • Dan Tweed-Kent (Duke)
  • Meg Murphy (Amherst College)
  • Colin Murphy (Boston College)
  • Sean Sullivan (Siena)
  • Lauren Pendleton (Roger Williams)
  • Brett Barry (AIC)
  • Dan Fisher (Curry)
  • Mike Griffin (Curry)
  • Alex Dos Santos (WNEC)
  • Nick Starr (WNEC)
  • Marco Gomes (WNEC)
  • Rachel Pokorny (AIC)
  • Sam DeMello (St. Lawrence)
  • Ian Waldron (Wesleyan)
  • Evan Hazlett (Wesleyan)
  • Scott Jenkins (MIT)
  • Meghan O'Herron (AIC)
  • Bill Lund (Castleton State)
  • Blake Minchoff (Brandeis)
  • Griffin Wagner (Bates)
  • Tyler Iosue (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
  • Chris Monette (Westfield State)
  • Kenny Howard (Clark Univ.)
  • Shaun DaCruz (WNEC)
  • John Rusin (WNEC)
  • Alex Rosario (WNEC)
  • Pawel Samolewicz (AIC)
  • C. J. Wilkins (Framingham State)
  • Zachary French (Curry College)
  • Austin Sniezek (Mass. College of the Liberal Arts)
  • Dillon Zaengle (Castleton)
  • Chris Choquette (Union)
  • Colleen Kenney (Westfield State)
  • Peter Kenney (Colby Sawyer)
  • Billy Walen (Wesleyan)
  • Nate Hazen (Clarkson)
  • Heather Dragon (Westfield State)
  • Nick Barber (Roger Morris Univ.)
  • Jeremy Nasman (Wentworth)
  • Brendon Reardon (Dean)

  
  

  October 5: Two Former Western United Players Excel at Duke University

  Brothers Chris and Dan Tweed-Kent from Pittsfield played on Western United's championship U18s and U19s in the 2007 and 2008 State Cups under Coach Tom Rivet. Both brothers made the Duke University men's soccer team this year as walk-ons and have already had a significant impact. In Duke's recent victory against #2-ranked Maryland Chris Tweed-Kent had the assist on the first Duke goal. The Duke University Men's Soccer Media Guide says of the brothers: "Sophomor walk-ons Christopher Tweed-Kent and Daniel Tweed-Kent are making huge strides daily after joining the squad during the spring. They have adjusted to the level of play and always will be two of the hardest workers on the field." Congratulations to Chris and Dan. We wish you further success at Duke and beyond!

  
  

  August 25: Another Western United Coach Named to ODP Staff

  Coach Tom Rivet of the Western United Under-16 Boys team has been named to the coaching staff of the Massachusetts Olympic Development Program's Under-15 Boys team for 2009-2010. Congratulations to Coach Rivet!

  
  

  August 8: Western United Coach Named to ODP Staff

  Coach Ryan Lavner of the Western United Under-14 Girls team has been named to the coaching staff of the Massachusetts Olympic Development Program's Under-16 Girls team for 2009-2010. Congratulations to Coach Lavner!

  July 28: Western United Under-16 Girls Capture "Score at the Shore" Tournament Red Championship

  The 2009-2010 Under-17 Girls, coached by Meghan McTear and playing their last tournament of 2008-09 as Under-16s, captured the Red Championship of the prestigious "Score at the Shore" Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina this weekend with the following results:
  • WON 3 - 0 versus Concorde Black (GA)
  • LOST 2 - 1 versus Beach FC (VA)
  • WON 2 - 1 versus NE Aztecs (MA)
  • Quarterfinals: WON 1 - 0 versus Jersey United Strikers (NJ)
  • Semifinals: WON 4 - 0 versus Riverdell Blackhawks (VA)
  • Finals: WON 3 - 2 versus Blackwatch (RI)

  Congratulations to the U17 Girls and Coach McTear on a great tournament effort and championship!

  July 8: Western United Appoints New Under-15 Girls Coach

  Western United is proud to announce the appointment of John Ford as its Under-15 Girls coach. Coach Ford has coaching licenses from the FAI (Irish Football Association), NSCAA and USSF. He has been part of the Coaches Training Team of the Special Olympics of Massachusetts and is a Coach Inductee to the Special Olympics Hall of Fame. He played college soccer at AIC and has been coaching youth soccer for some 14 years. He will be taking over the team formerly coached by Tom O’Donnell.

  Former Western United Coach Named Utica College Men's Coach

  Congratulations to former Western United F.C. Boys Coach Joe Calabrese who has been appointed as Head Men's Coach at Utica College in New York. Coach Calabrese led Western's U18 Boys team to the State Cup Championship in 2007. We wish him best of luck in his new position!

  New Coach Named for 2010 Under-16 Girls Team

  Western United is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Fisher as Head Coach of the 2010 (next year's) Under-16 Girls team. Coach Fisher returns for his 11th consecutive year at Western United after 5 successful years with the current U17 Boys team that played in the Region 1 Premier League and reached the Massachusetts State Cup Finals in 2009, 2006 and 2005. Coach Fisher will re-establish a team in the age group previously coached by Lynn and Gina Pantuosco that reached the Massachusetts State Cup semi-finals in 2007.

  Coach Jim Fisher Elected to Babson Hall of Fame

  Babson College's twelfth induction ceremony took place on Friday, April 17, 2009. Entering the Athletics Hall of Fame this year was soccer great Jim Fisher ('83) who was a member of the 1979 and 1980 National Championship teams. Jim Fisher scored the winning goal in the title game as a sophomor. He was also a two-time All-New England selection and an All-American in 1982. Congratulations to Coach Fisher on a recognition well deserved!

  Two Current and Former Western United Players Named All-Americans

  Western United continues its long tradition of high school and college All-Americans with two new members of the club: Meg Murphy of Amherst College was named a Division III Collegiate All-American, as well as NESCAC Player of the Year. On the high school side, Sam DeMello, who plays for the Western United Under-18 Boys and the Williston-Northampton School was named High School All-American. Congratuations to both players!

  2008

  UPDATED DEC. 19TH: Four WU Teams Qualify for Region I League

  The Region I Premier League has just announced its lineup for the spring 2009 season and Western United is strongly represented there. Returning to the League are the U18 Boys, coached by Derek Shea, who were runner's up in last year's Premier League competition. Joining them are the U17 boys, coached by Jim Fisher, who were also runner's up in their age group last year. New to the fray are the U16 Boys, coached by Kevon Isa. And the Under-13 Girls team, coached by Ryan Lavner, has been accepted to the Region I Northeast Divisional League. Congratulations to all four of the teams!

  (March 2009): U17B Coach, James Fisher, Inducted into Braintree H.S. Athletic Hall of Fame

  Jim Fisher, Coach of the Western United Under-17 Boys has been inducted into the Braintree High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 29th. The unveiling of plaques on the "Wall of Fame" will take place at 1:00 pm in the gymnasium foyer, followed by the induction ceremony at the Sons of Italy Hall, located at 161 King Hill Road in Braintree.For tickets, contact marta Googins at (781) 848-4768. Congratulations to Coach Fisher!

  U14 Boys Players Makes MA State ODP Team

  October 2008) Four players from Coach Terrence Leahy's Under-14 boys team have made this year's Massachusetts ODP State Select Team. They are: Curtis Barnes, Shane Denault, Nick Martinelli and Will Szostkiewicz. Congratulations to all!

  U13 Girls Player Brooke Murphy Makes Region I ODP Select Team (October 2008) Brooke Murphy who plays for Coach Ryan Lavner's Under-13 Girls team has been selected not only to the Massachusetts ODP State Select Team, but also to the Region I ODP Team, which is selcted from all of the ODP State Teams in Region I, which covers the area from Maine to Virginia. Congratulations, Brooke! U18B Player Sean Sullivan Makes Final ODP Regional Cut (October 2008) Sean Sullivan who plays for Derek Shea's u18s has made the 1991 ODP Regional Team announced this September. Sean is the only player from Massachusetts to make the roster. Sean is currently starring along with his undefeated teammates on former Western United coach John Ingles Minnechaug Regional HS team. Congratulations Sean!

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  Under-15 Boys Win 2008 Oakwood Tournament

  (May 2008) The Western United Under-15 Boys, coached by Kevon Isa, won this year's Oakwook Memorial Tournament in fine style, winning 5 games without a loss or tie and surrendering only one goal, while scoring 11. They continue their momentum from the MAPLE season, where they went undefeated and were promoted to Division 1 for the U16 age group in 2009. The results of their tournament matches:
  • WON 2 - 1 versus Newington Benfica (CT)
  • WON 5 - 0 versus Northeast United (CT)
  • WON 1 - 0 versus South Central Premier (CT)
  • (Semi-Final) WON 1 - 0 versus Danbury Revolution (CT)
  • (Final) WON 2 - 0 versus NE Eagles (MA)

  U17 Boys and U16 Boys Qualify for Playoffs in Region I Premier League

  (May 2008) The Under-17 Boys, coached by Derek Shea, and the Under-16 Boys, coached by Jim Fisher, have qualified for the Region 1 Premier League semifinals to be held in Delaware the weekend of May 10th and 11th. Congratulation to the coaches and boys of both teams and best of luck the rest of the way!

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  D.C. United's Press Release About Signing James Thorpe

  WASHINGTON, D.C. -- D.C. United has announced  the signing of goalkeeper 
  James Thorpe and midfielder Dane Murphy to  developmental contracts, and the 
  waiving of Guy-Roland Kpene. D.C. United originally selected Thorpe in the fourth round
  (38th  overall) of the MLS Supplemental Draft on January 24, 2008. Thorpe, the NSCAA/adidas 
  Division II Player of the Year, helped lead  Franklin Pierce to its first 
  National Championship in 2007. He was a  first team All-America selection last fall, 
  after earning second  team honors in 2006 and third team in 2005. Thorpe is 
  also a  four-time All-NE-10 first team pick, and recently received an NCAA  
  Institutional Sportsmanship Award. As a senior, Thorpe made a save  to preserve 
  his team's National Championship victory, earned his  12th shutout of the 
  season, and 49th of his four-year career. Thorpe  also broke the NCAA all-division 
  record for minutes played in the  opening minutes of the tournament, with 8,391 
  minutes played.  
  Murphy signed with United having gone undrafted after a four-year career at 
  the University of Virginia. The Danbury, CT native scored  one goal in 21 
  games last season. In 2006, Murphy appeared in 21  games (20 starts), and scored t
  he game-winning goal in overtime  against St. Francis. He also recorded 
  assists in wins over Boston  College and No. 2 Maryland. The midfielder scored his 
  first two  career goals in 2005 in UVA's NCAA Tournament win over USF.  
  Forward Guy-Roland Kpene leaves D.C. United after tallying two  assists in 
  548 minutes for the Black-and-Red. Kpene was a third  round selection (37th 
  overall) in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.  The rookie also contributed to 
  United's reserve team, scoring two  goals and one assist in eight games. Kpene's 
  first start and first  career assist came on 5/6 in United's 2-1 win over Chivas 
  USA. D.C. United's 2008 MLS season begins March 29, when United  travels to Kansas 
  City to play the Wizards, and the home opener at  RFK will be on April 5, 
  against Toronto FC. The team resumes  CONCACAF Champions' Cup play the following 
  Tuesday, when the  Black-and-Red begin their semifinal series against Pachuca 
  CF from  Mexico. Group tickets, package plans and individual tickets to  
  United matches, not including SuperLiga games and the Los Angeles  Galaxy match on 
  June 29, are now available for sale. For more ticket  information or to 
  purchase season tickets, log on to _www.dcunited.com_ (http://www.dcunited.com/) 
  or call  D.C. United at (202) 587-5000.  
  
  Player vitals:
  Name: Dane Murphy Position:  Midfielder Height: 6-1 Weight: 180 Jersey: 17  
  Date of Birth: 3-15-1986 Age: 22 Place of Birth:  Danbury, CT Hometown: 
  Redding, CT Citizenship:  American Last Club: University of Virginia Acquired:  
  Signed, March 25, 2008. Status: Developmental  
  Name: James Thorpe Position: Goalkeeper Height:  5-11 Weight: 175 Jersey: 30 
  Date of Birth:  2-17-1985 Age: 23 Place of Birth: East Longmeadow,  MA 
  Hometown: East Longmeadow, MA Citizenship: American  Last Club: Franklin Pierce 
  University Acquired:  selected Thorpe in the fourth round (38th overall) of the MLS 
  Supplemental Draft on January 24, 2008. Status: Developmental   
  

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  Casey Marini Selected to U16B Region I ODP Pool

  Western United Under-16 Boys' keeper Casey Marini has been selected to the Region I ODP pool in the U16 age group. He is competing within the pool for a roster spot on the REgion I ODP team going to Italy later this year. Casey plays for Coach Jim Fisher, whose U16 Boys will be competing in both the MAPLE (Div. I) as well as the Region I league. Last year, the team was State Cup finalist and looks to improve that record this year. Best of luck to Casey the rest of the way!

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  James Thorpe Drafted by D.C. United

  Former Western United player, James Thorpe, was drafted on Thursday, January 24th by D.C. United of the MLS in the league supplemental draft. Thorpe, a five-time State Cup champion and two-time regional finalist with the Western United 1984/85 boys team, set a number of NCAA and school records while playing at Divison II school Franklin Pierce (NH). Thorpe was a three-time NCAA All-America pick and was the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year this year, after leading Franklin Pierce to the Division II National Championship. In the final match of his college career he set the NCAA all-time record for minutes by a keeper in all three divisions. James joins four other former Western United players who have moved on to the professional ranks, including Craig Zadie, who was also drafted by D.C. United earlier this decade.

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  Three WU Teams Accepted to Region I Leagues

  Congratulations to our u17, u16 and u15 boys teams. The u17s coached by Derek Shea and u16s coached by Jim Fisher have been selected to play in the Region 1 Director's League for the 2008 season. This is the second year in a row for the u17s who competed as u16s last year. The u15s coached by Kevon Isa were selected to compete in the Region 1 Northeast Sub Regional League. This will be their second year competing in this league.

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  Western United Welcomes New Coaches for Spring 2008

  Western United FC is pleased to announce two coaching appointments for the spring season. Both coaches are affiliated with Amherst College.

  Kelly Kuss has been brought in to work in our girl's program. A 2006 graduate of Colgate University, Kuss was a double major in education and geology and was named to the Patriot League Honor Roll while earning the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence. On the field, Kuss was a four-year starter at striker and two-time captain. She earned All-Patriot League honors three out of her four years and was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP in 2004. Upon graduation, Kuss continued her playing career with the Rochester Rhinos of the W-League. Since her graduation from Colgate, Kuss has been the head coach of the U19, U13, and U12 girls teams for the Odyssey Sport Soccer Club, based in Central New York. A product of Syracuse, NY, Kuss earned all-state honors in soccer and lacrosse, was named Central New York Player of the Year for soccer, and was a member of the Region 1 ODP pool.

  Amherst's Head Men's Coach Justin Serpone will serve as our Goalkeeper Trainer. Coach Serpone led his 2007 Amherst squad to a record of 15-2-1. He led Amherst to the NCAA Division III round of 16. Prior to Amherst, he worked as the assistant men’s soccer coach at Duke in 2006, helping to lead the Blue Devils to an 18-4-1 record, ACC regular season championship and ACC tournament championship. Duke earned the number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and placed eight players on the ACC All-Academic Team. Prior to Duke, Serpone served as the head assistant men’s soccer coach at Northwestern University from 2003 to 2006 and at Lafayette College from 2001 to 2003. In three seasons at Northwestern, the team compiled a record of 31-20-10 and made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament, achieving one of the most drastic turnarounds in NCAA men’s soccer history. Prior to Serpone’s arrival, Northwestern had posted a record of 9-42-4 from 2001-2003. Beyond the soccer field, Serpone served as President of the Student Body and earned a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Computer Science at Drew University. As a goalkeeper, he compiled a record of 61-19-4 for the Drew men’s soccer team. Since graduating from Drew, Serpone has earned an “A” coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation and is a 2007 Master of Arts in Sports Administration candidate at Northwestern.

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  Six WU U12 Girls get ODP Call Back

  Some of the WU U12 players attended the ODP tryouts a year early to gain experience and to stretch their legs.... Of the nine WU girls who attended tryouts six Western United F.C. U12 Girls got "call backs" from MA ODP. The call back is scheduled for Sept 22nd, at which time the final selections will be made for the 1995 ODP Team. Of the six athletes called back to the final cut, five are true 1996 players, which means they are playing a year up. The girls who have received call backs are: Ashley Horrigan, Riley-Jane Marini, Victoria Dutille, Alliyah Ferrera, Christina Wakefield, and Shelby Hall. Congrats to the girls, to the WU U12 Team and to Coach Ryan Lavner!

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  Four Players from WU Under-13 Girls Team Selected to ODP State Team

  Four players from the Western United F.C. Under-13 Girls team, coached by Tom O'Donnell, have been selected to the 2007-2008 Olympic Development Program State Select Team. They are Natalie Caney, Madison Grande, Gia Parker and Leah Tomkins. Congratulations to the girls, their families and to Coach O'Donnell! And best of luck the rest of the way!

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  Under-18 Boys Reach Regional Finals

  The Western United Under-18 Boys, coached by Joe Calabrese, defeated the Maryland entry in the Region 1 Championships on penalty kicks for a 1 - 0 final score. They now face Eastern New York (Terryville) in the finals on Tuesday. The winner represents Region 1 at the National Championships, held later in the month. Best of luck to Coach Calabrese and the U18 Boys from Western United!

  Under-18 Boys Makes Semifinals at Regionals

  The four-time Massachusetts State Cup champion Under-18 Boys team, coached this year by Joe Calabrese, swept all three matches in the round-robin phase of the Region I Championships to reach the semifinals where they will line up against the Baltimore Bays team from Maryland. In round-robin matches the Western United squad defeated West Virginia 2 - 0 and Maine 2 - 1. The second match of the round-robin phase found the Western United boys going against the Greater Boston Bolts, who made it to the Regionals by virtue of winning the Region I Premier League, which gave them a wildcard entry to the regionals. Although Western United had lost to the Bolts during the MAPLE season 4 - 0 they turned the tables in a big way, defeating the Bolts 3 - 0. Best of luck to the Under-18 Boys and Coach Calabrese the rest of the way!

  New Coach for Next Year's Under-17 Boys Announced

  Western United is pleased to welcome Derek Shea back to the club. Derek will be taking over the Under-17 boys for the 2008 season. Derek coached our current boys Under-18s team to three MA State Cup Championships as well as a Region 1 Finalist berth. He holds an NSCAA National Diploma and has served as Girls Varsity coach at Belchertown and Amherst High Schools. In 2000, he coached the W-2 League Springfield Sirens to the National Championship. Derek is a guidance counselor at Amherst HS.

  New Coach Named for Next Year's Under-16 Girls Team

  Western United F.C. is happy to announce the appointment of Kevin Meek to the head coaching position for the 2008 girls Under-16 team. Coach Meek comes to Western from Westfield State College where he is the Assistant Women's Coach. Kevin played Division I soccer at Butler University in the early 90s and has been the head coach and trainer with several clubs and girls premier teams in Indiana. He posseses his USSF "D" license and his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma. In addition to coaching at Westfield State, Kevin is also a visiting professor in the English Department there.

  New Coach Named for Next Year's Under-18 Boys

  Western United welcomes back Tom Rivet, current Chicopee High School Varsity Coach and coach of 2 Western United State Cup champions, to its coaching ranks. Tom will coach the boys Under-18 team for the 2008 spring season. Tom possesses his USSF A license and has succesfully coached for many years at the high school and college level.

  Under-12 Girls On to Quarterfinals of Paul Irwin Cup/Under-12 Boys in Running for Div. I Spot

  The Under-12 Girls Team, coached by Tom O'Donnell, had a bye into the quarterfinals of the Paul Irwin Cup (U12 State Championships) by virtue of their top-4 finish in the Blue (=highest) Division of the MAPLE. Because they were one of the top 4 teams in that age group, they receive an automatic spot in next year's MAPLE U13G Division I. Congratulations to the team and to Coach O'Donnell and best of luck the rest of the way! The Under-12 Boys, coached by Terrence Leahy, also competed this past spring in the Blue Division of the MAPLE. They are still in the running for a Division I spot for next year. Best of luck to the team and to Coach Leahy!

  Under-11 Girls Move On to Next Round of K.C. Andre Cup

  The Under-11 Girls, coached by Ryan Lavner, went undefeated in the round-robin phase of the K.C. Andre Cup to move on to the quarterfinals as the #1 seed. Their results in the round-robin:
  • WON 4 - 0 versus Crusaders
  • WON 4 - 1 versus Explosion
  • TIED 1 - 1 versus Berkshire

  Best of luck to Coach Lavner and the team the rest of the way!

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  U11 Boys Sweep Round-Robin of K.C. Andre Cup

  Western United's Under-11 Boys, coached by Peter DeMello, swept their three round-robin matches to proceed to the semifinals of the K.C. Andre Cup next weekend. Their game results were
  :
  • WON 3 - 0 versus Scorpions
  • WON 4 - 1 versus Eastern Mass
  • WON 4 - 0 versus Fuller Hamlets

  Congratulations to the Under-11 Boys and Coach DeMello and best of luck the rest of the way!

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  Bay State Games Tryouts Announced

  Western United's Under-10 Boys coach Mike Lund will be coaching this year's Bay State Games Boys West Team. Any high school player in grades 9, 10 or 11 who is interested in playing in the Bay State Games, which will be held July 12th to 15th at UMass Boston, should go to this link for the times and location of tryouts ----> Bay State Games Tryouts

  of Western United's Under-14 Boys Team Named to ODP State Select Team

  Delano Brown, Jesse Geary and Chad Dakin were selected for this year's Mass ODP team. Congratulations to the boys and best of luck in the regional selection process!

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  Western United's Division I Under-14 Boys team, coached by Kevon Isa, placed three of its players on this year's ODP State Select Teams. Delano Brown, who was selected for the 1992 ODP squad has been selected for the third straight year. Chad Dakin, selected to the 1993 ODP squad, has been selected for the second straight year. And Jesse Geary, also part of the 1993 squad, was selected for the first time. Congratulations to all three of the players!

  Four Former Western United Players Named All/Americans in 2006

  Four former Western United players were named All-Americans on the basis of their play in the fall of 2006. Greg Balicki who played at Wilbraham and Monson Academy was named High School All-American, while James Thorpe, who plays at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire was awarded NCAA Division II Second Team All-American honors. Tim Larocca (Western New England College) and Mike Wohl (Amherst College) were named All-Americans in NCAA Division III. James Thorpe, Tim Larocca and Mike Wohl were all teammates on the Western United F.C. Under-19 Boys team that won the State Championship in 2004. James Thorpe and Tim Larocca had been members of that same Western United team that won a total of five Massachusetts State Cups between 1997 and 2004. Gregory Balicki was a member of the Western United F.C. boys team that won the State Cup in 1998. Congratulations to all four players and welcome to the large and growing ranks of Western United's college and high school All-Americans!

  Erin Sullivan Named U16B "Red" Coach

  Western United is happy to announce the appointment of one of the brightest and best coaches in the nation. WNEC College's Men's Soccer coach Erin Sullivan has been appointed to guide the four-time state finalists Boys U16 Division 1 team. Coach Sullivan, a professor at WNEC, possesses his USSF "A" coaching license and his teams have established numerous records. He has guided his last two WNEC teams to the NCAA Division III Round of 16 and he was the 2005 NCAA Division III New England Coach of the Year. He will be a wonderful asset to the team and to the club.

  Western United's Under-11 Girls Receive Regional Recognition

  Western United F.C. U11 Red Devils have been ranked #1 in MA and #9 in Region 1 by NationalSoccerRanking.com. The WU Girls have recently won the Bandits Cup in Devens and have been accepted to the prestigious Bethesda Thanksgiving Tournament in Maryland this November. This year's tournament had a record 40+ applications for the age group and only 8 have been accepted, all of which are nationally ranked squads. Good luck, girls!

  Western United Coach Lynn Pantuosco's Recent Article on Nutrition for Youth Soccer Players (see link below)

  Click on the following links for Lynn Pantuosco's article ---> Page 1
  ---> Page 2
  ---> Page 3

  July 15: New Club Fundraising Committee Announced

  As many parent will have already noticed, the player fees for the coming year saw a significant jump over last year. The cost of renting and maintaining the new field complex at the Oxbow Marina is the direct cause of this raise in fees. However, Western United is currently organizing a club-wide Fundraising Committee in order to identify ways in which to raise additional sources of income in order to lower the player fees. Anyone interested in participating on the Committee is asked to contact Tim Murphy at the following email address: tfmurphy65@comcast.net

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  June 17: Results from State Cup and U12 Tournament: U14 Girls win semifinal versus Crusaders 1 - 0; U12 Girls qualify for Div. I with a 3 - 0 win against Crusaders

  Memorial Day Tournament Results

  Under-17 Girls (Coach Nielsen) Reach Finals of Potomac Invitational Tournament

  • WON 2 - 0 versus SAC United Premier (MD)
  • WON 2 - 1 versus FC Frederick (MD)
  • TIED 0 - 0 versus Richmond Strikers (VA)
  • Semis: WON 4 - 1 versus FC Frederick (U16s)
  • Finals: LOST 1 - 0 versus KFC Force (TN)

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  Under-11 Boys (Coach Leahy) Reach Finals of Cape Cod Tournament

  • WON 4 - 1 versus Oceana SC
  • WON 1 - 0 versus Aztec Soccer
  • LOST 1 - 0 versus Seacoast United
  • Semis: WON 3 - 2 versus Blackwatch Cabers (2 OT)
  • Finals: TIED 1 - 1 in regulation versus Seacoast United, LOST 3 - 2 in PKs

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  Under-11 Girls (Coach O'Donnell) Win John Smith Memorial Day Tournament

  • WON 7 - 0 versus Coastal (ME)
  • WON 5 - 0 versus CRU
  • WON 4 - 0 versus Elite Soccer Academy
  • Finals: WON 3 - 0 versus CRU

  Under-13 Girls (Coach McTear) Reach Semifinals of Cape Cod Tournament

  • WON 3 - 0 versus Crusaders
  • WON 2 - 0 versus FC United
  • WON 3 - 0 versus Northeast United (CT)
  • Semis: LOST 1 - 0 versus South Coast Scorpions
  The Under-14 Girls, coached by Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield, swept their matches at the Oakwood Premier Tournament over the Memorial Day Weekend to capture the championship. Their results:
  • WON 1 - 0 versus CFC Arsenal
  • Won 6 - 0 versus FC United/NH Stars
  • WON 1 - 0 versus Maine Metro FC
  • Semis: WON 1 - 0 versus SF Vikings (OT)
  • Finals: WON 2 - 1 versus Academica Football Club

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  Under-11 Girls Capture Green Division Title

  The Western United U11 Girls under coach Tom ODonnell finished the regular season with an impressive 6-1 record to take First place in the U11 Green Division.The team allowed only 3 goals all season and scored 24 goals with 5 shutout victories. This comes off a strong fall season with a 5-1-1 record. The team will tune-up at the John Smith Tournament this Memorial Day weekend and will compete in their first ever KC Andre Cup on June 3rd and 4th at UMASS. The team overcame a difficult road schedule, playing the Rhode Island Rays in Newport (1-0 win), and defeating Windham,NH (1-0 win). Congratulations to the girls and GOOD LUCK in the Andre Cup.

  5/24: Updated State Cup Play-In Results

  • The Under-16 Boys team, coached by Coach John Ingalls, defeated Sporting SC 2 - 1 on May 23rd to qualify for the State Cup Round-Robin. Their victory gives Western United F.C. twelve teams in the round-robin phase of the National Championship Series, the most of any club in the state.
  • The Under-13 Boys team, coached by Coach Kevon Isa, defeated the SF Vikings 3 - 0 on May 13th to qualify for the State Cup Round-Robin. [On a damp, overcast day the Western United boys were able to overcome the weather conditions and their opponent to notch a spot in the round-robin phase of the State Cup. The teams would take some time getting their feet under them, literally, on the damp, slick field. It was only in the 24th minute of the first half when Jay Roberts was able to find a streaking Alex Goncalves on the right side of the pitch for the first score of the match. Alex was able to just beat the keeper to the ball, slide to his right a bit with a nifty little move and put the ball into the open net. The half would end in a tight 1-0 contest. Just minutes into the second half the SF Vikings tried to take advantage of a rare defensive mistake on this day. The Vikings forward was able to take a loose ball in the penalty area and get past the defenders. It all looked very promising for the Vikings until Tyler Stanton came up with a huge save, taking the ball off the foot of the attacking player at point blank range. In the 11th minute of the second half Mike Choquette was then able to find Delano Brown with a well placed through ball that Delano was able to put away to give Western a 2-0 lead. Then in the 23rd minute Nick Calabrese was able to get the ball to Mike Choquette off a free kick where Mike was able to calmly turn and fire a shot past the keeper for the final tally of the game. The back four of Rudi Ottariano, Patrick Anthony, Jesse Geary and Nick Calabrese were able to anchor a great defensive effort and Tyler Stanton was able to take away anything that came his way. This win puts the team in its rightful place with the elite 8 in the round-robin phase of the State Cup.
  • On a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning in Marlboro, the Western U13 Girls (Viviano) team controlled the State Cup Challenge game against Delta FC to advance to the Round Robin with a 2-1 victory. Michelle Dorsey opened the scoring midway through the first half, finishing a break through the left side of Delta's trapping defense with a precise laser inside the far post. Western controlled the ball, had several opportunities and the defense shut down everything Delta threw its way for the majority of the game. However, with 10 minutes to go in the match, Delta sneaked in the equalizer off a free kick awarded outside the box. Undaunted and in control, the Western girls picked up the attack. Rachel Rothstein followed up on a rebound of her own shot to settle the outcome. Western United's defense and midfield controlled the remainder of the game to advance to the Round Robin (round-of-eight) of the State Cup.
  • In other matches on May 6th, the Under-14 Girls, coached by Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield, defeated FC Sachem/Winchester 4 - 0 to move into the Round-robin of the State Cup.
  • The Under-14 Boys "Black" team, coached by Joao Alves lost a 1 - 0 heartbreaker in overtime to the Pioneers.
  • The Under-15 Boys "Black" Team, coached by Kevin McCarthy, lost a 2 - 0 decision to the Fuller Hamlets.
  • The Under-18 Girls "Black" Team, coach by Chris Zguro, defeated InterBandits by a score of 2 - 0.
  • The Under-16 Boys, coached by John Ingalls, defeated the Aztecs SC by a score of 3 - 0 and have one more Challenge Match against Sporting SC in order to qualify for the round-robin phase of the State Cup.

  U17 Boys Win Semifinal of Region I Premier League

  The defending Massachusetts State Cup champion Western United F.C. Under-17 Boys, coached by Derek Shea, are currently in Kirkwood, Deleware for the Region I Premier League playoffs. They qualified by finishing second in the Northern Division of the league. The first-place team in the North was Greater Boston, whom Western United defeated 4 - 0 in Region I play this spring. In their semifinal match, the Western team faced Maryland State Cup finalist Bethesda and defeated them 2 - 0. In the other semifinal match FC Delco of Pennsylvania defeated Greater Boston 1 - 0. Western United meets FC Delco today (May 14) for the championship. The winner gets the wildcard spot in the Region I National Championships (usually referred to as "the regionals"). Results of the finals match will be posted on this webpage as it becomes available.

  Under-17 Boys Make Region I Premier League Playoffs (April 23)

  The reigning State Cup Champion Under-17 Boys, coached by Derek Shea, won three matches over the last two weekends to secure at least 2nd place in the Region I Premier League Northern Division. On April 15th they defeated Greater Boston 4 - 1 and on April 22nd they swept a two-game set, defeating Oakwood (CT) 3 - 1 and Blackwatch (RI) 2 - 0. They will either face FC Delco (PA) or Bethesda (MD) in the Premier League semi-finals. The winner of the playoffs gets a wildcard to the Region I Championships in July. Congratulations to the U17 Boys!

  Under-14 Boys "Red" Team Wins New Jersey Tournament

  The Western United 14 Boys Reds traveled to Princeton New Jersey on April 8th for their first appearance in the top flight of the prestigious Players Development Academy (PDA) Spring Kick-off Tournament. In their opening game, the boys dominated the New Jersey state cup semi-finalists, Pasco NJ Stallions, with a 2-0 victory in a hard fought battle in rain and sleet. In their second match, Western earned a tie against a top Region 1 club, Jersey Crew United. The tie earned the boys a first place finish in their group and advancement to the semifinals against New Jersey state cup finalists, Jersey Crew Celtic. The Reds won by a score of 3 to 2 in an overtime shootout victory. In the final match, the reds got off to an early lead late in the first half while playing a skilled LSTS FC Barcelona club. The game ended in a tie and went to shootouts. Showing great composure, Western United prevailed 4 to 2 in the penalty-kick victory, with four straight successful shots. In four tough matches against the top teams in New Jersey, the Western United Reds went 3-0-1 in a fantastic weekend and tournament for the PDA tournament championship.

  Brenna Clark (U13G-McTear) Reaches Finals of National Goalie Wars Championship

  Brenna Clark, member of the Western United Under-13 Girls (McTear) team was runner-up in the national finals of the Goalie Wars Championship in Boca Raton, Florida on March 18th. As a finalist in the regional finals in Nashua, NH Brenna was invited to the finals in Florida. Congratulations to Brenna!

  Under-15 Boys "Red" and Under-17 Boys Crowned Champions at NJ Tournament

  The Under-15 Boys "Red" Team, coached by Peter DeMello, won their age group at the Ironbound Spring Warmup tournament in New Jersey this weekend (3/18-19). Although losing their first match 2-1 to TSF Academy (NJ), coach DeMello's team roared back with a 4-0 win over Bucksmont United (PA) and a 3-1 victory over Yankee United Real (CT). In the final match the Western United boys claimed the championship crown with a 2-1 win over FSA Soccer Plus United of Connecticut. The Under-17 Boys, under coach Derek Shea, tied their first match of the tournament 1-1 against the Jersey Knights (NJ), but went on to win their next two matches 3-0 against the Montclair Hurricanes (NJ) and 2-1 against Phoenix SC (PA). In the finals the U17 Boys shut out Albertson Academy 88 (NY) 1-0. Congratulations to both teams!

  Thorpe Named College All-American

  Former Western United standout James Thorpe (East Longmeadow)was named NCAA third-Team All American after a stellar season at Franklin Pierce College (N.H.). James is the first goalkeeper in the history of the college to earn All-America status and is a two-time NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year. He was also a two-time first-team All-New England and All-Northeast 10 in only his sophomore year. He led the NE-10 for the second straight year with 11 shutouts, while ranking second in the Conference with a 0.86 goals-against average and third with a .788 save percentage over 2,307 minutes in net. James' goals-against average is second only to his own school record set as a freshman of 0.68. He was also selected to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Division II Final Four this season. James led Franklin Pierce to the finals of the NCAA tournament this year, posting a 3 - 1 career record in penalty shootouts, including victories in the NE-10 Tournament semifinals and the NCAA Quarterfinals this fall. Western United salutes James Thorpe on his great accomplishments and wishes him continued success in college and beyond!

  Second State Cup Challenge Round Results (Oct. 22)

  • Under-14 Boys (Coach: Alves): WON 5 - 1 versus MPS Bulldogs
  • Under-13 Girls (Coach: Gondek): WON 2 - 0 versus Tri-Valley

  State Cup Challenge Match Results (Oct. 1)

  • Under-14 Boys "Black" Team (Coach: Joao Alves): WON 7 - 2 versus Mass Stingers (in league and State Cup play, the team has scored 25 goals in its last 4 matches!)
  • Under-13 Girls (Coach: Kristen Gondek): WON 3 - 0 versus MPS Crusaders
  • Under-13 Girls (Coach: Meghan McTear): LOST 2 - 0 versus Crusaders United

  Three Western Players Chosen for Regional ODP Pool

  Three Western United players were chosen from among the hundreds of Region I ODP players who took part in this year's identification camps in July to join the Region Regional ODP Pool. Lauren Salem (WU Under-14 girls) was the sole female player selected to the Regional Pool, while two brothers, Chris (WU Under-16 Boys) and Mike Choquette (WU Under-13 Boys), were also selected in their respective age groups. Congratulations to all three players for their great accomplishment!

  ODP Tryouts for 2006 Announced

  Tryouts for the 2006 ODP Teams are scheduled to occur Saturday and Sunday, the weekends of August 20/21 and August 27/28 of 2005. It is highly recommended that players attend all four tryout dates.
  • FEES:$20.00 to pre-register (deadline is Aug 17); $25.00 to register after Aug 17. (Fee includes two ODP T-Shirts)
  • NOTE: THESE ARE OPEN TRYOUTS! YOU DO NOT NEED A COACH RECOMMENDATION TO PARTICIPATE!
  • You may apply online at www.mayouthsoccer.org. However, if you do not apply online before 8/19 to try out on the first weekend, or between 8/22-8/25 for the second weekend, YOU WILL NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AT THE FIELDS! You only need to fill out the application once, so if you're going to try out, fill out your application online on or before 8/17 for the $20 pre-registration price!
  • Location: Tryouts will be at the Cow Pond Brook Fields in Groton, MA and School Street Fields in Acton, MA.
  • Schedule:

  1993 Boys:  9:00AM -  10:30 AM Cow Pond Brook Fields
  1993 Girls: 10:45AM - 12:15 AM Cow Pond Brook Fields
  1992 Boys:  12:45AM - 2:15 PM   Cow Pond Brook Fields
  1992 Girls:    2:30PM - 4:00 PM    Cow Pond Brook Fields
  1991 Boys AND Girls: 4:15PM - 5:45PM Cow Pond Brook Fields
  1990/1989 Boys: 9:00AM - 10:30AM School Street Fields
  1990/1989 Girls: 10:45AM - 12:15PM School Street Fields
  

  [THIS SCHEDULE APPLIES TO EACH OF THE FOUR TRYOUT DATES.]

  Any Mass Youth Soccer Registered Player May Try Out. You must bring: A properly inflated Soccer Ball, Bottled Water. Remember! The ODP Program divides players by CALENDAR YEAR! So if you were born anytime during:
  • 1989, you are a 2006 ODP U17
  • 1990, you are a 2006 ODP U16
  • 1991, you are a 2006 ODP U15
  • 1992, you are a 2006 ODP U14
  • 1993, you are a 2006 ODP U13

  Best of Luck to All Western United Players at ODP Tryouts!

  Under-16 Boys Go Undefeated at Regionals, But Do Not Move On!

  It came down to the wire, to penalty kicks, to decide who would be the winner of the Under-16 Boys group at the regionals that included Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. After all three games of the round-robin phase, Western United's U16 Boys were tied with New Jersey with two wins and a tie (against each other). And so it came down to tiebreakers. The first was head-to-head (they tied each other 0 - 0), then goal differential (both were at +4), then fewest goals allowed (both were at +1). The last tiebreaker was penalty kicks, where the good guys in red went down to defeat by one goal. It was a heartbreaking finish to a great tournament in which the Western United boys defeated perennial powerhouse Virginia 3 - 1 on two goals by George Anderson-DiLorenzo and another by Mario Ferrentino. Previously, Western had beaten Rhode Island 3 - 0 and tied New Jersey 0 - 0 to create the logjam. Congratulations to the Under-16 Boys and to Coach Derek Shea for a magnificent performance, going undefeated at the regionals!

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  Under-16 Boys Win First Match at Regionals

  The Western United Under-16 Boys, coached by Derek Shea, won its first match today in convincing style 3 - 0 versus Rhode Island. Goals were scored by Mario Ferrentino, Kyle Mecham (PK) and James Mawson. Next up for the boys is New Jersey (Ironbound SC) who also won its match today 2 - 1 versus Virginia.

  Western United Sends Four Teams On to State Cup Finals!

  Western United is once again this year the only Western Massachusetts club to send teams to the State Cup Finals. Western's four teams are the Under-13 Boys (Coach: Jim Fisher), Under-14 Boys (Coach: Peter DeMello), Under-16 Boys (Coach: Derek Shea) and Under-17 Girls (Coach: Tim Murphy). They represent the second highest number of finalists from any club in the state, surpassed only by the Greater Boston Bolts, who have 5 teams in the finals. There were two eastern clubs with three teams making it to the finals (Stars of Mass and Mass Premier Soccer) and two other eastern clubs that have two teams each in the finals (South Coast and South Shore United). Congratulations to the four Western United finalists and best of luck in the finals!

  Current and Former Western United Players Meet Some of Soccer's Greatest Stars!

  Former Western United and Univ. of Maine player Patrick Kelly (right side in photo ) who was part of Coach Ron Dias' three-time State Cup Champions in the 1990s, currently works at the new showcase stadium of American soccer: the Home Depot Center in California. He recently hosted a special guest from England, David Beckham (left side in photo)!
  Carrie Wilson (pictured right), who currently plays for Coach Phil Nielsen on the Western United Under-16 Girls, had a chance to meet American soccer legend Julie Foudy recently at Smith College, when Julie came to Northampton to receive an honorary degree at Smith's graduation ceremony.
  

  6/6: Seven Western United Teams Reach Semifinals!

  Western United continued its record of State Cup success again this year with seven teams making it through to the semifinals. The teams are: Under-13 Boys (Coach Jim Fisher), Under-14 Boys (Coach Peter DeMello), Under-16 Boys (Coach Derek Shea), Under-17 Boys (Coach Stephen Balicki), Under 15 Girls (Coach Rebecca Myers), Under-16 Girls (Coach Phil Nielsen) and the Under-17 Girls (Coach Tim Murphy). Congratulations and best of luck to these teams the rest of the way! Also moving on in their postseason tournaments were the Under-12 Boys (Coaches Joe McVeigh and Kevon Isa) and the Under-11 Girls (Coach Lynn Pantuosco). By virtue of their four wins this weekend, the Under-12 Boys have secured a Division 1 spot in the MAPLE for next year. Once again, congratulations to all the players, coaches and parents of these teams, as well as to all the other Western United teams who braved the stifling heat to compete at UMass this weekend. We are all very proud of your hard work and desire for excellence!

  May 20th: Another Western United team qualifies for Round of Eight!

  The Western United Under-15 Boys (Coach: John Ingalls) defeated Mass Premier Soccer 6 - 1 tonight to move into the elite Round of Eight in the 2005 Massachusetts State Cup. This brings the total of Western United teams in the Round of Eight to an all-time high of 14. It also represents the most teams in the Round of Eight of any club in Massachusetts this year! Western United will be represented in the Round of Eight this year by the following teams: Under-13 Boys (Fisher), Under-13 Boys (Mulcahey), Under-14 Boys (DeMello), Under-14 Boys (Alves), Under-15 Boys (Ingalls), Under-16 Boys (Shea), Under-17 Boys (Balicki), Under-18 Boys (Lavner), Under-19 Boys (Ingalls), Under-13 Girls (Farquhar/Caulfield), Under-14 Girls (Wuerthele), Under-15 Girls (Myers), Under-16 Girls (Nielsen) and Under-17 Girls (Murphy). The State Cup includes only the age groups Under-13 to Under-19. The younger age groups (Under-11 and Under-12) play their own post-season tournaments. Those teams qualifying for this year's U11 and U12 postseason tournaments have not yet been announced. Congratulations to all the qualifying teams!

  5/7: Under-13 Boys "Black" Team Advances to State Cup Round of Eight!

  For the second time in as many weeks, Western United has placed a second team in the State Cup Round of Eight in an age group. The latest to qualify is the Under-13 Boys "Black" Team coached by Ted Mulcahy. Down 2 - 0 to Tri-Valley with about 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Western United boys rallied to tie the match, sending it into overtime. About 5 minutes into overtime they found the net for the deciding goal, propelling them into the elite State Cup Round of Eight, where they will join the #1 seed Western United boys coached by Jim Fisher. Congratulations to Coach Mulcahy and the boys!

  5/1: Two Western United Teams Move on in Early State Cup Competition

  The Western United Under-14 Boys (Coaches: Joao Alves and Mike Keefe), who play in the Second Division of the MAPLE, qualified for the elite "Round of 8" for the 2005 State Cup with a 1 - 0 victory over South Shore Select on April 30th. This is the teams first appearance at that level. They will join Western's other U14B team, coached by Peter DeMello, in the "Round of 8", although both teams will compete in the round-robin phase of the competition in different groups of 4. Another team coached by Joao Alves and Mike Keefe, the Under-16 Boys, who also compete in Division 2 of the MAPLE, are one match away from similarly qualifying for the "Round of 8". This past (4/30) they defeated Tri-Valley 3 - 2 to move on to a final Challenge Match (date TBD) against InterBandits-K. The winner of that match moves into the "Round of 8". Congratulations to the players and coaches of both teams for their hard work and success!

  1/3: Western United's Second Annual Pickup Tournament

  Western United boys from 5 different teams spanning 4 age groups were involved in the second annual pick-up tournament at Allsport Soccer Arena on December 27th. The tournament featured Western United players from the U13 Red, U13 Black, U12, U11 Red and U11 Black teams. The boys were divided up into teams and chose for their teams club names from the UEFA Champions League. While the soccer was exceptional throughout the day, the friendships that came about through the tournament took center stage. Younger Western United players got to meet and play with (and against) some of the older players, while the older players came to appreciate the abilities of their younger Western United counterparts. The U13 players served as captains for their squads and did a marvelous job of organizing and keeping the 5-hour tournament running on schedule. In the end the team of Werder Bremen (Germany) captured top honors. The team was made up of Dillon Zaengle (U13), Jake Denver (U13), Jamey Mercer (U13), Mike Choquette (U12), Kyle Cupka (U11), Tom Granot (U11), John Burton (U11) and Zach Tobin (U11). A great day of soccer was had by all and a good night of sleep surely followed!

  Western United F.C. Appoints Two New Coaches for the Spring 2005 Season

  Western United F.C. is proud to announce the appointment of Meghan McTear as the new head coach of the Under-12 Girls Black Team. Meghan has been a four-year varsity player at Springfield College, where she was captain this past fall. She has played with the Vermont Voltage of the W-League and was four-time State Cup Champion with her club, Nordic Spirit of Vermont. Coach McTear replaces Tom Pereira as head coach of the team. Western United F.C. has also appointed Ryan Lavner as the new head coach of the Under-18 Boys Team for the spring. Ryan was Assistant Men's Coach at Springfield College this past fall and where he was a four-year men's varsity player and senior captain. At Springfield College Ryan achieved a number of honors, including MVP (2003), NEWMAC All-Conference Team, NEWMAC Player of the Week and others. He is well familiar with the MAPLE league, having played for the Region 1 Champion Juventus USA (Worcester, MA) in the late 1990s. He replaces Ryan Kelly as head coach of this year's U18 Boys. Best of luck to both coaches and teams!

  Current and Former Western United Players Garner Honors

  A number of current and former Western United F.C. players collected honors and kudos this fall. Two players from the Under-16 Boys "Red" Team (Coach: Derek Shea) and one player from the Under-15 Boys Team (Coach: John Ingalls) were named to the Super-Y League Regional Team. And a number of players from last year's Under-19 Boys teams have been doing well playing college soccer. James Thorpe set the team record for shutouts in a season and consecutive shutout minutes at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. As keeper James led the team to the NCAA Tournament this fall, losing in the regional finals to UMass-Lowell, where another member of last year's U19 Boys plays: Jono Kalmakis. At UMass Amherst, Rob Charest ranked among the team's leading scorers, while Ian O'Donnell anchored a stingy defense for the Atlantic-10 squad. Over at American International College Norbert Duzsa of the former U19B team was a force in the midfield and among the team's leading scorers. At WNEC Tim Larocca led his team to a Conference Championship working his magic in the midfield and on defense. At Lafayette College, Stefan McVeigh tied for the team lead in goals scored. On the women's side, Katie Coffey of last year's Under-18 Girls team (Coach: Rebecca Myers) has anchored an amazing defense at Boston College, while Ashley Furr of the same Western United team is fighting for a national championship with her Wheaton College side. This update in no way exhausts the kudos and accomplishments of our current and former players. We'll try to update things as we get any new information.

  Western United Teams Headed for Postseason Tournaments

  A number of Western United teams will be travelling far afield to tournaments in November. The longest trip will find the Under-15 Girls (Coach: Rebecca Myers) heading to the D'Feeters Showcase Tournament in Dallas, Texas. TheUnder-17 Girls (Coach: Tim Murphy) and the Under-16 Girls (Coach: Phil Nielsen) will be likewise flying south to the Raleigh (NC) Shootout for some top-flight competition. Three boys teams will be heading down to Bethesda, Maryland for a pre-Thanksgiving tournament. Heading down the I-95 corridor will be the Under-14 Boys (Coach: Peter DeMello), the Under-16 Boys (Coach: Derek Shea) and the Under-17 Boys (Coach: Stephen Balicki). Two Western United girls teams have just completed Columbus Day tournaments in the Middle Atlantic Region. The Under-13 Girls (Coaches Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield) travelled to the prestigious WAGS Tournament in the Washington DC area and played well, surrendering only 1 goal through three games. They finished with a record of 1 - 1 - 1, losing to Solar of Texas 1 - 0 in the crucial match. The Under-14 Girls (Coach: Glen Wuerthele) reached the finals of the Kirkwood Premier Tournament in Deleware, losing 2 - 0 in the finals to a Pennsylvania side that scored on two restarts in the final 10 minutes. Congratulations and best wishes to all the teams!

  9/19: Terrence Leahy named Under-11 Boys "Black Team" Coach

  Terrence Leahy who is currently the men's varsity assistant soccer coach at Western New England College was named head coach of the Under-11 Boys "Black Team" today. As men's assistant coach at WNEC Coach Leahy works closely with WNEC men's head coach Erin Sullivan. A former standout under Coach Sullivan at WNEC, Coach Leahy has experience both as a youth developmental coach and as a MAPLE coach. Western United welcomes Terrence Leahy to its coaching staff!

  9/13: Lynn Pantuosco (U11G Coach) Publishes Article on Sports Psychology

  Western United Under-11 Girls Coach, Lynn Pantuosco recently published an article in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's September/October 2004 issue of "Soccer Journal" entitled "Single Sport or Multiple?" Lynn, currently a Springfield College doctoral student in Sports Psychology, conducted research to aid soccer coaches in helping players and families decide when it is appropriate to specialize in a single sport. The NSCAA is the largest soccer coaching organization in the United States. This is Lynn's second published article in the "Journal". Lynn holds both her NSCAA National and Advanced National coaching diplomas.

  9/13: Kelley Sosa Named U10G Developmental Coach

  Two-time All-Ivy League college standout Kelley Sosa will be taking the helm of the Under-10 Girls Developmental Team. She was a standout defender at Princeton University and in the W-League in New Jersey. The team will begin training shortly.

  8/10: Four Western United F.C. Players Selected to ODP Regional Pool

  An unprecedented four Western United players were selected to this year's ODP regional pools. They are George Anderson-DiLorenzo and Nicholas Rouzier of our Under-16 Boys (Coach Derek Shea), Samantha Fortier of our Under-16 Girls (Coach Phil Nielsen) and Kylie Neschke of our Under-17 Girls "Red" Team (Coach Tim Murphy). Congratulations to these players on their hard work, excellence and love of the game!

  8/10: Under-12 Girls Players Move On to 3 v 3 National Championships

  Five players from the Western United Under-12 Girls team won the Got Milk 3-v-3 regional championship recently and will be heading to Florida over Christmas break to compete in the tournament's national championships. The players are Christina Bamford, Star Cash, Lauren Salem, Megan Breault and Chantal Lemoine. Congratulations to the girls on their success and best of luck in the nationals!

  7/26: Western United F.C. U15B Player Takes the Field in England

  Mike Griffin, member of the Under-15 Boys Team, coached by John Ingalls, is part of a 15-man team of U.S. players who will be training and playing in England this summer as part of the "People to People Program". Mike and the team have been training in Coventry, England and will travel later this week to play in the Liverpool Knowsley International Tournament against teams from Iceland, Scotland, England and other European nations. In their first game in England, Mike was awarded "Man of the Match".

  7/22: Under-13 Boys "Red" Team to Play British Premier Team Everton

  Last year's Under-12 State Champion Western United Boys have been invited to play their counterpart from the British Premier Club Everton on Sunday, July 25th at 5:30 pm in Amesbury, MA. The game is sponsored by the New England Soccer School, located in Amesbury (www.nesoccerschool.net). Directions to the field: Take 495 North to Exit 54. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left and then take the first right onto So. Hunt Road. Travel 1/4 mile to the New England Soccer School.

  7/20: Under-17 Girls Players Capture Baystate Games Gold

  Nine Western United Under-17 Girls players entered this year's Baystate Games under coaches Chris Zguro and John Aberdale and won all five of their matches to capture the gold medal. Eight of the nine players (Angela Zguro, Lauren Aberdale, Robin Backer, Beth Honecker, Sarah Biela, Nina Losito and Kristen Bonkowski) play for Coach Zguro's Western United U17 Girls Team, while the 9th player, Kate McKenna, plays for Coach Tim Murphy's Western United Under-17 Girls Team. Congratulations to both players and coaches on their accomplishment!

  July 9: Under-11 Girls "Black" Team Coach announced

  Western United is proud to announce the addition of Kelly Sousa to its coaching staff. Coach Sousa played Division I collegiate soccer at Princeton University and has recently played for the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League. She will be assuming the helm of the Under-11 Girls "Black" team beginning in August. Best of luck to Coach Sousa and the team.

  6/22: New Under-15 Boys Coach for 2004-2005 Announced

  Western United F.C. is proud to announce the appointment of John Ingalls as Head Coach of the 2004-2005 Under-15 Boys Team. Coach Ingalls, former Asst. Coach of the Western Mass Pioneers and current Boys Varsity Coach at Minnechaug Regional HS, takes over for Coach Jim Fisher, who will be moving to the Head Coach position of next year's Under-13 Boys team (who were just crowned U12B State Champions). Coach Ingalls headed the Western United Under-18 Boys team this year that upset the No. 1 nationally ranked Greater Boston Bolts. Tryouts for the Under-15 Boys begin Wednesday, June 23rd at the Oxbow Marina. For more information, see our "Tryout Info" page.

  6/20: Three Western United Boys Teams Capture State Championships!

  (And two other teams fall in the finals)[and a second U12B team qualifies for Division I!]
  • Western United is sending two more teams to the Regional Championships this year, including a first-time State Cup Champion, while the Under-12 Boys captured the State Championship in their age group. The Under-15 Boys, under first-year coach Derek Shea, captured their first-ever State Cup with a 1 - 0 victory over the SUNS. Western's central defender Kevin Pereira was named State Cup MVP. Immediately following the U15B victory, the U19 Boys under coaches Joe McVeigh and Muhammed Isa faced a determined InterBandits team that had tied them 4 - 4 in the first round of play. The game was fast-paced and hard-fought and was knotted at 1 - 1 after regulation time. About 4 minutes into the first overtime Mike Wohl converted a lead pass from Stefan McVeigh to lead the team to an unprecedented 5th State Cup Championship (they also won as U12s, U13s, U16s and U17s). Stopper Tim Larocca was named State Cup MVP for the winners. Both teams now advance to the Regional Championships at the University of Rhode Island. First-round matches will take place on July 1, 2, 3 with the semifinals on Sunday, July 4th and the finals on Monday, July 5th. Congratulations to all three teams!
  • The Under-12 Girls, under coaches Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield, swept their way into the Championship finals by defeating the Force 3 - 1 in the quarterfinals and by shutting out local rival Jr. Pioneers 2 - 0 in the semifinals. In the finals, the girls ran out of steam, losing to Nova 1 - 0. Congratulations on a great season!
  • The Under-11 Boys, under coaches Joe McVeigh and Tom Barron, returned from the FC Delco tournament over Memorial Day weekend in fine form for the KC Andre Cup. They swept through the first round matches, winning all three games by 2 or more goals and allowing only 3 goals. Their first match had them against a new opponent, the Tornadoes, whom they dispatched by the score of 4 - 2. Their next opponent, the Fuller Hamlets, had just beaten local rival Jr. Pioneers and was looking to win the group of four against Western. But the good guys in red and black would have nothing of it, shutting out the Fuller Hamlets 2 - 0. The last match of the first round was against the local rival Jr. Pioneers, who had defeated Western in the regular season 4 - 3. But Western's defense continued to strengthen and their offense was in high gear as the good guys pummelled their local opponents 4 - 1 on the strength of goals by Mike Choquette, Tommy Barron and Eli-Wilson-Berkowitz. This qualified the boys for a quarterfinal rematch against another team that had caught them off-guard during the regular season, Noreaster. This time, however, the results were very different, with Western coming out on top 3 - 0. The semifinal match against a resurgent Greater Boston team was a defensive struggle, but Western prevailed in overtime 1 - 0, setting up a grand finale against powerhouse Inter SC. The talented Inter squad, whom Western has surprised 1 - 0 during the regular season, came out storming, scoring on three restarts in the first half. Western regrouped defensively in the second half, preventing any further scoring, but could not find the net. Standout Mike Choquette, who had been at the ODP Rider Cup in NJ during the weekend, sped back to make the second half of the finals, but Inter anticipated his return with double-teaming that kept him off the scoreboard. Congratulations to the U11 boys for a superb postseason run!
  • The Under-12 Boys "Black" Team, under coach Ted Mulcahey, qualified for a first-division spot in the MAPLE for next year. They faced the daunting task of having to finish in the top half of a killer group of four to qualify. The boys stepped up their performance and stunned their opponents, tying the Crusaders (who had defeated them 5 - 0 during the season) 0 - 0. In the second match, the good guys in red and black defeated SAC 3 - 0 and finished their qualification run with a superb 2 - 1 defeat of Freedom FC. Congratulations to the U12B "Black" team! Best of luck in Division I next year!

  6/20: State Cup and U12 Tournament Update

  • Under-12 Girls won 3 - 1 versus Force in Quarterfinals
  • Under-12 Boys won 1 - 0 versus Tri-Valley in Quarterfinals
  • Under-12 Boys "B" Team tied 0 - 0 versus Crusaders
  • Under-12 Boys "B" Team won 3 - 0 versus their second opponent of the day.
  • Under-13 Boys lost 2 - 1 (OT) versus Greater Boston
  • Under-13 Girls lost 2 - 1 to Stars of Mass
  • Under-14 Girls lost 2 - 0 versus South Coast Scorpions
  • Under-15 Boys won 6 - 0 versus Crusaders
  • Under-15 Girls lost 6 - 5 in PKs versus South Shore Select
  • Under-16 Boys lost ______ versus South Shore United
  • Under-19 Boys won 1 - 0 versus Mass Premier Soccer

  Western United F.C. Leads All Clubs in State Cup

  Of the state-leading 12 teams that Western United placed in the round-robin (final 8) of the State Cup this year, 7 have already reached the semifinal round (to be played 6/19-20) and two more (U18B, U18G) are playing their round-robin games this weekend (6/12-13). WU's 12 teams in the round-robin are the most of any club in the state; InterBandits had the second highest total (9). A comparison of clubs with teams in the semifinals also has Western United in the top spot with 7 (so far). The next closest clubs have 5 (MPS and Inter). No teams from any other Western Massachusetts clubs have made it to the semifinal round thus far.

  State Cup Results and U11 and U12 Championship Tournament Results

  • Under-11 Boys: Won 4 - 2 versus Tornados; Won 2 - 0 versus Fuller Hamlets; Won 4 - 1 versus Pioneers [MOVES ON TO QUARTERFINALS]
  • Under-12 Boys (Mulcahey): Lost 4 - 0 versus Freedom; Won 3 - 0 versus Juventus WMass; Tied 2 - 2 versus STS Red [MOVES ON TO QUARTERFINALS]
  • Under-13 Boys: Won 3 - 2 versus SUNS; won 6 - 0 versus SS Select; Tied InterBandits 0 - 0 [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-14 Boys: Lost 4 - 0 versus Juventus-C; Won 3 - 1 versus Juventus-K; Tied 2 - 2 versus South Shore United
  • Under-15 Boys: Won 4 - 2 versus SS United; Won 3 - 1 versus Noreaster; Tied 0 - 0 verusus Inter Bandits [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-16 Boys: Won 2 - 0 versus Nashoba United; Lost 4 - 1 versus Juventus; Won 2 - 1 versus Noreaster [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-17 Boys: Tied 1 - 1 versus Mass Premier; Lost 7 - 0 versus FC Greater Boston; Won 4 - 2 versus Aztecs
  • Under-18 Boys: [Play begins next week]
  • Under-19 Boys: Tied 4 - 4 versus Inter; won 1 - 0 versus Fuller Hamlets (forfeit); Won 5 - 2 versus FC Greater Boston [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-11 Girls (Marciano/Moran): Won 3 - 0 versus Pioneers; Lost 1 - 0 versus Inter; Lost 3 - 2 versus FC Puma
  • Under-11 Girls (Pereira): Lost 7 - 1 versus Stars of Mass; Lost 3 - 1 versus Mission SC; Lost 2 - 0 versus Force
  • Under-13 Girls: Won 2 - 1 versus South Coast; Lost 4 - 0 versus SS Select; Won 2 - 0 versus FC Puma [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-14 Girls: Won 3 - 1 versus SUNS; Won 1 - 0 versus CRU; Won 1 - 0 versus Greater Boston [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-15 Girls: Won 2 - 0 versus Mass Premier; Won 2 - 0 versus Inter Bandits; Won 2 - 1 versus South Coast [MOVES ON TO SEMIFINALS]
  • Under-16 Girls: Won 2 - 1 versus CRU; Tied Fuller Hamlets 2 - 2; Lost 1 - 0 versus Crusaders
  • Under-18 Girls: [Play begins next week]
  
  
  • The Under-12 Boys (Mercer) and Under-12 Girls (Farquhar/Caulfield) have a bye into the quarterfinals of the U12 Championships.

  June 5: Four New Coaching Appointments Announced

  Western United F.C. Director of Coaching, Peter DeMello, has announced four new appointments to the coaching ranks for the 2004-2005 soccer year:
  • UMass Women's Asst. Coach, Rebecca Myers, will assume the head coaching position of next year's Under-15 girls. The team suffered the loss of head coach Jack Cawley during the spring season. Assistant Coach Jeff Pokorny stepped in as head coach for the remainder of the season and post-season.
  • Central High School Boys Varsity Coach Chris Zguro, a veteran of the Western United coaching staff, will take over the Under-16 Girls "Black" team from Bill Storozuk who is stepping down.
  • The Under-11 Girls "Red" team will be headed by Kristen Gondek, Asst. Women's Coach at Baypath College. Kristen is not an entirely new face to Western United, as she coached one of our Under-18 girls teams in the 1990s.
  • The Under-11 Girls "Black" team adds Sam Orlando to the coaching staff. He will be assisting head coach Tom Pereira.

  Spring Wrap-up

  Western United teams had a particularly successful season this spring. Among the accomplishments:
  • An unprecedented 12 Western United teams (out of the 14 registered for the State Cup) have qualified for the round-robin phase (final 8 teams) of the State Cup competition.
  • Both the Under-12 Boys (Coach: Jim Mercer) and Under-12 Girls (Coaches: Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield) have qualified for Division I of the MAPLE for the coming year.
  • The Under-13 girls (Coach: Glen Wuerthele) has been promoted from Division II to Division I for next year.
  • Three teams finished first in their division: Under-16 Girls (Div. I; Coach: Tim Murphy); Under-15 Boys (Div. I; Coach: Derek Shea) and the Under-13 Boys-D [tied for first] (MAPLE-D; Coach: Joao Alves)
  • The Under-13 Boys (Coach: Joao Alves) playing in the MAPLE-D are eligible to qualify for promotion to Division II.
  • Three teams finished in second place: Under-12 Boys (Coach: Jim Mercer); Under-13 Boys (Div. I; Coach: Peter DeMello); Under 13 Girls (Div. II; Coach: Glen Wuerthele)
  • Three teams finished without a loss: Under-12 Boys (Coach: Jim Mercer); Under-15 Boys (Div. I; Coach: Derek Shea) and Under-12 Girls (Blue Div.; Coaches: Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield)
  • Best goal differential by a Western team this spring: Under-12 Girls (19 goals for and only 1 against, in the Blue Division, the highest division of this age group)
  • Most Sensational Victory of the Season: Under-18 Boys (Coach: John Ingalls) defeated the No. 1 ranked team in the country, Greater Boston FC, 2 - 1 on May 2nd.

  Under-15 Boys "Black" Team Wins Virginia Beach Tournament

  Under-16 Boys Fall in Finals of Virginia Beach Tournament

  The Western United Under-15 Boys, coached by Joao Alves and Mike Keefe, won the Virginia Beach Spring Blast Tournament by a convincing 6 - 3 score over the Rickmond Kickers. First-round scores are not yet available. Meanwhile, at the same tournament, the Under-16 Boys team, coached by Stephen Balicki, won all three of their first-round matches to move into the finals. Playing with a squad of 14 players and having not yet stepped outside this winter, the boys defeated perennial nemesis Nashoba SC 2 - 1, while also besting Manchester Premier SC and the Rochester Jr. Rhinos. In the finals on Sunday afternoon, Western United fell to AC Peruggia from Eastern Pennsylvania 2 - 1.

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  Feb. 16: Under-15 Girls Finish Second, Miss Semis

  After a rousing 2 - 0 start on Saturday, the Under-15 girls suffered a scoring drought on Sunday and finished second in their group of 5 with a 3 - 1 - 1 record. Their loss to the Chicago Moonlighters proved fateful, as the Illinois team, who had suffered an earlier loss, could only move on with a win. However, win they did, 2 - 1 against the U15s. In the earlier match on Sunday, the girls tied a Carolina team, TNFC, 0 - 0, to set up the all-important last match with Chicago. Congratulations to the U15s for a great showing!

  Feb. 15: Under-15 Girls Start Off Strong in Arizona

  The Western United F.C. Under-15 Girls team, coached by Phil Nielsen (Smith College Women's Coach), started off very strong at the Presidents' Cup Tournament in Arizona by winning their first two matches on Saturday, February 14th. In the first match of the day, they defeated the tournament host (SC Del Sol - '89 Extreme team) by a 1 - 0 score. In the second match of the day, Western defeated the SRU '89 Gold side from California 3 - 1. The Western girls currently sit alone in first place in their group of 5 as the only undefeated team. They play two more first-round matches today (Sunday, 2/15) with the semifinal and final matches taking place on Monday. Watch this page for updated scores as they are posted.

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  Kyle Nasman (U17B) named Berkshire County MVP

  Since the All-Western Mass honors each year are determined by the sports staff of the Springfield Republican newspaper, the top high school players from Berkshire County are no longer included in this list, as they were as recently as a few years ago. Since Western United has an increasing number of its players coming from Berkshire County, we would like to recognize them as well. We were recently informed that Kyle Nasman or our Under-17 Boys team, coached by Ryan Kelly, was named the Berkshire County High School MVP for 2003. Congratulations to Kyle and to his coach Matt Noyes at Lenox Memorial High School! If anyone knows of other honorees who play for our club, please notify us through our website email ("Contact Us" Page).

  1/19: Three Western United F.C. Players Capture Western Mass MVP Awards

  At last night's Western Mass All-Stars banquest, sponsored by the Lusitano Alumni and Fans Organization and held at the Gremio Lusitano banquet hall, three Western United F.C. players were named "Outstanding Player of the Year" in their respective divisions: Stefan McVeigh (Div. I Boys); Britt Canfield (Div. II Girls) and Eric Booth (Div. II Boys) were voted "MVP" by the coaches in their division at the conclusion of the past fall season. The winners were first announced at last night's banquet. Also honored were the All-Western Mass First Team players, among whom Western United was also well represented. All-Western Mass First Team Western United players were:
  • Division I Girls: Hannah Boss (Cathedral HS), Caroline Downey (Cathedral HS), Samantha Fortier (Minnechaug HS), Ashley Furr (Cathedral HS), Amanda Janik (Agawam HS), Caitlin Mooney (Minnechaug HS), Meaghan Murphy (Cathedral HS), Lauren O'Donnell (Minnechaug HS), Allyson Rinderle (Amherst-Pelham HS), Molly Wagner (Longmeadow HS), Becky Wise (West Springfield HS)
  • Division I Boys: Evan Duval (Minnechaug HS), Matt Gentile (Minnechaug HS), Will Kinder (Minnechaug HS), Stefan McVeigh (Cathedral HS), Ryan O'Donnell (Cathedral HS)
  • Division II Girls: Britt Canfield (Southwick-Tolland HS), Alicia Gibson (Belchertown HS), Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver (Mohawk HS), Maria Merritt (Hampshire HS), Sarah Russell-Smith (Hampshire HS), Lauren Wundt (Southwick-Tolland HS)
  • Division II Boys: Korey Bell (Belchertown HS), Eric Booth (Belchertown HS), David Pinter (Southwick-Tolland HS), Sam Prickett (Hampshire HS), Adam Rolfe (Southwick-Tolland HS)
  • Division III Boys: Dan Lawrence (Easthampton HS)

  UMass Men's Asst. Coach Jon Lowery Appointed Head Coach of Under-15 Boys "Red" Team

  The Western United F.C. Division I Under-15 Boys team welcomes its new head coach for the 2004 campaign. The team, which was State Cup semifinalist last year, losing to eventual champion Inter SC 2 - 1, and which is seeded 4th in this year's State Cup, will have a number of new faces on the roster as well as at the helm. The team will be heading to the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Virginia in March as a warmup to this year's MAPLE season. The team was formerly coached by Tom Terbush, who was with the team from the U11 age group and brought the team through qualifications into Division I. Coach Lowery is a former MLS and A-League keeper and has coached youth premier teams in Minnesota. He recently completed his NSCAA National License in Florida during the winter break.

  Dec. 15: New Under-13 Boys team joins Western United F.C.

  Western United F.C. welcomes a new Under-13 Boys team for the spring season. Coach Joao Alves' team played in the fall under the club name of "Luso United" in the Under-13 MAPLE-D. Of the four Western Massachusetts teams in the Under-13 Boys MAPLE-D in the fall only Coach Alves' team qualified for the spring MAPLE-D in the Under-13 age group. The new team's webpage is now up (Under-13 Boys "Black" Team).

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  Western United Players Garner Top Honors

  Four Western United F.C. players received NSCAA All-New England honors. Britt Canfield (Southwick-Tolland HS), Ryan O'Donnell (Cathedral HS), Stefan McVeigh (Cathedral HS) and Jesse Pereira (Ludlow HS) were all named to the NSCAA Regional All-American (= All New England) list after impressive seasons. McVeigh and O'Donnell led Division I in scoring, while Pereira, a defender, was also ranked among the leading scorers in Western Mass Division I as well. Pereira scored key goals in leading Ludlow to the Western Mass and State championships. McVeigh, also this year's NSCAA All-American pick, topped the 100-point career mark in mid-season, a feat accomplished by only two other Division I high school boys in Western Mass history (Fred Pereira in 1969 and Jay Heaps in 1994). Pereira and O'Donnell play for Coach John Ingalls on the Western United Under-18 boys team, while McVeigh is a member of the Under-19 squad. Britt Canfield, who lit up Division II in scoring this year, plays for UMass asst. women's coach Rebecca Myers on the Under-18 girls. Western United players also garnered a number of All-State Honors, as listed below:
  • Caroline Downey (U18G)
  • Samantha Fortier (U15G)
  • Amanda Janik (U18G)
  • Caitlin Mooney (U18G)
  • Meaghan Murphy (U16G)
  • Lauren O'Donnell (U18G)
  • Molly Wagner (U18G)
  • Alicia Gibson (U18G)
  • Britt Canfield (U18G)
  • Evan Duval (U18B)
  • Matt Gentile (U18B)
  • Will Kinder (U18B)
  • Stefan McVeigh (U19B)
  • Ryan O'Donnell (U18B)
  • Jesse Pereira (U18B)
  • Korey Bell (U17B)
  • Eric Booth (U18B)
  • Dave Pinter (U18B)

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  Western United Players selected to Massachusetts ODP Teams (2003-2004)

  The names are slowly coming in, but so far (as of 11/15) we know that the following players have made this year's ODP State Select Teams:
  • W.U. Under-11 Boys: Mike Choquette
  • W.U. Under-12 Boys: Carl Gottschall, Ian Waldron
  • W.U. Under-13 Boys: Sam DeMello, Bill Ferriter, Ryan Limero, Casey Marini, Dan McCarthy, Connor Mooney, Liam Mulhern, Sean Sullivan
  • W.U. Under-13 Girls: Brie Butcher
  • W.U. Under-14 Boys: Eric Gillett
  • W.U. Under-15 Boys: George Anderson-DiLorenzo, Joe Calabrese, Kevin Pereira, Nick Rouzier
  • W.U. Under-15 Girls: Samantha Fortier, Hannah Hertzler (NH ODP), Logan Kirkpatrick, Kendall Knapik, Shannon Neschke, Therese Smith, Caroline Washburne.
  • W.U. Under-16 Girls: Casey Les
  If you know of other Western United players who have made their respective age group ODP teams, please drop us a line at ODP Selections. Thanks!

  11/18: Under-15 Girls Give Strong Showing in Maryland

  Attending the Bethesda Tournament for the first time, the Western United Under-15 Girls started off strongly, winning all three opening-round matches. In the opening game of the round-robin phase the girls defeated the Baltimore Bays 1 - 0. In the second match, the girls defeated the Classic Hammer team from Ohio 2 - 0. The third match saw the Western United girls defeat Mt. Laurel of New Jersey. As group winner, the girls faced the other group winner, Ohio Premier, in the finals, where they fell 1 - 0 in a well-played and hard-fought game. Congratulations to the Under-15 girls for their strong showing. This coming weekend the Under-13 Boys, Under-15 Boys and Under-16 Boys will be competing in the same Bethesda Tournament. Best of luck to all!

  Reception

  For any soccer player and his/her family who may be considering attending Wilbraham Monson Academy either as a regular student or as a post-graduate, there will be a reception at the home of the Balicki family (83 Bancroft Rd.; Northampton, MA 01060) on Thursday, November 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

  For more information, contact Chris Moore, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid; Wilbraham Monson Academy, at (413) 596-6811

  Western United F.C. Welcomes New Team

  Oct. 15: Western United F.C. is pleased to welcome a new Under-15 Boys (Div. 2) team to the club. The new team, coached by Joao Alves was formerly part of the Lusitano organization.

  8/24: Strong showings at tournaments

  The Under-15 Boys under Coach Tom Terbush, and the Under-14 Girls, under Coach Jack Cawley, won their respective age groups at the Wallingford, CT TWIST tournament in mid-August. In the "Got Milk" 3v3 Tournament, a team composed mostly of players from Western United's Under-12 girls team won the regional championship in Fairhaven, CT. The Under-11 Boys team finished 3rd at the regional tournament. Both have qualified for the national championships in Florida in January.

  Two Western United Players Named to UMass Men's Final Roster; UMass Men Face St. John's on 8/23 at Szot Park

  Western United U-19 Boys players Ian O'Donnell and Robert Charest, who are entering freshmen at UMass-Amherst, were named to the final roster of 26 this week. Congratulations to Ian and Rob! The team will face off this Saturday (8/23) against nationally ranked St. John's at Szot Park in Chicopee (time TBA).

  Coaching Staff Announced for Under-12 Boys "Black" Team

  Western United F.C. welcomes the newest members of its coaching staff for 2003-2004. Ted Mulcahey of Northampton will assume the head coaching position for the newly created Under-12 Boys "Black" team. Ted is USSF licensed and has previously coached in both the MAPLE and in the high school ranks. He will be joined by Eric Jarry (USSF licenses; former Granby HS Boys Coach) as Assistant Coach for the team.

  Western United teams show well at regionals

  Both Western United F.C. sides representing Western Massachusetts at the Region I championships won a pair of games each, but did not move on to the semifinal round. The Under-14 girls captured victories again perennial powerhouse Eastern New York 1 - 0 on a late goal by Samantha Fortier. In their second match, the girls overwhelmed Rhode Island 7 - 1 to set up a showdown with East Coach nemesis F.C. Delco from Eastern Pennsylvania. Taking a 2 - 0 lead into halftime, on a pair of goals by Samantha Fortier, the Western defense surrendered 3 second-half goals to lose a heartbreaker. The Under-15 girls similarly won a pair of matches, setting up a showdown with an East Coast powerhouse side from New Jersey. In their initial match, the Western United girls defeated Maine 3 - 0 on a pair of goals by Maria Merritt and a long tally by Kate McKenna. Against West Virginia, the Western girls rang up a similar shutout victory 4 - 0 on goals by Kristen Snyder, Cristen Peters, Danielle Fortier and Kylie Neschke. In their showdown match with New Jersey, the game was a scoreless defensive struggle well into the second half until a wind-assisted crossing pass fluttered just under the crossbar and over the reach of the keeper for the winning goal. Pushing forward for the equalizer Western fell prey to a counter goal for the 2 - 0 final result. Both teams left their calling cards as some of the top sides in Region I. Congratulations to the girls, coaches and parents of both teams!

  6/6: Western United F.C. Captures Two State Cup Crowns!

  The Western United F.C. Under-14 Girls and Under-15 Girls teams repeated as State Cup champions this year.

  The Under-14 Girls, under coach David Fortier, won their final match against South Shore Selects 4 - 2 on penalty kicks, after completing regulation and two overtime periods with a 0 - 0 tie. Keeper Logan Kirkpatrick won MVP honors for stopping two of the opponents' penalty kicks. Meanwhile, the Under-15 Girls team, under coach Tim Murphy, won their fourth straight State Cup championship and will be heading back to the regionals, which they won as Under-12s in 2000. Meaghan Murphy won the MVP award. In other State Cup news, the Under-17 Girls, under coach Rebecca Myers, fell in the finals 2 - 1 to the South Coast Scorpions after leading 1 - 0 early in the match.

  In the Under-11 and Under-12 tournaments Western United's teams fared quite well. For results, visit each team's webpage and click on "Results"

  Under-12 and Under-11 Championship Tournament

  • Under-11 Boys Tied 0 - 0 versus South Shore Select
  • Under-11 Boys Won 2 - 0 versus South Shore United Blazers
  • Under-11 Boys Won 5 - 1 versus FC Freedom
  • Under-11 Girls Tied 1 - 1 versus Force
  • Under-11 Girls Won 2 - 0 versus Nova
  • Under-11 Girls Won 3 - 0 versus Post Road
  • Under-12 Boys: Are the first seed of the tournament and have a bye until the quarterfinals next weekend.
  • Under-12 Girls Won 2 - 0 versus Blackhawks
  • Under-12 Girls Lost 2 - 0 versus Soccer City
  • Under-12 Girls third game versus Mass United to be played on 6/10

  UPDATED 2003 STATE CUP RESULTS (as of 6/6)

  • Under-17 Girls: Won 4 - 2 versus Bandits [move on to semifinals]
  • Under-15 Girls: Won 1 - 0 versus Crusaders [move on to semifinals]
  • Under-13 Boys: Lost 2 - 0 versus Juventus
  • Under-15 Boys: Won 2 - 1 versus FC Bombers
  • Under-16 Boys: Lost 3 - 2 versus Lusitano
  • Under-17 Girls: Won 3 - 2 versus Metro Black Magic; Won 3 - 0 versus Fuller Hamlets
  • Under-15 Girls: Won 4 - 0 versus Sunfoot; Won 1 - 0 versus South Shore Selects
  • Under-14 Girls: Won 3 - 0 versus Fuller Hamlets; Won 2 - 0 versus Bandits
  • Under-18 Boys: Won 6 - 1 versus Acceleration SC; Won 4 - 0 versus Dream Team; Won 2 - 0 (forfeit) versus South Shore
  • Under-17 Boys: Won 3 - 0 versus Acceleration SC; Lost 2 - 0 versus SUNS
  • Under-16 Boys: Lost 5 - 0 versus Greater Boston
  • Under-15 Boys: Lost 1 - 0 versus Nashoba United; Lost 2 - 1 versus South Shore
  • Under-14 Boys: Won 2 - 1 versus SUNS; Won 1 - 0 versus Juventus; Won 2 - 0 versus Tri-Valley
  • Under-13 Boys: Lost 2 - 1 versus Juventus-K; Won 4 - 0 versus Tri-Valley

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  May 28: Umass offers top flight residential and non-residential soccer camps

  in the summer for both boys and girls. For more information, visit their link at http://masssocceracademy.tripod.com. Two of our Western United F.C. coaches, Rebecca Myers and Jon Lowery, are coaches at UMass as well and welcome your support.

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  May 7: Former Western United F.C. player Craig Ziadie, now with the NY/NJ Metro Stars of the MLS, scored his first career goal, leading the MetroStars over Colorado 2 - 1 in action this past weekend.

  April 2: Western United F.C. Players Selected to This Year's ODP State Select Teams

  Fifteen Western United players from various age groups have been selected to this year's ODP State Select Teams, representing Western Massachusetts and maintaining Western United's long tradition of helping its players to reach the next level. This year's ODP players are U-12B: Sam DeMello; U-13B: Billy Walen and Eric Gillett; U-14B: George Anderson-DiLorenzo, Alex DosSantos and Kevin Pereira; U-15B: Kyle Cubin; U-14G: Lauren Caney, Kelly Coffey, Samantha Fortier, Jillian Goodwin, Logan Kirkpatrick and Therese Smith; U-15G: Allyson Rinderle and Kylie Neschke. These players will be closely scrutinized over the next four months for possible selection to the ODP Region I Player Pool, from which the youth national team is selected. State Select players are assessed by regional and national coaches at a multi-day ODP camp in July as part of this selection process.

  March 30: Western United F.C. Names Director of Coaching and Club Goalkeeper Trainer

  Western United is proud to announce the appointment of Peter DeMello as its Director of Coaching. Peter is a well-known and highly respected figure in Western Mass soccer. He played Division I college soccer at Siena College and shortly thereafter began a twenty-year career coaching at the varsity high school level. His teams have won three Western Mass championships in the 1990s, 5 league championships, and qualified for the postseason tournament 10 straight years, appearing in 5 finals. He was Western Massachusetts Coach of the Year in Division II in 1997 and 1998 and Massachusetts Coach of the Year in 1998. He is a sixteen year member of NSCAA, holding their National and Advanced coaching licenses and he is a member of the MYSA state instructional staff. Peter will direct the recruitment, development and support of our coaching staff as the club continues its pursuit of excellence on all levels. Joining Peter on our instructional staff this year is UMass Men's Assistant Soccer Coach, Jon Lowery, who will provide club-wide training for our keepers and will join our coaching staff in the coming year. Jon has extensive professional experience as a keeper in the MLS and A-League, having played for the Colorado Rapids, San Diego Earthquakes and Tampa Bay Mutiny of the MLS, as well as the Minnesota Thunder of the A-League. He played college soccer at Ohio State and counts among his many honors being named First Team All-Big Ten Conference keeper at Ohio State in 1997 and 1998. He has also coached club and high school teams since graduation. We are pleased to add his considerable talents to our instructional staff.

  March 23: Western United 17s and 18s win warmup tournaments; and tournament update

  The Western United Under-17 Girls, coached by UMass Women's Assistant Coach Rebecca Myers, won the Clark University Indoor Tournament on the weekend of March 15/16 and are playing in the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Virginia this weekend (3/22-23). As of 3/23 at noon, the U-17 girls have won their first two matches in Virginia. The Under-14 Girls, under coach Dave Fortier, are also attending the Jefferson Cup, although we have no report on their matches thus far at the time of this posting. The U-17 Boys, under coach John Ingalls, won the Indoor Action College Showcase tournament earlier in the month and placed second in their group at the Clark University Indoor Tournament, defeating the Greater Boston Eagles and tying Fitchburg State, while losing to Eastern Connecticut State. At the same tournament at Clark University, the Under-18 Boys, under Coach Tom Rivet, went undefeated to win the tournament. They defeated Worcester Polytech 3 - 0, the Greater Boston Eagles (U-17s) 2 - 0 and tied a Clark University Alumni Team 0 - 0. In the semifinals, they defeated another Eagles side 3 - 2 and won the finals 1 - 0 against a second Clark Univ. alumni squad. In other tournament news, the Under-15 boys, under Coach Stephen Balicki, travelled this weekend to Williams College to compete in a tournament there.

  March 19: Western United at the Jefferson Cup (Richmond, VA)

  The Western United Under-11 and Under-14 Boys travelled to Richmond, Virginia this past weekend to compete in the prestigious Jefferson Cup. The Under-11 Boys, coached by Jim Mercer, won their group against teams from Virginia and New Jersey on shootouts, but fell in the semifinals to a side from Ohio. [Details on the Under-11 Boys team page under "Results"]. Meanwhile, the Under-14 Boys, under coach Tom Terbush, compiled a 1 - 1 - 1 record against some tough competition from Pennsylvania and Virginia, finishing second in their group. Congratulations to both squads! Next weekend, the Jefferson Cup hosts two girls teams from Western United, the defending State Cup champion Under-14 girls, coached by David Fortier, and the Under-17 Girls, under UMass Women's Asst. Coach Rebecca Myers. Best of luck to both teams!

  March 14: Western United U-18 Coach Appointed Westfield State College Men's Coach

  Tom Rivet, coach of the Western United F.C. Under-18 Boys was appointed Men's Soccer Coach at Westfield State College. He succeeds Paul Whalley, Western United's Director of Player Development in that position. Congratulations to Coach Rivet!

  Feb. 2: Another Former Western United F.C. Player Drafted into the Pros!

  Former Western United F.C. standout Mary McVeigh, currently a senior at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, was selected by the Philadelphia Charge of the WUSA in the first round of today's draft. McVeigh, a NCAA Division I All-American this year at Dartmouth and two-time All-Ivy Selection, was the seventh pick overall in the draft. She was part of the powerhouse Western United girls team that won 2 State Cups and reached the regional finals in the mid-1990s. She was also a standout at Cathedral High School, setting the Western Massachusetts girls record for goals in a season in Division I (46 goals) in 1998. For more information on McVeigh's selection, visit the Philadelphia Charge website by clicking here: McVeigh/Philly Charge
  

  Jan. 12: Western United F.C. High School Soccer Honors Announced

  The Springfield Union News published its annual listing of All-Western Mass high school soccer players for 2002 and the list includes quite a few Western United F.C. players. Our players receiving similar honors from Central Mass and honored players from academies have been added to the list below:

  BOYS:

  • Rob Balicki (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. II]
  • Korey Bell (Under-16 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. II]
  • Tyrell Burgess (Under-17 Boys); Western NE Prep School All-Select Team
  • Gary Burgues (Under-18 Boys); All Central Mass First Team; All State; All New England; All American [Div. I]
  • Eric Booth (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. II]
  • Rob Charest (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. III]
  • Colin Cook (Under-17 Boys); Western NE Prep School All-Select Team
  • Norbert Dusza (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. I]
  • Evan Duval (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. I]
  • Chris Fleming (Under-16 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. II]
  • Justin Frechette (Under-18 Boys); All Central Mass First Team, All State, All League [Div. II]
  • Ted Hanno (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Jonathan Kalmakis (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. I]
  • Michael Kirstein (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. I]
  • Tim Larocca (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. I]
  • Dan Lawrence (Under-16 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. III]
  • Stefan McVeigh (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State, All NE [Div. I]
  • Drew Nalewanski (Under-16 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. III]
  • Ian O'Donnell (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. I]
  • Dave Pinter (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. II]
  • Ben Premo (Under-17 Boys); WEstern NE Prep School All-Select Team
  • Ian Premo (Under-18 Boys); All-New England; Western NE Prep School All-Select Team
  • Greg Scheipers (Under-18 Boys); All Central Mass, All State, All League [Div. II]
  • James Thorpe (Under-18 Boys); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. I]
  • Kyle Davis (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Matt Gentile (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Matt Kapinos (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Ryan O'Donnell (Under-17 Boys); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]

  GIRLS:

  • Britt Canfield (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. II]
  • Amanda Dolan (Under-15 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. II]
  • Alicia Gibson (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. II]
  • Amanda Janik (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. I]
  • Caitlin Mooney (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. I]
  • Caroline Downey (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Kaolin McEvoy (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Lauren O'Donnell (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team, All State [Div. I]
  • Allyson Rinderle (Under-15 Girls); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. I]
  • Sarah Russell-Smith (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass Second Team [Div. II]
  • Molly Wagner (Under-17 Girls); All-Western Mass First Team [Div. I]

  Congratulations to all of our honored players!

  Dec. 23: Eleven players from the Under-12 Boys team, coached by Peter DeMello,

  have passed one of the first three sets of technique standards. The boys are currently completing the second part of the dribbling standard. Their names will be posted on the "Skills Standards" page upon completion of the second set. Congratulations to the boys!

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  Oct. 28: Three Western United teams completed the fall MAPLE season undefeated!

  Three Western United teams finished the fall MAPLE season in high style, going undefeated and surrendering very few goals in the process. The Under-11 boys, coached by Jim Mercer, finished 6 - 0 - 0 in official games (8 - 0 - 0 overall) with an impressive 28-5 goal differential. The Under-12 boys, coached by Peter DeMello, finished the season 6 - 0 - 1, but were even stingier in allowing only 1 goal all season and finishing with a 30 - 1 differential. The Under-11 girls, coached by Jim Farquhar and Mike Caulfield, went 5 - 0 - 2, but were the stingiest of all, allowing no goals all season (20 - 0)! Honorable mention goes to the Under-12 girls, who finished second in their division with a 5 - 1 - 1 record. Congratulations to these and all the other Western United teams for a great fall season!

  Sept. 1: U-10B Western Players Win Eastern Regionals, Reach 3-v-3 Nationals

  Five members of the current Western United Under-10 Boys team recently won the 3v3 tournament held at Stanley Park in Westfield and thus earned the right to compete in the regional tournament held August 17th in New Jersey. The Western United U-10 Boys won their age group in New Jersey and will now travel to Florida over the Christmas break to compete for the national championship against teams from around the country. Members of the team are: Michael Choquette (Springfield), Chad Dakin (Wilbraham), Patrick Mazeika (Wilbraham), Corey Polom (Wilbraham) and Brandon Pothier (Springfield). Congratulations to the boys and their parents!

  August 16th: Western United F.C. players win 3 v 3 tournament

  Two teams consisting of primarily Western United players won their respective age groups at the recent regional 3 v 3 tournament held recently at Stanley Park in Westfield. In the Under-12 Girls category, Kristi Roberts, Heather Dragon, Jessie Sugrue and Bevin Callahan of Western United's Under-13G team were joined by former teammate Megan Hungerford to win their age group and qualify for the nationals in New Jersey on 8/16-17. On the boys side, four Under-10 Western United Under-10 boys captured the championship of their age group. Among them were Michael Choquette and Chad Dakin. The remaining participants will be announced as soon as we have the information. Congratulations to all those involved in the tournament and especially to the U-12G and U-10B champions!

  July 19: Four Western United Players Selected for ODP Regional Pool

  For the first time ever, four Western United players have been selected for the Olympic Development Program Regional Pool. Samantha Fortier (Under-14 Girls), George Anderson-DiLorenzo (Under-14 Boys), Hanna Hertzler (Under-14 Girls) and Katie Coffey (Under-17 Girls) were selected from among the hundreds of State Select players in their age group from throughout the Eastern U.S. They will be training with the pool in the coming weeks in competition for a spot on the Regional Team and possibly even the U-14 (Fortier, Anderson-DiLorenzo, Hertzler) or U-17 (Coffey) U.S. National Team. The ODP Regional Pool is selected from the ODP teams in those age groups from the 13 states that comprise Region I (Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine). Congratulations to these players for their selection to this elite squad!

  Western United Teams Capture Three State Cup Championships!

  With seven teams reaching the semifinals of the State Cup, the most of any club in the state (!), four Western United teams made it through to the finals and three won State Cup championships. The Under-13 Girls, under coach David Fortier, will make their first-ever trip to the regional championships after defeating Nova SC 1 - 0 in the State Cup finals. The Under-14 Girls, coached by Tim Murphy, made it a "Three-Peat" for their team by defeating the South Coast Scorpions 3 - 1 in the State Cup finals. Lastly, the Under-17 Boys under coach Tom Rivet defeated Greater Boston 1 - 0 to return to the regional championships for the fourth time in six years. The U-17 Boys had a number of excellent chances on breakaways, but were thwarted by the Eagle's keeper. Finally, Stefan McVeigh put home a low shot from the corner of the box for the final result. In the other finals match of the day, the Under-14 Boys played a tightly-fought match with Inter SC through 60 minutes of the game, with Greg Balicki ringing a 20-yard shot off the crossbar. Inter scored three unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes to take the championship. (As more details of these matches become available, we will post them on this page). CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WESTERN UNITED F.C. TEAMS FOR A GREAT YEAR, AND TO THE THREE CHAMPIONS!

  State Cup Results from June 15th

  • Under-12 Boys: Won in Quarterfinals 2 - 1 versus SUNS; Lost in Semifinals 2 - 1 versus Juventus
  • Under-14 Boys: Won 1 - 0 versus FC Puma
  • Under-14 Girls: Won 3 - 0 versus Fuller Hamlets
  • Under-16 Boys: Lost 4 - 3 in overtime to Bandits
  • Under-16 Girls: Lost 2 - 0 to Spirit
  • Under-17 Boys: Won 3 - 1 versus Juventus

  6/2: New Club Record for State Cup Success: Seven of Eight Teams Move on to Semifinals!//Under-11 Boys Sweep Round-robin games

  After the usually grueling spring MAPLE season and the flurry of games on Memorial Day weekend, the final act of the premier soccer year in Massachusetts is the State Cup, part of the USYSA National Youth Championships. This year, eight Western United teams made it to the round-robin phase of the Cup which means there are only 8 teams remaining in the competition (16 for the Under-12s). The Western United teams finishing among the top four in each age group (who continue on to the semifinals) are: The Under-17 Boys, Under-16 Boys, Under-16 Girls, Under-14 Boys, Under-14 Girls, Under-13 Girls, and Under-12 Boys. Overall, these seven teams compiled a record of 19 - 6 - 3 in achieving this success. The eighth team, the Under-13 Boys (who have won a spot in next year's first division of the MAPLE) went 1 - 2 in their first State Cup competition, and would have qualified except for a heartbreaking 1 - 0 loss to Juventus USA whom our boys defeated this past year in tournament play. For individual team results, see the "Results" link on each team's page. Also, in the Under-11 age group, which does not participate in the State Cup competition, the Western United boys swept all three of their games to move on to the quarterfinals next week. See their team page ("Results") for more details. The Under-11 girls, entering as the 16th seed in the tournament, surprised their higher-ranked opponents with spirited play, losing to the #7 seed 1 - 0 and tying the #10 seed 0 - 0.

  State Cup Results from June 1st

  • Under-11 Boys: Won versus Crusaders 5 - 0
  • Under-11 Girls: Lost versus Bandits 3 - 0
  • Under-12 Boys: Won versus Crusaders 2 - 0 and Won versus Lusitano 1 - 0
  • Under-13 Boys: Lost versus Juventus 1 - 0 (results of second game not known)
  • Under-13 Girls: Lost to South Coast 5 - 4 and Won versus F.C. Puma 3 - 1
  • Under-14 Boys: Lost versus Inter 1 - 0 and Won versus South Shore 1 - 0
  • Under-14 Girls: Won versus F.C. Puma 3 - 0 (results of second game not known)
  • Under-16 Boys: Won 2 - 1 versus Lusitano
  • Under-16 Girls: (Results not known)
  • Under-17 Boys: Won 5 - 0 versus Lusitano

  May 29th: Two additional Western United F.C. players, whom we forgot to mention earlier, were selected to this year's ODP State Teams:

  Kevin Pereira (Under-13 Boys) and Kyler Hengst (Under-16 Boys). This raises the total of Western United's ODP players this year to 24. Congratulations to Kevin, Kyler and all the others!

  May 28th: Three Western United F.C. teams capture holiday tournament championships

  The Western United F.C. Under-11 Boys, coached by Peter DeMello, and the Under-12 Boys, coached by Jim Fisher, captured their respective age groups at the Holliston Memorial Day Tournament in fine style, with both going undefeated and untied. Individual game results can be found on the "Results" page of each team. Also, the Under-13 Girls, under coach David Fortier, captured the championship of the elite F.C. Delco Players Cup (Silver Division) in similar style, winning all 5 of their games. Individual game results can be found on the team page under "Results". The Under-14 Girls, under coach Tim Murphy, also competed in the F.C. Delco Players Cup in the Gold Division. They reached the semifinals before falling to the host team 1 - 0. Individual game results on the team page.

  May 23: The Under-13 Girls earned a spot in the State Cup Round-Robin with a convincing 3 - 0 victory over the Sutton Fuller Hamlets at Holyoke H.S. field. The team returns to the elite State Cup round for the second straight year. Best of luck to the U-13G and congratulations to Coach David Fortier and his staff.

  May 16: Under-12 Boys Win State Cup Match 3 - 0 versus Nashoba United (more on U-12B page under "Results")

  May 11: Under-12 Girls Win State Cup Challenge Match

  The Under-12 Girls, under Coach Kevin Roberts picked a great time to collect their first-ever victory by soundly defeating a higher-seeded Nashoba United team 6 - 0 on May 10th. The win advances the girls to the next challenge round against a strong SAC side from Shrewsbury. Congratulations to the Under-12 Girls!

  May 11: Under-13 Boys Move into State Cup Round Robin

  The Under-13 Boys extended their State Cup winning streak to three games with a 2 - 1 victory over first-division side Tri-Valley. Both Western goals were scored by George Anderson-DiLorenzo, the second on a PK late in the second half. The defense did an excellent job countering a furious Tri-Valley attack in the second half to secure the win. The boys will be in the round-robin group with Inter, Juventus and another team to be named. Congratulations to the Under-13 Boys!

  New Under-15 Boys Coach (April 24th)

  Ryan Kelly, former State Cup champion coach for Western United (see "History" webpage), college coach at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and collegiate standout at Bates College, will take over the helm of the Under-15 Boys team for Jeff Martini. A hearty welcome to Ryan and best wishes to Jeff!

  Some Tournament Results from March (Various Age Groups)

  • Under 13 Boys: Beach FC Spring Soccer Classic (went 2-1-1): Defeated Beach FC Vortex 6-0, Tied Greater Boston 0-0, Defeated Beach FC Outlaws (2001 VA State Cup Semifinalists) 2-1, Lost to Old Dominion SC 1-0 on PK.
  • Under 16 Boys: Friendlies in Williamsburg, VA: Defeated Williamsburg U-16s 7-0, Defeated U-15s 3-0, Tied U-17/18s 2-2.
  • Under-17 Boys: Jefferson Cup (2-1-0), Defeated Baltimore SC 2-1, Lost to Vardar (MI) 3-0, Defeated Syracuse Blitz 4-0. Northeastern Univ. Warmup Tournament (4-0-0): Defeated Inter SC U-18s 3-1, Defeated Attelboro SC U-18s 8-0, Defeated Greater Boston U-17s 4-0, Defeated Inter SC U-17s 3-1.
  • Under-16 Girls: Jefferson Cup (1-1-1) , Defeated Rhode Island Gold 1-0, Tied Medford (NJ) 0-0, Lost to Bethesda (MD) 1-0.

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  Jan. 4: Congratulations to those Western United F.C. players selected to the 2001-2002 Massachusetts Olympic Development Program (ODP) State Select Teams!

  Jeff Putnam (U-12B), Joe Calabrese (U-13B), Joe Parsons (U-13B), George DiLorenzo (U-13B), Greg Balicki (U-14B), Kyle Cubin (U-14B), Matt Sullivan (U-16B), Rob Balicki (U-17B), Justin Frechette (U-17B), James Thorpe (U-17B) Stefan McVeigh (U-17B), Jonathan Kalmakis (U-17B), Logan Kirkpatrick (U-13G), Samantha Fortier (U-13G), Maria Merritt (U-14G), Andrea Berte (U-14G), Kaitlin Kelley (U-14G), Meghan Murphy (U-14G), Allyson Rinderle (U-14G), Kylie Neschke (U-14G), Ashley Furr (U16G), Katie Coffey (U-16G) (AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!)

  Dec. 16: Western United Players Defend 3-on-3 Championship Title

  In January 2001, Gajji Vamathevan, Zack Kaufman and James Mawson, three players on the Western United F.C. Under-13 Boys team, won the National 3-on-3 Soccer Championship in Florida in the Under-12 Division. They have been invited back to defend their title at the 2002 Championships in January 2002. More on http://www.summit3on3.com/soccer/event_results2000/nationals2001.htm.

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  November 9-11: The Western United Under-14 Girls spent the weekend in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

  playing friendlies with some of the region's powerhouse sides. On Saturday (Nov. 10) the team tied F.C.Delco 1 - 1 on a goal from Meg Murphy and an assist from Andrea Berte. Defender Allyson Rinderle was lost for the remainder of the weekend midway through the Delco match when her nose was broken. The Western team faced defending NJ State Cup champion Parsippany, but fell 1 - 0 to the nationally ranked NJ side. In the rubber match of the weekend, the girls lost to regionally ranked West Chester of Eastern Pennsylvania 2 - 1 as the referee disallowed a goal as it was crossing the goal line because of time running out. The Western goal was tallied by Danielle Fortier. The Western United U-14 Girls confirmed that they can play with the best of Region 1 and will continue to seek out the best in competition in the region and the nation.

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  October 21: The Western United F.C. Under-17 Boys defeated ETV-Hamburg, a German team

  being hosted by the club, 4 - 0 on Saturday, October 20th at Smith College in Northampton. In previous matches the German side defeated Northampton High School 6 - 4 and tied Wilbraham & Monson Academy 0 - 0. The German team now moves on to New York where they will face a local side on Wednesday, Oct. 24th.

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  Aug. 28: Western United F.C. is proud and excited to welcome Westfield State University's Mens Soccer Coach Paul Whalley

  as its new Director of Player Development. Paul has a USSF "A" (National) License and has been a member of both the Massachusetts and Connecticut State Coaching Staff. He will oversee the Player Development Program for Western United.

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  Aug. 20: Western United F.C. Under-13 Boys win TWIST tournament with dramatic 1 - 0 win over Juventus USA (Worcester), last spring's MAPLE league champion. [See U-13B page for details]

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  Aug. 2: Western United F.C. Under-14 Boys player Greg Balicki was selected to the U.S. Boys National Team Pool in his age group! Congratulations to Greg!

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  July 30: Western United Under-16 Girls Player Katie Coffey was selected to the 2001 Regional Pool for the third straight year! Congratulations to Katie!

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  July 29: Western United F.C. is pleased to welcome UMass Women's Assistant Coach Rebecca Myers as the new Head Coach of the Under-16 Girls.

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  July 22: Western United Under-17 Boys Move Up in National Rankings! A second website ranking national premier soccer clubs (Ace's Rankings: www.avsports.com/soccerscene/aces) has ranked the Under-17 Boys #5 in the nation, after the four regional champions, and #2 in the East, behind only F.C. Delco, who defeated them in the Regional finals.

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  July 13: Former Western United player Robbie Russell of Amherst, MA, who was drafted this year by the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS, has signed a one-year contract with a team in the Norwegian Premier League

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  July 10: Western United Under-13 Player Gregory Balicki was selected today to the Region I ODP Pool. Congratulations to Greg!

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  July 5: Western United U-16 Boys Break into National Top-10!

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  After their spectacular run at the regional championships, the Western United Under-16 Boys are now ranked No. 6 in the nation

  (No. 2 in Region I behind F.C. Delco) by one of two ranking websites. The rankings listed at www.nationalsoccerranking.com just issued their new rankings which include the results of regional competition from all four regions in the nation. The second website that ranks premier youth soccer clubs (www.avsports.com/soccerscene/aces) has not yet updated their rankings. On that second site, the Western U-16 Boys are currently ranked 25th in the nation and 7th in Region I, but these rankings do not reflect the regional championships which have taken place since the last rankings were posted on June 19th. Congratulations to the Under-16 Boys and Coach Rivet on joining the ranks of the nation's best!

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  July 5: Western United F.C. Adds Fourth Player to the MLS Ranks!

  Former Western United F.C. player Mike Butler made his MLS debut yesterday (7/4) with the NY/NJ Metro Stars, heading in the winning goal with only a couple of minutes remaining in regulation. Mike played with Jay Heaps on a powerhouse team in the early years of the Western Club, when it was called "Western Mass F.C." Mike Butler was a standout at Central H.S. in Springfield and has played for the Western Mass Pioneers, as well as in the A-League. Congratulations, Mike!

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  July 3: Under-16 Boys Fall in Regional Finals in Overtime

  • The Western United F.C. Under-16 Boys, coached by Tom Rivet, returned to the Regional Championships for the third time in the last five years and continued their winning ways. In their first match, the Western side defeated Rhode Island 4-0. Justin Frechette opened the scoring with a 55-yard direct kick into the box that was misplayed by the Rhode Island keeper and bounced into the goal. Norbert Dusza continued to excel at restarts near the box with a rocket that deflected off the head of teammate Jono Kalmakis and just under the crossbar for the second goal. Ian Premo and Stefan McVeigh also scored for Western, who accumulated the maximum allowable bonus points for the game (+4).
  • In the second match, Western was looking for a tough struggle against a New Hampshire team that had played New Jersey to a 2-0 loss the previous day. However, the Western side moved the ball quickly and effectively while drubbing their fellow New Englanders 5-0 on goals by James Thorpe, Ian Premo, Stefan McVeigh, Norbert Dusza and Robert Charest.
  • Since the Western team received the maximum bonus from their first two matches, they went into their third match against New Jersey needing only to tie to move on. In a spirited battle of defenses, Western had the only serious scoring threats of the game, when New Jersey defenders had to clear a shot from the goal line that had beaten the keeper, and when the keeper deflected a breakaway by McVeigh just enough to grab it on the goal line as it was going in. The highly-touted New Jersey side's composure on the attack began to break down as time ran down, with numerous 35- and 40-yard shots flying everywhere but on goal.
  • In the semifinals, Western met a familiar opponent from Connecticut, Wilton Beachside. The Connecticut side played a superb possession game but came up short in finishing opportunities. Western took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Stefan McVeigh, only to see Wilton tie it just a few minutes later. However, the extraordinary efforts of Ian Premo on the attacking end drew a penalty kick which he converted for the 2-1 win.
  • Entering the finals against an F.C. Delco team from Eastern Pennsylvania ranked No. 1 in the nation, the Western side not only thwarted the vaunted Delco offense, but consistently pressed the Delco goal, producing many excellent opportunities. Although the Pennsylvania side had few notable scoring chances in the first half, they converted one of them on a superb individual effort to take a 1-0 lead. However, Ian Premo and Stefan McVeigh combined to tie the score at midway through the second half. Premo fought his way through successive defenders on the right side to turn the corner on the end line. Delco's 6' 6" keeper was looking for a low centering pass, but instead Premo chipped the ball over the keeper to McVeigh waiting at the far post who then headed in the tying goal. Regulation time wound down with Western furiously attacking the Delco goal. The Western midfield kept Delco locked in its end and served the ball from all angles. Despite a half-dozen excellent opportunities, the Western boys could not hit the back of the net.
  • In overtime, things got a bit weird... The center official was exceptionally liberal in his distribution of yellow cards throughout the match, giving a total of some 15 yellows (9 to Western) and one red (to Western) in a spirited match unmarred by any fights. The accumulated cards took their toll on Western in the overtime period, when three (!) of their players were sent off, two by double yellow and one by red. Before the send-offs, Delco scored to take a 2-1 lead. With an 11 to 8 player advantage, Delco scored again for a 3-1 lead. But Western refused to fold and countered with their second goal of the day off the foot of James Thorpe. But the heroic efforts of the remaining 8 players could not produce the needed miracle and as the Western side pushed forward for the tie, Delco scored one last time on a counter breakaway.
  • Throughout the entire tournament, the Western defense smothered the opposition, surrendering only two goals over five games (while at full strength). Defenders Ryan Caulfield, Justin Frechette, Tim Larocca (who played the final with a separated shoulder), Ian O'Donnell and Greg Cizek faced two of the top offenses in the nation in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania opponents and proved themselves among the best in the nation. Midfielders Norbert Dusza, Robert Charest, Erick Serna, Colin Mahoney, Jono Kalmakis, Brendon Keinath and Peter Striebel provided at times an exceptional display of pace and possession, sparking the team's offensive onslaught in the regional tournament (13 goals in five games). Forwards James Thorpe, Stefan McVeigh, Ian Premo, Ted Hanno and Tyler Severyn proved the Western attack the equal of the best that Region I has to offer. Congratulations to a great side with a brilliant future!

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  July 3: Under-13 Girls Acquit Themselves Well at Regionals

  The Defending Regional Champion Under-13 Girls were not able to repeat as champions this year, dropping three heart-breaking one-goalmatches to top sides of Region I. On the first day of competition, the Western girls faced Pennsylvania West, whom they defeated last year in the regional semifinals. This time, with the Western side failing to convert a penalty kick, the result was reversed with Pennsylvania taking home a 1-0 victory. The second opponent, New Jersey, broke a 1-1 tie late in the game on a converted penalty kick, to eliminate Western form semifinal contention. The final match against Connecticut also ended in a 1-0 defeat. The Western girls proudly kept pace with some of the region's top sides in this years "group of death". Congratulations to the Under-13 girls and Coach Murphy for another excellent season and run at the regionals!