Welcome to our continuing series of Meet the USASA features where we annually profile the clubs representing the United States Adult Soccer Association in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Advancing from the four regional tournaments, these often unknown clubs have great stories to tell and each year, our goal is to allow fans to get to know them as they attempt to become this year’s Cinderella story.
Mass Premier Soccer (MPS) of the Bay State Soccer League (BSSL) will be the first USASA club in five years to represent Massachusetts in the US Open Cup.
That’s quite a lead-in, but then again so are MPS’ achievements on both the state and national level. The club is widely considered one of the most successful and consistent sides from Massachusetts in recent history.
The club, originally established by Williams College graduate Greg Locraft in the late 1990s, was interestingly – perhaps regrettably – called Monsters of the Apocalypse (MOA) in their early years. The club won three straight BSSL league titles from 2005 to 2007. In 2009, after thankfully completing a name change to MPS the previous year, they again won the BSSL title and in 2010 brought home the BSSL Cup.
Team manager and starting left winger Nicholas Christman contributes some of the team’s recent success to the week-in, week-out competition provided through their Greater Boston home league.
“We think the level of play in the BSSL has really improved in the past two to three years,” Team Manager Nicholas Christman said. “Sometimes it’s tough when we play state qualifiers the same weekend as league matches but we wouldn’t stay sharp without the BSSL.”
The team did not start entering national competitions until 2008. That year was something of a landmark for the club. Not only did they begin their time as a regular entrant in the Massachusetts National Cup qualifiers but they established their relationship with MPS (part of the Global Premier Soccer network), a top youth club and development academy in the area that acts as both a sponsor and talent provider.
“MPS views us as an extension of their club beyond the college level,” Christman explained. “They sometimes connect us with players who have played with their youth teams and we will often play games at the same venues as their youth teams to connect with them.”
Both Christman, and head coach Dan MacGregor are proud of the talent pipeline that they have established in recent years. Even beyond the MPS connection the club has used their location in the Greater Boston area to great advantage, boasting players who are alumni from some of the top college soccer programs in New England.
“Since there is an abundance of college teams in the area we like to bring in young guys and have them spread word of mouth about our team,” MacGregor said. “Right now we have players from Harvard, Dartmouth, BC, Northeastern, PC, Williams, and Middlebury.”
In more recent years, as the level of talent has grown, the team’s overall roster has gained a bit more consistency and depth. This has allowed MPS to also gain success in national competitions. The pending 2013 US Open Cup run aside, the club also progressed to the USASA Amateur Cup semifinals in 2011, losing to Chicago based club RWB Adria in the same competition that BSSL-rival Battery Park Gunners won in 2012.
“We are lucky to have a core of ten players who have played on our team for four or five years,” Christman said. “Dan and I run the team pretty informally as any of those guys can step up at any time to assume leadership.”
One of the players Christman was probably referring to is Sam Brill. The 6-foot-2-inch tall center back has an impressive pedigree having played professional in Germany, Sweden and for the New England Revolution. A four-year starter at Boston College, Brill has been integral in MPS’ recent success and will be relied upon heavily in their 2013 US Open Cup campaign.
A slightly less touted, but just as important member of the team is Williams College graduate Charlie Romero. Romero scored two goals in MPS’ 6-0 victory over Newtown Pride SC in the Massachusetts US Open Cup qualifier and is the club’s most dangerous goal threat. He is another player with professional experience having played one season with the Charleston Battery. Having a player like Romero gives MPS confidence going into the Cup.
“We think we can play with any PDL or NPSL team,” MacGregor said. “We think we’re just like one of those teams only a little bit older and a little more experienced.”
MPS start their campaign this Tuesday, May 14th at 8 PM when they take on another Global Premier Soccer affiliated side GPS Portland Phoenix, the lone Maine entrant in the competition.
“Our goal is to be the last amateur team standing,” said Christman.