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Christopher Camille

2013 Meet the USASA: Former pro players lead Mass Premier Soccer in US Open Cup debut

May 14, 2013 by Christopher Camille

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.

Mass Premier Soccer: 2011 Massachusetts Open Cup champions
Mass Premier Soccer won the 2011 Massachusetts Open Cup championship

“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.

Filed Under: Meet the Underdogs, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2013 Meet The USASA, 2013 US Open Cup, Mass Premier Soccer, Massachusetts, Meet the USASA, USASA Region I

Mass Premier Soccer beats Newtown Pride to complete 2013 US Open Cup field

April 29, 2013 by Christopher Camille

For the first time in five years, a Massachusetts club has qualified for one of the eight amateur slots in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It was Mass Premier Soccer (Bay State Soccer League) doing the honors as they defeated Newtown Pride FC (Connecticut Soccer League) 6-0 on a beautiful spring day at Framingham State University’s Maple Street Field.

It was a “Win & You’re In” match up in the USASA Region I Open Cup semifinals and after an unsettled first five minutes there was only one team that was going to find their way into the 100th edition of the storied tournament.

In the 9th minute, MPS player-manager Nick Christman whipped in a dangerous cross from the left that put Newtown’s defense on their heels, eventually playing the ball into their own net for an own goal.

The match continued to be played in Newtown’s defensive end as MPS’ organized high pressure allowed them to dictate play. In the 25th minute, it was through this pressure that Christman was again able to provide MPS with good service through a corner kick and John O’Reilly put the second goal in the net on a well-taken volley.

In the 40th minute, MPS struck again, and this time it was a vibrant team passing move that unlocked the Newtown back-line. A well-worked bit of central midfield passing freed up the ever-dangerous Tyler MacNee on the right wing who used a brilliant touch to beat his man before sliding a pass into the on-rushing Charlie Romero who put the ball into the back of the net.

Now in total control, MPS could have settled for the 3-0 scoreline and used their firm grasp on possession to see their way through the second 45 minutes but instead they continued to apply pressure and create chance after chance.

“We played really well today,” said MPS’ Dan MacGregor. “We were able to press really hard because of our unbelievably solid back four. I don’t think there are a lot of amateur teams that are ready to deal with our pressure right from the get go.”

Newtown proved one of those amateur teams unable to cope. Throughout the match Newtown was often guilty of taking one touch too many. Such was the case in the 56th minute, off a Newtown midfield turnover, that MPS’ fourth goal was started. After quickly advancing on the Newtown back-line it was former Middlebury College man MacNee who blasted a shot that created a welcoming rebound for Romero to slot home his second goal of the match.

It was only five minutes later, in the 61st minute, when Roy Sanderman added to the goal haul as he rose above the Newtown Pride defense and deftly headed a whipped set piece home to make the score 5-0.

Mass Premier Soccer: 2011 Massachusetts Open Cup champions
Mass Premier Soccer last entered the USASA Region I tournament in 2011 when they won the Massachusetts Open Cup championship. They fell one game short of the US Open Cup, losing to the Pancyprian Freedoms in the semifinals.

It was two years ago when MPS lost to the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (Cosmopolitan Soccer League) on the very same field, at the very same point of the tournament, but on this day history was not going to repeat itself. There was no stopping the Massachusetts representatives as they were on their way to earning their first Open Cup berth in club history.

The sort of day MPS was enjoying was entirely evident on the sixth and final goal. In the 65th minute, MPS’ Kevin Unger stripped a Newtown defender of possession, took a positive first touch to cross the halfway line and unleashed a drive from 40 yards out to beat the out-of-position Newtown Pride keeper in impressive fashion.

After an impressive run in US Open Cup Qualifying that saw the first time entrants knock off the aforementioned New York Pancyprian Freedoms and do their part in lifting a community still recovering from indescribable tragedy, Newtown Pride FC will return to their regular Connecticut Soccer League fixtures.

MPS will await the draw of the US Open Cup and are also looking forward to their upcoming US Amateur Open Cup Region I Qualifying Final against New Jersey side Icon FC. The winner of that match will book a trip to San Antonio for the National Finals.

Mass Premier becomes the first Massachusetts-based USASA club to qualify for the Open Cup since Emigrantes Das Ilhas in 2009. The only other club from the state to qualify in the Modern Professional Era was Boston Olympiakos in 2008.

“Playing in games like this bring out the best in our squad,” said MacGregor. “We’re deep, guy 1 through 20 is capable of playing really great soccer. I think we have a great shot against any PDL team, or any team really in next round. We’re basically a PDL team but a little older and I think we have every chance to go on in this tournament.”

You can follow Christopher Camille on Twitter @Chris_Camille and find his work on NESoccerToday.com

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2013 US Open Cup qualifying, 2013 USASA qualifying, Mass Premier Soccer, Newtown SC, USASA Region I

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