Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

NoVa FC

2024 US Open Cup Round 1: Carolina Core use second half comeback to win first USOC debut vs. NoVa FC

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Josuha Rodriguez of the Carolina Core celebrates after scoring a goal against Northern Virginia FC in the First Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Caleb Livengood
Josuha Rodriguez of the Carolina Core celebrates after scoring a goal against Northern Virginia FC in the First Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Caleb Livengood

Carolina Core FC entered halftime of its debut 2024 US Open Cup match facing a 2-1 deficit, but CCFC wasn’t fazed in the slightest. 

Hosting Northern Virginia FC in Greensboro, N.C., the Foxes fed off the raucous energy from its droves of supporters that filled UNCG Soccer Stadium to inspire a two-goal, second-half comeback. 

CCFC’s 3-2 First Round win was earned by a heroic, 82nd minute goal from striker Joshua Rodriguez, who beat NoVa’s back line after midfielder David Polanco laced a silky smooth pass through the defense.

With a one-on-one with the keeper, Rodriguez didn’t think twice. He slipped the game-winner past and slotted it home, embracing his supporters in the stands with just minutes left on the clock to send his squad through to the next round. 

Polanco, received the same kind of embrace from the Carolina Core fans when he scored the game-tying goal 32 minutes earlier. Just after an energizing halftime break, Polanco sparked his team and started the thrilling second half with a point blank shot propelled into the top left corner in the 50th minute after a rebound off the NoVa keeper. 

“And the fans also having all this support is absolutely incredible,” said Polanco who played his college ball at NCAA Division 2 school Barry University (Fla.). “Finishing the first half, in the locker room, we were all fired up. We knew that we couldn’t let the fans down and it was just a team thing.”

Polanco and company’s relentless attack earned two second half goals for his team and kept the focus off of CCFC goalkeeper Alex Sutton for the final 45 minutes. An increased level of energy and focus after halftime resulted in a dominant second half for the foxes, one that was formed from their refusal to give up. 

“I think the energy we bought in the second half really helped us, you know, turn that score back around, we’d been down before and came back,” said Carolina head coach Ray Lassiter, who despite a prolific pro career in MLS only scored one goal in 11 US Open Cup matches as a player. “And, you know, these guys are just resilient. They’re gonna keep on going. And, you know, we needed everybody involved in it to get it done.”

In addition to the final goal of the night, Carolina Core also nabbed the opener in the 18th minute after midfielder Drake Hadeed intercepted a pass and arced a shot from outside the box over the head of NoVa’s Bill Harris for a stunning goal. 

However, while CCFC was firing shots left and right in the second half, and got out to a 1-0 lead early on, NoVa FC took over the contest with two goals within six minutes near the end of the first half. 

Instead of CCFC doubling its lead, a goal from midfielder Facundo Canete was called back for offsides. Shortly after, NoVa took its shot and didn’t miss — the visitors were on the board thanks to a 34th minute score from forward Noah Holmes. 

Minutes later, NoVa doubled down on Holmes’ score with a 40th minute strike from forward Alexander Abril that was assisted by defender Michael Medina. Once fed an expertly placed low cross from Medina, Abril smashed his score past Sutton for his team’s second goal in less than 10 minutes. 

The visitors entered halftime with a 2-1 lead, but Polanco and his squad had other plans for the second half. Even despite some near misses from Carolina Core, the Foxes dominant attack in the latter 45 minutes prevailed, silencing NoVa’s attack and finding the net while doing so. 

Ultimately, Polanco’s equalizer and Rodriguez’s go-ahead breakaway goal proved to be the difference for Carolina Core FC in the First Round of the 2024 US Open Cup’s first round for the Foxes. 

2024 US Open Cup Qualifying Final Round: Christos FC ends Open Cup drought with late winner vs. NoVa FC

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Photo: Christos FC

It was a cold windy night in Leesburg, Va. as Northern Virginia FC hosted rivals Christos FC in the fourth and final Open Division Local qualifying round for the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It was the visitors, Christos FC who would prevail on a late goal by Clement Blanc to win 1-0 and return to the Open Cup for the first time since 2018.

As the game progressed it became more and more obvious that these were two teams that knew each other well, as it became almost like a chess match with both sides having trouble breaking down the other.

“Anytime you’re at this level of the competition you know the team on the other side will be prepared but when it’s NoVa it means a little more,” Christos head coach Larry Sancomb said before the game. “They have an excellent coach, well trained players. They played well against us earlier in the year so we always make sure to respect our opponent.”

It was a game of few chances, the first half saw both teams struggle to get into any kind of rhythm. The best chance of the first half fell to NoVa’s left back KJ Nadeau. The opportunity was created by Eric Cavillo who did well to find Nadeau who was still tasked with a difficult finish as his shot ended up bouncing off of the post to keep the score all even at 0-0.

As the second half started so did the action as both teams started to grow into the game, the first fifteen was all NoVa as they started to string together passes and started to test Christos keeper Daniel McCleary.  McCleary would have two big saves early in the second half as NoVa controlled the majority of the possession but could not find the opening goal.

Christos would find their footing as the second half carried on and would start putting NoVa keeper Tyler Back to work, each time he would be equal as he made multiple diving saves. The biggest though would come in the 75th minute as Christos was awarded a penalty and it looked like they’d finally break the deadlock. Cody Albrecht would step up for Christos and take the penalty,  he’d shoot low and hard to the bottom left corner but the outstretched hands of Back would parry the ball out for a corner and keep the score all level.

It was starting to look as if these two teams would need extra time to decide the winner as neither could capitalize on their chances. Then, in the 85th minute it’d be heartbreak for NoVa and complete jubilation for Christos as what appeared to be an ordinary deflected shot in the air was anything but. Both the NoVa center back and keeper yelled out for the other to claim but the ball would fall in between them to Clement Blanc of Christos who made no mistake and fired the ball into the empty net. Blanc’s somersault celebration was the icing on the cake as it’d be the winning goal.

Christos will return to the US Open Cup proper which begins in March as they will try to recapture the magic from their Open Cup debut in 2017 when they put a scare into D.C. United of Major League Soccer. If they’re able to recreate that run or even go further is now in their hands.

2023 US Open Cup Qualifying: Meruca’s late winner clinches West Chester United 3rd straight berth

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Levi Meruca’s 80th-minute goal was the difference for West Chester (PA) United SC in a 2-1 victory against host Northern Virginia FC on Saturday evening to qualify for the First Round proper of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The match was settled by a movement of real quality by Meruca on a chilly evening, pouncing on some loose play by the NoVa FC backline as he wriggled into a central shooting position and slid a shot from 20 yards in the lower left-hand corner.

“I saw was looking for a pass across, so I started dropping off,” Meruca said. “The ball came right to me. The defender started coming in, so I stepped in front, and then all I had to do was hit the shot to the far post.”

Assistant Coach Harry Ischiropoulos was on the sidelines for West Chester in place of Head Coach Blaise Santangelo. Santangelo had a great excuse for missing the game as he was attending the wedding of a former West Chester player.

“Because father had passed Blaise became like a father figure to him, so Blaise is celebrating the wedding with him,” Ischiropoulos explained.

He believes that the strategic shifts West Chester made were the key to the win.

“The adjustments we made in the second half changed the game,” he said. “We wanted to take away their ability to play certain ways, so we restricted them to play one side of the field only. Our press changed, so we allowed them to have only one half of the field to play which forced them to make mistakes. We were able to win the ball and score.”

The match was entertaining from the beginning to the end with both teams looking to play open, attacking soccer. The first five minutes of the match were particularly frantic, with clear scoring chances and legitimate penalty shouts at both ends.

In a prelude for what happened later, Meruca found himself one on one with NoVa FC keeper Tyler Back in the fifth minute. Meruca squandered the opportunity, striking his shot directly at Back.

After this initial frantic back and forth, NoVa FC gradually took control of the match and for the next 15 minutes or so were able to mount sustained pressure on the West Chester goal. Jean Ayoimbong was particularly influential in his astute hold-up play. NoVa FC won a well-deserved goal in the 13th minute with Kevin Nadeau hitting a perfect corner for Jaimie Quintanilla to head home.

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Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

However, despite NoVa FC holding the majority of possession for the rest of the half, West Chester was the more dangerous team, with Meruca continuing to make dangerous runs down the right flank. Back made several vital interventions, making some key saves as well as coming out to cut out long balls.

Although the half ended with NoVa FC up 1-0 there was no sense that this affair was settled. NoVa FC had a 180-degree turn in tactics, coming out in the second half playing defensively and West Chester looked increasingly confident and dangerous as the half wore on.

The second half began as the first did, with quick chances on both ends.

In an extraordinary series of events, NoVa FC was whistled for two penalties in less than five minutes. The first, awarded because of a foul on Meruca following a defensive miscue, was converted by Jacob Gosselin in the 55th.

A second Gosselin penalty kick at the 59-minute mark — given because of a NoVa FC foul during a West Chester set piece — was denied with a fine save by Back, guessing correctly and moving quickly to his right.

West Chester’s equalizer, and its subsequent missed penalty, seemed to inject even more energy into an already quickly moving match. Neither team seemed especially eager for extra time, with both sides throwing numbers forward, sometimes at the expense of solid defending.

During a sequence around the 65th minute, Gosselin hit the crossbar for Westchester and NoVa FC turned right around and Ayoimbong did the same at the other end.

In the remaining ten minutes and now trailing, NoVa FC threw everything forward looking for the equalizer. The efforts included the keeper Back coming forward and narrowly missing a header off a corner in the 93rd minute.

With the win, West Chester advances to the US Open Cup for the third tournament in a row, and the fourth time overall.

 

NoVa FC, Bavarian SC advance to Sunday’s Amateur Cup Final in Milwaukee

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Fans at Heartland Value Fund Stadium cheer following the Milwaukee Bavarian’s win over LA Strikers in the USASA National Amateur Cup semifinals (Credit: Ty Stulo)

The USASA National Amateur Cup Finals kicked off with the semifinals on Saturday Aug. 6 at Heartland Value Fund Stadium in Glendale, Wisconsin. Winners from each of the four regions gathered to compete for a spot in the USASA National Amateur Final on Sunday. Two quality contests saw Northern Virginia FC and hosts Milwaukee Bavarian Soccer Club inch one step closer to a 2023 US Open Cup spot.

The first semifinal between Region 1 champions Northern Virginia FC (NoVa FC), led by head coach Kareem Sheta and Region 3 champions ASC New Stars (TX), led by head coach Lucas Simon, finished regulation at 2-2. Two team’s with previous US Open Cup experience looked prime to head for penalties as fatigue took over. The scorching 90 degree weather slowed the game down and during extra time neither team had any quality chances to score. After a 2-2 draw after extra time, NoVa FC punched their ticket to Sunday’s final with a 3-1 result in penalties. Northern Virginia will face the Bavarians on their home field in the championship game, who blanked the Los Angeles Strikers 2-0.

The first 20 minutes were evenly matched with possession. ASC continued to press the backline of NoVa, getting called for four offside calls in the first half hour. Despite ASC looking like the more threatening team, their opponent was the first to get on the board. In the 32nd minute, NoVa’s Johnny DeSouza bent in a corner with the inswing of his left foot. Lias Laghjibi got his head to it and gave NoVa the lead, 1-0.

(READ ALSO: 2022 Meet the Underdogs: Northern Virginia FC back in US Open Cup after two decades)

The momentum of the match shifted from there as two minutes later. After a ball was served into the box, ASC’s Miguel Repata gained control of both it and the game, placing it in the net’s corner. The game was tied, 1-1.

The hectic scoring wasn’t over. In the 42nd minute, NoVa’s Vagner Marques sent a shot high into the net from the six yard box. Brandon Williamson beat two defenders and passed it off for the assist.

The game headed into halftime with a 2-1 NoVa Fc lead, and as the second half began both teams were fighting for the position as the defensive pressure intensified between each side. A chippy tone fell over the game, combined with the heat affecting team’s rhythm. Despite that the referee only gave out his first yellow card in the 52nd minute to Aaron Etienne of NoVa FC.

Shortly after, in the 61st minute Mohammad Hanif assisted Carl Rasmus Forsten to tie the game, 2-2. A quick restart off a free kick allowed ASC to move the ball around the NoVa backline. Eventually it fell to the right side where it was crossed in towards the opposite post. Hanif headed the ball there back towards the right post, where Forsten slide on the ball to knock it in.

(READ ALSO: 2012 Meet The USASA: ASC New Stars from Houston, TX)

After this the match quickly became defensively-oriented, as each team played a 4-4-2. In this mindset the NoVa side made an emphasis to have a defensive midfielder in front of their backline. Center backs on each side Eric Robertson (ASG) and Franki De Souza (NoVa) had key clearances both laying out their bodies to stop close opportunities.

The final 30 minutes of regulation was filled with stiff defensive emphasis. The end of regulation finished with a prime opportunity for ASC with a 1-v-1 opportunity from Emmanuel Usen that NoVa FC keeper Emmanuel Vargas pushed wide.

After a slow end to regulation, extra time had a five minute span that threatened ASC, after creating two corner kicks in the 94th and 95th minutes. Virginia’s Jean Ayolmjong had the best chance of overtime getting his head on a corner that was saved by Solomon Moctezuma. There were no other shots on goal or scoring opportunities for either side. Right before extra time ended ASG substituted Solomon Moctezuma out and replaced him with Emmanuel Frias for penalty shootout considerations.

The penalty shootout showed its fate quickly.

First was Miguel Repata, the only player from ASC who converted their kick from the spot, opened up the spectacle. Things went downhill after that when Eric Robertson’s penalty was saved by Vargas before Bryan Celis’s attempt went high. On the other side NoVa was clinical. Brandon Williams placed his shot in the bottom left to open the shootout. Both Jonathan Arguta and William Zarco subsequently converted their attempts as well making it 3-1 after three rounds.

Needing to make his Jose Alvarez skied his shot over both the crossbar and field’s fense to give NoVa the win.

”Our guys did great and fought as much as they could, our opponent gave us a run for our money,” said New Stars head coach Lucas Simon. “Losing in penalty kicks is always tough. We wish them the best.”

NoVa FC moves on to the Final after winning all of their USASA Region I tournament games in penalty kick fashion.

”Honestly we didn’t play our best game today, we just needed to keep the ball, it was hot, hot, hot,” said NoVa FC’s Brandon Williamson, who assisted on the team’s first goal and was a vital part of the success in the midfield. “We were running a lot, create chances and not giving up the ball, we were giving it away a lot toward the end. My emotions the whole time even before penalties, I told everybody to chill out, Eman is going to do this thing he’ll save or two and all we have to do is put it in the back of the net, and it’s game.

Williamson added: “We started progressively getting better and I wish we could have gotten out at the beginning a lot better today. The message to the team for tomorrow but is to hold the team accountable, it’s a final right? The team is going to be better, it’s the final. It’s going to be a big game but we have to get the dub.”

The second Semifinal match between hosts and Region 2 champions Bavarian Soccer Club, coached by Tom Zaiss, and the Region 4 winners Los Ángeles Strikers (CA), coached by Victor Lorenzo, finished 2-0 in favor of the home team. The Bavarians came out victorious with a solid group effort to defend their home soil.

“We have an advantage playing at home, but also a disadvantage because of a loose team environment,” said Bavarians head coach Tom Zaiss before the game. “The first 10-15 minutes are the most important because this is a team we have never played. Handling the emotional impact first and realizing it is win or go home, we have to execute.”

The first half proved to be a feeling out process between the two cross country sides with no shots on goal through 35 minutes played.

The Strikers came out in a 4-4-2 with heavy rotations between their midfielders attempting to find channels through the middle. They held a majority of possession through the first 25 with Axel Mendez, Jonathan Grado, and Jordan Lopez controlling possession and attempting to find scoring opportunities. The Bavarians in their 4-3-3, with their wingers mainly tucked in providing a solid defensive unit, was difficult for the Strikers to penetrate. Bavarian Logan Andryk was crucial in the counter efforts moving forward early in the match. His willingness to take defenders on and make passes through the channels made the Bavarians threatening in the final 3rd. After three yellow cards getting shown to the Bavarian side in the first half (Dogara Zamani 8′, Alex Mirsberger 21′, Logan Andryk 41′) halftime came with a goal scoring chance from BSC’s Patrick Coleman. Dogara Zamani passed it off to Coleman on a 3v2 as his shot went high and wide.

The Bavarians started the second half with urgency as they began pressing the backline of the Strikers looking for scoring opportunities. They finally broke through in the 49th minute with a ball to Nick Wilson near the half line. He turned and played a perfectly weighted ball 40 yards to Zamani who found Wilson again. He sprinted from midfield and placed the ball in the bottom left up the net to go up, 1-0.

“I found the ball in the middle of the park, they gave me a lot of space I was trying to find an option and touch a touch found him on the long ball,” Wilson said after the game. “(Dogara) did a great job facing the guy up, I was screaming for the ball he found me and I slotted it back post. It was instinct, as a striker I have to get involved in that play.”

Coach Zaiss from Bavarian started substituting quickly after the first goal. Players like Braden Andryk and Gutierrez replaced the offensive threats Wilson and Zamani. As frustration built for the Strikers Jorge Contreras was shown a yellow card in the 56th minute. After that foul, Alejandro Pacheco placed a freekick back post where Alex Mirsberger headed it home in the 56th minute to make it 2-0.

Los Ángeles responded with a 15 minute window where they continued to stay aggressive, creating chances and holding possession. Larry Lopez shot on goal in the 64th minute but wasn’t able to convert. They continued to swing balls in the middle of the field where the veteran BSC backline of Jake Streicher and Captain Brett Dietz cleared the ball. This combined with excellent goalkeeping by Augie Rey who displayed a perfect clean sheet performance in the evening.

In the 73rd minute the Strikers were still pushing aggressively as Jordan Lopez headed a swinger on frame but was saved by Rey. The game got chippy as the LA side’s frustration poured, drawing a couple corners through the 70th – 76th minutes but all were all cleared by the Bavarians. This culminated with a Strikers’ bench player being shown a red card for verbal altercations.

he backline of Bavarians and tactical approach wore down the Strikers and proved to pay dividends as the final whistle rang out. The hosts advance, 2-0, to Sunday’s final. They look to become the first team to qualify for the US Open Cup as National Amateur Cup champions on two seperate occasions. They were the first team qualify for the tournament as champions after winning the 2018 edition.

The USASA National Amateur Final between NoVa Fc vs Bavarian United is scheduled for Sunday, August 7th at 2:00 p.m Central time. Fans not able to attend in person can watch it live on Eleven Sports. It will be a high level matchup between two of the nations most dominant clubs. High level players on both sides with experience backgrounds and both sides are very well coached between Tom Zaiss and Kareem Sheta.

FULL MATCH BROADCASTS:

2022 Meet the Underdogs: Northern Virginia FC back in US Open Cup after two decades

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Northern Virginia FC Meet the Underdogs 2022 US Open Cup
Northern Virginia FC celebrates the club’s 5-0 win over Districtonia Futbol in the final round of the 2022 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: NoVa FC

They say Virginia is for lovers. While that may be true, it is also for some pretty good football as well.

For decades, the region has played host to some of the top sides across the footballing spectrum. Perhaps no side displays that level of quality, persistence, and passion for developing top-level players than Northern Virginia FC (NoVa FC), who will face fellow Virginia side Lynchburg FC in the First Round of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Wednesday (7:30 pm EST, YouTube).

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Now, those reading at home might be wondering Wait, didn’t this match already happen? The answer to that question is sort of. The two sides squared off last Wednesday at Lynchburg Stadium. NoVa FC took the lead in the 16th minute thanks to a brilliant goal from KJ Nadeau. Lynchburg tied it up on a goal from Mitch Reed in the 41st minute, setting off potentially a very enticing second half.

Then … the rain and lightning happened. While the first band of lightning and downpour delayed just before halftime, the second stopped the match completely at around the 61st minute. According to the US Open Cup rules, since both sides were unable to complete the match within 48 hours of stoppage, the game is required to be played in full. In case one is wondering why two sides couldn’t make up the match in that short of time: the distance between Lynchburg and Leesburg, where NoVa FC are based, is about a three hour drive with massive congestion along all major roads.

For NoVa FC head coach Kareem Sheta, the opportunity for a second chance at Lynchburg in better weather is worth it.

“Last Wednesday was the first time that we had ever played against Lynchburg so we are really taking this opportunity to learn from that game,” said Sheta. “While we were obviously pleased with taking the early lead, they are a very talented side. So for us, and in particular for our younger players, this a great chance for them to learn and take what they saw and apply it to the next match in hopefully much better weather.”

PHOTOS: Northern Virginia FC vs. Districtonia Futbol (2022 US Open Cup Qualifying)

As opposed to Lynchburg, who just started up in the Virginia area, NoVa FC have a long storied history within Virginia soccer. Since it’s founding in 1998 under the name the Northern Virginia Royals, the side has been a family operation with Kareem’s father being one of the original owners. His son, Kareem’s brother, Ahmed still plays for the team and is the club’s Director of Soccer.

Kareem’s father, Mo, was in charge of the Royals team that last qualified for the US Open Cup as a pro team in 1999 and 2000. In both years, they lost their opening round game, falling to the PDL’s Cocoa Expos 5-3 at RFK Stadium in their debut, followed by a 3-2 road loss to the Hampton Roads Mariners (A-League, Div. 2) in 2000.

Since 1999, the club has made a reputation of being one of the top sides in Virginia, winning multiple state and national titles.

After playing in the USL’s D-3 Pro League (later known as the Pro Soccer League and the USL Second Division) from 1998-2005, the Royals joined the Premier Development League (now known as USL League Two) where they remain to this day. For a brief time between 2015 and 2020 the team rebranded into Evergreen FC before falling back to it’s roots. That un-rebrand coincided with the club expanding into the then-newly created Eastern Premier Soccer League (EPSL), which is the league it qualified through for this year’s US Open Cup. This past winter, they joined the third division of the Major Arena Soccer League and will be playing in the finals of that competition on Saturday at the Winchester SportsPlex. The club has a 60-player roster with a first and second team. They have also added a women’s program with the side kicking off play in the inaugural season of the USL’s re-launched W-League this May.

NoVa’s EPSL team began their journey to the US Open Cup by entering the Open Division Local qualifying tournament. They began with a 2-0 home win over Springfield FC, followed by a 2-1 road victory over former league-mates Virginia United FC. NoVa qualified with a convincing 5-0 win over Districtonia Futbol, despite finishing the game with just nine players.

Brandon Williamson Northern Virginia FC Districtonia Futbol NOVA FC 2022 US Open Cup Qualifying
Brandon Williamson of Northern Virginia FC battles for the ball across Districtonia Futbol in the Final Round of the 2022 US Open Cup Qualifying tournament. Photo: Sean Maslin

“As a club, we essentially made a decision to go year-round about three years ago. From 2007 to about 2019 we were just USL-2 team,” said Kareem Sheta. “So we would just get guys to come out for the summer, play the USL-2 season, and then send them back to college and all of the local guys would just scatter and go play for their local teams. At a certain point, we made a decision to focus on the development of the local guys and so we put some resources in time into a group that can compete year-round. I think that has been the difference as to why we have done so well in USL 2. We have a core group of players that have played year-round consistently and I think that has made a big difference.”

NoVa’s core group of players is one that many in the region should be familiar with given their strong ties to both youth, college, and professional soccer. Nadeau, who scored the goal in the washed out game against Lynchburg, was the club’s top scorer in qualifying, scoring four goals in three games. Nadeau played college soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Goalkeeper Calle Brown was a standout in net for the University of Virginia before going on to play professionally for the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo. Midfielder Brandon Williamson (pictured) was a D.C. United Youth Academy product who went on to play college soccer at Duke University and later at Loudoun United (USL Championship). Midfielder Tyler Clegg is a redshirt senior at James Madison University, and is the younger brother of Brandon Clegg who, after a strong season with NoVa last year, signed a professional contract with the Maryland Bobcats FC.

The club also has two younger players that have broken through into the first roster that are primed to make a difference both in the Open Cup and in league play this year: forward JP Ayolmbong (who scored twice in the final round of qualifying) and Illiass Lagjhibi, an 18 year old that Sheta described as having “an endless motor.”

2022 Meet the Underdogs: Lynchburg FC 

While winning the Open Cup is obviously a dream goal for Sheta and NoVa FC, winning the club’s first-ever US Open Cup game and getting into the next round where they would host the Richmond Kickers (USL League One) would be another huge marker for the club. So too is providing greater opportunities for their players to play at the highest level. Last year, the club had four players move on to professional teams, an accomplishment the club takes a lot of pride in. The club is also looking forward as well to continuing their success in both the EPSL, which started play again this month, and the USL League Two season which starts in May.

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