Vincent United Futbol Club—a non-profit 501 (c)3 corporation dedicated to girls soccer in Eastern Pennsylvania.

News Archive

Beck, Cortese and Castner Make College Commitments

1/24/06—Vincent United U18 Challenge seniors Malynda Beck (York, Central York HS), Carey Cortese (Lancaster, Hempfield HS) and Kat Castner (Catasauqua, Catasauqua HS) all made college commitments this past week.
   Beck, a three-year member of the Challenge and one of the team's two captains, has accepted a scholarship to play soccer at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. The Bees are a member of the NAIA and compete in the Florida Sun Conference and ended the season with an 8-7-1 record. Beck is a two-time member of the Pennsylvania All-State Team (2004 & 2005) and a former ODP goalkeeper and field player.
   Cortese will join Challenge alum Rachel Horning and suit up for the defending NCAA Division III champions, Messiah College.
   Castner, who has been playing for Vincent since last spring, has received a partial scholarship to Division I Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA. The RMU Colonials are a member of Northeast Conference with schools like Monmouth University, Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner. Robert Morris amassed a 3-13-2 last season.
   Only three of the U18's 13 seniors have yet to make college commitments. All are expected to do so within the next few weeks.

Marina Pappas Commits to Florida International

1/24/06—Vincent United U18 Challenge player Marina Pappas accepted an offer this past weekend to attend, and play soccer at, Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Pappas, a senior at Hempfield High School, chose FIU over schools like Drexel, Delaware and Virginia Wesleyan.
   The FIU Golden Panthers compete in the Sun Belt Conference and posted a 2005 record of 4-8-4. Pappas plays in the central midfield for the Challenge and is expected to occupy the same spot this coming fall for head coach Everton Edwards' team.
   Pappas is the sixth of the U18's 13 seniors to commit to a college program, joining Heather Manorek (West Chester), Kristen Paxson (Drexel), Courtney Dull (Drexel), Liza O'Keefe (Eastern) and Kayla Wolfe (Wilkes). Fellow seniors Malynda Beck, Carey Cortese, Sam Baer and Kat Castner are all expected to announce their college decisions prior to, or shortly after, the National Letter of Intent Signing Day on February 1, 2006.

U14 Valor Reach Indoor Cup Semis

1/24/06—The Vincent United U14 Valor made a successful run to the semifinals of the EPYSA U14 Indoor Cup competition on January 14 at the Lanco Fieldhouse, finishing the tournament with a record of 3-1 with 15 goals for and just four against.
    Group games against Lower Dauphin, CASA and Phoenix were won in convincing fashion by scores of 3-0, 7-3 and 2-0, respectively. Lower Dauphin won the 2004 version of this tournament when the teams were U12.
    Head coach Chris Markley’s team fell victim to some bad luck and a strong Redland team in the semifinal, losing by a final score of 2-1. The Redland goalkeeper made a few tremendous saves and the Valor knocked no less than four shots off the crossbar or post. It was a strong effort but not quite good enough to get the team back to the final for the second year in a row.
    Congratulations to Coach Markley, Coach McMonagle and Coach Dunn on a job well done.
    In the championship game, Redland was no match for defending champion Hershey, falling 4-0.

U11 Jaguars Fall In Indoor Challenge Cup Semis

1/11/06—The Vincent United U11 Jaguars competed in the EPYSA Indoor State Challenge Cup at the Body Zone in Reading on January 7, advancing to the tournament's semifinals. The Jaguars opened their tournament with a pair of 4-4 draws against both Warrington and Exeter. Needing a win to advance, the team defeated Haverford, 6-1. As the only undefeated team in its group, the Jags moved on to face the York Premier Flash. York had run through its group, running up 23 goals in just three games, and proved to be too much for Vincent, winning the knockout game, 5-1, en route to capturing the Challenge Cup title. Congratulations to the Jaguars on their good showing.

Vincent United Toys for Tots Campaign—Great Success!

12/15/05—Thanks to all who came out with gifts to skate and those who generously donated gifts to. We donated well over 100 new toys and had a great time in the making. We had $100 left over from the admission fee that will be donated to The Pottstown Mercury's "Operation Holiday" on behalf of VUFC. Click here to see the Photoshow.

U-13 Vipers Declared Co-Champions in PAGS, Division 1

The Vipers, in their first season together, finished in PAGS, Division 1 with a record of 6-2-1. They scored 27 goals with only 9 scored against them. The Vipers also held their opponents scoreless in both the quarter finals and semi-finals. The final match was canceled due to poor weather conditions, so the Vipers were declared Co-Champions with FC Revolution.

Three Vincent Players Make College Commitments

Three players on the Vincent United U18 Challenge team have recently made verbal commitments to local colleges.
      Owen J. Roberts senior and U18 captain Heather Manorek will join former Vincent players Aly Edwards, Chelsey Wright, Chelsea Reimer, Lauren Ginnona and Danielle Gerz at West Chester University in the fall of 2006. Manorek was an all-state high school player in 2004 and has scored nearly 60 goals in the past two high school seasons, helping to lead OJR to the 2005 PIAA Class AAA championship game. West Chester spent most of the season ranked in the Division II top five before falling to Franklin Pierce in the NCAA quarterfinals, finishing the year with an impressive 20-2-2 record. The Golden Rams allowed just seven goals all season.
      Also making commitments were Kristen Paxson from Parkland High School and Courtney Dull from Spring-Ford High School. Both have accepted offers and will suit up next season for the Drexel University Dragons. Already playing at Drexel is former Vincent goalkeeper Kait Bond and U12 Azzurri assistant coach Stacey Blevins. Bond rewrote the Dragons' goalkeeping record book in just her first season and helped lead her team to its best record ever at 7-11-1. Both Dull and Paxson should be able to help a Drexel team that graduates just three seniors.
      Congratulations to all three girls!

U16 Wildcats Play Well in Texas

The Vincent United U16 Wildcats traveled to College Station, Texas, over the first weekend in December for the dual purposes of watching the 2005 NCAA Women’s College Cup and participating in the Adidas Final Four college showcase.
      The Wildcats arrived in Aggieland on Thursday, where the team explored the town of College Station and the sprawling campus of Texas A & M. The team found the local people extremely friendly and polite while they found Texas itself flat and windy.
      On Friday, the team took on the Arizona state champions and Region 4 semi-finalists, Sereno White ‘90. The Wildcats controlled much of the first half and scored the first goal on a nice shot by Erika Markley. Although the teamed played quite well in the first half it was marred by the fact that Kim Nordtveit was lost to a torn ACL. The Wildcats came out hard in the second half and scored an early goal on a breakaway by Erin Ryan. Good goalkeeping by Amber Cummins and several solid defensive plays kept Sereno off the board for a 2-0 victory.
      In the afternoon, the Wildcats went to the Aggie Soccer Complex to watch the College Cup semi-finals. In the first game, the team watched Penn State drop a heartbreaker to Portland in penalty kicks. In the second game, UCLA crushed Florida State 4-0.
     Saturday the weather was a balmy 80 degrees and the Wildcats took on Laguna Hills Eclipse from California South in their first game of the day. In the first ten minutes of the game, in front of a myriad of college coaches, it looked like the Region IV team was going to do what so many have done before them to Region 1 teams as it jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. But the Wildcats were not daunted as they rallied for a goal late in the first have on a great finish by Amber Brooks off a corner kick. The second half was all Wildcats as they continued to pressure the Eclipse goal. Finally, with 12 minutes to go, Amanda Gerhard notched the equalizer. The Wildcats had several additional chances in the closing minutes but failed to score the game-winner. Coaches and fans alike came away very impressed with the Vincent showing
      In the day’s second game, the Wildcats took on Texas South runner-up, Eclipse Black. It was all Vincent from start to finish as Vincent cruised on the strength of the defending of Jillian Morgan, Kristine Preski, Dana Moyer, Megan Fessler, Aimee Bux and Annie Kate Reeder as the back four shut down the Texas team allowing very few opportunities during the run of play. Both Amber Cummins and Breanna Stemler combined for the shutout. Erika Markley scored the winning goal off a restart.
      Sunday saw the weather turn foul as 40-degree temperatures, clouds and wind were the order of the day. Hot chocolate was the beverage of choice as the Wildcats saw Portland win its second NCAA title with a dominating 4-0 win over 2004 finalist UCLA.
      All told, it was a great weekend and well worth the three-and-a-half-hour flight to Texas. College coaches identified many players and the team responded well in its first challenge on the national scene. Next up for the Wildcats is the EPYSA Indoor Cup where they will try to defend their 2005 title.
      A speedy recovery to Kim from all the Wildcats!

Rob Rooney Named Girl’s Coach at Emmaus High School

Vincent United U18 Challenge and U20 Archangels coach Rob Rooney has been hired to be the head girl’s soccer coach at Emmaus High School in District XI. The Hornets were state finalists in the spring of 2005, losing to Penn Manor in the state championship game and finishing the season with a 26-1 record.
      Rooney returns to the high school sidelines for the first time since the spring of 1999 when he assisted Vincent United president Joe Margusity at Cheltenham High School. Prior to that, he was an assistant at Owen J. Roberts and the head coach at Coatesville. He has spent four of the past six years coaching at the collegiate level with Immaculata University, Wilmington College and West Chester University.
      A number of Emmaus players, both past and present currently play at Vincent United, including Wake Forest sophomore Katie Kokkinos who plays for the Archangels.

Vincent Challenge Alum Factors in DIII National Championship

2005 Lancaster Mennonite graduate and Vincent United Challenge alum Rachel Horning figured prominently in this weekend’s NCAA division III national championship tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, assisting on two goals that brought home the D3 title for the number-one ranked Messiah College Falcons.
      Horning notched game-winning assists in Friday’s 2-1 semifinal win over the University of Chicago and in Saturday’s title-clinching 1-0 win over the The College of New Jersey. Both assists came on the throw-in that made Horning famous in Lancaster county. Since she was U9, Horning has had the ability to launch a soccer ball towards the goal by doing a front somersault and releasing the ball at its highest point.
      On Friday, in the first overtime period of the national semifinals, Horning unleashed a throw that was finished in the box by junior forward Cali Pitchel. Then, on Saturday, Horning rocketed a ball nearly 35 yards into the six-yard box that was headed home by senior Billie Jo Atkins in the game’s 70th minute.
      Messiah came into the final weekend of the season ranked number one in the nation in and finishes the season with a 22-0-1 record. It is the first national championship for Messiah, which was playing in its third final four in the past four seasons. In 2002, Messiah finished as the national runner-up.

Vincent United Represented in NCAA Tournament Action

When the NCAA Division I, II and III tournaments kick off this weekend, Vincent United F.C. will be well represented.

Archangel alum Brette Healy (Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy), a sophomore at Vanderbilt University, will represent the club in the Division I tournament. The Commodores fell in the semifinals of the SEC tournament but were chosen as a host site for the first two rounds of the tournament. Vanderbilt, with a 16-3-2 record, is currently the 20th-ranked team in the nation.
      Five Vincent United players will compete in the NCAA Division II tournament - all of them for West Chester University. Archangel alumni Lauren Ginnona (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and Danielle Gerz (Lancaster, PA/Conestoga Valley) will join Challenge alumni Aly Edwards (Glenmoore, PA/Downingtown East), Chelsey Wright (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) and Chelsea Reimer (Pen Argyl, PA/Bangor) in playing with the Golden Rams. West Chester University, 18-1-2, is ranked fifth in the nation in the latest NSCAA poll and will also play host to the first two rounds of the national tournament.
      At the Division III level, Vincent United Challenge alumni Rachel Horning (Morgantown, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) and Jen Michener (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) are regular contributors to the undefeated and number-one ranked Messiah Falcons, who enter the tournament with an unblemished 18-0-0 record.

Challenge Alum Bond Earns Postseason Honors

Vincent United Challenge alum Kait Bond (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team for her outstanding freshman season at Drexel University.
      Bond set Drexel records for goal against average (1.16), shutouts (6) and save percentage (.858) in helping to lead the Dragons to a school-record seven wins during the 2005 campaign. Twice during the year she was voted as the CAA Player of the Week.

Erika Markley Named to U15 National Pool

Vincent United U16 Wildcat player Erika Markley has been selected to the United States U15 national pool and will be participating in its team camp at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, from October 22 through October 29. The U15 national pool consists of 24 players selected from around the country.
     In addition to her national team duties, Erika will be play for the U15 Region One team in the annual inter-regional event in Boca Raton, Florida, from November 19 through November 24.
     Congratulations, Erika!

Cougars Finish Second at WCUSC Summer Classic

The Vincent United U14 Cougars (pictured above), coached by Jason Luzak, finished second recently in the West Chester United Summer Classic tournament. The tournament was held the weekend of August 6 and 7.

Eight Vincent Players Named to Region 1 ODP Pool

Eight Vincent United players, including six from the U16 Wildcats, were recently named to the Region 1 ODP pool following the completion of their respective regional camps.
      Leading the pack was Amber Brooks, a U14 ODP player and central midfielder for the Wildcats. Brooks was also invited to attend U14 national camp next week in Middlesex, Massachusetts. Joining Brooks in the 1991 Regional Pool is Courtney Spertzel (Wildcats) and Ashley Chilcoat (U14 Valor). The 1990 pool includes goalkeeper Brianna Stemmler, midfielder Erika Markley and defender Megan Fessler (all from the Wildcats).
      Aimee Bux (Wildcats) was named for the third consecutive year to the 1989 pool and rounding out the contingent is 11-year-old goalkeeper Emily Armstrong (U13 Blizzardz), who made the cut with the U13 pool.
      Congratulations to all of these young ladies on their impressive accomplishment!

Vincent United Coaches Continue Education

Vincent United U18 Challenge coach Rob Rooney and U12 Azzurri coach Evren Asral have both recently attended coaching education courses and successfully completed them.
     Rooney attended and passed the USSF “B” License course at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach from June 4 to June 12, 2005. The curriculum emphasis of the "B" License course is the development of training that provides greater meaning to positional play within the team structure (functional training), improved understanding of the roles of players and their responsibilities within the game, and development of collective play within the various lines of play as applied to tactics and concepts of play.
     Asral completed the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma at Amherst College, also in June. The Advanced National Diploma is a 50-hour course designed for the experienced coach working with the advanced player. The emphasis is on training those players within a team concept designed to produce a successful environment. The 8 v. 8 model is the main focus.
Congratulations to both of these fine coaches.

Vincent United leads EPYSA with four semi-finalists

All four Vincent United teams involved in the EPYSA June National Championship Series have advanced to the final weekend of state cup play. The U15 Wildcats advanced with a hard-fought 3-2 victory on Tuesday night over Harleysville. At Owen J. Roberts, the U16 Dragons trounced Berks Soccer Academy, 9-0, to earn their spot in the semifinals. Previously, the U18 Challenge secured a spot via a 1-0 win over FC Bucks.
      On Saturday, June 18, the Dragons will kick off the semifinals at 9:00 a.m. at Council Rock North High School in a game against FC Bucks, the defending U15 state champions. At 11:00 a.m., both the U18 Challenge and U15 Wildcats will be in action. The Challenge play state finalists Bucks Mont at CR North, while the Wildcats take on last year’s semifinalists, FC Bucks, at Newtown Elementary School. For the Dragons, the game marks a return to the semifinals. The Wildcats were also semifinalists last year, after capturing the U13 state championship in 2003. The U18s are making their first appearance in the state’s final four. All three teams are hoping to join the U19 Archangels in Sunday’s state final.
      Last year, the Archangels dropped a 3-1 game to FC Delco in the final. This year they will match up with the FC Bucks Strikers.
      A complete schedule and directions can be found at the EPYSA website.

In early May, the newly formed U-12 Viper team, coached by Steve Campbell, finished in second place holding all of their opponents scoreless for the entire weekend. The Championship game was decided on PK's where the Ukranian Club beat the Vipers 4-2.

Challenge Players Named to All-State Team

Vincent United U18 Challenge junior Malynda Beck (Central York High School) and senior captain Kait Bond (Hempfield) have been named to the 2005 spring all-state team. Bond was runner-up in the York Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association MVP voting after being named to the All-County first team for the third time in her three high school seasons. Bond, a goalkeeper, was named the MVP of the Lancaster Lebanon League's Section 1 this season, having led Hempfield to a 16-1-2 regular season record while posting a 0.36 goals against average with 13 shutouts. The Drexel-bound Bond was also a member of the 2004 all-state team. Bond is pictured here with Vincent senior Rachel Horning from Lancaster Mennonite High School at Sunday's LL All-League Banquet.

U18 Challenge Concludes Indoor Season as Runners-Up in Boy’s League

The Vincent United U18 Challenge finished up a strong indoor season two weeks ago, finishing as runner-up in the playoffs of the boy’s high school league at The Far Post - and compiling a record of 10 wins and 3 losses in the process. Also joining the girls in the boy’s league were Owen J. Roberts boy’s players Drew Bux (whose sister plays on the U15 Wildcats), Mike Ginnona (whose sister plays on the U19 Archangels), and Matt McNeil (whose mother was a founder of the club). Earlier in March, the U18s took the gold medal in the women’s open division of the Keystone State Games Indoor Championships winning all five games in the tournament en route to the title. The team amassed a strong 36-7-1 record through the indoor season, also winning U19 tournaments at both the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome and the Far Post in Oaks. The girls are pictured above, with their KSG gold medals. They are, from left to right: Back Row - Kristen Paxson, Malynda Beck, Laura Sylvester, Amber Hawkins, Liza O’Keefe, Heather Manorek, Megan Levengood and tri-captain Aly Edwards. Front Row - Lynne Rowan, tri-captain Dempsey Slough, tri-captain Kait Bond, Meredith Beaton, Kayla Wolfe and Steph Kerns.

Vincent United Wildcats players (from left to right) Annie Kate Reeder, Kristine Preski, Allison Hunsberger, Amber Cummins, Erika Markley and Jillian Morgan take a group photo outside of the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The six of them were in California competing with the EPYSA U16 ODP Team. The Home Depot Center is frequently the training home of both the United States Men's and Women's National Teams. (Photo courtesy of Ruby Doub).

2nd Annual Vincent United College Playday

The 2nd Annual Vincent United College Playday will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2005 at Owen J. Roberts from 1:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This year’s field includes NCAA tournament teams West Chester University (Division II) and Messiah College (DIII). Joining those teams is Philadelphia’s Temple University, perennial division 3 top twenty team Virginia Wesleyan, and Pennsylvania Athletic Conference teams Eastern University and Cabrini College. Youth teams include the Vincent United U18 and U16 teams, the Radnor U18 team, the 1SC Philadelphia U16 team and the EPYSA U16 ODP team.
    There is no fee to attend the event. Click here for Schedules. [revised 4/14/05]

More U18 Players Announce College Commitments
Mar. 5, 2005—Vincent United U18 Challenge captain Dempsey Slough has been accepted to, and will play soccer at, the United States Air Force Academy next fall. Located in Colorado Springs, the Air Force Falcons are a Division I program that plays in the Mountain West Conference with schools such as UNLV, Utah and BYU. Slough is a tough, physical and poised defender who attends Twin Valley High School and has started every game she has played with the U18s.

In addition to Slough, two other U18 players recently made college commitments. Rachel Horning, who joined the team this past fall and attends Lancaster Mennonite High School, will continue her playing career next year at Messiah College. Messiah is one of the nation’s premier Division III programs, advancing to last year’s Final Four and finishing as national runner-up in 2002. The Falcons are five-time defending Commonwealth Conference champions and graduate no seniors this spring.

Also making a recent commitment was Pottsgrove senior Steph Kerns. Kerns joined the team in June of 2003 and will play next year at York College. York is a Division III program that plays in the Capital Athletic Conference where it lost in last year’s conference championship game in penalties. Kerns is a fast, energetic wide midfielder who is rarely outworked by an opponent. York coach Vicki Sterner expects that she’ll be able to contribute right away to an already strong Spartans squad.

U15 Vincent Wildcats Win Indoor Cup Championship

Jan. 31, 2005—On Saturday, January 29, at the Lanco Fieldhouse, the U15 Vincent Wildcats claimed the EPYSA Indoor Cup title. They went undefeated in the tournament, sweeping through the group and three playoff games.
    Morgan Gerz led the attack with Jillian Morgan anchoring the defense. In the first game, against PA Classics, the Wildcats got down 3-0 in the first 3 minutes before settling down and coming back to win, 4-3. Solid performances by Aimee Bux and Erica Markley were the difference in a 3-1 win over Spirit United in the second game. The final group game was a match up between two, 2-0 teams. Vincent won the game, 3-1, with a highlight-reel goal by Caitlyn Margusity off an assist from Gerz.
    The quarterfinal was all about defense as the Wildcats cruised by Langhorne, 3-1. Langhorne's only goal came on a set piece.
    The semi final again featured great defense by the Wildcats and terrific play from PSC Coppa's goalkeeper kept it a nail biter. Margusity provided her second stunning goal of the tournament by launching a bullet from 20 yards that hit the upper ninety. That goal proved to be the game winner as the Wildcats shut out Coppa 1-0.
    In the final, Gerz and Courtney Spurtzel provided the firepower and Keeper Amber Cummins came up big with several great saves to preserve a hard-fought and well-deserved 3-2 championship win over CASA in the final.
    All the players should be congratulated as each one has a spectacular play at sometime during the tournament. This is the Wildcats first Indoor State Championship and their first appearance in several years. The team is coached by Joe Margusity and assisted by Joe Baccile.

Vincent U13’s Fall In Indoor Cup Championship Game

Jan. 31, 2005—The U13 Vincent Valor made a great run through the EPYSA U13 Indoor Cup tournament on Saturday, January 29, at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome but was unable to take home the title, falling to defending state champions Hershey, 3-1.
    The Valor was drawn into the U13 “group of death”, along with West Chester, FC Bucks and FC Delco. The team opened with a 4-2 win over West Chester then played to a 1-1 draw with FC Bucks and a 2-2 draw with FC Delco.
    Penalty kicks were needed to determine the group winner – with Vincent advancing to meet PA Classics in the semifinal. After going down 2-0 to start the game, the Valor stormed back to win, 3-2.
    Congratulations to Coaches Chris Markley and Mike McMonagle for a job well done.

Vincent Players Headed to Barbados With Regional Team
Jan. 20, 2005—Vincent United players Erika Markley (U15 Wildcats) and Emily Cota (U14 Fury) have been selected to join the Region 1 1990 ODP team for a February trip to Barbados. The team will play matches against Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados as well as attending a United States Men’s team World Cup Qualifier.
    In other regional ODP news, Ashley Chilcoat (U13 Valor) recently attended a weeklong regional training camp at the Iron Lakes training center in Allentown, PA. Chilcoat is a member of the 1991 regional ODP pool.
    Finally, the Valor was upended in the finals of a tournament at the Far Post this past weekend. After beating two PAGS cup flight teams and drawing with the region 1 champions they Valor outplayed and out chanced an athletic MSA side but fell, 1-0.

U18 Challenge Win Far Post High School League
Jan. 16, 2005—The Vincent United U18 Challenge completed a sweep of the regular season and the playoffs in The Far Post girl’s high school league on Sunday night. The U18s had run through the eight-week season undefeated, with a record of 7-0-1, garnering the top seed in the double-elimination playoff tournament.
    The team defeated Sprit United, 4-0, to start the night and followed that with a 2-0 win over Montgomery. In the winner’s bracket final, the Challenge defeated a very worthy Lower Merion team, 2-0. That same Lower Merion team came through the loser’s bracket only to fall in the tournament final, 4-0. The night was an impressive 72 minutes of shutout indoor soccer by the U18s. Drexel-bound goalkeeper Kate Bond was stellar in goal.
    In other news from the Vincent United Challenge, senior midfielder Steph Kerns committed last week to Division III York (PA) College. The York Spartans play in the Capital Athletic Conference and last season were 13-4-2 overall, 6-1 in their conference.

Valor Win Indoor Tournament at USTC
Jan. 11, 2005—This past weekend the U13 Vincent Valor played up a year at the U14A level in an indoor tournament at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown and captured the crown. Coach Chris Markley’s team upended squads from West Chester, Spirit United, Warrington and York on its way to the championship, allowing just two goals in four games.
    In other indoor tournament action last weekend, the U18 Challenge were the class of an eight-team tournament at The Far Post, defeating a team from Lower Dauphin in the semi finals and a group from Carlisle in the championship game.
    The Valor are preparing for their EPYSA Indoor Cup tournament on January 29 at the new Iron Lakes Sports Club venue while the Challenge will play their indoor cup tournament on Saturday at USTC.

U18 Challenge Fall in Orange Classic Championship Game

The Vincent United U18 Challenge played extremely well this past week at the Orange Classic tournament in Fort Lauderdale (FL), but came up just a bit short in the championship game, falling 2-0 to an impressive Albertson (NY) Fury team.
    The Challenge had run through its preliminary group without allowing a goal. Laura Sylvester and Heather Manorek scored goals in a 2-0 win over Stony Brook (NY) Eclipse to start the tournament. The next day both girls tallied again, with Kristen Paxson adding a third goal, in a 3-0 win over the Hudson Valley (NY) Rush. Vincent completed its preliminary games with a 1-0 win over the Pickering (Ontario, Canada) Predators on Wednesday night. Steph Kerns scored the team’s lone goal.
    Next up for the Challenge is the EPYSA U19 Indoor Cup at USTC in Downingtown on January 15.

U18 Goalkeeper Kate Bond Accepts Drexel Offer
Vincent United U18 goalkeeper Kate Bond has accepted a scholarship offer from Drexel University and has made an official commitment to the Dragons for the fall of 2005. Bond is the fifth Challenge player to make her college decision known. Kate came to Vincent in the summer of 2003 and was named a captain just seven months later. She is a four-year member of the EPYSA ODP team and was named to the Pennsylvania High School All-State team last spring for her work in goal at Hempfield.

Challenge Goes Unbeaten, Unscored Upon at Kirkwood Showcase
The Vincent United U18 Challenge kept up its recent good form this weekend, going 4-0 without allowing a goal at the Kirkwood Girls College Showcase in New Castle, Delaware. The team improved its fall 2004 record to 8-1-2, with its only loss coming last weekend against the five-time New Jersey state champions Lacey Independent Magic.
    The Challenge was strong all weekend, starting with a 1-0 win over Loudon Clash from Virginia. Lynne Rowan, a recent addition to the team from the West Chester Raiders scored her first goal for Vincent and it turned out to be the game winner. In the afternoon match, Vincent defeated the Delaware state champion Kirkwood Raiders, 3-0. Goals came from Meredith Beaton, Megan Levengood and Laura Sylvester. Saturday's games brought more of the same. A morning win over West Chester saw a goal from Julie Edwards and the final game of the tournament was a 2-0 win over Stony Brook (NY) Eclipse. In that match, goals came from Chelsey Wright and Joce Mallin.
    Goalkeeper Kate Bond and the defensive unit of Dempsey Slough, Steph Kerns and Lauren Manorek were outstanding through all four games, allowing very few solid scoring chances.
    Next up for the Challenge is the women's indoor "A" league at The Far Post and the Orange Classic in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in the week following Christmas.

Chris Markley Renews USSF “A” License
Vincent United U13 coach Chris Markley recently completed the renewal of his United States Soccer Federation “A” coaching license. The USSF “A” is the highest coaching license available in the U.S. The “A” is also the only coaching license that requires coaches to take continuing education units to keep it current.
    Markley’s final renewal credits were earned recently at a seminar presented by United States Women’s National Team head coach April Heinrichs and Region One head coach Jeff Pill. Congratulations, Chris!

U18 Challenge Players Verbally Commit to Colleges
Four Vincent U18 Challenge players recently announced that they had verbally committed to college programs for the fall of 2005. Leading the charge was forward Laura Sylvester. Sylvester will play for the Villanova Wildcats upon her graduation from Marple Newtown high school this June. Laura came to Vincent in June of 2003. Villanova is a perennial top 25 D1 team.
    Also committing for the Challenge were seniors Aly Edwards, Chelsey Wright and Chelsea Reimer. The talented trio will all play next season at West Chester University. West Chester has been to the D2 national tournament in each of the past two seasons and is assistant coached by Vincent U18 head coach Rob Rooney.
    Edwards is a captain and central midfielder from Downingtown East who has been with the team since its inception at the club. Wright is a left-footed midfielder who attends Strath Haven high school and came to the team in September. Reimer, Vincent’s most recent addition, attends Bangor High School and is likely to spend time in back next year at WCU.
    Congratulations to all four of these girls. They are first-class student athletes who represent both the club and their soon-to-be colleges very well.

Strong Showing for the Vincent U18 Challenge
This past weekend the Vincent U18 team, the Challenge, played in the very prestigious Hazlet United Girls College Bound Showcase. After losing to the five-time New Jersey state champion Lacey Magic on Saturday morning, the team came back in the afternoon and defeated the defending Massachusetts state champion Charles River United Blackwatch, 2-1. Villanova-bound forward Laura Sylvester scored the game-winning goal with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game. On Sunday, the Challenge played the six-time defending Pennsylvania state champion Pennsylvania Strikers. Senior central midfielder Aly Edwards (who has committed to play next year at West Chester University) put Vincent up 1-0 early in the match—only to have the Strikers level the game about 20 minutes later on a brilliant diving header goal. It was a very fast-paced, physical battle that many in attendance called the match of the tournament. The game ended tied but was a victory of sorts for Vincent. According to PA Strikers parents, no other PA team had beaten or tied their team in the past six years. The Challenge returns to action next weekend at the Kirkwood College Showcase in New Castle, Delaware.

Vincent United Blizzards win 4th Straight PAGS Championship

The Vincent United Blizzards defeated the defending state champion Pennridge Stingers, 2-0, this past weekend to win the PAGS U12 Premier Championship. The win marks the 4th straight year in which the Blizzards finished the PAGS fall season as the top team in their age group in Eastern Pennsylvania.
    The game was a seesaw battle with both teams having few opportunities to score. The Blizzards' defense of Kelly Devlin, Cate Maugle, Emily Solenberger, Kelsey Chattin and Hannah GoForth were able to limit the Stingers to just three or four shots on goal. Emily Armstrong, who recorded her 10th shutout of the season, easily scooped up all of those opportunities.
    The Blizzards got their first goal late in the first half when striker Kelly Kerrigan crossed the ball to Jess Gallick in the middle of the field. Jess was able to redirect a perfect lead pass on the left hand side and striker Carly Long beat her defender and fired the ball into the back of the net. The Blizzards led 1-0 at halftime.
    The second half saw Pennridge put on a furious rally. The Blizzards' defense once again rose to the occasion and kept the Stingers from scoring. With 10 minutes left, the Blizzards midfield began to regain control of the game. Ashley Poli, Molly McNally, and Tori Mayernick helped bring the play to the Pennridge's defensive side of the field. That set up the final goal of the contest when left midfielder Courtney Corcoran played a beautiful ball into the Pennridge penalty area. The Stingers goalie charged out to get the ball but striker Sarah Cardamone beat her to it and headed it in to the net for the 2-0 lead.
    The Blizzards have compiled an impressive 38-3-6 record over the past four PAGS seasons against the top competition in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Blizzards have scored 82 goals in league play while allowing only 14 since they began playing in PAGS in 2001.

Help a good soccer cause!
Stacey Benfield, a former Owen J. Roberts soccer player now attending school in Florida, is working with an orphanage down there to start a Skittles soccer program. She has asked for any used soccer gear (shoes, shinguards, balls, socks, shorts, shirts or anything else related to playing soccer) in any size to be donated through Robin Little (who will send it down). Please ask all your friends, family co-workers, etc. what they are able to donate contact Robin at robin.little@xlenvironmental.com to make arrangements to drop it off. This is a very worthwhile cause.

Former Archangel Reinford named Rookie of the Week
Brianna Reinford from Philadelphia University, a former player on the Vincent United Archangels, was named as the New York Collegeiate Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the period ending October 18, 2004. Reinford played a big part in a win and a tie for the Lady Rams this week. The 5-5 freshman from Gilbertsville, PA, registered two goals in a hard-fought 3-2 conference victory over St. Thomas Aquinas, and she assisted on her squad’s lone marker in a 1-1 tie with Bloomsburg. Congratulations, Brianna.

Congratulations to Terry Underkoffler
Vincent United would like to congratulate Goalkeeping Academy coach Terry Underkoffler on his recent contribution to the United States Women's National Team. Both goalkeepers called in by head coach April Heinrichs for Saturday's game against Mexico are former Underkoffler students. Starter Kristen Luckenbill is from Paoli, PA and local standout Nicole Barnhart, from Gilbertsville, PA, was called in to replace Briana Scurry for the game. It is the first time ever that both goalkeepers on the U.S. team are from Pennsylvania. Barnhart is also the starter for the U21 national team and an All-American at Stanford University. With all the field substitutes used in the match, an injury to U.S. starter Angela Hucles forced Heinrichs to put Barnhart on the field—not as a goalkeeper but as a forward. Keep up the good work, Terry, on producing top-quality goalkeepers for the United States.

Cougars win Columbus Day Tourney

Congratulations to coach Steve Campbell and the girls of the U13 Vincent United Cougars for winning the Santa Maria Division of the Mt. Laurel United Columbus Day Soccer Tournament this past weekend.

Former Vincent United Archangels Player Sets School Record
Heidi Philip, a 2004 graduate of Pleasant Valley High School and former player on the Vincent United Archangels, set the Mount Olive College record for assists in a season, collecting her eighth in just the team's sixth game of the season - a 3-1 win over Barton on September 15. Philip has also added three goals for the Trojans (5-1-0 overall, 2-1-0 CVAC). Mount Olive is a Division II school located in Mt. Olive, NC.

Congratulations to the teams that were accepted to the WAGS tournament
Wildcats—U-15 A flight
Blizzards—U-12 A flight

Congratulations to 2004-05 Region 1 Players
Aimee Bux—'89
Erica Markley—'90
Emily Cota and Ashley Chilcoat—'91