Placer United players and parents packed up their cars and vans and traveled en mass to the Bay Area over the weekend for one of the the biggest events of the year, the Northern California Spring College Showcase. The tournament, which draws teams from all over California and other states, as well as plenty of college coaches, was played out in the warmest weather of the year so far.

While the coaches and parents applied plenty of sunscreen in 75+ degree weather, our boys and girls dazzled and sizzled on the field dressed appropriately in their sunshine yellow kits.

U16G 99 Black – Juventus Northern California Spring Showcase Champions

The nine Placer United boys and girls teams ranging in ages from U14 to U18 played 36 games and scored a total of 58 goals as they brought home plenty of silverware for the already crowded Tinker trophy room.

U16B 99 Gold – Juventus Northern California Spring Showcase Champions

Three Placer United teams were crowned champions of the event. A BIG congratulations to the U16 99 Boys Gold, the U16 99 Girls Black, and the U14 01 Girls Black.

U14G 01 Black – Juventus Northern California Spring Showcase Champions

We want to give a massive shout out to our U15 Boys 00 Black team. The boys had a great weekend and finished in second place in their division after an epic comeback performance and a goal-of-the-year from Graham Bart in their semi-final game which took the team to the final.

Well done to the U15 00 Boys and U17 Boys 98 Gold who finished in 3rd and 5th in their divisions, as well as all the other Placer United teams that competed in and around the Bay Area.

It was great to see the Yellow Submarine out in force and doing so well.

Go Placer!

Portland Thorns FC have announced their 2015 preseason roster which includes Placer United alumni Savannah Coiner. The team opened training for its third season in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Thorns FC will open the 2015 NWSL regular season with back-to-back home matches at Providence Park on April 11 against the Boston Breakers and April 18 against the Western New York Flash.

Upon finishing her fourth starting season in the ACC at Clemson University, Savannah was invited to the preseason training camp for the Portland Thorns which started March 9th. The Thorns have been in contact with Coiner since her last college game. The Thorns, based in Oregon, have the largest fan base and most support of any professional women’s soccer league. In a 2014 game against Houston, the crowd was a record-breaking 19,123 people. The fan support and involvement in Portland is unlike any other in professional women’s sports.

Coiner was also invited to try-out with the Seattle Reign, Boston Breakers, and West New York Flash.

The National Women’s Soccer League played its first season in 2013 after the Women’s Professional Soccer League disbanded in 2012. The season runs from April-August, and consists of 9 teams. If selected, Coiner will join names like Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Heather O’Reilly in the league.

2015 Thorns FC Preseason Roster

Goalkeepers (4): Nadine Angerer**, Brittany Anghel*, Michelle Betos, Emily Kruger*

Defenders (14): Steph Catley**, Savannah Coiner*, Sarah Jackson*, Kendall Johnson, Kaylyn Kyle**, Alyssa Kleiner*, Emily Menges, Courtney Nelson*, Courtney Niemiec, Devin Prendergast*, Meredith Speck*, Rachel Van Hollebeke**, Rhian Wilkinson**, Kat Williamson

Midfielders (14): Chelsea Archer*, Kate Bennett*, Taylor Comeau*, Sinead Farrelly, Chrisalyn Fonte*, Krystyna Freda*, Tobin Heath**, Natalia Ledezma*, Allie Long, Sarah Robbins, Mana Shim, Ayaki Shinada*, Allie Sima*, McCall Zerboni

Forwards (10): Genoveva (Ayo) Añonma+, Shakira Duncan*, Melissa Fernandez*, Kelsey Haycook*, Alex Morgan**, Zuri Prince*, Danielle Schulmann*, Christine Sinclair**, Jodie Taylor**, Hanna Terry

*Non-roster invitee
**Currently with national team
+will arrive later this season

Emily Hansen, Defender, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Placer United ’97 Gold Alumni, Emily Hansen, was on the receiving end of two awards after her freshman campaign at Cal Poly. She was named to the All-Freshman Team in the Big West Conference and also took home the Rookie-of-the-Year accolade at Cal Poly. In her first year in San Luis Obispo, the defender started all but one match, averaging just over 78 minutes each game. She also moved up into the attack to place five shots on target and assist on two goals.

Congrats on a great season Emily!

FIFTEEN Placer United players have been selected to play in the 98/99 PDP National Premier League “North Region Games” scheduled for Wednesday night at the Davis Soccer Complex.

These players were selected from all of the Norcal National Premier League clubs in Region 6.

Boys

• Cameron Douglas
• Ryley Kraft
• Keegan Ness
• Omar Oseguera
• Alejandro Perez
• Jordan Vice
• Vitaly Zadoynov

Girls

• Emily Curry
• Nicolette Lewis
• Samantha Craig
• Rachel Gensch
• Makenzie George
• Megan Kuo
• Maleah Milner
• Sylvia Sloss

Congratulations and good luck in the matches on Wednesday!

Placer United U18 Boys 97 Gold
Norcal Winter National Premier League Champions

A big congratulations to the Placer U18B 97 Gold team. The boys repeated their Norcal National Premier League winter league championship in the U19 Division on Saturday with a convincing 5-0 win over highly rankled Athletico Santa Rosa. The boys went  6-0-1, scoring 20 goals and only conceding two. Along with moving into the NPL Champions League Division, which is due to start in March, they also were accepted into Dallas Cup, the nation’s biggest and best soccer tournament.

Review the list of NPL boys impressive college commitments.

by Corban Anderson

Attending Barca game with the dad of the family where I am staying

I had always heard that soccer was an integral part of the European culture, but experiencing it firsthand has been an amazing experience. I have been training in Spain for about three weeks now and love it. The family I am staying with has been very welcoming and my mom here makes some killer Spanish meals. I like to think that I sound less like a gringo with each new day. One of my favorite cultural differences here is how people fill bars every night for the soccer games and discuss different styles of play and tactics concerning the match. Everyone here is wild about the game and it’s awesome how I can expand my “soccer IQ” by simply sitting down and watching a game at a bar.

Training field separate from the stadium

Training here is incredible. I am playing with a professional team in the Tercera Division called Aurrera de Vitoria. The speed of play is much faster than anything I’ve ever been exposed to before. As an eighteen year-old, it is difficult playing with a group of guys that are in their mid-late twenties, even thirties. They are faster, stronger, and more competitive than what I’m used to because they are fighting for playing time at the professional level. It is a great challenge for me to match their level of play. The first training was a little rough, but after eight training sessions I am started to play really well and rise to the occasion. Playing at this level has revealed a lot of areas where I can get better. The main difference between my play and that of the other players is without a doubt the physicality. I am focused to improve my speed and strength and am confident that this is the best environment for me before I enter training at the college level.

Training break at the futsal facility with a couple of players

Placer does a great job at developing young players into players who see the game differently and can see movements and available passes before the ball is received. That is a large part of what is enabling me to compete with this team in Spain. I am very thankful for the preparation from the Placer coaching staff and the great teammates that I have had while representing the yellow submarines for the past seven years.

Go Placer!

Asst. Coach Katie Schoepfer, Alivya Wimmer, Head Coach Nancy Feldman

Placer United Alumni (2014) and Boston University freshman, Alivya Wimmer, who started the final 16 games of the season at center back, received the Rookie-of-the-Year Award. She was a crucial part of one of the best defenses in the Patriot League this season and was the only underclassman on the starting defensive line, which was made up of seniors Kai Miller and Ariana Aston, and junior MacLellan. Wimmer, a three year starting center back on Placer United 95 Gold was thrust into the starting role at Boston University after a pre-season injury to their upper class man center back. Read More

Congratulations Alivya !  We are very proud of you!

Placer United U13 Boys 02 Gold
2015 Red 2 Diamond 1 Norcal State Cup Champions

The U13 Boys 02 Gold had a rocky start to the event in September with a flurry of injuries but bounced back as they advanced through the tournament.  In the first round the boys had a win versus Cap FC but two defeats to RCU and Sagebrush.  In the second round, Placer had a 0-0 draw versus Blues and then had a convincing 3-0 win over Santa Rosa AC Milan.  In the final game, the team came up on the short end of a thriller, 1-2 to Atletico Santa Rosa.  Placer then moved on to the Red 2 Diamond 1 Championship bracket.  In the quarter-finals, the team had a solid 3-1 victory of DeAnza Force Silver.  In the semi-finals, the boys upended DeAnza Force Black, 5-3.  That placed Placer in the championship game yesterday versus a very solid PAC San Jose squad.  The game was back and forth and neither team could find the back of the net.  With eight minutes remaining, Placer United converted a scoring chance and sealed the 1-0 victory!

The 2014 State Cup Champion, U12 Boys 03 Gold, made quite a run through the Red Group. In the first round, Placer scored 25 goals and conceded zero to take first place in the group. They had an 11-0 win over Cal Blues, 8-0 win over Inter Rage and a 6-0 win over Davis Legacy. In the second round, the goal was to reach the Top 8 in the State. The boys defeated Ethos 3-0 and then followed that up with a 1-0 win over Central California Soccer Alliance Black. The boys needed a win in game three to advance to the Final 8. In a game that saw the boys miss a number of scoring chances against Cal Odyssey, the boys conceded their first goal of the tournament and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Unfortunately, Placer was tied in points after the three games and the boys lost out on overall goal differential. The team moved into the Red 1 State 2 Playoff. In the quarter-finals, Placer beat Evergreen United 1-0. In the semi-finals, the boys tied with San Juan Blue after a barrage of shots and chances but could not break the 1-1 deadlock. The game went to penalty kicks and the boys came up on the short end. In their final game for 11th place in the State, the boys bounced back with a 1-0 victory over DeAnza Force Silver.  Placer ended up with 33 goals for and only 2 against in the State Cup. Outstanding!

The U13 Girls 02 Gold also had a tremendous run through the Red Group of State Cup.  In the opening round, Placer rattled off three straight victories, 1-0 over Delta, 4-1 over Bay Oaks Bombers and a 3-0 win over Livermore Fusion. The girls landed in a very difficult Round 2 group. In Game #1, despite having multiple chances to blow the game open, they fell 1-2 to Mustang Blast. In Game #2, the girls bounced back, needing a win, with a 2-0 win over Union City Premier. Needing a win to advance to the Final 8, Placer faced one of the top teams in the State, Juventus Ragazze. It was a back and forth match but the girls ended up on the short end, losing 2-1. The girls moved into the Red 1 Premier 1 Cup Championships. Placer opened up the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Sacramento United Red. In the semi-finals, the girls won a nail biter, beating a very athletic San Francisco Vikings team 1-0.  The championship game was versus the San Mateo Stars. Both teams had a few chances to win the game but the defenses stood strong and the game was scoreless after regulation. The teams battled through two 5-minute overtime periods and the game remained scoreless. The game was then decided by penalty kicks and the girls came up on the short end.  Congratulations on finishing up #18 in the State!

Placer United U12 Girls 03 Black qualified for the Red Group of State Cup and ground their way through the tournament. In the first round, the Placer had a narrow 0-1 defeat to 49er United. In Game 2, the girls were up ended by Boca 1-4. The team bounced back with a 1-1 draw with Rocklin. In the second round, the girls opened with a great result versus Sac United Red, 0-0. In Game 2, they met up with Manteca and lost a thrilling game 2-3. In Game 3, the team fought back from a 3-1 deficit and drew 3-3 with Cal Odyssey South Earthquakes. The team then moved into the Red 2 Diamond 2 knock out round.  In the quarter-finals, the girls had another great game, defeating Atletico Santa Rosa, 3-2. In the semi-finals, the team had a dominating 3-1 win over Tahuichi Academy. The win placed the girls in the championship game versus Walnut Creek Earthquakes. It was a very good game and both teams had opportunities to find the back of the net. Down 2-0, Placer fought til the end but came up a bit short.

Next weekend, the U11 Boys 04 Gold and the U11 Girls 04 Gold will also be playing in their final cup matches of the year. The U11 girls made it to the top group of State Cup and will be playing in the 7th/8th place game!  They will square off versus the winner of San Juan and Mustang. The U11 boys defeated Tahuichi, 4-3 in the semi-finals on Saturday to reach the Red 1 State 2 Final. They will play the winner of Turlock and Sac United Reds. Both games will be held in Modesto this Sunday.

Congratulations to all of our teams on a great run through the State Cup!

Placer United U12G 03 Gold is the Top Team in Northern California

Placer United U12 Girls won the Norcal State Cup Championship yesterday in thrilling fashion in Modesto, CA.  The girls made their second consecutive trip to the State Championship game.  In the 2014 final, Placer came up short but avenged last year’s defeat with a nail biting victory.

The road to the State Cup Championship was very impressive.  The girls were seeded number two after last years appearance in the final.  In the first round, Placer swept the competition, scoring 17 goals and conceding 0.  They had a 7-0 win over Sagebrush Patriots, and back to back 5-0 wins over Sac United Extreme Red and San Juan Blue.  In the second round, Placer opened up with a 6-0 victory over North Bay Elite Dynamo and a 4-1 win over Sonoma County Alliance North.  The girls then drew 0-0 with Bay Oaks to reach the final eight of the tournament.  In the quarter-finals, Placer defeated Inter Rage Academy Storm 3-0.  In the semi-finals, the girls played against DeAnza Force Blue.  Both teams played quality, possession soccer and our girls won 2-0.

After an unbelievable run through the State Cup, the Placer United squared off against West Coast Soccer Club in the State Championship game.

In the first half, Placer controlled the tempo with sharp passing to feet and keeping the ball away from a very dangerous West Coast team.  The girls had created a number of scoring opportunities and finally put one away midway through the first half.  Emma Schafer collected a ball from about 15-yards out and hit a diagonal bullet into the side netting, splitting the West Coast defense.  After the goal, there were a few more chances to widen the lead but Placer came up short.

In the second half, West Coast began to press and were very direct in their play.  The Placer backline and GK were tested in the air as a number of balls were served forward.  The wind had picked up and the direct balls were carrrying toward the Placer goal.  The girls remained calm and continued to play the game in possession and create scoring chances.  Midway through the second half, West Coast got on the board after high pressing the Placer’s backline and hit a quick shot.  Moments later, West Coast took another shot from outside that skipped into the side netting.

Down, 2-1, Placer did not panic and continued to play composed.  As the game was coming to a close, the girls won the ball in midfield and played a ball in behind the West Coast defense.  Forward, Hannah Wirth, received the pass, took a touch towards the goal and scored the equalizer with only a few minutes left to play.  The game then went back and forth and both teams buckled down on defense as the whistle blew for the end of regulation.

The game went to overtime with two five minute periods and golden goal.  The first team that scored would be crowned State Champions.  If no goals were scored, the game would be decided by penalty kicks.  The sidelines were tense as the referee blew the whistle to begin overtime.  Directly from the kickoff, Placer strung a number of passes together.  Kellie Pagador overlapped the center forward and received a ball into space giving her a one versus one with the West Coast central defender.  Kellie dribbled inside with her right foot towards goal, then quickly cut the ball back onto her left foot creating a shooting window from 18-yards out.  The crowd was silent as the ball was struck and it was perfectly tucked into the back post which sealed the victory.

The Placer United players quickly rushed onto the field to celebrate the victory! What a run!  The team had eight wins and one draw. Placer United U12 scored 35 goals and only conceded three.  Congratulations to all of the players, families and Coach Don on a fantastic game and a remarkable season!