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News

Placer U17B NPL Champions League Winners

Champs_U17B_NPL2_2014

Congratulations to Placer United’s U17 boys as they were crowned winners of the NPL Champions league on Sunday. Going into the weekend the boys needed to secure two big wins to land the title and they didn’t disappoint. With the sidelines full of college coaches on Saturday and Sunday, the boys held their nerve to win both  games 2-1 and 2-1 and become the #1 Team in Northern California. The boys will now represent Nor Cal at the NPL National Finals in Greensboro, NC over the Summer.

Congratulations boys! Go Placer!

News

Placer United’s Jordan Vice Trains In England with Wolves Academy

 

Jordan Vice

Jordan Vice

Placer United’s Jordan Vice had the trip of a lifetime when he was invited to train with English Championship Team Wolverhampton Wanderers Youth Academy teams  over spring break.

Jordan had a great time at the home of the Wolves Youth Academy,  where Irish Soccer Legend, Robbie Keane, first made his name back in the day. Jordan, who plays for Placer United USSF Academy team, did extremely well and really impressed the Wolves Academy staff. He has been invited him back to train  over the summer.

Great job Jordan!

College Bound

Sydney Pagador, Placer United ’97 Commits to the University of New Mexico

Sydney Pagador

Sydney Pagador

“I am excited to announce that I have verbally committed to the University of New Mexico. It’s such a blessing that I get to play soccer at the school where my dad played football. After visiting the campus, I completely fell in love with everything the school has to offer, from the academics to the soccer program. The coaches, Kit Vela, Jorge Vela, and Krista Foo are wonderful people who I cannot wait to play for. I couldn’t have done it without the love and support from everyone throughout my years of playing for Placer United.  Thank you to my first coach, Lee Callow, who taught me the basics and fundamentals of the game; to Nathan Williams who built me as a player tactically and mentally; and lastly, to Ron Benjamin for the constructive criticism and pushing me to strive to do my best and made me the player I am today. I am blessed and thankful to have been so fortunate to play for Placer United since U10.  I am looking forward to finishing my last year with an amazing team and coach. I would like to thank my teammates, who aren’t just teammates, but are my best friends and life-long sisters. There are no other people I’d rather be spending practically every day with. They make me laugh and push me to work harder and become a better player. Lastly and most importantly, my thanks and gratitude to my parents who have done so much for me— taking me to countless games and practices and supporting me every step of the way. I am extremely excited to go to UNM and am looking forward to being a part of a great soccer program. I am committed to work hard and to strive for greatness each and every day! Go Lobos!” —Sydney Pagador

News

Placer United Alumni, Madalyn Schiffel, Called Into the US Under 20 Women’s National Team Camp Next Week

Madalyn Schiffel

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team head coach Michelle French has called 25 players to a camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, running from April 13-20. One of those players is Placer United Alumni, Madalyn Schiffel who played for Coach Gene Duchateau on the ’95 Gold team.  It will be the USA’s third-to-last domestic camp before the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup takes place in Canada in August.

Madalyn will attend the domestic camp next week at the Olympic Training Center.  Then the team will take a  trip to Europe in June and then a final domestic training camp in July before heading to Canada where it will face Germany, Ghana and Brazil in Group B play. The 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup runs from August 5-24 in Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal and Toronto.

French has called up most of the usual core of regulars, but is giving several players first looks as she continues to formulate the roster ahead of the World Cup.

The U-20s will play two scrimmages on Saturday, April 19, against college teams, taking on UCLA at 12:30 p.m. PT followed by USC at 2:30 p.m. PT.

Good Luck Madalyn! We are so proud of you!

News

Placer United Girls Teams Travel to Las Vegas for Players College Showcase—U15G 99 Red Come Home Champions

 

Placer United U15G 99 Red Players College Showcase Champions

Placer United U15G 99 Red Players College Showcase Champions

The U14, U15, U16 and U18 Red girls teams travelled to Las Vegas this past weekend to compete in the Players College Showcase. Over 350 college coaches from around the country were in attendance to recruit for their institutions.  This was the last event for the teams of the 2013-14 season.

Highlighting the weekend was the U15G ’99 Red team.  They opened up with two identical, 2-1 victories over Laguna Hills Eclipse and AUFC.  In game three, the girls had a convincing 4-0 victory.  In the semi-finals, the girls battled to a 1-1 draw with Long Beach and went to penalties. The girls were victorious and moved on to the semi-finals versus Beach FC.  The girls got on the board early and had a 3-1 victory to claim the title.

The U16G ’98 Red team had another great showing at a major event. The team opened up with a 2-2 draw with Centennial of Minnesota. In game two, the girls had a tough 2-1 win over North Shore of Wisconsin. In game three, the girls played very well and had a convincing 2-0 win over Mandeville of Louisiana. In the final game, the girls came up a bit short with a 1-0 loss to Kentucky Fire. The team ended up the event as semi-finalists on points.

The U18 ’97 Red team had another strong showing having 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss.  The team started off with a dominating performance but settled for a 0-0 draw.  In game two, the girls settled in and beat Leahi of Hawaii 1-0.  In game three, the girls were matched up with their nemesis, West Coast FC of Southern California. After missing a number of chances and having a few miscues, the girls were defeated 3-0.  This was the second loss against West Coast this season, the other coming at Surf College Cup over Thanksgiving. The girls finished off the weekend with a 2-0 win over Calrsbad Lightning and finished as finalists at the event based on points. The team finished the season with a remarkable record of 32 wins, 6 losses and 6 draws, also posting 30 shutouts in 44 games. We are so happy for our eldest team and wish them the best of luck moving forward.

The U14G Red played great soccer on the weekend but ran into a very difficult group. In game one, the girls lost a nail biter 1-0 to LaRoca from Utah.  LaRoca went on to defeat the San Diego Surf in the championship game.  In game two, the girls had a dominating performance.  With multiple chances on goal, the team came up empty and allowed Las Vegas Neon to score on their only chance of the second half.  In game three, the girls lost 1-0 to Albion of San Diego, one of the top teams in the region. In the consolation game, the girls ended in a 2-2 draw with the Irvine Slammers.

All in all it was a great weekend for the soccer club—one champion, one finalist and one semi-finalist.  Congrats to these four girls teams on a tremendous season!

News

Placer United Girls Team Prove Their Strength in the State

U18G Red National Premier League Champions

U18G Red National Premier League Champions

Placer United girls teams prove their strength in the state with the U16G Red and U18G Red winning the National Premier League (NPL) Winter Season. The U18G Red were crowned overall NPL Champions.

Placer United U15G Red, U16G Red, U18G Red, and U18G White teams competed in the NPL College Showcase this past weekend in Turlock. There were a number of college coaches in attendance scouting the event.

The girls NPL is divided up into three league seasons: fall, winter, and spring. Each team plays in two out of the three leagues based on when they play high school soccer. If a team wins two of the leagues, they are the overall NPL Champions. The overall winners then advance to the NPL Finals, July 10-14 in North Carolina.

The U18G Red had a win and a draw on the weekend and were crowned the overall NPL Champions. In the fall league, the girls won the league with 7 wins and 1 draw, scoring 17 goals and only conceeding two. In the winter, the girls won the league with 6 wins and 1 draw, scoring 22 goals and allowing none.

The U16G Red had a win and a draw on the weekend and they were also crowned NPL Winter League Champions. The girls ended the winter league season with 5 wins and 1 draw, scoring 16 goals and only conceeding two. In the fall, the girls posted 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, good for second place in the league. We now wait for the results of the spring league which started this past weekend and will be completed by Mid May. The girls still have a shot of winning the overall NPL Championship.

The U15G Red had a pair of victories this past weekend and secured second place in the NPL winter league. They posted a record of 7 wins and 1 loss, scoring 24 goals and allowing ten. In the fall league, the girls had 7 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss which was good for second place once again. They scored 24 goals and only conceeded seven.

The U18G White competed in the NPL fall and winter leagues as well. They finished the season with an impressive 3-2 victory. They took 6th place in a very difficult winter division. In the fall, the girls posted 5 wins and 3 losses which was good for 4th place. They scored 16 goals and conceeded 11.

The U14G Red won the fall NPL Championship with a record of 8 wins and 1 loss. In the winter league the girls secured second place with 3 wins, 1 draw and two losses. The girls barely missed out on the overall NPL Championship. U14 teams do not participate in the College Showcase.

Congratulations on a very succesful season in the National Premier League. Placer United showed our strength in the top state league in northern California. The club ended up with an astonishing 54 wins, 9 draws and only 13 losses in 76 games. Way to go!

News

Placer United Teams Travel to NPL National Showcase and Northern California Spring Showcase

Last weekend, three Placer United boys teams traveled to the NPL National College Showcase held in Henderson, Las Vegas, and three boys and two  girls  Placer United teams traveled down to the South Bay to play in the Norcal Spring  College Showcase.

Out in sunny Las Vegas, there were about twenty five college coaches  attending the first NPL National Showcase. Our U16, U17 and U18 boys all faced  strong opposition from teams who came to play from across the U.S. The U17 boys won all three  showcase games, beating Las Vegas Premier 3-2, Tynecastle 2-0, and a very strong southern California team,  LAFC 3-0, to take first place. The U16 boys won their first two games beating Colorado Storm 4-0, Texas Dynamos 3-0, and then tied against Sporting Kansas City to finish third overall. The U18 boys had a tough time in the first two games losing 1-0 to the Chicago Sockers and 2-1 to the Madison 49ers, but bounced back in the last game to win 1-0 over a strong Scott Gallagher team.

Back in northern California, games were also taking place in front of  college coaches at various locations throughout Redwood City.

The U17B White team won the overall points championship in the Gold group posting four straight wins with no goals against.  They defeated Marin FC Red 2-0, Livermore 1-0, Bend FC from Oregon 3-0, and Orchard Valley 1-0.

The U14G White team reached the finals of the event after three straight wins. They defeated the Alpine Strikers 5-0 and Bullard 2-0. In the semi-finals, the girls beat the ACC Mavericks 2-0.  In the final, the girls lost to a very strong Boise Nationals team from Idaho, 3-1.

The U15B Red team went 1-1-1 in group play. They tied Marin FC Blue 1-1, lost to Stockton Storm 2-1 and then rebounded with a 3-0 win over Santa Clara Sporting.  That put them in a tie for points with the Cal Odyssey Earthquakes to make it to the next round.  The teams went to the penalty spot to decide who moved on and Placer came up on the short end.

The U16G White had a good weekend with four straight draws. The girls created many scoring chances but could not convert.  They drew 0-0 with MVLA, SF Seals, and the West Valley Legends.  They also had a 1-1 draw with Castro Valley.

The U15G White played some good soccer this weekend.  They had one draw and two narrow defeats.  They drew 0-0 with Union City, a 1-0 loss to Fusion and a 2-0 loss to Athletico Santa Rosa.

Congrats to all of the Placer United teams on a fantastic weekend!

College Bound

Izzie Leuken of Placer United 98 Red Commits to University of San Francisco

College Bound_Izzy Lueken_2014

“I am so happy to announce that I have officially verbally committed to University of San Francisco! Ever since I was a young girl I have dreamed of being able to go to college and play soccer, and now I finally get my chance to do so! I am so thankful for everyone in my life who has helped me become the soccer player I am today. I first want to thank my parents. They have been my biggest supporters from the beginning and have sacrificed so much for me to be able to play the sport I love. I also want to thank my teammates who push me every day at practice to become a better player and are all truly my best friends. To Bart, who brought me on to the team when I first came to Placer and gave me a whole new prospective on the game and improved my tactical skills tremendously. I want to thank Ron for being so involved in the recruiting process. I am so excited to spend my last two years at Placer with him as my coach, making me the best player I can be. And finally I want to thank Todd DeCarlo who has been my coach for the past two years and without a doubt made me the player I am today. He is truly one of the best coaches I have ever had. He has improved my technical ability so much and the way he coaches and his love for the game helps me strive to become better every day. I am so excited to spend four amazing years living in San Francisco, playing soccer, and getting an amazing education! This commitment is just another step in my soccer career and has pushed me even harder to become better every day to lead me to the day that I become a Don!” — Izzie Leuken

News

Placer U16 Boys Draw Rave Reviews from Top Drawer Magazine at the NPL National Showcase

NPL Boy’s National Showcase: Day 1 Recap

Article Written by Tanikka Queen, ESNN

Published: March 8, 2014

The inaugural US Club Soccer NPL Boys Showcase kicked off Friday in Las Vegas, NV. Here are a few highlights from day one.

U16 Colorado Storm Royal vs. U16 Placer Prestige 98 Gold 0 – 3

The wind began to pick up as these teams stepped onto the field.

Prestige 98 Gold began the domination the minute the whistle blows.

With the kickoff advantage, Placer occupied the attacking third for majority of the first half that lead to the first of two goals by Riley Holbrook.

His defensive run from his position at left defender begin the offensive drive.

With strong players in the attacking third like Donovan Guzman and Hunter Loomis the play kept its fast pace.

Defensive midfielder for the Colorado Storm Royal, Ryan Eddings, had several attempts at the goal but no support from his teammates to finish.

Late in the first half a beautiful shot went into the left corner of the goal off the left foot of Prestige’s Ethan Rohlf to end the half with Prestige up 2 – 0.

The final goal came late in the second half again by Holbrook.

The Prestige’s ball control and ability to open up the first game is just that, prestigious.

College Bound

Savannah Schultz Commits to Cal State University, East Bay

College Bound_Savannah Schultz_2014

“I am super excited to say that I have verbally committed to Cal State University, East Bay. After visiting the campus and meeting the coaches, Amy Gerace and assistant Zlatan Sahmanovic, I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I would like to thank all my coaches in the past for getting me were I am today, but a special thank you to Ron Benjamin for pushing me in practice and games and also helping me gain the ability I need for the next level. I am looking forward to playing collegiate soccer as a Pioneer and furthering my education. Lastly, I would like to thank my Mom and Dad for making my soccer career possible and always being my number one support system.

Go Pioneers!” — Savannah Schultz