Over 100 teams entered the State Cup Tournament and there are only two left to play for the top crown. Placer United’s U13 Girls Gold is one of them!

After playing in preliminary games, seeding games, second games, quarter final and semi final games this group of girls is still standing. The U13 has a never-say-die attitude and refusal to lose mentality which is truly admirable. The girls entered the finals weekend matched up against a tough Pleasanton Rage team. After a hard-fought match, the girls came out on top 2-0. The semi-final found the girls against a very tough group of girls from San Juan. Anyone watching this game definitely got their money’s worth. It was a battle with both teams going at each other end to end. Again. the Placer girls came out on top 2-0. These players showed unbelievable team shape and team organization over this past weekend. Facing two very tough opponents the girls scored 4 goals and gave up 0. Unbelievable!

Congratulations girls! This is a massive accomplishment and you should all be very proud!

Good luck in the final!

On Saturday, a number of Placer United girls from our black and gold teams travelled to Santa Rosa to participate in a college identification camp sponsored by Santa Rosa United. There were many college coaches in attendance and they put the girls through four hours of intense training. The response from the players was very good. Identification camps are held for college coaches to have an up-close and personal look at players looking to play at the next level.

On Sunday, the Placer United U16, U17 and U18 Gold teams travelled to Santa Rosa for a college showcase event. It was a fantastic environment for the players. Only four top clubs from Cal-North were invited to this event.

The U16 girls won both games – 1-0 win over Santa Rosa and a 2-0 win over Marin FC

The U17 girls tied both games – 1-1 against Santa Rosa and 1-1 against Marin FC

The U18 girls tied both games – 1-1 against Santa Rosa and 0-0 against Marin FC

Following is a list of the list of colleges that were represented at the ID Camp and the Showcase games:

• Humboldt State University
• Southern Oregon University
• UC Santa Barbara
• Sonoma State
• Dominican University
• San Diego State
• Chico State
• UC Davis
• University of San Francisco
• Cal State Stanislaus
• Dartmouth
• Stanford
• Portland State
• Cal State Bakersfield
• Cal State Dominguez Hills
• Unv of Nevada Reno
• Idaho State University
• Cal State Sacramento

A number of Placer United players got to represent CDA in their first USSF Pre Academy game this past weekend. Coach Kelsey Chaidez assembled a squad of players born in the year 1996/97/98 to take on the San Jose Earthquakes pre-academy team.

The MLS franchise’s pre-academy team which draws players from all over Northern California arrived at Del Oro high school full of confidence after already playing a handful of games with great success.

The many fans that braved the cold temperatures were not disappointed with the game, as the players treated everyone to a very exciting, fast-paced game. Said one fan after the game, “Both teams are really skillful. There was a lot of good players out there.” One of the linesman for the game made the comment afterwards, “All the players looked very comfortable on the ball and it was great to see both teams looking to keep possession of the ball.”

The Pre-Academy league is designed to educate players about the USSF Academy league and help introduce them to the more tactical/technical side of USSF Academy Soccer.

CDA (California Development Academy) is in it’s 2nd year as a member of the USSF Academy League. San Juan and Placer United soccer clubs work hand-in-hand/side-by-side to make this the best youth soccer environment in the Sacramento Area.

This weekend is a very busy one for all Placer United U11-U13 teams. We have 7 boys teams, and 6 girls teams all competing in the quarter-final rounds of Nor-Cal Premier League’s “State Cup” competition.

With preliminary games starting way back in August 2010, Placer United teams have traveled around Northern California and competed against some of the top clubs in the state, including: Mustang, Santa Clara, De Anza, Cal Odyssey, Pleastanton, Diablo FC, to name a few. Placer United now takes the field in the “do-or-die” quarter rounds.

Some of our teams have drawn really tough opposition, in the final 8, but that’s what we want!…good competition. As the saying goes, “Gotta beat the best, to be the best.”

So, soccer parents and fans, make sure to get your players to bed early. Then get your fold-up chairs, heavy jackets, blankets, hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls organized. Oh! Don’t forget your fog horns and cheer on your Placer United teams.

Twenty-two area high school seniors who have been actively involved in Placer United Soccer Club and/or California Development Academy will take their athletic skills to the next level as they move on to their chosen colleges and universities.

Paul O’Brien, Placer United Soccer Club Director of Boys Coaching, said, “These students all share the qualities of passion, commitment, leadership, and drive—combined with a love of the game—that will help them go far in their college careers.”

These athletes will gather Wednesday, February 2nd at 6:30pm in Loomis, to sign their letter of intent or letter of commitment to their chosen schools where they will continue to play soccer:

Melanie Bertrand – Rocklin High School – University of Nevada (Div. 1), Reno, NV

Seth Casiple – Rocklin High School – University of California, Berkeley (Div. 1), Berkeley, CA

Savannah Coiner – Rocklin High School – Clemson University (Div. 1), Clemson, SC

Austin Dunn – Placer Union High School – University of San Diego (Div. 1), San Diego, CA

Mackenzie Edwards – Whitney High School – California State University, Chico (Div. 2), Chico, CA

Morgan Edwards – Whitney High School – California State University, Chico (Div. 2), Chico, CA

Erika Garcia – Dayton High School (Nevada) – Harvard University (Div. 1), Cambridge, MA

Lexi Giusti – Yuba City High School – Lesley College (Div. 3), Cambridge, MA

Connor Hallisey – Granite Bay High School – Univerisity of California, Berkeley (Div. 1), Berkeley, CA

Megan Hanson – Rocklin High School – Dominican University (Div. 2), San Rafael, CA

Matthew LaGrassa – Pleasant Grove High School – California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (Div. 1), San Luis Obispo, CA

Lindsey Matlock – St. Francis High School – Houston Baptist University (Div. 1), Houston, TX

Andrew Mills – Jesuit High School – Princeton University (Div. 1), Princeton, NJ

Kendall Modiste – Granite Bay High School  – San Diego State University (Div. 1), San Diego, CA

Kelly Morning – Roseville High School – University of Nevada (Div. 1), Reno, NV 

Marwan Nazanda – Bella Vista High School – University of California (Div. 1), Irvine, CA

Chelsea Putman – Granite Bay High School – Point Loma Nazarene (NAIA), San Diego, CA

Daylon Schiffel – Cornerstone Christian School – University of Central Arkansas (Div. 1), Conway, AR

Grant Silvester – Rio Americano High School – University of Virginia (Div. 1), Charlottesville, VA

Marlo Smith – Whittell High School, South Lake Tahoe – University of Nevada (Div. 1), Reno, NV

Matthew Wiesenfarth – Jesuit High School – University of California, Davis (Div. 1), Davis, CA

Abby Williams – Christian Brothers High School – Lafayette College (Div. 1), Easton, PA

States Ron Benjamin, Director of Girls Coaching, “I have had the privilege of seeing these kids not only grow as exceptional players, but as exceptional people. They are driven individuals who thrive by seeing their teams succeed. They love the game and their hard work both on and off the field will no doubt take them far in their college careers.”

These players worked hard in the classroom and on the soccer field, and now they’re reaping the rewards of attractive college offers. PUSC and CDA are very proud of their accomplishments, and we look forward to witnessing their future achievements.

Congratulations to California Development Academy’s Seth Casiple on his selection to attend the men’s U18 National Team Training Camp.

Seth will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, from February 12 – 20 to participate in the camp.

Best of luck to you, Seth!

Placer United U10 Girls Gold team had a fantastic run in the NorCal State Cup Championship. The State Cup tournament started with a pool of 72 U10 girls teams. The Placer United U10 began the tournament winning their first five games scoring 17 goals and only allowing 3.

They continued on to the final round of eight teams, which represents the top competitive clubs in the State. The girls were defeated in the Quarter-finals of the NorCal Cup’s TOP group and then moved on to play two consolation games versus the other top teams that were eliminated in the Quarter-finals.

The girls continued to show their skill, heart, and great defense by playing the Pleasanton Rage team to a 2-2 draw but lost in penalty kicks. The girls then faced a great Modesto AJAX team. The girls stepped up their game and won 3-1 in a dominating performance. The future of developing very skilled top level players in the Placer United program continues.

Great job on making it all the way to the Quarter-finals!