Placer United Alum, Jake Feener, Goalkeeper with USL Tulsa Roughnecks

Tulsa, Oklahoma, July 14, 2015 — An eventful week for Tulsa Roughnecks FC goalkeeper Jake Feener is continuing. Last Thursday, he made his professional debut in Tulsa’s 4-1 win over Orange County, then recorded his second victory on Saturday when the Roughnecks defeated Colorado Springs 3-1. Tuesday afternoon, Feener was recognized for his successful debut as he was voted the USL Player of the Week.  He is the first Roughnecks player to ever receive the honor.

Feener was honored after making 18 saves in his first two professional starts to lead the Roughnecks to the victories. Thirteen of the saves came in his debut against the Blues. In Saturday’s victory, the only goal for the Switchbacks came via a second-half penalty kick.

Feener earned 67 percent of the vote, which was conducted by a national panel of independent media representing every USL market. Charleston Battery forward Dane Kelly finished second with 17 percent of the vote.

His Player of the Week performance also earned Feener a spot on this week’s USL Team of the Week.

He was not the only Roughnecks player to earn a place on the squad as defender Brady Ballew was named to the team for the second time this season. Ballew picked up his third assist of the season in Thursday’s win, then collected his second goal of the campaign to open the scoring against the Switchbacks on Saturday.

It is the second time this season that the Roughnecks have placed two players on the weekly squad. Ballew and Adam Black were named to the team after Tulsa’s 5-1 win in Seattle on June 5.

The Roughnecks will be back in action this weekend. Tulsa will travel down the Turner Turnpike on Saturday to face the Oklahoma City Energy in the renewal of the Black Gold Derby. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00PM

courtesy of USL Tulsa Roughnecks

Placer United Alum, Jake Feener, Goalkeeper with USL Tulsa Roughnecks

Tulsa, Oklahoma, July 10, 2015—

Tulsa Roughnecks FC was in need of a positive result Thursday night at ONEOK Field and it came in the form of a big 4-1 win over the Orange County Blues.  The Roughnecks got another goal from local product Cristian Mata and an impressive performance in goal from Jake Feener in his USL debut to help record the victory.
The win improved Tulsa’s point total to 18 and its record to 5-8-3.  With the loss, the Blues saw their record fall to 7-8-1 with 22 points.  
For the first 15 minutes, it did not appear that three points were likely for the Roughnecks.  The Blues started positively, and it took a pair of big saves from Feener in the 11th minute to keep the match scoreless.
The Roughnecks started to settle into the match midway through the half.  Brady Ballew and Oscar Jimenez had shots turned away by Blues’ keeper Pepe Miranda.

Tulsa finally broke through to open the scoring in the 30th minute when local product Cristian Mata settled a cross from Iarfhlaith Davoren and placed a low shot into the corner of Miranda’s net.  It was the second goal in three matches for the Tulsa resident.
Cristian Mata photo courtesy of Rich Crimi.

The Blues evened the score line just before half when they caught the Roughnecks’ defense out of position.  Didier Crettenand’s shot left Feener with no chance and tied the game at 1-1 as the team’s headed to the halftime locker rooms.
 After the interval, the Roughnecks caught one of the few breaks they have received this season.  In the 48th minute, a cross from Steven Miller was directed into Miranda’s net by Blues defender Jack McCracken for an own goal to put Tulsa in front to stay.
Jimenez made it 3-1 in the 58th minute.  Oscar blasted home from close range on a cross from Ballew for his first-ever USL goal.
Down two goals, the Blues press forward in an attempt to get back in the game, but Feener was up to the task.  
Kyrian Kidd put the game out of reach when he tapped home a free kick cross from Chad Bond in the 90th minute.  It was Kidd’s second goal of the year and gave the Roughnecks a 4-1 victory.
Feener was outstanding, registering 13 saves in the match as the Blues outshot Tulsa 24-16.  The keeper was awarded the Joe Momma’s Man of the Match by the Roustabouts for his performance.
The Roughnecks will get little time to enjoy the result.  They will be back in action Saturday night at ONEOK Field as they host top of the table Colorado Springs.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30pm.

courtesy USL Tulsa Roughnecks

By: Steven Wilson, Sports Editor – The Press Tribune

Roseville, CA — It’s been almost one year exactly since the under-18 Placer United boys soccer team won the 2014 National Premier League (NPL) Finals in North Carolina and brought the championship trophy back to Placer County.

Fast forward to July, 2015 and Placer United is sending a pair of girls squads to the East Coast to compete in this year’s tournament in Indiana.

“It’s very rare to have two teams in the same club that make it to the national finals,” stated Ron Benjamin, who’s been the Director of Coaching at Placer United for eight years.

Both the under-16 and under-17 girls squads will be make the trip after qualifying for the tournament in December after winning their respective divisions in the NPL NorCal Champions League.

The under-16 team, consisting of players born in 2000, won their league with a 6-1-1 record. Meanwhile, the under-17 team (players born in 1999) posted an undefeated 7-0-1 record.

“I’ve been playing with Placer United since I was apart of the under-9 team and it’s incredible to see how much better we’ve gotten as a team,” Rocklin High student and under-16 midfielder Megan Kuo said. “For us to win this tournament, we have to be strong on defense.”

Despite competing against many talented squads in the opening rounds of the tournament, Placer United has a tradition on their side.

“We’re seeking the club’s third and fourth national championship,” Benjamin said. “In 2008, the ’93 girls won the club soccer national championship and then last year our ’97 boys went out to the same event and won the national championship.

“We’re 2 for 2 at that level,” Benjamin added. “There’s a lot of pressure because we’re one of the more respected clubs in Northern California and we have a high standard.”

Nicolette Lewis — a member of the Granite Bay girls soccer team and a midfielder for the under-16 Placer United team — says she’s most excited to compete against some of the best teams in the nation this weekend.

“I think we start out by playing the fifth-ranked team in the nation,” Lewis explained. “So we need to have a winning mentality — that’s probably the number one thing.”

Although the under-16 team dropped their opening match of the tournament 3-0 to Scottsdale Blackhawks 00G Shank, Lewis is happy that her team’s not alone in this process and they can lean on their peers for advice.

“It’s cool to go through this experience with another team,” she said. “We’ve been playing with them for so long, so it’s nice to compete against them and have them as role models for our team.”

The older girls on the team helped set the pace of the practices and made sure the younger team knew just how important this time of the year is for both squads.

The under-17 squad also took care of business on Thursday with a 4-2 win over Tusc Blitz United 99 Girls to move to the top of their bracket heading into Friday.

“High school ended in mid-May, we had tryouts and we started back up on June 1, so usually we’re on a break at this time of the year,” said Benjamin. “From June 22 to July 5 we let them recharge the batteries and then the tournament season starts at the end of July. But since we qualified for this tournament, we’re one of the only clubs around here training right now.

“So everyone forewent their vacations because we want to be prepared for this trip.”

A total of 16 teams qualified for the tournament by winning their state premier league. Each team is divided into a division — just like group play in the World Cup — which is comprised of four teams each. The four teams with the best record after group play advance.

“There are teams on the East Coast who just finished their competitive seasons, so they should be used to highly-competitive games,” Benjamin said.

Both Placer United squads began group play on Thursday and will end the first round of competition on Saturday. The semifinals will take place on Sunday and the championship will occur Monday morning if they qualify.

“I think we’re ready,” Benjamin said. “We’ve been training hard and pushing the girls to the limit for the last five weeks.”

Benjamin and the other coaches know just how tough the conditions back East will be, so they decided to turn up the heat in July.

“Getting used to the humidity is going to be horrible,” Lewis admitted. “Our coaches closed the garage doors at our practice facility and it suctioned in the heat. Plus, the other day we went on a run outside and it was 108 (degrees). It was so hot, but the coaches and parents surprised us with water balloons, so it was a great team-bonding experience.”

“If we’re playing in a location where it’s hot, we feel like we have an advantage — we train in the heat all the time,” Benjamin added. “But humidity is a little different.”

The teams flew out together on Wednesday, leaving little time for delay as the under-16 team played right away on Thursday at 9 a.m. CST.

“This is going to be much like a college team’s trip — It’s all business,” Benjamin said.

“We’ve never seen a lot of these teams,” Benjamin said. “So we’re going to need quick fixes on both sides and figure out what the other team is doing within 15 minutes; what’s their formation, what’s their style and then we’ll make our adjustments.

“We’ve played a lot of teams all over the country, but these specific ones we haven’t seen… We’re going in blind.”

The tournament is about more than just wins however.

“It’s about showing our abilities to college coaches who are watching and creating a future for ourselves,” Woodcreek student and under-17 midfielder Mackenzie George said.

“We have a lot of seniors on our team and although I’m only a junior, it’s still important to me to stand out and make an impact,” Oakmont High student and Placer United under-17 defender Kiley Whipple said. “So I just want to help my team in whatever way I can and find out if soccer is something I want to pursue at the next level.”

Despite a lack of familiarity with their competition, Benjamin and Co. are confident they’ll finish the tournament strong and they hope to bring home some hardware on the return flight.

Follow Steven Wilson on Twitter for game score and updates throughout the tournament: @stevenjwilson11.

The National Premier League Finals – formerly known as the NPL Champions Cup – features the champions of NPLs across the United States in the U-13 through U-18 boys and girls age groups. Teams play several group games before advancing to knock-out rounds to determine the NPL national champion in every age group.

This year, Placer United has two women’s teams competing including the U16G 00’s and U17G 99’s. Both teams flew out of Sacramento this morning on their way to Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.

Placer United U16G

Placer United U17G

One of the most prestigious championships in the country, the NPL Finals is the targeted destination for all NPL teams throughout the year-long, league-based competition each season.

Good Luck Girls!

Ten Placer United players are in McMinnville, Oregon, competing for spots on USYSA’s Region IV Regional teams. Top players from the 14 western states were selected to compete for positions on the regional teams. Coach Ron Benjamin, and former professional women’s soccer players Brandi Chastain and Tiffeny Milbrett, were on staff to train the girls.

Once teams are selected, they will participate and compete against the three other regions in the U.S.

Congrats to the following players:

Boys

Gavin Mann – 02
Cole Phillips – 02

(l-r) Sydney Schultz, Abena Aidoo, Nicolette Lewis, Emily Talmi, Isabella Perez, Clare Murphy, Maggie Bell

Girls

Maggie Bell – 98
Nicolette Lewis – 99
Isabella Perez – 00
Sydney Schultz – 00
Emily Talmi – 00
Clare Murphy – 00
Abena Aidoo – 00
Taylor Ramos – 02

Taylor Ramos

Go Placer!

2015 ODP Summer Camp Dates

Madalyn Schiffel, Goalkeeper, University of San Francisco

Congratulations are in order for Madalyn Schiffel who was called in to compete at the the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. The camp was held from April 26 to May 3 and featured 24 current collegiate players. The majority of the roster has extensive experience with the USA’s Youth National Teams, including nine players who have played for the USA at FIFA U17 or U20 Women’s World Cup tournaments.

Madalyn has been involved in the US Youth National Team system and has been identified as one of the top female goalkeepers in the US. “It was a great experience to be called into the U23’s and play with some of the best players in the country,” stated Schiffel.

Great job Madalyn! We wish you the best of luck in the future with your National Team endeavors and your upcoming season with the University of San Francisco!

Read More About Madalyn

Loomis, CA — Over 120 players gathered at Del Oro High School on Saturday for the annual Placer United College I.D. Camp. The following colleges were represented as they scouted the Sacramento area talent:

• Sacramento State
• UC Davis
• Cal State Monterey Bay
• Cal Berkeley
• University of Nevada
• Sonoma State
• Dominican University

Additionally, the Placer United coaching staff was on hand to help out the college coaches throughout the camp. The coaches ran the players through training sessions for the first half of camp and then the players played 10v10 games for the second half. The players were outstanding and gave everything they had in front of the college coaches. After the sessions, the players and parents participated in an invaluable Question & Answer period with the college coaches about the college recruiting process.

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated !

Coach John Bustos reports and provides radio capsules and updates for Bustos Media Network at Woman’s World Cup from BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada.  Video of Warm Up

Savannah Coiner, Vasa IFK, Finland

Upon finishing her fourth starting season in the ACC at Clemson University, Placer ’93 Gold alum Savannah Coiner has signed a contract with the Finland-based club Vasa IFK, to pursue her dream of playing professionally. Coiner finished her fourth season in the ACC as team captain, leading her team back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007.

Coiner signed the contract just days after graduating from Clemson and she left on June 13^th to be in Vaasa, Finland for her first game with the club on the 15^th. Vasa IFK competes in the Naisten Liiga, the premiere division for Women’s futbol in Finland. Vaasa is located on the Western Coast of Finland, about four hours northwest of the capital, Helsinki. Coiner will be joining the club in the middle of their season as they played their first games in April.  The regular season will run through September, with post-season play occurring in October.

California Cup, Gold Division, Champions

The Placer United U13G 03 Black team won the gold division of the California Cup this past weekend. They opened up with a convincing 3-0 win over the Central Marin Magic and then drew 1-1 with Galt FC. The win and draw were enough to propel the girls to the semi-finals. In the semis, the girls won a nail biter, 2-1 versus the Ethos Saints. The game looked like it was going into overtime until goal two was scored by Hannah Zieour to win the game in the last five minutes. The final game was played against Nevada Elite Football 03 Blue that had Nevada scoring the first goal. Placer began the 2nd half scoreless. With both teams determined to play hard to the end, there was only one minute left in the game when Placer came up with a goal by Sydney Johnson. After going into two overtime periods, Placer nailed it in PK’s, stopping two of Nevada’s goals with Placer getting four goals into the net! Over the weekend, the girls scored six goals and only conceded two en route to their first tournament championship. A hard earned Cal Cup win for Placer! Congratulations to the girls and Coach BJ! —contributor Maryann Zywot