OGDEN, Utah – Senior Rachel Leonard became just the second player in program history named Big Sky Defensive MVP while freshman Mikayla Reed was named co-Big Sky Top Newcomer among seven Hornets honored by the conference on Tuesday.

Senior midfielder Jennifer Lum joined Leonard on the all-Big Sky first team as the Hornets had multiple first team selections for the first time since 2010. Senior defender Alexa Heinzer was named to the second team while Reed, senior forward Adaurie Dayak, sophomore midfielder Caitlin Prothe, and sophomore goalkeeper Destiny Butcher were honorable mention.

Leonard is the first Sacramento State defender to win the Big Sky Defensive MVP award outright, as previous winner Kara Taylor was the Co-Defensive MVP in 2005. Leonard is the only Hornet that has been on the field for all 1,740 minutes the team has played this season, leading the squad to the second-best goals against average (0.98) in the Big Sky.

Leonard has anchored a Hornet defense that has permitted just 19 goals in 18 games with six shutouts and has permitted only 6.3 shots on goal per game. She has contributed offensively as a well with a goal and an assist in Big Sky conference play.

A true freshman out of Auburn, Reed shared the Big Sky Top Newcomer honor with Idaho’s Emma Eddy and Weber State’s Paige Stevens. Reed has started 17 of 18 games this year and also helped lead the Hornet defense from her midfield position. She has played the second most minutes among all Hornet non-defenders and has two assists on the offensive end.

A three-time all-Big Sky selection, Lum has been among the most dynamic players in the Big Sky during conference play, in which she totaled five goals and two assists for 12 points. During Sacramento State’s program-record tying five-game winning streak through the end of the regular season, Lum had five goals and one assist. She ranks second in the Big Sky in shots on goal per game this season while starting all 18 games and leading all Hornet non-defenders with 1,583 minutes played.

Along with Leonard, Heinzer has been another stalwart of the Hornet back line playing in all 18 games and starting all conference games as the Hornets recorded six shutouts and allowed just one goal in six other games this year. She also had an assist on the only goal in Sacramento State’s 1-0 win at Northern Colorado.

Butcher has been the primary Hornet goalkeeper this season and leads the Big Sky with a .820 save percentage. She is also third in the league in goals against average (1.06) and saves per game (5.13) and has been a part of five shutouts playing in 16 of 18 games.

Dayak scored two game-winning goals this season, including the winner against Weber State that qualified the Hornets for the Big Sky Tournament, and had a team high three assists during the regular season. Prothe has been another strong defender in the midfield and totaled one goal and one assist playing in all 18 games with 14 starts.

The Hornets enter the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will play a semifinal game at 10 a.m. Friday in the conference tournament in Cheney, Wash.

Paul O’Brien, Director of Soccer Operations
September 29, 2016, Placer Valley Tourism

Placer United Soccer Club is ranked as one of the fastest growing soccer clubs on the West Coast and this can largely be attributed to their incredible staff, focus on player development and equal commitment to athleticism and attitude.  With more than 650 registered players, this nonprofit, community-based, competitive club that was founded more than 30 years ago, would not be where it is today without a few key leaders that set the tone and implement what this club stands for each and every day.

Paul O’Brien, who serves as the director of soccer operations, is one of those key people. His dedication to Placer United is matched by his love for the game and the vision he has for the young players who call Placer United home. O’Brien, who was born and raised in Ireland, began playing organized soccer when he was around 8-years-old and has never looked back.

O’Brien is pictured here in the middle with FC Dallas head coach and former Placer United and current MLS star Ryan Hollingshead

“The night before I flew out to California I played my very last competitive soccer game in Ireland and it was played in one of Ireland’s most famous soccer stadiums, Dalymount Park; it was a semifinal game of a Major Cup competition which unfortunately we lost 3-2 and as was typical of games in Ireland, I hobbled onto the plane the next morning,” O’Brien fondly recounts.

It was March of 1990 when he arrived in California and he immediately started playing competitive soccer, interestingly the club he played with out of Orange County was made up of Irish, English and Scottish players. He spent eight great years playing soccer with that club and also experienced several personal milestones during this time including marrying his wife Terri and expanding their family with the birth of two sons, Sam and Joe.  Along with their children and beloved dog, Paul and Terri decided to move to Rocklin in 1998 and that is when his journey with Placer United began.

“While playing at a local indoor league in Roseville, I heard that a local club was looking for a new coach so I contacted the club, was interviewed, ran a training session and was offered the job of head coach of a U17 boys team for Placer United,”  explained O’Brien.  “In 2004, the Placer United Board of Directors asked if I would be interested in a board position, I said yes and then became the club’s vice manager.”

By 2006 he was offered the position of Boys Coaching Director and held that until he took on the Director of Soccer Operations in 2014. The steady growth of Placer United allowed for a shift in structure where the coaching directors now focus on helping coaches and players on the field. In addition, O’Brien’s position has him working alongside Jodi Tarr, the club administrator, where they combine efforts to oversee the day to day projects as well as focus on ways to continue to advance the club both on and off the field.

Next up for O’Brien and Placer United is their Girls Cup tournament this October 22-23 that has taken place for more than twenty years. Preparations for it are in full swing with more than 200 teams ranging from U11 to U18 will be competing on 32 fields throughout Placer Valley.

“Our girls tournament is one of the biggest soccer events in California at this time of year and for us to be responsible for bringing hundreds of families into our part of town is awesome,” commented O’Brien.  “The excitement on the faces of the girls at the first games and the actual championship games – that’s pretty cool; working with the people at PVT to help put Placer County on the soccer map – that is something we are really proud of too.”

Placer United 98 Girls Gold team and Coach Todd DeCarlo after winning the 2016 soccerloco Surf Cup Championship.

Whether he is on the soccer field, planning training sessions, preparing for the next tournament or helping players take their game to the next level, O’Brien’s passion and knowledge for the game comes shining through. Here at PVT we appreciate you so much Paul, and want to thank you for all the young lives you’ve helped mold into accomplished athletes and adults. You’re a star in our eyes!

Placer alumni player, Ryan Hollingshead (left) and teammate Walker Zimmerman with the US Open Cup Trophy

Big congratulations to Ryan Hollingshead and FC Dallas on their big win last night against the New England Revolution in the 2016 US Open Cup. The game which was broadcast live on TV saw Ryan and FC Dallas comeback from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Revolution by a score of 4-2.

With last night’s victory, Ryan becomes the first player from Placer United to win the US Open Cup.

Congratulations to Ryan and FC Dallas.

Go Placer!

Placer United was recently represented at the Davis Legacy Super Summer Classico by no fewer than 10 teams from our boys side and of those ten, seven made it through to Sunday afternoon via the finals or consolations. 

Coach Tony’s 08B White team had a mixed bag of results, starting off with a great 6-3 win over hosts Davis Legacy White before losing to eventual winners EDH in a one-sided game. Sunday morning they battled hard but lost out 5-4 to Sacramento.

Coach Ryan’s 08B Black team had an excellent first day with a close 3-2 win over San Ramon before comfortably overcoming SSA 7-1. A Sunday morning win would advance them to the final and they didn’t disappoint, winning 7-2 versus Diablo. The final game on a late Sunday was a step too far for the boys and they lost out to EDH to end as runner-up in their first competitive tournament of the season. 

Coach Matt’s 08B Gold team also had a mixed Saturday. In the first game, they edged out hosts David Legacy 4-2 before losing 5-4 in a very entertaining game versus Sac United. Sunday’s 6-2 win against Elk Grove Platinum allowed them to a passage to the championship game where they lost again 5-4 to the same Sac United team. 

Coach Tony’s 07B White team had a tough first day losing to Davis Legacy and then being edged out 3-2 versus Dixon. Sunday the boys rallied to come from 2 goals down to win 4-2 against another Davis Legacy team ending the tournament on a high. 

Coach Pete’s 06B Black team had a fantastic start to the tournament with routine wins of 7-0 and 7-1 respectively. Sunday saw them lose 3-0 to EDH but due to their insurmountable goal difference, they progressed to the final. Playing the same team as in the morning, the boys looked sharp but were made to pay for some missed chances, eventually losing 2-0.

Coach Chris’s 06B Gold team had a mixed weekend, losing their first game but responding to beat a very good Chico United team 5-1 in the afternoon. With a chance to progress to the final if they won their Sunday morning game, they unfortunately missed the opportunity and were eliminated. 

Coach Pete’s 05B Black team started the day off edging out their West Sacramento opponents 3-2 in the first game, before losing an end-to-end match 7-5 versus Valley United. Sunday morning, they came out all guns blazing recording a 8-3 win versus Diablo to earn them a consolation game for 3rd place. Facing a Butte United team, the boys were unrelenting and won 5-0 in a one-sided affair. 

Coach Kevin’s 05B Gold team started off the first day of the tournament in excellent fashion, recording two 5-0 wins over Elk Grove and San Ramon respectively. Sunday morning pitted them against a very talented DeAnza Force team, and despite a good performance, they were edged out 4-2. Their luck didn’t change into the consolation game either as they were edged out 1-0 in a tight game. 

The highlight of the tournament came via our 07B Gold and Black teams. 

Placer United 07B Gold – Davis Legacy Super Summer Classico “Premier” Champions

Coach Kevin’s 07B Gold team had a fantastic Saturday, recording impressive victories of 8-1 versus Lamorinda and 9-4 versus FC Sporting, whilst Coach Conor’s 07B Black team matched them stride for stride winning 8-1 against Dixon and 13-1 versus Davis Legacy. Confidence was high in both groups and they entered Sunday knowing a win or a tie would secure a place in the finals. 07B Black team dispatched Davis Legacy White 3-0 and over soon after the 07B Gold team overcame Davis Legacy Red 6-2.

Placer United 07B Black – Davis Legacy Super Summer Classico “League One” Champions

Both final games were of high entertainment! 07B Black, trailing 2-0 at HT to Idaho Juniors rallied to win 4-3 and take the championship! Meanwhile, 07B Gold were involved in a back and forth game versus San Juan Blue. The lead kept changing hands up until 3-3, then the game was settled in the final minute as Kael Lumbert scored from distance to send the players and fans into raptures. 

Special mentions to Adam Giorgi (07B Gold) and Sawyer Turiace (07B Black) who were both awarded the Player of the Tournament in their respected flights. Well done boys and congratulations to all of our teams and players. Go Placer!

Fresh off tournament success at the recent Davis College Showcase and Pleasanton Rage College Showcase, Placer United teams had a great weekend down in San Diego at the 2016 U15-U19 soccerloco Surf Cup.

The 2000 Boys Gold team had another great showing in front of some major college scouts as they went unbeaten in their bracket to finish in first place and advance to semifinal. But just like in Davis, they were unlucky and lost out to the eventual tournament winners by a score of 2-1.

Placer United 98B Gold – 2016 soccerloco Surf Cup Finalists

The 1998 Boys Gold team really bounced back big time from their loss of form at the Davis Showcase to top their bracket and advance to the semifinal. The boys produced a great display against a tough battling Diablo FC team who took the game to PK’s. But the Placer boys held their nerve and advanced by a score of 4-3 in the PK shootout to reach their first Surf Cup final. In a very back and forth, free flowing final, the Placer narrowly lost out to a good Minneapolis team to finish second.

Playing in the U19 soccerloco Surf Cup Super Bracket, Coach Todd DeCarlo’s ’98 Girls Gold team had the weekend of their soccer careers going one step further than their last two tournaments by being crowned Surf Cup Champions and taking home the coveted champions jackets.

Placer United 98G Gold – 2016 soccerloco Surf Cup Super Champions

The Placer ’98 girls topped their bracket to advance to the semifinal round. In the semi they beat local rivals Sacramento United to advance to the 2016 U19 Surf Cup Super final. Waiting to face our girls in the final was ECNL team Las Vegas Heat, the #1 team in Nevada. But Placer was determined not to come home in second place for the third straight weekend and they came out on fire and never let up to win by a score of 2-1. The trophy is gleaming brightly in the Placer United trophy room…take a look the next time you enter Tinker.

The 98G Gold show off the coveted champions jackets well earned at the 2016 soccerloco Surf Cup tournament in San Diego

A great job by all the boys and girls teams on a great showing at the biggest event of the summer and a huge congratulations to Coach Todd and the 98 Girls Gold team.

Go Placer!

After a great showing by our girls and boys teams recently at the Davis College Showcase tournaments, the Placer United girls where back on the road again last weekend as they headed to the Pleasanton Rage College Showcase. With the temperature gauge and amount of college scouts reading the same triple digit numbers, Placer United was totally pumped up to show off their talents with the hope to regain center stage once again on the Placer website.

By the end of a sizzling weekend both on and off the field, the Placer girls really delivered, bringing home one Championship and four teams finishing as finalists.

Placer United 99G Gold, 2016 Pleasanton Showcase U19 Super 2 Champions

Coach Ron Benjamin’s 99 Girls Gold had an outstanding weekend! They were placed in a top heavy U19 bracket which included two southern California clubs, one of which is a Surf ECNL group. But that didn’t faze Placer as they won all their games to finish in 1st place and were crowned Champions.

Placer United 98G Gold, 2016 Pleasanton Showcase U19 Super 1 Finalists

In the U19 Girls Super Division, Coach Todd DeCarlo’s 98 Girls Gold had a really tough competitive bracket with three top ranked southern California teams and the number one ranked team from Washington. The girls got off to a great start by beating a tough SoCal Blues ECNL team 1-0, and finished out a great weekend by taking home second place.

Placer United 01G Gold, 2016 Pleasanton Showcase U16 Super 1 Finalists

The Placer 01 Girls Gold started off their weekend in fine style as they were involved in one of the games of the day against a Seattle Sounders affiliate team. With no quarter given or asked by either team, the game was a back and forth intense affair played out in front of a packed sideline of college scouts with none of them moving away from the 4-3 spectacular goal fest.

The 01 Girls followed up their four goals in their first game to score another four goals in their second game and fourth games to round out their weekend and finish second place.

Placer United 01G Black, 2016 Pleasanton Showcase Finalists

Not to be outdone by the 01Girls Gold team, the Placer 01 Girls Black team, led by coach Sarah Fawcett, also had a great weekend playing against some strong teams from southern California and Washington. The 01 Girls started out with a well deserved win against Pacific Northwest 01 Girls, and then matched the gold team by also scoring four in their second game. The girls were really unlucky as they lost out on a first place finish by a single point to also finish in second place.

Placer United 03G Gold, 2016 Pleasanton Showcase U15 Super 2 Finalists

Lastly, playing up a year in the 02 Girls Super Division, the Placer 03 Girls Gold had an outstanding weekend playing against older teams from Hawaii, Washington and southern California. The girls won three of their four games and only narrowly lost out to a very athletic Slammers team by a score of 2-1 to finish in second place.

Great weekend ladies and congratulations on all your success! Go Placer!

The Placer United boys teams continued where the girls left off the weekend before as of five of our teams advanced to the semi-final rounds of the 2016 Davis College showcase.

The Placer United 2001 Gold, 2003 Academy, 2004 Academy and 1998 Black boys teams all played strong Davis teams in their quest to make the championship game, while our 2000 Boys were drawn against a tough Santa Clara Sporting.

In the 2004 Boys game, Placer trailed 2-1 at the half but the new look yellow submariners came out flying and crashed through the red sea to secure a great come back win of 5-2 and sail into their second consecutive Davis Showcase final.

Placer United 04 Academy – 2016 Davis Showcase Champions

Over on field eleven, the 2003 Boys were also dressed to impress in their smart looking new yellow kits and were involved in a thrilling back and forth affair. With Davis leading 1-0, the Placer 2003 boys scored two back-to-back goals just before the half to lead 2-1 at the whistle. Placer finished out the game 3-2 to advance to their second consecutive Davis Showcase final.

Placer United 03 Academy – 2016 Davis Showcase Finalists

The 2001 Boys, who earlier beat tournament favorites Galt FC in a dramatic quarter final PK shootout, couldn’t seem to find the much needed  energy to beat a Republic FC loaded Davis team, despite creating a few 1v1 opportunities. The boys never really controlled the game and lost 2-0.

In the 2000 Boys semi-final, Placer scored off a great free kick to take a 1-0 lead against Santa Clara. Placer then conceded an unlucky goal which tied up the game at one a piece at the final whistle. The team from Santa Clara Sporting  eventually won 4-3.

The surprise team of the tournament was the Placer 98 Boys Black team who had a very comfortable win over another Davis team. Our boys controlled the game from start to finish to win 2-1 and advance to their first Davis College Showcase final.

Placer United 98 Boys Black – 2016 Davis Showcase Champions

The final day was a super exciting one with three Placer United Boys teams all looking to take home first place silverware. The day started out with the 2004 Boys going up against a very skillful De Anza Force team. But as has been the story with most our their games in this tournament, the Placer boys looked very much like a Dortmund Jr team and never allowed the De Anza team to settle on the ball as their high pressure game forced the De Anza team into countless turnovers. Placer never looked in any danger throughout the game as they easily won 2-0 to take home their second Davis Showcase champion title. Great job by James Shepard on being named the Davis Showcase 2004 Boys MVP!

James Shepard – 2016 Davis Showcase MVP with Coach Paul O’Brien

While the 04 Boys were battling De Anza, the Placer 2003 Boys were in a dog fight with a very good Napa Academy team. With 70 minutes up on the clock and the Placer leading 1-0,  the referee  indicated that he was adding 3 mins, only to allow Napa to score in the 80th minute to tie the game and force an overtime period. 

In the first half of overtime play, Napa scored a long range bomb to lead 2 -1. In the second half, with their 2004 club mates sitting on the sidelines cheering them on, the 2003 Boys pushed for the all important equalizer. With only seconds remaining, the boys played a great combination to get open in the Napa box only to be tripped up at the last second and be denied what looked like a very clear PK. Unfortunately it wasn’t given and Placer lost out 2-1.

In the 98 Boys Final, Placer faced a very competitive CVU team. The boys had tied with this team earlier in their bracket game 3-3. So we all knew this was going to be a tough one. The game was back and forth with chances being wasted by both teams. At full time the scoreboard read 0-0 and overtime was now on. In the second half of overtime, the 98 Boys took advantage of their one chance to score and finished out their great weekend by taking home the Championship by a score of 1-0.

A great job by everybody and congratulations to all our teams on their very good performances at both the Boys and Girls Davis Showcase events.

Go Placer!

The 2005 Girls Gold team completed Spring League with a perfect 10-0-0 record having scored 47 goals while conceding 9.  The team played fast attractive attacking soccer coupled with aggressive defense, highlighted by Alyssa Savig’s full extended penalty save. The team was awarded the 2nd seed in this weekend’s Cross Regional playoff and opens play against Pleasanton Rage 05 Orange 1.

The 2004 Girls Gold team finished with a 8-0-1 record having scored 48 goals while conceding only 1 goal in their second to last game.  The team was balanced offensively with 11 different players scoring goals while recording seven consecutive shutouts.  The team will open Cross Regional play this weekend as the 3rd seed against Force South 04G 1.