Colleges Evaluate U16B Red in Prestigious Surf College Cup

Posted On December 13, 2012 by PUSC

U16B Red

“Black Friday” for the Placer United U16B Red team meant college coaches and scouts were shopping for top student-athlete talent at the recent Surf College Cup, held on November 23-25th, 2012 at the San Diego Polo Grounds.  Along with playing three fierce competitive matches, including a match with #3 nationally ranked (according to gotsoccer.com) Olimpica United FC, the U16B Red players showcased their soccer skills to some top colleges like Clemson, University of Pennsylvania, and UCLA.

“All the coaches I talked to said we showed really well,” said Coach Kelcey Chaidez of the U16B Red team.  “We faced some incredibly tough competition and we had to leave everything on the field.”

In the tournament, the U16B Red team played its toughest opponents so far this season – all from Southern California. The first game featured RSF Attack 96 Green, which is ranked 57th in the nation by gotsoccer.com, and although the team played hard, the result was a 0-2 loss.  The team received a 2-2 tie with 64th-ranked Manchester Carmel Valley Manchester Academy which featured some of the best soccer of the weekend.  The end of the tournament was a tough loss to Olimpica United FC.

The U16B Red team was selected by the San Diego Surf Cup XXXII committee because of its strong play.  Twenty three schools and/or organizations received the team’s profile and thirteen followed up with either discussions with the team’s coach, college liaisons, or the team’s manager. Additionally, the colleges liked the strong academics the U16B Red team features.

“As a predominantly sophomore team, Placer United U16B Red received a surprising amount of attention from scouts and coaches not only for their play but also for their academic standings and inclinations,” said Coach Chaidez.  “Usually most of the coaches and scouts are looking at teams with older players.  Obviously, we’ve got a special team here.”

Established in 2007, San Diego Surf Cup gives some 400 college coaches and scouts a venue to watch and evaluate players for opportunities to become student-athletes at the collegiate level.

Here’s the list of NCAA/NAIA colleges and other institutions that received the Placer United 16B Red team’s profile:

• Clemson University
• Loyola Marymount University
• San Diego State
• University of Pennsylvania
• Dominican University
• Wabash University
• UCLA
• UC Davis
• Santa Clara University
• Chico State
• UC Santa Barbara
• Stanford
• University of San Francisco
• Sacramento State
• UC Berkeley
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• UC San Diego
• San Diego State
• Sonoma State
• UC Santa Cruz
• Saint Mary’s College of Calif
• Chivas USA
• Mexican Federation

contributing author, David A. Schmidt
with Jackie Corchado