Sharks Show Well in Naples Tournament (November 2, 2007)
The club hosted 53 teams in the 3rd Annual Naples Shark Shootout at North Collier Regional Park, October 6-7. Four Sharks teams won first place trophies and three teams earned second place awards. The U9 boys, the U13 Red boys, U11 Red girls and U14 Red girls all won their respective divisions. The U10 boys and U14 boys were runners-up. The Venice Falcons also had a good showing, winning the U13 girls and U16 boys divisions and placing second in U10 girls.
Thanks go to Challenge Sports, Collier County Parks and Recreation, the referees, and everyone else who made the event possible.
U15 Girls Win Largo
Halloween Tournament (October 29, 2007)
The U15 girls won four games without giving up a goal to take their division at the 16th Annual Largo United Halloween Tournament. Keeper Ashley Helenbrook lead the team, keeping a clean sheet over the weekend as the Sharks outscored their opponents 20-0.
The first match was against the team representing the host club, Largo United. The Sharks dominated the game, scoring 8 goals early on. Guest player Mariah Bessette netted 4 goals, Lizzie McNamara bent one in on a corner kick, and Jessica Frank, Lauren Wysocki and Stephanie Rodriguez each added one. The second match was an evening game against HCU. Bessette finished 3 goals, assisted by some well-placed through balls from the midfield, for a 3-0 final tally. Game 3 proved to be the toughest contest of the tournament as the Sharks came up against team Valrico. The game was scoreless at halftime. In the second half Cassie Fernandez headed in a rebound off the post from a McNamara free kick and it proved to be the game-winner, the final score 1-0. The final game was against RSL from the Tampa area. Kristen Kollecas drilled 3 to the back of the net; Bessette added 2 to her tournament total of 10 goals and Ali Rogers, Fernandez, Wysocki and Rodriguez each added one to put the lid on the fourth win of the tournament. Paige Butterfield, Meghan Cautero, and Cleo Warner contributed with solid defense and precise passing all weekend.
The U15 Sharks are now on break for the high school season, but will be gathering once again for the Plantation Thanksgiving tournament and the Orange Classic between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Soccer Showcase
a Smashing Success (September 18, 2007)
The club held the 5th annual Soccer Showcase on Sunday, September 16, for the first time at North Collier Regional Park. An estimated 400 club family members, coaches, and staff braved the warm September weather and enjoyed way too much food, convivial conversation, and tests of soccer skills.
Players took advantage of the opportunity to show off their juggling, chipping, and shooting skills and tested their ability on an obstacle course. A new, and very popular, event this year measured the speed of kicks via radar gun - this game proved very popular with both kids and parents. For the truly dedicated, impromptu small-sided games were held whereby a team of 5 players could challenge a set of parents to an 8-minute game. Despite the heat, we had many parents and children lined up to play. The day ended with prizes of mini-balls being awarded to the top performer in each skill in different age groups. Congratulations to all the winners.
Many thanks to all those who volunteered to help make this event a success, and a special thank you to Angelika Dean who organized it all.
U17 Sharks Win
Melbourne
Labor Day Tournament (September 3, 2007)
The U17 girls brought home the first place trophy from the 9th Annual Melbourne Area Labor Day Girls Challenge soccer tournament. The lady Sharks went 5-0 for the weekend, outscoring their opponents 17-4. In pool play the Naples side beat Alley Cats FC 3-2, Flagler Firestorm 4-1 and Winter Haven Kicks 1-0. In the semi-finals on Sunday they shut out the Winter Haven Kicks 4-0 and in the championship game on Monday they trounced the Flagler Firestorm 5-1.
Captain Ciara Hebel netted 6 goals and Katie Eads had 5 to lead the team in scoring, while Jessica Barry and Kasey Logalbo each tallied 3. The defense was lead by team MVP Madeleine Lachesnez and consisted of Allison Smilanich, Alisha Cianfaglione, Morgan Gowdy and goalkeeper Morgan Berman, who had 2 shutouts and a 0.80 goals against average for the tournament. Captains Krissy Fox and Kelly Shlesinger, along with Karina Mambuca, Brittany Foreman, Joline Buscemi, Alex Frisina, and Emily Tewis dominated the midfield and kept pressure on the opponents all weekend.
College Process Seminar: A big success (August 15, 2007)
Naples Sharks hosted a college process seminar for players, parents and coaches interested in the College recruiting process. Mario Rincon, FGCU Women’s Asst coach was the guest speaker. Over 40 players, parents and coaches attended this seminar and came away with a new insight into the recruitment process. Gavin Spooner, Naples Sharks DOC+O was very pleased with the attendance and the content. “To have 40 people come out in early August for such a meeting speaks highly of the players desire to reach the goal of playing collegiate soccer. The recruiting process is competitive, long and detailed and Mario’s presentation helped identify the specifics, the timelines and the requirements that players need to follow in that process.” Naples Sharks also provided a booklet of information to supplement the seminar content and is excited to support and help players through this whole process. Thanks go out to Mario for speaking, and the players, parents and coaches who attended and whose questions helped clarify aspects of this complex and important process.
Several teams finish season at Disney event (July 5, 2007)
Six teams from the club wrapped up their 2006-2007 season June 15-18 at the Disney Six N Sun tournament held at the great facilities of the Disney Wide World of Sports. The Sharks brought home one championship trophy and two second place awards.
The U17 girls reclaimed the Disney championship after their four-year winning streak was broken last year. The team won all three of their bracket games, dropped Braden River Rage 6-3 in the semi-final and shut out Interunited Rampage 2-0 in the final. The championship squad, coached by Ryan Smiley, was comprised of the following members of the Sharks U17 team: goalkeeper Alex McLay, Alex Sheckler, Cami Lewis, Jamie Takala, Jen Maybin, Katie Crosby, Kelly Tripp, Nina Cibula, and Rachel King.
The U15 lady Sharks went 2-1 in bracket play to place second in their group. They went on to win their semi-final 4-0 over Coconut Creek but could not find the net in the final and lost 1-0 to Countryside Lightning to earn the runner-up trophy. The U15s were represented by keeper Amanda Maybin, Emily Berkinshaw, Jamie Lockie, Gaby Passidomo, Rachel Brothers, Alexa Zavada, Gabby Lopez, Hailey Javorsky, and Anais Dobson and were under the direction of coach Larry Maybin..
The Naples U10 girls tied two matches and won one to reach the final. The championship match against Fairfield ( Ohio ) Optimist was an even contest, with neither team able to put the ball in the net. After a 0-0 tie the game went directly to penalty kicks and the Sharks came up on the short end of a 4-3 shootout. The U10 Sharks, under coach Jim Snyder, were represented by Alissa Hixon, Caroline Brothers, Cate Stiffler, Fatima DiModica, Jessica Andrade, Jordin Giles, Kelly Palumberi, Lizzie Vasquez, Marguerite Bleh, and Niki Mealer.
The U14 girls team entered two squads in the competition. The red squad went 1-0-2 in the preliminary round to finish second in the bracket, but did not advance to the semi-finals. On Sunday they played a consolation game against Vasalunds IF from Sweden . The red squad, coached by Chris Palumbo, consisted of Ashley Helenbrook, Lizzie McNamara, Justine Giles, Cassie Fernandez, Stephanie Hernandez, Kristin Kollecas, Sarah Vente and Paige Butterfield. The white squad, coached by Colleen Brown, went 2-1-0 in bracket play, advancing to the semi-finals where they dropped a 4-1 decision to Greater Osceola United, the eventual champion. The members of the white squad were Cassandra Kerrington, Emily Teffenhart, Kelly Moore, Meghan Cautero, Julia Praet, Cleo Warner, Jessica Frank and Heather Kalifarski.
The U13 boys had a good showing at the tournament, playing up in a combined U13/U14 division. The Sharks went 1-0-2 to finish first in their bracket and advance to the semi-finals against LaPlace ( Louisiana ) St. John Warriors. A tying goal by Naples ' Luis Cruz late in the game sent the contest into overtime. A scoreless overtime period led to a penalty kick shootout won 3-2 by the Louisiana side, who went on to win the championship. Joining Cruz on the team were goalkeeper Brett Wiesen, Takashi Okubu, Cliff Tewis, Taylor Peltier, Corey Brecher, Johnatan Lama, LaMorris Cook, Ryan Nick, and Diego Vargas. The team was coached by Tello Cruz, Shiody Okubu, and Paul Nick.
Camp Rust Opens June 25th (July 2, 2007)
Danielle Rust and the 95/96 Girls have started their preseason conditioning camp. The 95/96 Girls have two teams one coached by Danielle Rust and the other Coached by newcomer/returning Shark Player Jen Brown. Coach Rust wants to get the girls in good condition so that when the season starts they can maintain a high level of play. Both teams will have separate schedules, one playing in FLUGSA and the other in SWFL. Each group is at its own stage of development, and having some players who need more development start on a West Coast team will benefit them greatly. " It is all about the development of the girls!, says Coach Rust. " By having two teams now, each training together, it will benefit our team next year when we move to 11 a side"
Coach Rust, Coach Fischer and Coach Brown are on the top of their game and they are all excited about the upcoming season. Parents are excited as well, knowing that there is such an experienced and educated training staff. There are high expectations from players, parents and of course coaches.
Last year the 95/96 Girls did not give up a goal in Region Cup Play, with only 90 seconds left in the quarterfinals a penalty kick was awarded to the opposing team, snapping a twelve goal to nil run for the team.
Gavin Spooner Hired as
Director
of Coaching and Operations. (June 26, 2007)
The Naples Youth Soccer Club is pleased to announce the hiring of Gavin Spooner as its Director of Coaching and Operations. Gavin will be joining us full-time on August 1, but will start on a part-time basis during the month of July.
Gavin has more than fifteen years experience as a Director of Coaching or Director of Player Development with clubs in Florida, Virginia, Missouri and Oregon. Most recently, he served as Director of Player Development with the Manatee Area Youth Soccer Organization in Bradenton, Florida.
Gavin holds a United States Soccer Federation “A” Coaching License, an NSCAA Premier Diploma and an English FA License.
Currently Gavin serves as a member of the FYSA coaching education staff, teaching D, E, and F coaching license courses. He also serves as an FYSA State ODP coach. He has previously served as a coach of Olympic Development Program teams and a member of the state coaching education staff in Missouri and Virginia.
Gavin grew up playing soccer as a youth team player with a professional club, Oxford United. While he was playing at the University of Brighton, his team won a national championship. He played semi-professionally for several teams in England and played for Roanoke Wrath of the USL professional league in the US.
Gavin graduated from the University of Brighton in England with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science. His undergraduate thesis was entitled, “The Role of Youth Development Officers in Professional English Soccer Clubs.”
Gavin has been coaching and directing soccer camps throughout the US since 1989. He has overseen camps in more than 20 states nationwide. He also has significant management experience serving as an Indoor Soccer Center manager in Missouri and Oregon.
Naples Sharks U12 boys Finalists
in the Tri-County Spring League 2007 (June 25, 2007)
The Sharks played 11v11 in preparation for the upcoming season. With a strong second place finish in regular season, the Sharks advanced to a playoff position. Sharks in playoffs Father's Day Weekend. The semi-final game was played against a strong Kendall Soccer Coalition team. The Sharks were tied at the end of regulation play and went on to win after an overtime and penalty kicks. On Sunday the Sharks played Miami Lakes for the final. A tough game was played by both teams, that lead to another overtime, with a final score 2-1 Miami Lakes. The boys were coached by Craig Castillo and Alvaro Yusty. The players....Juan Botero, Ross Castillo, Justin Diaz, Kevin Guistiniani, Junior Martinez, Owen McCorkle, C.J. Mealer, Erick Santaigo-Ramirez, Eric Scott, Ian Swanson, Sylwester Szczesniewicz, Alvaro Yusty, and guest players from our own U10 team...Mickey Pettit, and Miguel Hernandez. (Picture Link)
U17 Sharks receive recognition (May 7, 2007)
Two members of the club's U17 girls' team have recently been honored for their high school soccer accomplishments. Alex Sheckler, a forward on the U17 squad and the Estero High School girls' soccer team was named the Winter Girls Soccer Player of the Year by the Naples Daily News. Alex has been playing with the Sharks for eight years, since she was U10. Jen Maybin, a graduating senior at Gulf Coast High School and a key member of the GCHS Shark's soccer team, was nominated by her school for the prestigious Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete award. Jen has been a part of Naples Youth Soccer Club for seven years. Jen is the lone high school senior on the U17 team and she will be heading off to Florida State University this summer. Alex and the rest of the team are looking ahead to their U18 season with the Sharks. Naples Daily News Links: Sheckler Maybin
U13 players named to state ODP pool (May 7, 2007)
Two members of the U13 Red boys team have been selected for the statewide Olympic Development Program player pool. Sam Pettit was chosen for the 1993 class and Pedro Lerma was named to the 1994 class.
State Cup "Sweet 16" Results (May 6, 2007)
The U13 Red boys team defeated IUS Elite 3-2 in overtime in their Saturday match to move on to the last eight teams. On Sunday they dropped their quarterfinal contest 1-0 to Largo United on a late goal. The U17 girls team was knocked out of state cup on Saturday by three-time defending state champion Countryside for the second year in a row.
U17s earn place in State Cup
Challenge Round (April 29, 2007)
The U17 Sharks won both of their second round State Cup matches on April 28 to reach the round of 16. In the morning match the Naples side defeated Brandon 3-1 and in the afternoon the Sharks shut out Suncoast 6-0. Next Saturday they will travel to Palm Bay Regional Park to face Countryside Lightning, the three-time defending state champions, who knocked Naples out in the semi-finals last year. The U13 Red boys team will face IUS Elite in the round of 16 at Vista Park in Weston.
State Cup first round results (April 23, 2007)
The U13 boys had a great weekend, going 2-1 and winning their bracket, thereby heading directly to the round of 16. The U17 girls went 1-2 and placed third in their bracket and will play in the second round to earn a place in the round of 16. Complete results are available here
U14 Girls to play first
round
of State Cup in Naples (April 9, 2007)
The club is hosting the first round of FYSA State Cup for U14 Girls at North Collier Regional Park on April 14 and 15. Thirty-one teams from around the state will be fighting to make the round of 16. The Sharks play on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 8:00 a.m.
Six other teams in the club are looking to earn spots in the State Cup round of 16 at various venues around the state over the weekend. The U13 Girls will be in Weston, U13 Boys in Jacksonville, U14 Boys in Ft. Myers, U15 Boys in Sarasota, U16 Boys in Wellington, and U17 Girls in Palm Bay.
U15 team ends season with 4-1 win (April 4, 2007)
The Sharks U15 girls lost a tough semi-final match in the President's Cup competition in Pensacola on Saturday, after going up 1-0 early. Two second-half goals by Region B representative Rockledge went unanswered by the Naples team and sent the Sharks to the third-place consolation game on Sunday.
In the Sunday match-up, the Sharks finished their playoff season with a 4-1 victory over Region A's Team Boca. Rockledge won the President's Cup trophy with a 2-0 shutout of Region D Bayside Soccer in the final.
U15 Girls Region C Champs (March 26, 2007)
The Naples U15 girls took home first place honors in the U15 Division I Region Cup competition this weekend. The team had a slow start with a 0-0 draw against West Pasco on Saturday, but came back to beat Northeast Raiders 5-0 on Sunday. They will head to Pensacola next weekend to meet the winners of the other three regions in the President's Cup competition. Good luck, ladies!
The Naples U11 boys battled to a 0-0 draw in their regional semifinal against Cape Coral Cyclones, and lost a close penalty kick shootout 4-3. The Cape team went on to win the final 3-0.
The club's U13, U14, and U17 girls and U13 Red, U14, U15, and U16 boys teams will all begin their State Cup competition on April 14.
U11 Boys through to Final
Four of Region C Cup (March 14, 2007)
The U11 boys had a successful weekend in the quarterfinals of the Florida Youth Soccer Association's Region C Cup tournament, March 10-11, in North Port. The Naples squad had an unlucky start, dropping their first match 3-0 to Brandon Flame, but they rebounded to beat Azalea Eagles 4-0 and Winter Haven Kicks 3-1 and therefore qualified for the semifinals of the U11 Division II to be held at the Anderson Snow complex in Springhill on March 25-26.
Coach Andy Owen praised every player on the U11 side for a great effort. The U11Sharks are Jake Cibula, Seth Dehaven, Dominic High, Aaron Hunter, Conor O'Loughlin, Jake Owen, Angelo Rubinelli, Austin Schilling, Nick Torrens, and Michael Ventura.
Four teams moving on to
Region C Cup quarterfinals (March 5, 2007)
The U11 and U10 Red girls and the U11 and U10 boys are moving on to the quarterfinal round of Region C Cup. The U11 girls went 3-0 in the preliminary weekend of region cup competition defeating Auburndale Scream 2-0, Players Club Eagles 4-0, and Braden River Rage 3-0. The U10 Red girls tied Largo United 1-1 in their opening match but then took HCU Blue 4-1, Northeast Raiders 4-1, and a forfeit victory over Clearwater Chargers. The U11 boys dropped a close match to Clearwater Chargers 3-4, tied Eastlake Arsenal 2-2 and beat HCU Maniacs 2-1 and West Pasco Thunder 6-0 to earn a berth in the quarterfinals. The U10 boys lost 1-6 to Brandon Flames, beat FC Tampa Predators 4-0, and tied New Tampa Comets 3-3 to go on to the quarterfinals.
The U12 boys won their first match, 3-0, over Seminole Santos but then lost close matches 3-4 against Gulf Coast United, 2-3 to Countryside Lightning, and 1-2 to Braden River Rage. The U10 White girls dropped their first two matches 2-3 to New Tampa Comets and Lehigh Lightning and tied Florida Premier 3-3 in their third match.
The quarterfinals will be played on March 10-11. The U10 teams will be playing at home at the new North Collier Regional Park. The U10 Red girls play at noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday and the U10 boys play at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Two Champions in
Naples Winter Challenge (January 22, 2007)
The Sharks claimed two champions in the first tournament to be held at the new North Collier Regional Park Soccer Complex. The U12 boys and the U10 White girls teams won their respective finals in the Naples Winter Challenge. The U12 boys defeated Parkland 2-1 in the final of the U12 boys cup division. The U10 White girls won in penalty kick shootout over Lehigh Lightning after the teams battled to a 1-1 tie in regulation in their final. The U15 boys came out on the short end of a penalty kick shootout in their final after a 3-3 tie with Florida Premier.
Naples Sharks claim one champion
and two finalists in Orange Classic (January 15, 2007)
Four teams from the Club competed in the 10th Annual Orange Classic Girls International Soccer Tournament, held in Broward County December 27-30. The U13, U14, U15, and U17 teams all represented southwest Florida in the tournament held at several venues in Plantation and Weston.
The U14 Sharks won first place in the U14 Green division. In round robin play the Sharks outscored the Plantation Eagles 1-0 on a goal by Kristine Ma; Team Boca Red 4-2 on goals by Ma, Cassie Fernandez, Tori Bolyard, and Analise Dickinson; West Pines United 3-0 with Bolyard netting two and Ma finishing one; and Miami Premier 7-0 on two by Bolyard and single goals by Dickinson, Kristin Kollecas, Fernandez, Ma, and Kelly Moore. The final was a rematch with Team Boca, who finished second to Naples in points after the first four matches. One goal by Tori Bolyard was all that was needed for the Naples squad to take the championship in a 1-0 match.
The Naples U17 team fought its way through a 24-team grouping to take second place in the U17 White II division. Their opening match was a 1-1 stalemate with Ohio Premier North; the Sharks then beat Plantation Eagles 1-0 and Westside Quest Stars (Texas) 3-1 to finish bracket play tied on points with Ohio Premier North. The Ohio team was declared the bracket winner by virtue of greater number of goals scored, but the Naples team claimed one of two wildcard slots to reach the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals the Sharks dropped Greensboro Twisters (North Carolina) 1-0. The Naples team then won their semi-final 2-1 over FC Frederick Premier (Maryland) to set up an unlikely repeat of their opening match in the final, against Ohio Premier North.
The Sharks entered the final without two starters who had picked up knee injuries during the preceding matches, but went ahead 1-0 about halfway through the first half. The score remained in Naples' favor even as a third starter went out with an injury, until less than a minute remaining in the match when Ohio scored the equalizer. The game ended 1-1 and went immediately to penalty kick shootout to determine the champion. After six 80-minute matches in four days, luck would run out for the Naples side as they dropped the shootout 4-2 and had to settle for second place. Jen Maybin, Jamie Takala, and Kelly Tripp each scored two goals during the tournament and Alex Sheckler, Rachel King, and Katie Nelson each contributed one.
The U15 Sharks pummeled Palm Beach United 7-0 in their opening match, but then dropped a 3-0 contest in an out-of-bracket match to Stetson FA. Their third match was a 4-1 win over Coral Springs Renegades United that sent them on to the semi-finals where they outscored Tallahassee United 3-2. In the final Naples came up against the strong Stetson team again and was shut out in a 4-0 loss.
The U13 Sharks made their first appearance in the Orange Classic and finished with a win and two losses.
The Orange Classic is one of the largest girls-only tournaments in the country and the older age groups are heavily scouted by college coaches. The U13 and U14 teams will continue league play in the Florida United Girls Soccer Association. The U15 and U17 teams will go on break until they finish the interscholastic season on various high school squads throughout southwest Florida.
