2016 Season Recap
Published on October 27, 2016 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release
Dear City Islanders FC Fans, Friends, and Sponsors, After ending our 13th season just four points shy of the final USL Eastern Conference playoff spot, with a record of 8-15-7, we would like to thank you all for supporting us throughout the year. From our fans to our sponsors to our front office staff, there was a tremendous amount of dedication to the Islanders organization, which made every stage of the 2016 season worthwhile. This season, our fans have been there for some of our greatest victories. Early on in the season, City's fans witnessed the team soar past West Chester United and Chattanooga FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. According to Head Coach, Bill Becher, "We had a decent run in the Open Cup. We won our first two games. And then we played the Philadelphia Union from the MLS at their place, fell down two goals, and scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to tie it. Unfortunately, we gave away a goal in the 90th minute on a free kick. That knocked us out. But I think the cup run was good. I wish we would have gone a little longer, but we were proud of what we did there."
That same enthusiasm and encouragement were present as the Islanders prepared for their second attempt at the Keystone Derby against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. In case you forgot, here's a rundown of the action: after some aggressive shots by Harrisburg's Barril and Pittsburgh's Boggs, game one ended in a 0-0 draw; game two sent City over the top when Leverock and Barril both scored in the first half, leading them to a 2-1 victory; and although both teams went shot for shot in game three, it ended in a 1-1 draw. The Islanders claimed the victory with a 3-2 aggregate score and proceeded to raise their Derby Cup presented by K&L Gates and the Pennsylvania Lottery on their home turf in front of 2,853 fans.
And let's not forget Jose Barril's incredible season! From being named to the USL's Team of the Week to being nominated for Goal of the Week to being named to the All-League 2nd Team of the 2016 season, the City FC veteran performed phenomenally. This was Barril's third year with the Islanders and the Spanish footballer contributed greatly to the team's success. "I thought it was a good season for me but I didn't expect that I was going to be in the 2nd team of the USL. But it is really nice to see that your work from the season put you there," Barril stated regarding the USL's All-League team announcement.
But there were some not-so-great times that City FC encountered this past season. For instance, the team endured a streak without one of our key players, Aaron Wheeler, due to a three game suspension. "Not that one player defines your team, but he was a player that we were counting on and I think we were starting to come around. We were starting to play as a team, he [Wheeler] was starting to score goals... It just seemed like it took us a while to gather ourselves after that happening. And by the time we did, we were in a pretty big hole. Fortunately, we kept working hard at practice and fighting. One thing you can say about our group is that we never gave up," said Becher. That same fight and "never give up" attitude are what propelled us forward. Unfortunately, after fighting match after match for a spot in the playoffs, we missed our chance after a 1-1 draw against the Wilmington Hammerheads. Needless to say, our supporters stood by us.
Aside from the action on the field, we have a great deal of people to thank for keeping our operations running and our fans entertained. Without our presenting partners, Select Physical Therapy, Capital BlueCross and Arlington Orthopedics, we could not begin to bring the Islanders to the pitch. We'd also like to thank the staffs of the Harrisburg Senators and the Lancaster Barnstormers for providing us with a location to play, accommodate our fans, and the assistance they provided during our matches at FNB Field (Harrisburg) and Clipper Magazine Stadium (Lancaster). Training off the pitch was assisted by Golds Gym Linglestown and EXP who provided excellent training facilities for our players. And do you remember those amazing firework displays? Thanks to our friends from Highmark, Pyrotechnics and Dauphin County, our night sky was always lit up with post-match fireworks. Two more of our great partners were Community Aid and American Cancer Society, who teamed up with us for a season full of events. From the beginning until the end of our season, these organizations helped us maintain our promise to inspire and empower our community. Because of their commitment to our team and our fans, we were able to present both organizations with checks from our jersey auctions. First, we raised $1,100 for Community Aid from the Ugly Sweater Jersey auction in July, and soon after, we raised $2,641 for American Cancer Society from the Star Wars Jersey Auction in September.
The City Islanders appreciate everyone who has participated in and supported our Youth Academy. It is the mission of our organization to promote the love of soccer and the development of our young players, and we could not be more proud to have over 1,700 area youth players participating in our Academy programs.These year-round programs include our Academy Summer Teams, Summer Camps, Indoor Training, DayCare Training, multiple tournaments, High School 7v7 Summer League, and our Goalkeeper Academy. This past season the Islanders partnered with over 20 local youth clubs and organizations. This partnership allowed our coaches, players and staff to continue our efforts in developing youth talent through coaching, clinics, appearances, and in-game recognition. In an attempt to further develop our area's young players, we will be bringing back the Super Y-League option in summer 2017. The Super Y-League is a youth soccer league associated with the United Soccer League (USL). It is a pathway for those players interested in taking their game soccer career to the professional level. Lastly, but certainly not least, we thank the players, coaches and staff who make the whole season possible. Their dedication to the organization must not go unnoticed as they work diligently to make sure all needs and our fans' expectations are met.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 27, 2016
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- 2016 Season Recap - Penn FC
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
