Free Youth Night for NH Phantoms Final Game
August 9, 2007 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
New Hampshire Phantoms News Release
HAMPSTEAD, NH - (August 9, 2007) - The New Hampshire Phantoms will play its final game of the 2007 season at home at Manchester Memorial High School on Saturday, August 11, and it will be FREE YOUTH NIGHT versus the Cincinnati Kings. Kickoff is 7:30 PM.
Courtesy of the NH Phantoms Youth Soccer Club, free youth tickets for children ages 3-17 are available at the Phantoms front office (142 State Route 111, Hampstead, NH) or via www.nhphantoms.com . Name, address, and email address must be filled out to be valid and exchanged at the gate.
The Kings come to town holding a one point edge (3-10-5, 14 points) over the Phantoms (3-11-5, 13 points). Cincinnati was shut out by Harrisburg last Saturday night, 2-0, while the Phantoms lost a 1-0 decision to Bermuda at Chabot-McDonough Stadium in Manchester.
Both teams spent the 2007 season rebuilding for 2008. The two teams have experienced parallel seasons. While each team has played its opponents to five draws, Cincinnati has dropped five games by one goal and NH has lost six by the same margin.
Jim DeDeus, General Manager and Head Coach for the Phantoms remains optimistic about his team's future in the United Second Leagues Second Division. "We have gained invaluable experience," Dedeus said, "and we have shown vast improvement over the course of the season."
"If we were able to turn our one-goal losses into ties, and our ties into wins, we would be right in the hunt for a playoffs spot," DeDeus added.
The 12-year GM is dead on in his assessment. Had the team added 15 more points by exchanging the ties for wins, and six more points with the losses to ties, it would place them fourth in the standings, and the Phantoms would be entertaining the thought of a playoff game against number one Richmond Kickers.
In many ways, it has been a frustrating season for the former USL-2 finalist and proud 12-year franchise. Three of the six losses have come in added time. However, in other regards, the future looks very bright. Rookie James Greenslit (Wheaton College, MA) has been an anchor at the defensive center back position and along with teammate Almir Babosa has played every game in leading the league in games played. Greenslit is tied for first with minutes played with 1710.
Barbosa, one of the veterans as a third-year player, ranks 13th in points with 12, is tied for 3rd in shots with 39, and holds the dubious distinction of leading the league in fouls with 44. He also led the team in scoring in 2006 with 10 goals.
In addition, six players have been named to USL-2 Teams of the week through the season. DeDeus has helped develop a solid team chemistry whereby his team has never waned through some difficult losses. He believes he will be able to re-sign many of his players from this year's team to his 2008 roster, and that the tough times this year will make his squad hungrier for next.
DeDeus is reaching out to NH in hopes that a group of individuals will come forward to form the Phantoms "Phanatics" - a posse, so to speak, of rabid, passionate soccer fans similar to Sam's Army (unofficial support club of the United States National Teams) - to participate at all home games. Anyone interested in being a part of the Phanatics can contact the Phantoms home office at 603-329-4422 or write to nhphantoms@gmail.com.
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