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USL announces week 14 honors

July 20, 2004 - USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced today the Week 14 Teams of the Week, honoring Syracuse's Byron Foss, Long Island's Giovanni Savarese, Cape Cod's David Bulow and Hampton Roads' Carrie Proost as the A-League, Pro Soccer League, Premier Development League and W-League Players of the Week. Vanessa Nieto and Stefan Andersson were named the Super Y-League Players of the Week.

The Syracuse Salty Dogs have rekindled their playoff hopes as a three-win week moves them into striking distance of the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. Goalkeeper Byron Foss recorded 16 saves across those three games and gave up just 0.67 goals against in that span.

Foss, on loan from the Colorado Rapids, was a picture of consistency as he recorded five saves in a 1-0 shutout of the Charleston Battery, six saves in a 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact and another five saves in a carbon-copy 2-1 win over the Impact two nights later.

The Long Island Rough Riders are in the midst of one of the best midseason turnarounds in league history, having moved within two points of second-place Harrisburg in the Atlantic Division and a possible playoff berth, which seemed unlikely at 1-7-1. Since then, the team has won five of the last six and one of the key components has been Giovanni Savarese.

The 1995 league and championship MVP proved he still has quite the offensive punch. The all-time MetroStars (MLS) scoring leader has four goals and an assist over five games with two in their 3-2 overtime victory over Harrisburg Saturday. He tied the game up at 2-2 in the 78th minute and then scored the game-winner in the 99th on a penalty kick.

The two-time defending champion Cape Cod Crusaders came into the week on the ropes in the race for the division's second playoff spot and came out swinging, picking up two needed victories and a shot at becoming the first team to win three straight titles.

David Bulow played a critical role in the wins for the Crusaders, tallying four goals and two assists on the week.

In their first bout of the week Wednesday, Bulow wasted no time, scoring two minutes in against the Rhode Island Stingrays. With the game tied at 1-1, he set up Neil Jones in the 39th minute for a 2-1 halftime lead and gave them a two goal lead in the 65th with his second of the night. After two Zico Antunes goals leveled the game again in the 85th, Bulow answered right back a minute later, completing his hat-trick with what proved to be the game-winner as they went on to a 5-3 win.

The Crusaders got a tougher game than they expected on the road Saturday in Vermont against the Voltage, who have struggled since losing star Bo Vuckovic to a broken leg early in the season. The Voltage played one of their best games of the season against their rivals, but Cape Cod prevailed 2-1 in overtime on the play of Bulow, who set up Jones for the equalizer in the 51st minute and scored the game-winner in the 105th minute.

The defending champion Hampton Roads Piranhas continue to roll in the W-League with a defensive unit that is among the best in the league, having given up just six goals in 12 games.

Carrie Proost, the leader of the back line, also offered up some offensive punch over the weekend with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win at Northern Virginia. Tied at 1-1 in the second half, Proost scored her first goal of the year in the 59th minute for the lead and then set up fellow defender Jaclyn Raveia for her first tally of the campaign in the 73rd.

Proost, in her 10th season in the league, has scored 10 goals over the last eight years while with the Piranhas. She also has three assists on the year and 16 over the last eight years.

The U16 Santa Rosa girls maintained their unbeaten mark at 5-0-1 with a 1-0 win over FC Fremont on a goal from Vanessa Nieto. Stefan Anderson scored two goals and an assist as the U17 Spokane Shadow boys rallied from two down to defeat the Cascade Surge 3-2 for their first win of the year.

USL TEAMS OF THE WEEK

A-League

Pos Name Team Highlights
G Byron Foss Syracuse 16 saves in win over Charleston, two over Montreal
D Dustin Branan Minnesota Goal in 3-0 win over Calgary
D Lee Morrison Portland Goal in 4-3 overtime win at Seattle
D Frankie Sanfilippo Syracuse Solid play in pair of 2-1 wins over Montreal
M Temoc Suarez Syracuse Game-winner in 2-1 win at Montreal
M David Hayes Richmond Goal, assist in 3-2 win at Toronto
M Steve Shak Virginia Beach Goal, assist in 4-0 win over Rochester
M Hugo Alcarez-Cuellar Portland Goal, assist in 4-3 win over Seattle
F Todd Dusosky Milwaukee Three goals in wins over Calgary, Edmonton
F David Xausa Vancouver Two goals in 2-0 win over Edmonton
F Mauricio Salles Puerto Rico two goals in 2-0 win over Atlanta


Pro Soccer League


Pos Name Team Highlights
G Chris Robinson Pittsburgh Five saves in 2-1 win at Western Mass
D Nathan Salsi Pittsburgh Goal in 2-1 win at Western Mass
D Matt Evans Utah Two goals in 4-2 win over BYU
D Wilmer Cabrera Long Island Goal in 3-2 win over Harrisburg
M Val Texeira New Hampshire Two goals in 7-1 win over Vermont
M Julio Nosta Westchester Two goals in 2-1 win at Wilmington
M Ishmael Mintah Charlotte Two goals in 3-2 win over Westchester
M Jason Boyce Utah Hat-trick in 4-0 win at Colorado Springs
F Jacob Coggins Charlotte Goal, assist in 4-2 win at Carolina
F Giovanni Savarese Long Island Two goals in 3-2 win over Harrisburg
F Said Ali Pittsburgh Game-winner in 2-1 win over New Hampshire



USL First Division Stories from July 20, 2004


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