USL announces Week 8 honors

Published on June 8, 2004 under USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced the Teams of the Week for Week 8 of the season, honoring Minnesota's Melvin Tarley, Westchester's Evaud Thompson, Boulder's Alejandro Salazar and Northern Virginia's Ashley Banks as the A-League, Pro Soccer League, Premier Development League and W-League Players of the Week. EJ Alvarado and Amy Scheffer were the Super Y-League Players of the Week.

Minnesota Thunder forward Melvin Tarley seems to be finding his form in his second year with the club, contributing all the offense in a pair of wins last week to compliment goalkeeper Joe Warren's shutouts.

The Liberian National Team captain scored his first goal of the year Tuesday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps, coming off the bench for overtime and scoring nine minutes in to give the Thunder the 1-0 victory.

Three nights later against the Syracuse Salty Dogs, Tarley started for the first time this season and scored both goals. In the 49th minute of play Thunder midfielder Kevin Friedland brought down a 40 yard pass from Jay Alberts and slid his second touch behind the Syracuse defense to a streaking, unmarked Tarley. Tarley easily slid the ball past the charging Salty Dogs goalkeeper Byron Foss from about 15 yards to put the Thunder up 1-0. Pressure on the Syracuse defense by Tarley led to a turnover in 86th minute in the Syracuse goal box. Tarley collected the ball and sprinted towards goal and again slid a low ball past a helpless Foss to put the Thunder up 2-0.

Tarley had just one goal in his first season last year, playing in 16 games primarily as a substitute.

Westchester Flames forward Evaud Thompson led the club to a 3-2 overtime victory against the Brooklyn Knights with two goals, including the game-winner.

Thompson put the Flames on top first when Chikudi Richardson capitalized on a defensive error in the 38th minute and found Thompson for the strike.

After several missed breakaway attempts and witnessing a two-goal rally, Thompson found the winner with two minutes remaining in overtime for the Flames, burying a long ball from Alex Tobon-Villa.

It was quite a week for the Boulder Rapids Reserve and Alejandro Salazar was a consistent presence for them as they registered two wins and a draw in league play as well as a victory in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Salazar opened up the week Monday with the first goal in the team's 4-1 win at Colorado Springs in the 18th minute. He also went on to add an assist in the 36th to put the game out of reach at 3-0 against the Blizzard.

Following Wednesday's 2-1 win at Chico in the Open Cup in which he also played, Salazar tallied a goal and assist Thursday in the club's 3-0 win at home against BYU. He made the score 2-0 in the 80th minute with his second goal of the week and then set up Josh Simpson in the 90th minute.

If that wasn't enough, Salazar was involved in a wild goal-fest at Kansas City Sunday, helping the Rapids Reserve earn a 5-5 draw with two goals and an assist. Trailing 2-1, he scored his third of the week in the 37th minute. Trailing again, 3-2, he found Kyle Brown, who had three goals on the night, in the 45th minute to send the game to halftime level. Nine minutes into the second half, Salazar scored his fourth goal of the week to give Boulder its first lead of the game at 4-3.

Northern Virginia Majestics U-19 Super Y-League player Ashley Banks more than impressed in her W-League debut Sunday.

Winless through their first four games and trailing the Richmond Kickers Destiny 2-0, Banks took on the hero role and give life to the Majestics as well as the lead with two goals and an assist in a four-minute span.

In the 35th minute, a Richmond foul would lead to a Northern Virginia free kick from about forty yards out. Majestic Jen Farina would drive a ball into the Destiny penalty area and find the head of Ashley Banks. Northern Virginia's Banks would crisply power the ball off her head and into the Richmond net for her first goal of the night.

Banks would make her mark again two minutes later on a feed from Melissa McBean. McBean broke free down the left side and find Banks floating inside the Destiny penalty area. The pass would split two Richmond defenders and Banks would blast a rocket of a shot untouched past Richmond goalkeeper Crystal Royall to draw even.

In an amazing performance, Banks would again make a mark one minute later, launching a long throw-in that found the head of Majestic McBean. McBean's header would deflect off the goalpost and into the net for the 3-2 advantage in the 38th minute.

A goal from Northern Virginia's Paula Faherty followed by a pair from Richmond's Sandra Anger left the game as a 4-4 draw.

USL TEAMS OF THE WEEK


A-League


Pos Name Team Highlights
G Joe Warren Minnesota Shutouts against Vancouver, Syracuse
D Nevio Pizzolito Montreal Solid play in 2-0 win over Richmond
D Steve Lawrence Milwaukee Solid play in 1-0 win over Syracuse
D Scott Jenkins Seattle Solid play in wins over Calgary, Edmonton
M Johnny Torres Milwaukee Two goals in 2-1 loss, 1-0 win
M Steve Kindel Vancouver Game-winner in 2-1 win at Milwaukee
M Sandro Grande Montreal Game-winner in 2-0 win over Richmond
M Leslie Fitzpatrick Atlanta Game-winner in 1-0 win at Rochester
F Ali Gerba Toronto Hat-trick, assist in 5-1 win over Puerto Rico
F Melvin Tarley Minnesota Three goals in 1-0 OT win and 2-0 win
F Mac Cozier Atlanta Two equalizers in 4-3 win over unbeaten Portland


Pro Soccer League


Pos Name Team Highlights
G Eric Pattison Charlotte Eight saves in 0-0 draw at Richmond
D Brandan Curran New Hampshire Goal in 3-0 win at Northern Virginia
D Nathan Salsi Pittsburgh Solid play in 1-0 win over Western Mass
D Sean McCabe Western Mass Solid play in 1-0 loss at Pittsburgh
D Andy Hylton Charlotte Solid play in 0-0 draw at Richmond
M Dan Hartung Pittsburgh Goal in 1-0 win over Western Mass
M Ryan Ackerman Western Mass Goal in 3-0 win at Northern Virginia
M Alex Tobon-Villa Westchester Goal, assist in 3-2 OT win over Brooklyn
F Evaud Thompson Westchester Two goals in 3-2 OT win over Brooklyn
F Bjorn Hansen
New Hampshire Goal, assist in 3-0 win at Northern Virginia
F David Flavius Pittsburgh Assist in 1-0 win over Western Mass

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USL First Division Stories from June 8, 2004


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