USL SoccerFest a Success
Published on November 27, 2006 under USL First Division (USL-1) News Release
TAMPA, FL - The 2006 USL SoccerFest featuring the USL Annual General Meeting and Super Y-League North American Finals concluded last Tuesday in fine fashion as 10 youth teams were crowned champions, bringing to a close one of the biggest weeks in North American soccer.
"This was an outstanding week for USL Soccer," said USL Vice President Tim Holt. "The USL AGM and Super Y-League Finals are easily the two biggest events we host each year and to merge them together successfully was quite an accomplishment and I am proud of everyone involved. For the first time, our senior level franchises and youth teams were able to witness first-hand the scope and impact of United Soccer Leagues as they helped us celebrate our 20th Anniversary. I would also like to once again thank the Tampa Bay Sports Commission for all of their assistance in organizing this special event."
The pinnacle of the USL AGM, held at the Hyatt Regency Tampa, came Friday night at the USL Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner presented by Fox Soccer Channel in which the league's top teams and executives received honors for their performances in 2006.
Clubs and individuals were honored in each league for the Sprinturf Executive of the Year, Organization of the Year, Referee of the Year, Fair Play, Communications and Marketing Excellence. Additional awards handed out were the Key Grip and Progress Awards.
Montreal Impact, Richmond Kickers, Laredo Heat and Western Mass Lady Pioneers were honored as the Organizations of the Year with Matthew Ford (Rochester Raging Rhinos), Tom Engstrom (Charlotte Eagles), Dan Duggan (Michigan Bucks) and Ethan Allen (Charlotte Lady Eagles) being recognized as the Sprinturf Executives of the Year in the USL First Division, USL Second Division, Premier Development League and W-League, respectively.
The Puerto Rico Islanders, Harrisburg City Islanders, Des Moines Menace and Michigan Hawks were given the Marketing Excellence Award while the Montreal Impact, Harrisburg City Islanders, Nashville Metros and Vancouver Whitecaps Women were honored for Excellence in Communications. The Vancouver Whitecaps, Charlotte Eagles and Chicago Fire Premier received Fair Play Awards on the men's side while the Boston Renegades, Rochester Raging Rhinos and Vermont Lady Voltage shared the honor in the W-League.
Niko Bratsis, Jeff Mellen, Colin Arblaster and Kristine Lamm were named the Referees of the Year.
Wilmington Hammerheads Director of Soccer Operations Kristen Beckmeyer was honored with the Key Grip Award, recognizing her tireless efforts behind the scenes. The Cocoa Expos were presented the Progress Award.
The St Louis Lions were honored with the Franchise Rookie of the Year Award.
Former USL staffer Stuart Bracher was recognized as the recipient of the Archie Moylan Award, which was established in memory of Paul 'Archie' Moylan to recognize a member of the USL family who has shown great courage or outstanding humanitarianism.
After working at USL for the 2001 season, Bracher returned to West Virginia, where he became a player and administrator for the PDL West Virginia Chaos. In 2005, he was involved in a car accident that left him severely paralyzed. Through inspiring efforts and rehabilitation, Bracher has started walking again and received a standing ovation as he accepted his honor.
Director of Business Development James Ward was honored as the USL Employee of the Year. Ward joined USL in June of 2004 and is responsible for USL's marketing and grassroots programs, including the management of the USL SoccerFest.
Following the USL AGM Opening Lunch presented by Demosphere featuring speeches from EPL great Alan Shearer and Dr. William Sutton of the University of Central Florida DeVos Sport Business Management Program, the AGM continued with league meetings and season scheduling for the 2007 season. No major rule changes were enacted for the 2007 season. The lone alignment change announced during the week was that the Pittsburgh Riverhounds were not returning for 2007 season. Official 2007 league alignments will be announced in the next few weeks.
Following the conclusion of the AGM on Sunday, the focus shifted fully upon the SYL North American Finals, where the semifinal stage was set for Monday with 10 teams winning titles on Championship Tuesday, officially bringing to a close the 2006 United Soccer Leagues season.
Championship Results
U17 Boys: HC United 0 :: (5-4 PK) :: 0 Seacoast United
U16 Boys: Schulz Academy 1 :: 0 Los Angeles FC
U15 Boys: Chicago Magic 2 :: 0 Los Angeles FC
U14 Boys: Chicago 2 :: 1 New York Red Bulls
U13 Boys: Cal Odyssey 4 :: 0 HC United
U17 Girls: Parsippany SC 0 :: 3 West Coast SC
U16 Girls: Chicago Magic 2 :: 1 Wolfpack Blue
U15 Girls: Reading Rage 1 :: 2 Real Southern California
U14 Girls: Washington Crossfire 1 :: OT :: 0 CASL
U13 Girls: DVSC 1 :: 2 Arsenal FC
Championships Recap: http://supery.uslsoccer.com/home/157008.html
USL First Division Stories from November 27, 2006
- Rhinos Matthew Ford receives Executive of the Year - Rochester Rhinos
- USL SoccerFest a Success - USL-1
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.
