News

FC Milwaukee Shines in ECNL Divisions at the Final Four Showcase
 Dec 07 2009 - CL

FC Milwaukee's U15, U16, and U17 girls teams competed in the ECNL Divisions at the Final Four Showcase in College Station, TX from December 4 - 6. Each team played 3 games in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) as part of the 9-game regular season. The event was hosted in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Final Four, and hundreds of Division I, II, and III college coaches were in attendance to recruit players for their future teams.

The U15 team, competing in the Challenge B flight of the ECNL, went 1-2 in close games. The U15's lost 0-3 to the Atlanta Fire (GA) in a tough first game, rebounded well to defeat Connecticut FC (CT) 2-1 in the second, and lost a close 2-0 game to FC Delco (PA). The U15 team now stands with a 2-2-2 record in the ECNL. The U16 team, competing in the Challenge B flight, went 2-1, with a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Fire (GA), a 1-0 victory over Texas Longhorns (TX), and a disappointing defeat to FC Delco (PA) 0-1. The U16 team now sits in first place in the Challenge B bracket with a 4-2 record, and is poised to challenge for promotion to the Challenge A flight for the 2010-2011 ECNL season. The U17 team, competing in the Challenge A flight, went undefeated over the weekend, with a 2-0-1 record. The U17s tied FC Dallas (TX) 1-1 in the first game, defeated Arsenal FC (CA) 1-0 in the second game, and defeated the Dallas Sting (TX) 2-0 in the third game. The U17s are now in second place in the Challenge A bracket, and are well positioned to make a run for the ECNL National Championship.

"Playing in the ECNL allows the players to challenge themselves by playing at a national level," said FC Milwaukee U16 coach Rob Lestina. "The higher level of competition forces our players to get better every day -- which is why they come to FC Milwaukee in the first place." Tony Wright, FC Milwaukee U15 coach, echoed this thought: "Our team had three great games against great opponents. We are working hard in training to continue to improve as individuals, and look forward to 3 more great games in the ECNL in Las Vegas, NV in March." FC Milwaukee U17 coach Christian Lavers discussed the improving play of the U17s: "The ECNL really ties together our season by demanding the best from our players over the entire course of the year, while providing the opportunity to play at the biggest events in the country. The U17s have worked hard to get the results they have gotten so far -- and they deserve them. Now, we need to finish the regular season in Las Vegas even better."

The ECNL is a league comprised of 40 of the top girls clubs in the country, each placed in 1 of 2 tiers of competition (Challenge A and Challenge B) for a 9-game regular season, with games held at some of the largest collegiate recruiting events in the country. At the conclusion of the 2009-2010 ECNL regular season, all ECNL teams will compete in the ECNL National Championship in Seattle, WA in July 2010 where final league standings, age group national champions, an overall club champion, and promotion and relegation between the ECNL flights at each group will be determined. For more information on the ECNL, visit www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com.

While there is no U18 ECNL in 2009-2010, the FC Milwaukee U18 team also competed in College Station at the Final Four Showcase, posting a 2-1 record. The U18s defeated Rio Vista (NM) 3-1, lost to the Texas Challenge (TX) 2-1, and finished the event with a 3-2 win over Lonestar (TX). "The team looked very creative in combining in the final third each game -- which is reflected in the number of goals we scored over the weekend," said FC Milwaukee Coaching Director Peter Knezic -- who coached the U18 team. "This was a fun weekend for the U18s to finish their fall season with FC Milwaukee."