3 Is the Magic Number as U12 Boys and Girls Each Win 3 Out Of 3
Appleton, WI- In conjunction with the WYSA State Championship Tournament, FC Milwaukee Nationals' (FCMN) U12 Boys Blue; U13 Girls Red (U12s playing up); and U12 Girls White (2nd team) participated in the WYSA State Cup Invitational for U12 boys and girls. Intended to be developmental in nature, matching teams of like competitive levels, it was therefore absent the inherent pressures of advancing to a "next round" or vying with rivals for a trophy.
Director of coaching Pete Knezic said, "Going 9-0 as a club this weekend was great for the kids' confidence. Soccer is getting more and more competitive in this country and what's more important than winning trophies is getting the sense that we are moving in the right direction developing our youngest players."
In one of the most dramatic games of the weekend, the FCMN U12 Boys Blue came back from 3 goals down to defeat Milwaukee Bavarians 4-3 in their first match. They then went on to handle Lake Country 5-2 and Wisconsin Rush 7-3, in the 2 matches that followed. Coached by Mark Lambrecht, the U12 Boys Blue are 12-1-1 in all competitions this season.
Coach Chris McCreary, who coached the team in the big comeback said, "The Bavarians hit 3 great shots. But, once the boys found their rhythm, I could sense the tide would turn our way. Mark has got this team playing competitively. They are tremendously resilient, and determined." Goals were scored by David Burgad, Payton Aranda, Cameron Eccleston, Gianluca DeMaritino.
The U12 Girls White were the only 2nd team representive from any club invited to the event. It was clear that they were far from in over their heads. Their unbeaten run included 1-0 shutout wins over Mequon Red and Madison 56ers Red, in addition to a 3-1 victory over Whitefish Bay Blue.
Adriana Andreini; Stephanie Franczak; Rebecca Langer; and Kayla Zimdars, were credited with the goals. However, Coach Pat White (who also coaches the club's top U12 Girls team, the U13 Red) said, "The U12 Girls White did a great job of playing together and knocking the ball around. Every player on the team had a hand in the wins."
The aforementioned U13 Red (U12s playing up), playing 8 a side soccer for the first time this season, adjusted well, with eleven goals for and only 2 goals against. The girls' results included a 3-0 win over Lake Country United Red; a 4-1 defeat of Brookfield Red; and a 4-0 shutout of Sheboygan.
"The goal was to possess the ball and create quality goals. Even though we won the first two games pretty easily, it wasn't until the third game that they really felt comfortable again on the small field," said Coach White.
Congratulations to FCMN's U12s! Go FC!
