Charlotte Eagles News

Richmond Downs Eagle...

2007-08-19T19:22:00.001-05:00

Richmond Downs Eagles in 2-1 Overtime Semi Final

The home team applied pressure early, creating dangerous scoring opportunities in the 3rd and 6th minutes. Kickers forward David Bulow busted through the Charlotte defense minutes into the match, ending up one on one with Eagles goalkeeper Terry Boss. Bulow attempted a muffled shot that was stifled by Boss who threw himself in the line of fire.

Not long after, Kickers midfielder Sascha Görres played a short corner to USL-2 Assist Leader Mike Burke. Under pressure, Burke sent the ball back to Görres, who flicked a curving ball overtop a scuffle in the box, finding defender Kelvin Jones in the air; however, Jones' header collided with the near-side netting.

The Kickers took the lead in the 14th minute when an Eagles player carried along the end line and a poor clearance was intercepted by Bulow. Bulow played the ball back to Burke at the penalty spot but Boss made a one-handed block. The ricochet fell to Watson inside the six-yard box and he tapped it in for the first goal of the night.

Ten minute later, the Kickers attempted to double the score when Görres carried the ball down the left flank and sent a long, high cross to a streaking Watson at the opposite touchline. Watson settled the ball and played it back to Bulow at the top of the box but his 18-yard blast sailed inches over the woodwork.

The Eagles retaliated in the 30th minute when Swinehart eluded defenders as he closed in on Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale. He hammered a shot from the right side of the box but it flew inches over Pascale's reaching fingertips and over the target.

As the halftime whistle loomed, Görres turned his man inside-out and ripped a 25 yard left-footer that whizzed past the near post and the diving 'keeper.

Charlotte picked up momentum after the restart, making the initial attempt in the 54th minute. An Eagles corner was taken from the left side and the ball hurtled into the box finding Swinehart but his diving header narrowly escaped the mark. Not long after, midfielder Adam Ruud looked dangerous, minutes after entering the match. Slicing through the Kickers defense, he sent a missile just wide left.

An Eagles corner in the 83rd minute resulted in a hustle inside the box as several attempts were made to push the ball into the goal. A Swineart/Pascale collision left the Kickers netminder on the ground and a yellow card caution for Swinehart.

Swinehart answered back four minutes later, netting the equalizer in the 87th minute. Forward Jamal Sutton floated a long ball from the far side of the box to Swinehart who, inches from the far post, coolly slid the ball over the goal line.

The gritty affair was pushed into overtime, despite stoppage time opportunities to reclaim the lead including attempts by Jaman and Alexander as the final seconds of regulation waned. First, Jaman carried the ball down the center channel, dodging Eagles players and feeding the ball to Burke. Burke pushed it back wide to a flashing Jaman on the right flank who unleashed a powerful strike from 15 yards but it sailed well over the crossbar.

Lastly, Görres lined up a free kick that was cleared by Charlotte. The rebound found midfielder Trey Alexander who one-timed a 30-yard laser, destined to shatter the stalemate but Boss was able to get a hand on it to push it wide right, keeping the Eagles in the game.

Two 15-minute periods ensued, played in their entirety with the first phase providing opportunities on both sides of the pitch. First, the Kickers took possession when Görres calmly carried the ball down the field and composedly slipped it to forward Ricky Schramm at the penalty area but his strike was smothered by Boss and deflected wide by Schramm looking for a rebound.

Four minutes later, Swinehart appeared dangerous again, this time curling the ball into the box from the right side. USL2 Scoring Champion Jacob Coggins laid the ball off to Sutton. Quick on his feet, Sutton's right footed shot rifled the side netting.

The stalemate was lifted minutes before the outcome was to be decided by penalty kicks when the Kickers recovered the lead in the 110th minute. Görres took a short corner to Schramm at the near post who played it back to Görres. Beating two defenders, he hammered the ball across the crowded goalmouth. Jaman was able to get a piece of the ball, flicking it over the Eagles goalkeeper and breaking the plane, despite the efforts of defenders positioned inside the goal.

The Richmond Kickers will host the Harrisburg City Islanders in Richmond for the National Championship match on Saturday, August 25th, 8:00 pm. The Harrisburg City Islanders earned their spot in the Championship Match after a 1-0 win over the Cleveland City Stars.

Summary:

USL-2 SEMIFINAL

Weather: Warm, breezy Attendance: 3015

Scoring Summary
RIC: Matt Watson (David Bulow) 14
CHA: Dustin Swinehart (Jamal Sutton) 87
RIC: Nowaf Jaman (Sascha Gorres) 110

Cautions CHA: Ross Spencer 42, Dustin Swinehart 84
RIC: Trey Alexander 54

Referees: Daniel Stead, James Conlee, Terrance Andrews, Charles Carson

USL-2 All-League 1st Team Selections

Nelson Akwari

Jacob Coggins

USL-2 All-League 2nd Team Selection

Steve Shak

Richmond Downs Eagle...

2007-08-18T23:09:00.001-05:00

Richmond Downs Eagles in 2-1 Overtime Semi Final

RICHMOND , VA - (Saturday, August 18, 2007) - The Charlotte Eagles were handed an end to their season by the defending USL-2 Champion Richmond Kickers tonight. In the 110th minute Jaman Nowaf scored a late overtime goal to earn Richmond a 2-1 voctory and a trip to the 2007 USL-2 National Championship match. The Richmond Kickers look to defend the USL-2 title, hosting the Harrisburg City Islanders in the Championship match next Saturday, August 25th at 8:00 pm at the University of Richmond Stadium.

The Kickers ousted the Charlotte Eagles, 2-1, in a hard-fought, overtime semifinal. The Kickers took the lead in the 14th minute on a Matt Watson tally assisted by David Bulow. Richmond held onto the lead until an 87 minute equalizer by Eagles forward Dustin Swinehart, assisted by Jamal Sutton. Pushing the game into overtime, the Kickers broke the stalemate in the 110th minute when forward Nowaf Jaman netted the game-winner. Sascha Gorres assisted the game winning goal.

Summary:

USL-2 SEMIFINAL

USL-2 All-League 1st Team Selections

Nelson Akwari

Jacob Coggins

USL-2 All-League 2nd Team Selection

Steve Shak

Akwari & Coggins Nam...

2007-08-16T12:01:00.001-05:00

Akwari & Coggins Named to 1st Team All-League
Shak Named to 2nd Team All-League

USL NEWS RELEASE :: Thursday, August 16

For the latest news, scores and more... visit www.USLsoccer.com

USL-2 All-League Teams announced

Richmond's Pascale voted Goalkeeper of the Year

TAMPA, FL - United Soccer Leagues announced the Goalkeeper of the Year honor and the All-League Teams for the 2007 USL Second Division season, honoring 22 of the league's top players for their performances as voted on by club general managers and coaches.

USL Second Division All-League First Team

Goalkeeper of the Year - Ronnie Pascale (Richmond Kickers)

Although he finished third in the GAA Championship race behind Harriburg's Matt Nelson ( 0.611) and the honoree Hunter Gilstrap (0.500) of the Cleveland City Stars with an average of 0.684, Pascale was voted the top netminder in the league for the season. Pascale did lead the league in wins with 12 on the season, two ahead of Nelson and Charlotte's Daniel Benton, and was second in shutouts with nine, one behind Nelson. Pascale was also Goalkeeper of the Year in 2006 when it was a statistical honor prior to the introduction of the GAA Championship.

Defender - Nelson Akwari (Charlotte Eagles)

Akwari was a leader for the Eagles, finishing as one of four players in the league to play every minute. The former US youth international spent the last five seasons in Major League Soccer, playing 78 regular season games for Real Salt Lake (2005-06), Columbus Crew (2003-04) and New York Red Bulls (2002).

Defender - Mark Schulte (Cleveland City Stars)

In addition to finishing the season as one of four players in the league to play every minute of the season, Schulte tallied two goals and four assists while leading the expansion club to the fourth one-loss season in the history of the league. The USL veteran returned after a stint abroad in Iceland, where he played for IBV. He last played in the US for the Columbus Crew in 2005, seeing action in 19 games. Previously, he spent four years with the Minnesota Thunder (2000-03), logging 93 regular season games, after playing one season in the PDL in 1999 with the Twin Cities Tornado.

Defender - Jay Willis (Western Mass Pioneers)

In his fourth year with the club, Willis has become a staple in the roster, playing 18 games this season and scoring twice. He now has three career goals in 68 regular season games with the club.

Midfielder - Mike Burke (Richmond Kickers)

The USL-2 Assist Leader with nine on the year, Burke assumed the role of captain upon the mid-season retirement of veteran defender Kevin Knight, finishing the regular season tied for scoring on the team with three goals and nine assists for 15 points. In his eighth season with the Kickers, Burke eclipsed the all-time career assists leaders to hold the sole position in the franchise with 38 assists overall. He continues to reside in third place on the Kickers all-time career points list with 90 (26g, 38a). Burke was a USL-2 First Team honoree and USL-2 Most Valuable Player Finalist en route to the 2006 USL-2 Championship.

Midfielder - Mathew Mbuta (Crystal Palace Baltimore)

An unknown in North America, Mbuta joined the club from Malaysia, where he was known as the Black Pearl. He was a key component of the club's midfield throughout the season, playing in 16 games and finishing with five goals and seven assists, which ranked second in the league behind Burke.

Midfielder - Adam Moffat (Cleveland City Stars)

From the midfield, Moffat led the team in scoring in their first season with eight goals and two assists in 19 games. He joined the club from Scottish Third Division side Elgin City and previously played for Ross County.

Midfielder - Matt Watson (Richmond Kickers)

In his second pro season, Watson finished tied for the team lead in goals with 2006 USL-2 MVP Robert Ssejjemba and Ricky Schramm with six. He also tallied three assists in his 17 games played. As a rookie, he was the only Kicker to appear in every match during the 2006 season, becoming a regular starter early in the season and making 24 overall appearances, starting 21. Leading the team to the USL-2 regular season title and Championship, Watson finished fourth on the team with four goals and four assists during the regular season.

Forward - Stephen Astwood (Bermuda Hogges)

Although the striker only tallied four goals and an assist on the season for the first-year Hogges, Astwood left a lasting impression on his opponents to receive All-League honors. He led the team in scoring, finishing with one more goal than former Manchester City star Shaun Goater for the season.

Forward - Gary Brooks (Crystal Palace Baltimore)

A veteran of the USL First Division, Brooks joined the club midseason and was the driving force behind the club's surge from near the bottom of the table to fifth place. He finished the season with seven goals and two assists in nine games as the team went on a 6-2-1 run with him up top. Brooks previously played for the Virginia Beach Mariners (2002-03) and the Atlanta Silverbacks (2004-05) in USL-1, logging 13 goals and 13 assists in 79 regular season games. He also played four games last season with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Forward - Jacob Coggins (Charlotte Eagles)

After leading the league in points and goals in 2004 and 2005, Coggins saw his numbers drop off last year due to a season-limiting injury, scoring just four goals in 14 games. He made an impressive return in 2007, however, to earn the Scoring and Goal Scoring Championship honors for the third time in four years, finishing the season with 12 goals and 31 points. Coggins became the first player in the 14-year history of the league to earn the scoring honors three times. Luis Orrellana (1998, 1999) and Julio-Cesar Dos Santos (2000, 2002) were the only other players to win the awards twice.

USL Second Division All-League Second Team

G	Matt Nelson	Harrisburg City Islanders
D	James Greenslit	New Hampshire Phantoms
D	Shintaro Harada	Crystal Palace Baltimore
D	Michael Lookingland	Harrisburg City Islanders
D	Ashleigh Townsend	Cincinnati Kings
M	Maciel Everson	Western Mass
M	Mo Oduor	Harrisburg City Islanders
M	Brian Ombiji	Harrisburg City Islanders
M	Steve Shak	Charlotte Eagles
F	Nigel Codrington	Cleveland City Stars
F	Robert Ssejjemba	Richmond Kickers

The Defender of the Year and the Finalists for Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors will be announced Monday, August 20. The winners of the final three honors will be announced at the USL Second Division Championship banquet.

USL Second Division Semifinals

The USL Second Division playoffs begin this week with Semifinals Saturday. The regular season champion Richmond Kickers play host to the Charlotte Eagles in a rematch of the 2006 final. The Harrisburg City Islanders will visit the first-year Cleveland City Stars. Both games begin at 7:00 pm ET.

USL Public Relations - Gerald Barnhart / Jason Minnick - Tampa, FL - 813.963.3909 - fax: 813.963.3807

____________________________________________________

Charlotte Eagles at Richmond for Semi Finals

The Charlotte Eagles finished off the 2007 regular season in fourth place with a record of 11-7-2, for 35 points. Charlotte's record was good enough to earn them the fourth seed in the USL-2 playoffs. The Eagles are matched up with the top seed in the playoffs, the USL-2 regular season champion Richmond Kickers (12-3-5, 41 pts). Charlotte and Richmond will play their single-game semi final on Saturday, August 18^th in Richmond. Fans going to the semi final match in Richmond can visit www.RichmondKickers.com to get a coupon for $5.00 admission to the game. Winner of the Charlotte / Richmond game will advance to the USL-2 National Championship match on August 25 ^th, location TBD.

The Harrisburg City Islanders (11-4-5, 38 pts) finished as the third seed in the playoffs and will travel to Cleveland to face the second seed Cleveland City Stars (10-1-9, 39 pts) on Saturday in the other leg of the semi finals. For more information on the Harrisburg / Cleveland semi final match up, visit www.ClevelandCityStars.com.

In this Issue:

:: USL-2 All-League Teams Announced

:: USL-2 Playoffs - Eagles @ Richmond for Semi Final

Nelson Akwari

Jacob Coggins

Steve Shak

USL-2 PLAYOFFS

Eagles face regular season champion Richmond Kickers on Saturday in Richmond. Winner of that match will advance to the USL-2 Championship against the winner of Saturday night's Harrisburg vs. Cleveland Semi Final match.