Under 13A Girls Travel Team
Under 13A Girls Travel Team
FALL SEASON: PAGS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS -
The Under 13A Heart capped their fall season by capturing the PAGS premier division championship for U-13
girls. This marks the fourth top division championship for the Heart in its five year career, running its five-year record
in league play and playoffs to 38-5-8. The Heart also captured this year’s Hershey Premier Labor Day tournament
championship, and was a semi-finalist in the WAGS Under 13 tournament where it went undefeated in
group play before losing a tightly contested semi-final match against a talented North Carolina squad that ultimately
won the flight championship.
The kickoff to the season was a team outing to see the U.S. men’s under-20 national team and the U.S. women’s
national team in international friendly matches at the Meadowlands. The team was the guest of USSF President
Sunil Gulati for a trip down to the field during the women’s team warm-ups and to the locker room runways for
autographs and cell phone pictures with national team players including Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, Kristine
Lilly and Heather Mitts. While the Heart got to see the U.S. claim two wins that day, the Heart’s own campaign got
off to a rough start with two consecutive losses. After turning the corner with its first win in the team’s third game,
the team offense began to click with two or three goals in each of its remaining league games as the team showed
good improvement in attacking with numbers as a team. The team’s defense improved, culminating in four shutouts
and only one goal against in its last five games. Improved discipline and communication made it a very rare
sight by the end of the season to ever find an opposing player with the ball behind the last line of defense.
The playoffs began with a game against a
powerful Baltimore Bays team. The Heart
drew first blood on a goal from the team’s
leading scorer Salina Williford, but Baltimore
responded with a goal of their own
mid-way through the second half. The tension
of a golden goal overtime ended in
less than two minutes when Julianna Bradley
found the goal in a wild scrum in front
of Baltimore’s net. With a semi-final victory
against the Maryland state champion behind
them, the final game brought on the
Delaware state champion, Hockessin
Spirit, who had gone through the regular
season without a loss. Williford again got
the Heart on the score board first with a
shot from the right side that found side netting.
The defending was relentless and
preserved the 1-0 shutout.
In a season that was marked by improving team play on offense and defense, congratulations are well deserved
for great play up front from Julianna Bradley, Carly Ichniowski, Samara Kitnick, Nanci Selig, and Salina Williford;
in the midfield from Caleigh Foust, Moira Petrie, Martha Zeller and Mary Zeller; and in the back, keeping the team
in every match, Elaine Byerley, Kiersten Daly, Sophie Katz, and Paige Phillips and keepers Sydney Frank and
Alex Srolis. While the wins and championships always came on Saturdays and Sundays, it was the hard work on
the days in between that made the successful results possible.
UNDER 11 SEASON
May, 2006: YMS EPIC Tournament - Champions
The Heart won the premiere bracket of this year's YMS EPIC tournament over Mother's Day weekend. The team went undefeated, outscoring four opponents by a total of 17-0. Eight different players contributed goals during the weekend and those who didn't find the net were responsible for keeping the tournament-long shutout intact.
January, 2006: EPYSA INDOOR STATE CUPS - State Champions
The Heart reached the final game by emerging from a very competitive five team bracket. The opposition in the championship game was a talented Deep Run team who beat FC Bucks, this year's PAGs playoff winner, 6 – 0, to advance to the final.
The day proved an opportunity to demonstrate the depth of the team as 8 different players scored. All members of the Heart team – Anne Coyle, Kiersten Daly, Rachel Flynn, Caleigh Foust, Sydney Frank, Carly Ichniowski, Sophie Katz, Samara Kitnick, Gabriella Kursman, Moira Petrie, Nanci Selig, Salina Williford, Martha Zeller and Mary Grace Zeller – made crucial contributions during all five games of the championship competition, with several players logging time at every position on the field. Rachel Flynn, still working hard to come off of injured reserved from her broken wrist, was on the sideline of every game to cheer the team on, showing the kind of team spirit that is the hallmark of the Heart.
The final game provided a fitting climax to the day. Deep Run got off to an early lead, scoring just over three minutes into the 24 minute game. Since Deep Run had not allowed a goal in two of their previous games, this might have been enough. However, the Heart responded by elevating the speed, intensity, and precision of their play to score three consecutive goals, gaining a 3 -1 lead. Deep Run was not finished - they scored a second goal with just over three minutes left in the game. The last three minutes were contested at a feverish pace with Heart goalie Sydney Frank securing the championship with several acrobatic saves.
The day was especially noteworthy for the mutual respect and good sportsmanship all players, coaches, and parents demonstrated in the face of heated competition. The Heart take special pride in being the first LMSC Girls team to win a State Championship. The team looks forward to continued growth as soccer players, team members and young ladies with considerable Heart.
On Saturday January 6, the Lower Merion Heart won this year’s U11 indoor state cup championship, becoming the first girls team in LMSC club history to earn an indoor or outdoor EPYSA State Championship. The accomplishment adds to an already impressive resume of three consecutive undefeated regular seasons in the top division of PAGs and the two previous US Club State Championship titles during their U9 and U10 campaigns.
Fall, 2005 - PAGS Soccer League - Undefeated In Regular Season
This was the team’s third consecutive undefeated regular season in top division play of PAGS, going 6-0-3, running their three-year PAGS record during their U-9, U-10 and U-11 campaigns to 23-0-5. But the first part of the adage unfortunately came back to haunt the Heart in the playoffs. Goals still win games. The Heart continued their dominant field-wide defensive effort in the playoffs when they played an equally stingy Montgomery squad to a 0-0 draw through 80 minutes of regulation and double overtime. Montgomery then prevailed in penalty kicks.
During the fall season, the team’s leading scorer, Salina Williford, spearheaded the offense, providing the team’s only goals and the margin of victory on three separate occasions. The back three often made up of Rachel Flynn, Gabriella Kursman, and Sophie Katz, played with superb shape and teamwork. Goalkeeping by Carly Ichniowski and Sydney Frank and holding midfield work by Anne Coyle and Nanci Selig were also instrumental in the team’s remarkable defensive record with Frank and Selig also contributing goals in stints further up the field during the season.
The midfield play in the team’s first year on the big 11v11 pitch was draining. Often, it was a combination of Kiersten Daly, Caleigh Foust, Sydney Frank, Samara Kitnick, Moira Petrie, Martha Zeller, and Mary Grace Zeller who manned these tough positions admirably. Congratulations on another successful fall soccer season to all members of the Heart.
The old soccer adage, “goals win games, defense wins championships,” provides a bittersweet summary of the fall season for the Lower Merion Heart in their fall 2005 season in premier division play. The Heart helped secure an undefeated regular season and first-place finish on the back of strong team defense that conceded only one goal in their nine regular season games against some of the strongest Under 11 girls teams in the region.
UNDER 10 SEASON
May, 2005 - Leagues United Cup - Champions
November, 2004: Heart Win Tournament At Wachovia Spectrum
November, 2004: PAGS Soccer League, Undefeated First Division Champions
The improving technical skills helped lay the foundation for another successful fall season for the Lower Merion Heart. For a second consecutive year, the team finished undefeated and captured first place in the first division of the PAGs U10 age group. The Heart also competed successfully in the premier U11 bracket at Long Island Junior’s Northport Columbus Day tournament with three wins against only two one-goal losses. Summer tournaments produced great results as well, including a semi-final appearance for one-split squad team in the u11 age group of the Got Milk 3v3 tournament against some of the top ranked u11 teams in the region.
Your Sports Center internet votes for the “Ooohhh-Aahhh” Goal of the Season have now all been tabulated. And here’s the clip of this season’s winner: “That looks like #9 for Lower Merion setting up to take the corner. The jockeying in the box looks especially chippy. Don’t forget to bring your elbows if you’re going in there. That’s a lovely cross flighted to the far post with a wonderful touch on it. Ooohhh. There’s #6 for Lower Merion adjusting her far post run. Wait -- I don’t believe it! She just smacked an instep volley while she was airborne right into the back of the net. Brilliant! Aaahhh.”
Well deserved to all the players -- Kiersten Daly, Caleigh Foust, Sydney Frank, Carly Ichniowski, Sophie Katz, Samara Kitnick, Gabriella Kursman, Nanci Selig, Salina Williford, Martha Zeller, and Mary Grace Zeller -- on another great season of playing hard, playing smart and playing with Heart.
For the second straight year, the Heart won the Leagues United Cup. This tournament was competed for by the
top teams in Eastern Pennsylvania.
The Lower Merion Heart enjoyed a special treat of being invited to play a tournament at the Philadelphia
Spectrum on November 6th. Their perfect record in the tournament earned the team the honor of welcoming the
Philadelphia Kixx onto the field that night for the Kixx home opener.
If you tell the ball what to do, will it listen? In the 2004 season, the Lower Merion Heart team focused on developing the players’ technical skills so they could start making a soccer ball listen. By the end of the fall season, the results showed. Team juggling competitions became cut throat affairs with players juggling past 100 touches, performing around-the-world tricks, and two-player teams keeping the ball airborne for minutes at a time. Dribbling in games had become more varied in direction and speed, while near-post driven crosses and far-post flighted crosses were finding their way from the practice field to game situations. Passes made with pace, accuracy and timing now had the receiver in mind, while first touches were finding the direction with the most space to exploit instead of just the direction toward the goal.
UNDER 9 SEASON
May, 2004: Leagues United Outdoor Cup Champions
November, 2003: PAGS Soccer League, First Division: 10-0-0
The team’s dedication and effort helped it achieve a very successful record. In the
summer, the Heart had an impressive tournament record. At the 3v3 Got Milk tournament,
one split squad team had a 5-0 record and the other a 3-2 mark (including one loss to
their own teammates). The team also was undefeated champion in the Philly Soccer Friendly
tournament, undefeated champion of the top bracket of the Council Rock tournament, and
runner-up in the top bracket of the Ross-Haney Labor Day tournament. In Columbus Day
action, the team went undefeated in the top flight of the Parsipanny tournament against
the some of the best clubs in New Jersey. The Heart put an exclamation mark on their
first season with a perfect 10-0-0 record in division one play of PAGS, outscoring opponents
over the season by 30 to 3.
Well deserved and well done to all of the Heart players: Caleigh “Hot Shot” Foust,
Sydney “Frankie” Frank, Carly “Icky” Ichniowski, Sophie “Mighty S” Katz, Samara “Li'l S"
Kitnick, Gabriela “Big Foot” Kursman, Nanci “Flash” Selig, Grace “Arky” VanArkel,
Salina “Speedy” Williford, and Martha and Mary Grace “Thunder and Lightning” Zeller.
October 13, 2003: Parsippany Pride Columbus Day Tournament: Undefeated
August 24, 2003: Heart Win Council Rock Tournament, Place Second at Ross-Haney Labor Day Tournament -
The Lower Merion Heart, LMSC's U9A Girls team, got off to a successful start in their first
summer together. Two Heart teams played in Philadelphia's 3v3 Got Milk tournament, with one
tying for first place with a perfect 5-0-0 record. The Heart took first place in Philly
Soccer's Friendly tournament with a 3-0-1 record.
At the CRUSA summer tournament, LMSC finished first with a 4-0-0 record including 3 shutouts.
Three of the four teams they played had already played a full year of travel team soccer.
The highlight of the tournament was a 1-0 win over Deep Run who had never lost a game before
playing Lower Merion.
At the Ross-Haney Labor Day tournament, the Heart gave up only one goal in five games, but
unfortunately that came in a 1-0 loss in the tournament final.
Playing against the top teams from Eastern Pennsylvania, the Heart captured the Leagues
United Outdoor Cup championship.
The Lower Merion Heart practiced and played its way to a successful season marked by great
skill development, growing understanding of the game, an unshakeable team spirit, and
impressive results on the pitch. From the end of tryouts in April through the conclusion
of the fall PAGS season in the darkness of five o’clock sunsets, the Heart set a standard
of perfect team attendance at practice where favorite games included “Doctor-Doctor, I’ve
Got the Skater Boy Flu,” “Disney Twins,” and the knock-down-drag-out “Ladder Game.” Along
the way, Heart players perfected birthday box and 360 moves, while their decisions with
the ball became faster and smarter each week. Through summer scrimmages, tournaments,
and the fall season, Heart players got a chance to see and play the game from the
perspective of every position on the field with goal scoring coming from all quarters.
The Lower Merion Heart, LMSC's U9A girls team, went undefeated in the top flight of the Parsippany Pride Columbus Day
weekend tournament. The Heart outscored their opponents in four games 20 to 1. New Jersey Tournaments do not allow
for playoffs to be held at U-9. The team's excellent showing against some of the top teams in New Jersey.