Happy New Year!

A reminder, if your player is looking for more soccer training in a focused, driven environment, registration for our new Winter Technical Training program is still open!

This 6-week program, directed by Team Chicago Girls Director Dave Lovercheck, is devoted to technical training with a tactical and fitness component. Topics will include ball manipulation, positioning, ball movement and will include technical work under pressure. A group environment allows skills to be honed with pressure from an opponent giving a greater benefit and helping build confidence as players experience success.

Groups will be limited to a maximum of ten players and will be formed based on skill and age.

Dates: January 22, 29
February 5, 12, 19, 26
Time: U16-U19: 7:30-8:30AM
U10-U12 & U13-U15: 8:30-9:30AM
Cost: $150/player

The program consists of six training sessions. All training will take place at the WAA Sports Center on the State-of-the-Art turf field at 2323 Liberty Street in Aurora.

Register here: https://clubs.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=324101

Please contact Dave Lovercheck with any questions at: dave@teamchicagosoccer.org

If your player is looking for more soccer training in a focused, driven environment, our new Winter Technical Training program is for you!

This 6-week program, directed by Team Chicago Girls Director Dave Lovercheck, is devoted to technical training with a tactical and fitness component. Topics will include ball manipulation, positioning, ball movement and will include technical work under pressure. A group environment allows skills to be honed with pressure from an opponent giving a greater benefit and helping build confidence as players experience success.
Groups will be limited to a maximum of ten players and will be formed based on skill and age.

Dates: January 22, 29
February 5, 12, 19, 26
Time: U16-U19: 7:30-8:30AM
U10-U12 & U13-U15: 8:30-9:30AM
Cost: $150/player

Program consists of six training sessions. All training will take place at the WAA Sports Center on the State-of-the-Art turf field at 2323 Liberty Street in Aurora.

Register here: https://clubs.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=324101

Please contact Dave Lovercheck with any questions at: dave@teamchicagosoccer.org

Over the Thanksgiving week four Team Chicago players and Technical Director Phil Nielsen represented Illinois and Region II at the ODP Inter-Regional Tournament in Boca Raton, FL with distinction.

Alyssa Bombacino and Bailee Witt starred on the 2000 Region II team team that beat the U14 National Team 2-0 in a game where Alyssa scored the game-winning goal and Bailee helped secure the shutout. The 2000 Region II team also tied Region IV 1-1 where Alyssa got the goal, and lost 2-0 to Region I.

Natalie Massa was an integral member of the 2001 Region II team that for the second year running won the event with a perfect record. Natalie Massa started on a back-line that defeated Region III 2-1, Region IV 4-2, and Region I 2-0.

Katelyn Nardulli was an integral member of the 2002 Region II team that also won the event with a perfect record for the second year running. The team was head coached by Phil Nielsen and beat Region III 2-0, Region I 2-0, and Region IV 4-2.

Congrats to all the players who represented Team Chicago with such excellence.

With he Fall season coming to a close, Team Chicago can look back on a very successful MRL & State Cup season for the 1998 through 2002 Elite teams.

1998 Elite head coached by Dave Lovercheck finished its MRL season with a 7-1-1 record and 26 goals for and 10 against in the Premier I division and at least a runners-up finish. FCKC has one final game to play and if they lose that game we will win the division and automatically qualify for Regionals in Sioux Falls, SD next June. Even if we finish 2nd we can still qualify for Regionals if FCKC wins the Kansas State Cup championship in the Spring. The IYSA State Cup for this age group will also be played in the Spring and gives the 1998 Elite another avenue to clinch a spot at Regionals.

1999 Elite head coached by Dave Lovercheck won the IYSA State Cup with a convincing 4-1 victory over Eclipse ECNL and qualified for Regionals in Sioux Falls, SD next June. The MRL Premier II division title was clinched with a game in hand after a 1-0 win yesterday against MI Jaguars took 1999 Elite to a 7-0-1 record thus far and 18 goals for and 5 against. With the title the team has also secured promotion to the Fall 2017 MRL Premier I division.

2000 Elite head coached by Phil Nielsen won the MRL Premier II division title in equally impressive fashion with a 7-1-1 record and 18 goals for and 8 against. The season ended on Saturday night with an impressive come-from-2 goals down-win against Waukesha. In State Cup 2000 Elite fell agonizingly short to the eventual State Cup champions Campton.

2001 Elite head coached by Phil Nielsen was an unfortunate victim of the change to birth-year registration and as a result was placed in the MRL qualification division well below its ability. The division was won with a perfect 8-0-0 record and the was cemented with an emphatic 8-0 win against the runners-up Wizards FC on Saturday. The team twice beat MRL Premier II team FCX 6-1 and with those results the promotion to MRL Premier II for the Fall 2017 season should be secured. In State Cup 2001 Elite lost to eventual State Cup champion Eclipse.

2002 Elite head coached by Phil Nielsen finished 6th in the MRL Premier II division, but only 4 points away from promotion to Premier I. In State Cup 2002 Elite lost a heart-breaker 1-0 in the semi-final to eventual State Cup champion Chicago Fire Juniors South.

Over the next few months these teams will turn to the National League (1998 Elite) and Elite College Showcase circuit before turning their attention to the H.S. soccer season February 27, 2017. 1998 Elite, 1999 Elite, and 2000 Elite will travel to Raleigh & Wilson, North Carolina November 30th-December 4th and then to the Disney Showcase December 29th-January 3rd. The 2001 Elite and 2002 Elite will join the older teams at the Disney Showcase and then travel to the Presidents’ Day Showcase in Phoenix, AZ February 16-20th.

Team Chicago Academy 1999 Elite captured the Illinois Youth Soccer Association 18U State Cup Championship with a 4-1 win over Eclipse Elite ECNL 1999 on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at Techny Prairie Park in Northbrook, IL.

After winning Bracket C to advance to the Semi-final, it took overtime for Team Chicago to advance to the Final. A late goal from Chicago Inter tied the game at 1-1 after Haley Singer had given Team Chicago an early lead. In overtime the winning goal was scored by Sarah Griffith, with Haley Singer adding her second goal of the game to give Team Chicago a 3-1 victory and a place in the final.

Facing Eclipse Elite ECNL 1999 in the final, Amy Ahern made a huge save on a penalty kick in the 7th minute to keep the game scoreless. Team Chicago took the lead on a goal by Ashley Santos on an indirect free kick inside the penalty box, and Team Chicago led at halftime 1-0.

Early in the second half Sarah Griffith extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal from 20 yards. Eclipse was able to cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the second half, and had a chance to tie the game on a second penalty kick, but Ahern was again up to the challenge and saved her second pk of the match. Sarah Griffith got her hat trick, adding two goals late in the match, as Team Chicago captured the trophy and punched their ticket to Regionals with a final score of 4-1.

Congratulations to Team Chicago Academy 1999 Elite, 18U IYSA State Cup Champions!