By Dave Utnik for News & Messenger/InsideNova.com (photo by John Boal)

The invitation alone was flattering.

 

Anna Kayes marveled at the idea of performing at the Kennedy Center.

 

For a high school senior there is perhaps no grander stage—especially for an alto in the prestigious H-B Woodlawn Chamber Singers.

 

As a select member of a nationally-acclaimed choral department, Kayes continuously explored music’s rich history, from Mozart and Haydn to Bach. She was introduced to legendary composers and challenged in ways she’d never imagined possible.

 

Singing with Grammy Award winners, however, was unchartered territory.

 

Nearly two years later, sharing the spotlight with the Washington Chorus at their 2007 Christmas concert remains one of the biggest thrills of Kayes’ singing career.

 

"I was terrified," the Northern Virginia Majestics forward said. "But it was a great experience and I think that changed me for the better."

By Dave Utnik for News & Messenger/InsideNova.com (photo by John Boal)

The instincts are still there. So is all of the natural talent that Lisa DuCote displayed throughout a soccer career that has spanned nearly two decades.

 

At 23, she plays more for enjoyment now. The aspirations that defined her youth have changed.

 

And DuCote is okay with that.

 

She just completed work on a master’s degree in exercise physiology from West Virginia University and is preparing for life beyond the soccer field. But when Northern Virginia Majestics’ coach Jac Cicala asked her if she could help out for a few W-League games while some key players recover from injuries, DuCote didn’t have to think twice about an answer.

 

She put retirement on hold and returned to a spot on the field against the Charlotte Eagles on Saturday night that she has occupied at one level or another in the Majestics program since she was 14 years old.

By Dave Utnik for News & Messenger/InsideNova.com (photo by John Boal)

It takes a referee’s whistle to slow Kimmy Moss down.

 

And even then, the Northern Virginia Majestics’ 20-year-old midfielder isn’t likely to stand still. On game days, she is in constant motion—racing from one end of the soccer field to the other in a quest to control possession of the ball.

 

Keeping up with her is no simple task, either.

 

Moss has built up so much stamina with aerobics training and middle distance workouts for the George Mason University track team that she can basically run for hours.

 

So 90 minutes on a turf field essentially translates into an all-out sprint.

 

"She certainly is a 90-minute player. Playing in this heat on these large fields, there aren’t a lot of players who can stay in for 90. She’s just very fit and very ath-letic," Majestics coach Jac Cicala said. "And her versatility gives us a chance to play her at [midfield] or up top.

 

"I put a lot of pressure on my flank middies to do recovery work and she’s one of the few people who can maintain that for a 90-minute pace."

 

Unlike recent weeks, the Majestics came out firing in the opening half of the match. The return of Majestic veteran Lisa DuCote into the Northern Virginia midfield, combined with the call-up of Super 20 forward Bailey Wilcox, provided a welcome spark to a previously ineffective offense. The Majestics registered six shots on the half, but were unable to get past Charlotte keeper Katie Forbis.

 

Entering the second half still scoreless, it would be the Lady Eagles that showed a focused attack. Charlotte forward Christy Rife trickled a ball untouched across the Majestics goal mouth in the 48th minute, finding the opportunistic do Santos at the far post for the tap-in goal and 1-0 advantage.

 

Charlotte doubled their lead ten minutes later, as Lindsey Ozimek converted a penalty kick on an adjudged hand ball infraction by Northern Virginia.

When Freedom High School opened in Loudoun County during the fall of her sophomore year, Aly Gazarek viewed it as an opportunity.

 

She didn’t necessarily want to leave her friends and teammates at Broad Run, where the Spartans were already established as one of the state’s most talented Group AA teams. But Gazarek had no choice because she lived in Freedom’s zoned district, so she embraced the move to a new school and became a founding member—and eventual star—of the Eagles’ varsity program.

 

"It was fun at Broad Run. We were one of the best teams in the district," she said. "But I looked at going to Freedom as a chance to start something and put records on the board so I took that and did what I could with it."

 

Gazarek views her first season with the Northern Virginia Majestics U-23 squad with similar enthusiasm.

 

United Soccer Leagues announced today the preliminary Super Y-League First and Second 11 Club rankings for the 2008 season, recognizing the league’s top competitive and administrative clubs. Northern Virginia FC surged upwards on the First 11 Club ranking, nabbing the Royals and Majestics program the fifth best Super Y-League club in North America.

 

The release of the list precedes the 10th Annual Super Y-League North American Finals, where all but five of the 37 clubs in the rankings will be competing for 10 championships that are up-for-grabs beginning Friday, November 21.  The clubs will also be recognized during USL’s Annual General Meeting, the second half of USL’s SoccerFest, which is held in conjunction with the North American Finals in downtown Tampa.