Prior to the Saturday afternoon kickoff of the South Atlantic season finale, it was already predetermined that Northern Virginia would be sending the U15 South Atlantic representative to the Super Y-League North American Finals.  What remained to be decided is who that representative would be, as the Northern Virginia Majestics and the NOVA FC U15 girls were locked in a tight race for the division championship with Saturday’s face off against each other looming.

 

After a scoreless first half, the Majestics finally found a way to break through the solid NOVA FC backline to score two goals in the final twenty minutes. Majestics Autumn Berry and Niomi Serrano each struck late in the second half to earn the Majestics the 2-0 victory and the automatic berth in the North American Finals held this November.

 

The Majestics finished the season unbeaten, earning seven wins and three ties over the regular season. The offense improved over the 2009 season totals by scoring thirty-nine goals and only surrendering six. 2010 will mark the second year in a row the U15 Majestics qualified for the finals and winning their group in the South Atlantic.

The Northern Virginia Majestics Super Y-League teams finished their first full week of competition for the 2010 season, squaring off against Alpharetta United and the Atlanta Fire the previous weekend.  With the season goal of a return to the Super Y-League North American Finals, the U15 Majestics launched their quest with dominating victories over both Atlanta area clubs.

 

On a scorching Georgia summer day, the U15 Majestics opened their 2010 season in top form, delivering a 4-0 result to the Alpharetta United girls. Undeterred by the continued oppressive heat, the upstart Majestics improved upon their performance the following day, trumping the Atlanta Fire 7-0.  

 

Northern Virginia’s 2009 National ODP Selection Autumn Berry led the points total for the Majestics, nabbing four goals and three assists over the weekend. Majestic Morgan Reuther remained right on Berry’s heels with three goals and three assists. Nicole Schweitzer currently leads the U15 Majestics in assists (four) and also managed to grab a goal herself. Also scoring a goal over the weekend were Jasmin Berrios, Madison Smith, and Jennie Zajic.

 

Goalkeeper Bethany Jackson earned the perfect clean slate by not conceding a goal in the two games. Equally responsible for the zero goals against tally was the Northern Virginia defense run by Casey Hartless, Megan Cross, Carly Norwood, and Rachel Kerxton.

 

United Soccer Leagues (USL) announced today the Super Y-League (SYL) First and Second-11 Club rankings for the 2009 regular season, recognizing the league’s top clubs on a competitive and administrative basis. Northern Virginia FC, comprised of the Royals (boys) and Majestics (girls) youth soccer teams, garnered the prestigious number one spot, finishing as the top Super Y-league club in North America. 

 

The top overall club in the SYL this season, the Northern Virginia Majestics/Royals scored an 81.80 to edge out the second-best club in the league, the MPS Bulldogs/Renegades (Massachusetts), by less than a tenth of a percent.

 

The Northern Virginia Royals were an impressive 41-3-14 during the SYL Regular season. They finished fourth in the boys rankings with a score of 78.11. Their U14, U15 and U17 boys went undefeated, while their U13, U16 and Super-20 League teams each had just a single loss. All five of the club’s SYL teams will be present at the SYL North American Finals.

Northern Virginia’s girls, the Majestics were 36-10-4 this season, finishing fourth in the girls rankings with a score of 79.27. The Majestic’s U13, U14 and U16 girls will all compete for a North American Championship in Tampa.

2009 Super Y-League Regular Season First 11 Club Rankings [+]

United Soccer Leagues released today the U14 Girls and Boys All-Tournament Teams following the 11th Annual Super Y-League North American Finals, hosted at Ed Radice Soccer Complex in northwest Tampa, Florida from Friday, November 20-24. Northern Virginia Majestic Meghan Cox and Northern Virginia Royal Drew Thompson each grabbed spots on their respective lists for their performance over the five-day tournament.

 

Majestic forward Cox was one of six players that tied for the most votes received during the North American Finals with three each. Those other players included Marlo Sweatman (Washington Freedom), Jen Andresen (Parsippany SC),  Samantha Gonzalez (Kalamazoo Kingdom), Olivia Kappeli (Coastal WFC), and Georgia Grzybowski (West Coast Capitals).

 

Northern Virginia Royal defender Thompson played a pivotal role in a back line that only allowed two goals in four matches during the North American Finals. After stumbling 2-0 early to Alliance Academy(Michigan), Thompson led the Royals defense in three consecutive shutouts against West Pines United (Florida), TSF Academy (New Jersey), and the Chicago Magic (Illinois).

In unprecedented fashion, the Northern Virginia Football Club earned five bids to the North American Finals from results on the last day of their Super Y-League regular season. With two teams previously qualified and two late wild card additions, Northern Virginia FC has set a new club record with nine teams bound for the United Soccer Leagues youth championship tournament later this fall.

 

The U14 Royals (7-0-3) swept their last five matches of the season to win the Group B title in the South Atlantic Division and gain entry into continental finals. The U14 Royals netted fifteen goals while only allowing three in their late season run. A 2-0 result over local rival Fredericksburg Gunners clinched the regular season group title and their spot at the championships.

 

On the girl’s side, the U14 Majestics faced a late season, uphill battle with their talented Richmond Kicker counterparts. The Kickers avenged an earlier 2-1 loss to the Majestics, winning 2-1 on a goal in the waning moments of the match. With record and head-to-head result dead even, the Majestics and Kickers found themselves both unable to cede a single point and locked in a race for goal differential with their remaining schedules. With Richmond ahead by eight goal differential points, the young Majestics managed to narrowly edge the Kickers goal totals in the final two games to earn the championship berth.

When the Virginia State Cup Final Four tournament kicks off on May 30th in Williamsburg, Virginia, one surprise will definitely be among the elite representatives in the U14 girls age group. The U14 NVSC Majestics earned their shot at the title in true Cinderella fashion, beating the top seed and previous champion Chantilly Hotspurs 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

 

The berth into the Virginia Youth Soccer Association State Cup finals is one the young Majestics have long labored to earn. The team was formed at the U9 age group in 2003 and included eleven members that played at seven vs. seven game format. From the original eleven, six members remain on the current roster of sixteen. Ashley Cox, Kristen Metz, Caroline Mulder, Gabby Powell, Ashley Plaster, and Nicole Schweitzer remain from the original 2003 Majestics team. Several others joined in the following years, especially when the games switched to full-sided eleven vs. eleven matches. 

 

Arguably, the difference in the NVSC Majestics this season could be described as obtaining mental maturity in their approach to the game. With the mechanics of technical skills emphasized throughout the early stages of development, the next crucial step may be a degree of self actualization that cannot be taught by a coach. The players must mature as a team and accept responsibility for their actions as a single unit on the field. Belief in oneself, both as a player and a single team entity, is one such aspect that the Majestics are beginning to grasp in their soccer maturity.