UM-N U-9 Patriots win state cups indoors and out
The star pitcher who hits home runs. The sprinter who can win a marathon. The hockey player who can do a triple axle figure skating. Not one, but two-way domination in any sport is rare and difficult to achieve. Virtually impossible when you’re considered, at best, an under-sized upstart.
Last season, the Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer Club (UMNSC) U-9 Patriots (Red) soccer team was all of that and then some, taking home unprecedented state championships in both indoor and outdoor soccer competition. While some may say it is a double upset, others would appropriately argue does a double upset represent even one upset at all?
A fast developing program in eastern Pennsylvania over the last few years, across several age groups, Upper Makefield-Newtown is, nonetheless, a very small program--but one that is no longer kicked around by its much larger competition. Playing against formidable, well-schooled inner city and regional teams, Upper Makefield has stepped up and into the spotlight through a league-wide commitment to year-round practice, games and conditioning.
The league also has a new soccer-only home now, at the stunning beautiful Brownsburg Park and Pavilion.
Coached by Gary Roberts, John O’Donnell, and Robert Kiszka, the U-9 team perfectly epitomizes the program’s maturation and potential. Last winter, the U-9 team scored the first state championship in Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer history.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be the first UMNSC team to win a State Cup!” says Upper Makefield’s Connor Fife.
Now indoor soccer is played with fewer players, and is a tight precision-speed game. Power is sacrificed a bit for tempo and accuracy, constant movement and ball control, much like racquetball versus tennis. The nature of the indoor game, and that it is played by fewer teams, might give a smaller town and team a slim chance.
Upper Makefield-Newtown grabbed that chance, shook it hard, and never looked back. The team dominated a rugged six-team championship tournament field to take the EPYSA State Indoor Championships.
“Winning the Indoor State Cup made me want to win the Outdoor Cup even more,” star defenseman Justin Scharf recalls. “It was the best feeling I have ever had.”
Heading outdoors would be a whole different story. Upper Makefield-Newtown had a very strong regular season, but earning a state championship would require enduring a torturous labyrinth of 36-team pool play and, if still alive, a single elimination knockout round.
The end of the road was never far away in the pool play. Facing a shut down defense, the team trailed rival Penn Legacy, 2-0, on Legacy’s home field, with eight minutes left. Forging forward against a 30-mile-an-hour headwind, and desperate for any offense, Sam Roberts broke through to give the team hope, and Dean Rubakh scored the miracle 90 seconds later to grind out a pool-saving tie.
“I was worried when we were behind 2-0 against Penn Legacy,” Rubakh says, “but I knew we had enough time to come back.”
With the tie, and critical pool “goal differential” working against the Patriots, they would need to win by four goals (a very large margin in soccer) to advance to the championship rounds. Not surprisingly for this team, they did what they needed to and won, 4-0.
Four more wins in single elimination would be required to win the state championship. After two easy wins, they played another Philadelphia rival, Philly Soccer. In what was easily the most physical battle of the year, UMNSC edged the city team, 1-0, and won the chance to play for the title.
In the state championship game, the Patriots got off to a fast start as Dean Rubakh buried a diving header into the corner off a beautiful pass from Conner Fife in the first minute, setting the tone for the game. The Patriots added to their lead midway through the second half as Coner O’Donnell fed Matt McAlister who beat the Lower Merion keeper with his left foot for a 2–0 lead.
From that point, the Patriots continued to apply the pressure while their goalie, Andrew Lutschaunig, kept his cool and scored the shut-out for the Patriots.
“The more shots I save the more exciting it gets!” says Lutschaunig, who thrived in a game as exciting as one could imagine.
While they would deny it, the UMNSC (Red) U-9 Patriots should be the team to beat moving forward. In their third year together, even with losing two of their first three games in 2007, they have posted a gaudy 61-3-2 record, and have won eight tournament titles, from Maryland to northern New Jersey. Power and speed or precision and tempo, indoor or outdoor, you name the game and these kids from Upper Makefield will find a way to win.
Last season, the Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer Club (UMNSC) U-9 Patriots (Red) soccer team was all of that and then some, taking home unprecedented state championships in both indoor and outdoor soccer competition. While some may say it is a double upset, others would appropriately argue does a double upset represent even one upset at all?
A fast developing program in eastern Pennsylvania over the last few years, across several age groups, Upper Makefield-Newtown is, nonetheless, a very small program--but one that is no longer kicked around by its much larger competition. Playing against formidable, well-schooled inner city and regional teams, Upper Makefield has stepped up and into the spotlight through a league-wide commitment to year-round practice, games and conditioning.
The league also has a new soccer-only home now, at the stunning beautiful Brownsburg Park and Pavilion.
Coached by Gary Roberts, John O’Donnell, and Robert Kiszka, the U-9 team perfectly epitomizes the program’s maturation and potential. Last winter, the U-9 team scored the first state championship in Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer history.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be the first UMNSC team to win a State Cup!” says Upper Makefield’s Connor Fife.
Now indoor soccer is played with fewer players, and is a tight precision-speed game. Power is sacrificed a bit for tempo and accuracy, constant movement and ball control, much like racquetball versus tennis. The nature of the indoor game, and that it is played by fewer teams, might give a smaller town and team a slim chance.
Upper Makefield-Newtown grabbed that chance, shook it hard, and never looked back. The team dominated a rugged six-team championship tournament field to take the EPYSA State Indoor Championships.
“Winning the Indoor State Cup made me want to win the Outdoor Cup even more,” star defenseman Justin Scharf recalls. “It was the best feeling I have ever had.”
Heading outdoors would be a whole different story. Upper Makefield-Newtown had a very strong regular season, but earning a state championship would require enduring a torturous labyrinth of 36-team pool play and, if still alive, a single elimination knockout round.
The end of the road was never far away in the pool play. Facing a shut down defense, the team trailed rival Penn Legacy, 2-0, on Legacy’s home field, with eight minutes left. Forging forward against a 30-mile-an-hour headwind, and desperate for any offense, Sam Roberts broke through to give the team hope, and Dean Rubakh scored the miracle 90 seconds later to grind out a pool-saving tie.
“I was worried when we were behind 2-0 against Penn Legacy,” Rubakh says, “but I knew we had enough time to come back.”
With the tie, and critical pool “goal differential” working against the Patriots, they would need to win by four goals (a very large margin in soccer) to advance to the championship rounds. Not surprisingly for this team, they did what they needed to and won, 4-0.
Four more wins in single elimination would be required to win the state championship. After two easy wins, they played another Philadelphia rival, Philly Soccer. In what was easily the most physical battle of the year, UMNSC edged the city team, 1-0, and won the chance to play for the title.
In the state championship game, the Patriots got off to a fast start as Dean Rubakh buried a diving header into the corner off a beautiful pass from Conner Fife in the first minute, setting the tone for the game. The Patriots added to their lead midway through the second half as Coner O’Donnell fed Matt McAlister who beat the Lower Merion keeper with his left foot for a 2–0 lead.
From that point, the Patriots continued to apply the pressure while their goalie, Andrew Lutschaunig, kept his cool and scored the shut-out for the Patriots.
“The more shots I save the more exciting it gets!” says Lutschaunig, who thrived in a game as exciting as one could imagine.
While they would deny it, the UMNSC (Red) U-9 Patriots should be the team to beat moving forward. In their third year together, even with losing two of their first three games in 2007, they have posted a gaudy 61-3-2 record, and have won eight tournament titles, from Maryland to northern New Jersey. Power and speed or precision and tempo, indoor or outdoor, you name the game and these kids from Upper Makefield will find a way to win.
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