| > Where are the kids from on these two teams? DO they play for local
> high schools in the fall?
Here's Boston Lightning's U17 roster with their school. And, yes, they all
play/played H.S. soccer this past year.
Nick Ackerman Forward St. Stephens, Austin, Texas Junior **
Jamie Boice Midfielder BB&N, Cambridge, MA Junior
Matt Devine Defender BC High, Dorchester, MA Junior
John Drew Forward LaSalle Academy, Prov., RI Sophmore
Kevin Fauteaux Defender Xaverian, Westwood, MA Senior
Mike Fauteaux Goalie Xaverian, Westwood, MA Senior
Rob Levy Midfielder Roxbury Latin, West Roxbury, MA Junior
Ben Gebre-Medhin Goalie BB&N, Cambridge, MA Junior
Nat Houghton Midfielder BB&N, Cambridge, MA Junior
Phonethip K. Midfielder St. Johns, Shrewsbury Senior
Nick Lenicheck Forward Brooks, N. Andover, MA Junior
Steve Messinger Fullback Belmont Hill, Belmont, MA Junior
Alex Moody Midfielder North Andover, MA Junior
Darryl Plimpton Midfielder Billerica H.S., Billerica, MA Junior
Alex Recio Defender Brooks School, N. Andover, MA Junior
Salim Sacre Forward St. Johns, Shrewsbury Junior
Ralph Tenaglia Midfielder Austin Prep, Reading, MA Junior
Danny Wong Forward Middlesex School, Concord, MA Senior
** Tournament guest player only. From Nashua, previously on Lightning's
roster, going to school in Texas..
The Boston Eagles Roster has three Roxbury Latin players, 1 Brooks, 2
Nobles, freshman Mike Cabral from Milford HS, Dave O'Donnell from Nashua.
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| Got back from Dallas Monday PM to this lovely weather. Yuck. Now MAPLE
probably won't start on time.
In a nutshell, the Boston Lightning team had a great experience. We lost
our quarterfinal game to the Upland Celtic, 0-1, (a California team with
six national team players in its roster). ALL of the Celtic players were
6'0'' and 180-200 pounds. We were clearly outsized in stature, but not in
heart. Lightning was dead tired in the second half, and we were down to
only two healthy subs as a result of one player returning early to Mass.
for school, one player injured, one having picked up two yellows in prelim
games, and Phonethip limited to only play 10 - 15 minutes per game because
of a back problem. And there was no free substitution. We nearly
equalized with two minutes left, however, a breakaway by Darryl Plimpton,
but the goalie made a super save.
Game one: South Texas State Champs, Austin Longhorns: Lightning won 2-0:
Rob Levy, new Lightning left fullback, scored seven minutes into the game
with a 30-yard rocket. Then, we scored a second (Nat Houghton) shortly
thereafter off a corner, and we were never challenged throughout.
Game two: FC Atlante (youth team from Mexico's Pro 1st Division) from
Mexico City, (1-2): An absolute brutal game. This was Atlante's third game
of the tournament and they had yet to win. The game ended with two Mexican
players red carded (one for coldcocking a Lightning player in the temple
off the ball, and the other for continued dissent). Interestingly, the
fourth ref (sideline) provided the information to the field ref who didn't
see the attack. Unfortunately, Lightning lost striker Nick Lenicheck for
further play as a result of a bruised shoulder (recovering from broken
collarbone) going for a header. A parent from the Longhorn team told me
that they play the Mexican teams often, and it's always the same. Very
tough play. An enlightening experience for our kids.
Game three: Jackson, Miss FC, Regional Champs: 1-0: A rather uneventful
game, but I do remember tremendous defensive play from Alex Recio, Rob
Levy, Matt Devine, and especially Nat Houghton in the middle.
Sidelights:
This was the first time I'm aware of that a Mass team has gotten out of its
group at the Dallas Cup.
There were many college coaches in attendence. Harvard, Brown, Penn State,
Stanford, Yale, the Naval Academy, Creighton, Clemson, Centenary, Northeastern
were just some that were seen scouting our games. Bobby Clark, Stanford's
coach was specifically watching two of our players because the players had
written to him prior to the tournament. He watched our entire game, and
I thought the two players, Rob Levy and Nick Lenicheck, played real well.
As the week wore on, the routine was setting in. Our Lightning team had
morning practices, breakfasts together, rest, the game, a team dinner
(with ties), and then a team meeting each evening about 10:00. Our
coaches, Ralph Ferrigno and Curt Burmeister (both from Tufts) did a
fantastic job with the team. Everyone got as many minutes as they could
handle.
Lightning tried to arrange a friendly for Saturday AM (after being
eliminated on Friday), but no teams were available.
Nine of us went to the Cotten Bowl to see the Dallas Burn - Revs game on
Saturday afternoon. 82 degrees and in the sun. As we cheered for the
Revs, we got a batch of dirty looks. A pretty boring game, overall. I'm
glad I don't live in Dallas with the Burn. My wife got Joe Max's
autograph after the game. She was in heaven.
The Ajax-EC Vitoria U19 final game at the Dallas Cup Sunday PM was much
more skilled and entertaining soccer. I read somewhere that the Burn
scrimmaged this Brazilian Vitoria team and lost 0-4 (totally unconfirmed,
however). There were almost the same number of fans in attendance for the
two games, too.
The other Mass. team, BC's Ed Kelley's U17 Boston Eagles also did well
(they say they were in a tougher group, but... who's to know) gaining two
ties, 0-0, and one loss, 0-2, to the group winning Dallas Texans. Once the
Eagles figure out how to score, they'll be one tough team. Sadly, half the
team was sent home early by Ed Kelley on Friday morning for misbehaving
Thursday night, and they lost the opportunity to play a friendly against an
U19 Irish team.
In two years, when these kids are U19, the Dallas Cup will be held March
28 - April 4. If there's anyway they all have Spring break from college
at the same time, just maybe...
Get rid of this snow! There are games to be played this weekend.
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