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2009 Michigan Gators F.C. Developmental Program
“Nothing Greater Than Being a Gator”
The Michigan Gators are proud of the effort of 24 very talented young ladies who participated in the club’s twelve week Developmental Program. Guided by Gator coaches Renee VanGampelaere and Gary Schodowski, the players all developed new skills and gained confidence on and off the field. Following the club's training philosophy ("The Gator Way"), the girls practiced and scrimmaged weekly, participated in 4v4 league play at the PTC, and topped off their experience by competing in the Border Star Tournament at Ultimate Soccer over the Memorial Day weekend.
The coaches told the girls and their parents, “We want to thank everyone for all of their support throughout the last few months. This is a very talented and fun group of girls. They always seem to try to do their best and that effort is much appreciated.”
The girls are now ready for the new 2009-2010 Gator season ahead and we all should be on the look out for these girls! Go Gators!!!!!
The Gator Difference!
Youth travel soccer team sees all 12 original players sign on to play college ball...
Many athletes dream of the day they're offered a college athletic scholarship. For the dozen players who started with the United Soccer League’s ‘91 travel team, that dream came true for all of its players — all 12 of them. Read more...
Megan Marsack just makes it look easy
Written by ESNN (Elite Soccer News Network)
March 08, 2009
If you want to know how good Megan Marsack is at soccer, don't ask her.
The Michigan Gators' standout either doesn't know or doesn't want to say.
A call-in to the U17 Women's National Team camp in Florida this January, Marsack was invited to the adidas ESP camp in California for 96 top players in the 2011 and 2012 graduating classes.
As her mom Leslie tells it, when Megan was asked upon returning home how well she did, she replied "I didn't do that good."
Which is pretty interesting considering she was named to the event's All-Star game and had her name mentioned pretty consistently by college coaches who were asked which players did well for themselves.
Another example came with that national team camp, when Leslie learned some teachers were unhappy that Megan had missed a week of school.
"It turns out all she said is that she was going to Florida and never said why, so they thought it was for a vacation," Leslie said. "Once I told them they were fine with it. When she goes to these camps I don't think she even tells her teammates. She just will not brag about herself."
However unassuming Marsack is off the field, she is quite willing to impose herself on it. Her club coach at Michigan Gators, Henry Steinwascher, said she has blossomed in this way in the past couple of years.
"With this team before she was in the shadow of a couple of other kids who had strong, type A personalities," Steinwascher said. "When I took the team a couple of years ago they left and I started to put more responsibility on her. I told her she needed to be one of the keys to the team."
Marsack is notable for her versatility. While she played outside back at ESP, she has also played forward for ODP and midfielder for her club team.
"She's the type of kid, if I told her to play in goal she could play in goal," Steinwascher said "She really could play anywhere."
She was wanting to play somewhere else when she first took the field as a right back at ESP; not because she doesn't like that position but because she was suddenly placed in front of about 100 watching coaches lining the sideline right next to her.
"Having all those college coaches so close was a little scary. I looked over and I was like ‘oh my gosh,'" she said. "But once I took a couple of touches on the ball I was able to relax. I was more nervous at national camp actually."
Marsack said she was told after that camp that she needed to be more assertive in taking players on, and to work on her skills in the air. At ESP, she was especially good at winning the ball and making decisions with it. Her athletic ability was also apparent, but Steinwascher said this is not always the case.
"She makes everything look so easy," he said. "When she runs or we do sprint drills or whatever, she looks like it takes her no effort to be that fast. With other kids you see the ugly face, the grinding hard but not with her. It just looks easy."
Some other Midwesterners who were at the national team camp in January included Olivia Brannon, Sarah Molina, Brittany Von Rueden, Ashley Meier and Olivia Schultz.
Marsack is attracting all sorts of attention from DI coaches now, but once again she doesn't appear to recognize how coveted she will be on the recruiting trail.
"I hope I can play for a DI school," she said. "I know I want to stay kind of close to my house."
Considering a major in the medical field, she does at least allow that she would like to play in the new WPS after her school days.
Until then she'll be winning balls, helping the attack and just upgrading the quality of the team around her….whether she realizes it or not.
2009 National Indoor Champions
The U8 Gators continue to impress with their 5th tournament victory of the season. Guided by coach SG Aryan, the young Gators prepared for the finals by playing in two National Indoor Regionals in Fraser and Canton in December and January.
In the Fraser regional, the Gators went 4-0 against teams from North Macomb, Michigan Elite Gators, and a hybrid team from the westside called the Michigan Cheetahs. In the Canton regional, the girls continued to impress defeating CYSC, Waza, and splitting games with that hybrid team now called the Michigan Panthers. The Panthers got the best of the Gators early on Sunday winning 4-3 but the girls rebounded in the finals winning 5-2 to take home the championship.
Moving into the Indoor Finals in February in Fraser and Novi, the U8 Gators knocked off the Grand Rapids Crew (18-1), the Michigan Elite Gators (10-2) and faced their cross-town rivals Michigan Panthers twice on Sunday. The Panthers (consisting of players from the MI Hawks, Novi Jaguars, Michigan Rush, and Waza) hosted the Gators in Novi in the morning and the game was back and forth but in the end the Gators pulled out a tough 8-6 victory.
The championship game delivered excitement and drama as the lead change hands multiple times throughout. In the end, another tough victory was had by the Gators winning 10-6. Congratulations to the Panthers for being a very tough opponent! Congratulations to the U8 Gators and best of luck on the rest of the season!! For additional game photos and to follow the girls along their trail check out their website at: http://www.eteamz.com/GatorsOrange01/
Michigan Gators United ’00 Orange
win dual 2009 National Indoor Championships
Congratulations to both Michigan Gators United '00 Orange teams for winning the U9 Division 1 and U9 Division 2 National Indoor Championships hosted by Total Soccer (Fraser) and Total Sports (Novi) the weekend of February 21st and 22nd. The teams (co-coached by SG Aryan and Curtis Ward) worked together for nearly 4 months to achieve this great accomplishment.
The teams prepared for Nationals by playing together in indoor league play in Fraser and Novi and also participated in two National Indoor Regional tournaments. In the Fraser regional in December, both teams won their respective U9 division championships. In January the teams traveled to Canton Mi to play another regional where the Division 1 team won the championship and the Division 2 were finalists.
In the finals, both teams faced tough competition but came away with first place medals. The Division 1 team defeated North Carolina’s NLA Black team 8-2, Medina Ohio Classics 13-1, LCSC 7-1, and cross-town rival Michigan Hawks 3-1 in the clinch victory. The Division 2 team defeated Waza 4-2, BASC Nitro 10-1, and finished off with back to back wins against the Bedford Impact (3-1 and 4-3) to seal the championship. Congratulations to all of the U9 Gators and for additional team information visit http://www.eteamz.com/GatorsOrange00/
Success
for Megan Marsack
Congratulations to Megan Marsack for being selected to the U17 Women's National Player Pool. Megan was invited to the U17/U15 Super Camp on January 28th - Feb 5th in Sunrise, FL. She is also attending the Adidas ESP camp on February 19-22nd in California.
Megan has worked very hard to get to this level of play. She has been on the ODP 93 State team for the past 2 years and has also been on the Region II / Regional Team for the past 2 years.
Megan's team has had a very sucessful year under the coaching of Henry Steinwascher. They won the 2009 State Cup Championship. Best of luck to Megan and her team in the future!
U16 Girls State Cup Champs!
The Michigan Gators 93 Orange captured the U16 State Cup Championship with a hard-fought victory over the Michigan Hawks. These top two teams in Michigan have battled each other for years in close games, and the championship was no different. Outstanding defense and physical midfield play by both teams resulted in a 0-0 score at the end of regulation. In the first minute of overtime, the Gators broke through with beautiful passing from Megan Marsack and Aubrey Sudomier to Angela Vultaggio, resulting in a goal. The Hawks evened the score midway through the second overtime on a perfectly placed direct kick inside the post. The Gators then converted 4 of 5 PKs with Maria Toth punching in the winning kick following a second Hawk miss. Angela was named State Cup MVP and Jessica Wineke was named Most Valuable GK. Congratulations to Coach Henry Steinwascher and his dedicated and talented U16 Girls!
U14 Girls State Cup Champs!
The U14 Michigan Gators Elite proved they had the hearts of a champion as they snatched the State Cup away from their arch-rival, The Michigan Hawks. With both teams matching each other in talent, the two squads traded punches throughout the match like two world class fighters. The keepers on both sides needed to make great saves to keep their team in the game. Finally, with eight minutes to go, Liz Abro broke in from the right side and took a harrowing shot that the Hawk keeper punched brilliantly over the bar. The great save allowed for a corner kick for the Gators. After the ball was played in and there was an initial save, on the rebound, a Hawk player knocked the ball out of the air with her hands. The Gators were rewarded with a penalty shot. Chrisa K. calmly placed the ball in the corner of the net with her shot and thus gave the Michigan Gators club their sixth State Cup Championship. State Cup MVP was Bre Smith and Goalie MVP was Julie Debus. Congratulations to Coach Andy Blasco and his assistant Franco Mancini for a job well done. The Michigan Gators are proud of the U14's achievements and look for many more titles from this highly talented squad.
Two For Two!
It was a great day for the Gator Nation! Both the U14 and U16 teams won the State Cup title with thrilling victories over their arch rival, the Michigan Hawks. Articles and photos of the teams will be published here in the next couple of days. Look for more on this incredible day for the Michigan Gators.
You've chosen the best.
Remarkable run for the Gator Nation!
The Michigan Gators have fielded a team in every age of this year's quarter-finals of the State Cup. What a remarkable accomplishment! Here is a breakdown of the coaching staff and their respective teams.
Please take the time to support our teams in the upcoming State Cup playoffs.
Exhibiting size, speed, and skill, the Michigan Gators defeated the renowned Michigan Hawks 94 in the championship game. In a game that see-sawed back and forth, the Gators finally broke through in the final 4 minutes of the game when Stephanie Garland picked up a rebound off a DD Devukaj shot. In the quarters and semi's, the Gators needed to defeat a highly talented Crew team from Grand Rapids and a scrappy Strikers team from Chicago. Coach Mac believed the difficult games prepared them well for the final against the Hawks. "To defeat a team like the Hawks, you have to be seasoned and tested. You're playing against the best. You have to be ready," were Maccagnone's comments after the game.
U11 Gators FC Blue
The U11 Gator FC Blue team won the championship title playing a year up in the U12 division at the US Club regionals in Indianapolis June 27th - 30th!
When it comes to college scholarships - Gators deliver!
According to soccerbuzz.com, the leading site that tracks soccer scholarships, the Michigan Gators lead the way this year with 22 commitments. With that type of track record as a club, as a parent, you know you made the right choice when you chose the Michigan Gators as your daughter's club. Some clubs like to talk a lot. With the Michigan Gators, our track record speaks for itself. From U7 to U18, when you stick with us, we make sure it pays off for you. It doesn't get any better than that. Great job Gators!
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2008 Class: |
asdf |
| Jackie Accurso | Michigan State |
| Megan Amann | Bowling Green |
| Venessa Atanasoski | Eastern Michigan |
| Tricia Bailey | American University |
| Ashley Coffin | Saginaw Valley State |
| Katie Cunningham | Grand Valley State |
| Alene Elisevich | Western Ontario |
| Danielle Kamanec | Bellermine University |
| Elizabeth Lillie | Vanderbilt University |
| Chelsea Parise | Grand Valley State |
| Kelsey Pichel | Ohio University |
| Megan Pines | Michigan State |
| Andrea Polite | Schoolcraft College |
| Shelly Rogers | Tiffin University |
| Alex Schalk | South Carolina-Upstate |
| Stephanie Skoneski | Western Michigan |
| Lauren Turkington | Tiffin University |
| Erin Vavro | South Carolina-Upstate |
| Nichole Vick | Ferris State |
| Brittany Wilmoth | Tiffin University |
| 2009 Class: | sdf |
| Emma Brush | Dartmouth College |
| Alex Cousineau | Morehead State University |
| Lauren Distillio | Saginaw Valley State |
| Allie Misner | Saginaw Valley State |
| Lindsey Zahn | Grand Valley State |
Gator Nation Rules the Warrior Classic
This past Memorial weekend, over 575 teams traveled from all over the Midwest to compete in the Dayton, Ohio Warrior Classic Youth Soccer Tournament. In fact, the Warrior is the third largest youth soccer tournament in the world. Among all of these teams from many different parts of the country, the Gators emerged as a dominant force in the U13 girls age group. The Gators Orange and Gators Elite teams both advanced through pool play as group winners, won their respective semi-finals, and met in the final. The Gators Orange won the interclub final 4-2, but tremendous effort and skill was displayed by both teams.
It is a true testament to the Gators club to see both teams in the age group advance to the finals in the top division of a tournament of such magnitude. Congratulations ladies! The 95 Gators has a tremendous future. Look for many more success stories to come.
U13 Gators Elite - 2008 Adidas Warrior Classic Finalist
How About Those Gators!
Well it finally happened and it could not have been a more deserving group of girls. Jeff Hodgson’s Gators ’97 Orange Team went into Cleveland for the U11 Girls Division 1 National Championship an underdog and came home champions! Despite blizzard conditions, the girls were focused and played their best soccer of the year. They clearly demonstrated their skill level, pin point passing, along with a terrific team spirit to every club in the tournament and beat the Hawks 4-3 in a thrilling OT!
This is a team of U11’s with some U10’s that have slugged it out with U13 girls and U12 boys all season long, winning some and losing some but never loosing focus or belief in their abilities. It was a fantastic win for a deserving group of girls that went to Cleveland and made the club proud!
Gators Elite U13 girls - Indoor National Champs!
Michigan Gators Elite U13 girls qualified for the Upper 90 Indoor Nationals National Finals that was held in Novi and Fraser February 23rd and 24th, 2008.
The girls had to get past local rivals like the Michigan Hawks and Vardar, plus out of state teams such as the Erie FC in their bid for the National Title.
In the end the girls were victorious and brought home the gold. Congratulations to the 2008 Indoor National Champs!
PSG 1st Annual Soccer Banquet 2008
The Premier Soccer Group wants to thank all their generous sponsors for making the Gator/Nova banquet a huge success. Click here to view the list of sponsors and the people who were responsible for making it a fantastic event!
Michigan Gators have a little fun in the sun down at Disney!
A few groups of parents from our club know how to mix a vacation with a little 3v3 soccer. Though all the teams represented the club well, from what I was told, by the kids and the parents, it was a great place to spend time with the family. How can you go wrong down at Disney?
Holiday 3 v 3 Tournament Champs at Total Soccer
U12 Gators win another championship!
The U12 Gators defeated a tough and determined WAZA team to take the championship at the Indoor Regional held in Fraser, Michigan.
NISC Regional Champs - Grand Rapids
The Michigan Gators Elite U13 girls went to Grand Rapids MI for the National Indoor Soccer Championship regional and placed 1st. The girls gave up only 5 goals while scoring 31 in the 4 games. Way to go girls!!
Congratulations to the Michigan Gators '00 Orange team for winning the U8 Division 1 National Indoor Regional Championship hosted by Total Soccer (Fraser) and Total Sports (Novi) on December 1-2, 2007.
Tough competition throughout the weekend led to some great soccer matches and tense moments. Coach SG Aryan's girls prevailed in preliminary competition against the Michigan Rush (5-4), Waza FC (6-2), and Vardar (8-4).
The final match had the Gators again playing the Michigan Rush. The Gators intensity was amazing for all 40 minutes and the defense was relentless. Gator's keeper Kate H. was awesome stopping all shots faced, leading the team to a 4-0 victory!
The team is now qualified for the National Indoor Championship Tournament to be held at Total Sports (Novi) on February 23-24, 2008. Congratulations Gators '00 Orange and Coach SG Aryan for a job well done! Good luck at Nationals! Click here to view the team web page.
Gators Elite 95 - State Cup Finalist!!
With the MSYSA state cup complete for 2007 the Michigan Gators Elite - Blasco U13 Girls are the State Cup Finalist.
Congratulations goes out to the Michigan Gators Elite 95 players Brianna, Chelsea, Morgan, Julie, Mary, Monica, Taylor, Jesse, Maddie, Becca, Molly, Brittany, Nadine, Nicole, Kira and Jamie.
PSG Michigan Gators ’97 Blue Win 2007 Mead Cup
The Michigan Gators ’97 Blue soccer team traveled to Dayton Ohio over the Labor Day weekend to compete in the 28th Annual Mead CUSA Cup. The girls competed in the 5 Star Division U11 Age Group against soccer clubs from throughout the Midwest and completed a perfect six game sweep with a 5-0 shutout in the championship game against Cardinals Premier 96 of Cincinnati.
The 5 Star Division at this age group included the top rated U11 Michigan Hawks Black, along with premier teams from football clubs located in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The Gator girls reached the quarterfinals of the tournament after victories over Ohio Westside Premier 96 (4-2), Tennessee LFC Premier White 96 (3-1) and GFC Arsenal Blue (5-0). In the quarterfinals, the girls squared off against a tough Warren County United Blue from the Cincinnati area. The Warren County team recently won the Arsenal Cup Tournament played in mid-August. The Gators prevailed with a 1-0 victory late Sunday evening and would face the #1 rated Michigan Hawks Black Monday morning in the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, the Gators broke a scoreless tie midway in the 2nd half and completed their assault to the Mead Cup finals with the 1-0 victory over the Hawks. In the finals against Cardinals Premier, the Gators scored early and often, racing to a 4-0 halftime lead and coasting to the championship by the final score of 5-0.
The Gators ’97 Blue is led by Coach Curtis Ward, who also coached the Troy Elite U9 Boys and Troy Elite U10 Boys to championships at this same Mead Cup event. Congratulations to Coach Curtis and his U11 girls. Tremendous team play!
Back Row: Coach Ward, Kati B., Jenna B., Dee Dee B., Marina M., Alexis H., Megan B., Jaclyn E.
Front Row: Emary H., Gretchen D., Paige D., Marisa V., Micaela E.
Michigan Gators U12 win the Mead Cup for a record 3rd straight year! 
For a team used to bringing the hardware home, the Michigan Gators proved onceagain that they are a force to be reckoned with in Michigan soccer. Scoring 21 goals while leaving their opponents scoreless the entire tournament, the U12 Michigan Gators have again brought home to the Club one of the nation's most prestigious tournament trophies. Congratulations to the girls and their parents for all the sacrifices they've made.
Gators FC 99 Orange Champs of the Troy Elite Cup!!
The Gators 99 Orange team started the season off on a winning note. The girls, with the leadership of Coach Pasko took first place in the Troy Elite Cup. It was a wet start on Saturday for Game #1, but the girls did not let it slow them down. They came out strong to beat WAZA 8-2. The girls had fun mixing up the teams in Game #2 with Gators FC 00 Blue. By the end of the game they were all covered in mud.
On Sunday the team played LOBOS 99 Black, with a 5-1 win. Now with three wins down they played LOBOS 99 Red for the Championship. The game started out even, but it did not take the girls long to take the lead and keep it for a 3-2 win. It was a tough and physical game but with great team effort our Gators came out on top.
We look forward to seeing more of this team in the upcoming season.
Elite 95 team Champs of the National Soccer Ranking Cup!
The new Michigan Gators Elite 95 team won the U13 Division of the National Soccer Ranking Cup in Saginaw, Michigan last weekend. In the first game the girls found themselves down 1-0 early in the first half but then dominated the game scoring two goals in the final 4 minutes to win the match. Providing the opposition in the second game was the highly seeded in State Cup, Michigan Rush team. Our girls were much better controlling the match for a 2-1 win. The third game played in rainy mist saw the girls beat Ann Arbor Arsenal 3-1. In the semi-final game our team faced Phoenix.
The girls proved themselves with their over all best effort in the tournament for a 2-0 match win. In the final game the girls came through in penalty kicks to beat the Michigan Hawks. Coach Andy said, "I was happy with the overall contribution of every player on the team. I think our overall depth in a two day five game marathon showed. I am happy for the girls to have such success so fast".
Gators FC '99 team at the Border Star Tournament
The conditioning that Coach Chris put the girls through between games on Saturday (okay, 30 minutes of swimming) lead to our first win! It was great experience for the girls. The girls played tough which lead to three hard fought battles and our 1st victory of the season:
Game #1 vs. WAZA East: The girls fell behind 3-0 early, but with 3 second half goals, the game was tied. A goal in the final minutes by WAZA lead to a 4-3 loss.
Game #2 vs. LaSalle Stompers: The girls knocked out the Stompers 10-5 with great play on both sides of the field. A great victory!
Game #3 vs. LaSalle Stompers '98: The girls fought hard but lost to the eventual tournament champions 8-0. Alot of hustle and effort was put forth by all!
Coach Chris has the team getting better by the game. Thanks Coach!!
Michigan Gators FC Welcomes Falah Hassan
The famous Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo nicknamed Falah Hassan, "The Fox of the Arabian Peninsula." Zagello gave the name to Hassan out of admiration. Coming from a player and coach of Zagello's stature, this was the highest of compliments. Today, the Gator/Nova Soccer Club has the unique privilege to have Falah Hassan as a member of their elite staff. This Poster was designed by Garrett Maccagnone.
Olivia Stander featured in The Detroit Free Press!
Click Here
U9 Michigan Gators F.C. 98’ Orange Win National Indoor Championship in Sudden Death Overtime
March 4, 2007- The Premier Soccer Group announced the National Championship crowning of the U9 MICHIGAN GATORS F.C. 98’ Orange at the National Indoor Championship Tournament held in Wixom, Michigan on February 23-24, 2007.
The National Championship crowning followed four hard fought wins by the U9 GATORS Orange leading up to a sudden death victory over the WAZA 3-2. The Championship game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation time resulting in a sudden death, 3 vs.3 face-off to decide the 2007 National Champs. Two minutes into overtime, a long distant rocket was launched past the WAZA goalie to deliver the U9 MICHIGAN GATORS’ 2007 National Indoor Championship. “I am so proud of our girls for their outstanding effort, focus and teamwork in achieving the National Championship victory for the second year in a row”, commented Coach Teri Steinwasher. “We played teams from throughout the country to qualify regionally and ultimately, to achieve the national title. It is very rewarding to our players, parents, club and coaches to see all of our hard work payoff in such an exciting overtime finish”, added Steinwasher.
Pictured from Top Row Left to Right: Sylvanna Mancini, Taylor Lange, Rachel Hoegeman, Devanna White, Hannah Jones, Jamison Midgley.
Bottom Row Left to Right: Bianca Geric, Julia Schwartz, Cecilia Steinwasher, Katie Hayes, Shannon Casey, Allison Beckwell.
Ball Holders from Left to Right: Gabriela Dedvukaj, Tina Recchia.
Looking for more Gators News? Click Here for the Archive
Ranked 5th best Girl’s Club in USA by National Soccer Rankings
When Jeff Hodgson created the Michigan Gators FC, his dream was to prove female athletes could play the game of soccer in the same entertaining way males athletes played. Jeff wanted the girl’s program to have parity with the boys, to have equal clout within an organization, to be able to stand up on it’s own as a Club producing some of the greatest soccer players the State has ever known.
In 5 short years, Hodgson has elevated the Michigan Gators as one of America’s top soccer Club for girls and young women. Now, with the addition of local coaching legends, Jeremy Harkins, Gene Harkins, and Henry Steinwascher, the Michigan Gators FC feels it has the right experience to take the Club right to the apex of Club soccer.
As great teachers of the game, the Michigan Gators FC works hard to make sure each female athlete is developed as a great technical player. The “ball” is the game, so therefore we must develop players who can control the ball with the most composure and confidence. Our curriculum stresses foot work, from step-overs to scissor moves. The staff expects a lot from their students and the students meet the challenge.
The Michigan Gators look forward to adding your daughter to our long list of great female soccer players currently in the Club. Welcome to the only organization on the east side committed to the female athlete, an organization which has created a tradition of developing great soccer players.
