The special doubleheader of soccer action features the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer against Real Boston Rams of the United Soccer League’s Professional Development League in the first match. In the second game, the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League will face Newtown’s own, the Newtown Pride of the Connecticut Soccer League.

The evening will kick off at 6 p.m. with the Revs-Rams match, followed by the Cosmos-Pride match at 7:30 p.m. Stadium gates will open at 5 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at www.newtownparentconnection.org or by calling toll free 1-866-722-8953.  Fans who purchase tickets before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, will receive discounts: individual tickets will be $13, while group tickets (for parties of 20 or more) will be $10 each.

All proceeds from Soccer Revolution, including ticket sales and proceeds from a silent auction held that evening, will go to the Newtown Parent Connection.

“Newtown Parent Connection has been supporting the Newtown community for more than 20 years, and as a result of the tragic events on December 14, 2012, there is an increased need for family and youth peer support for both mental health and substance use disorders,” says Dorrie Carolan, Co-Founder of Newtown Parent Connection. “We look forward to these soccer fundraising events as a way to build the sustainable support infrastructure our community needs to assist in the healing process for the long-term, something that will be in place, five, 10 and 15 years from now.”

The event, organized by the NPC, is supported by the city of New Britain, Conn., through the use of Veterans Memorial Stadium and municipal support made possible by Mayor Timothy E. O’Brien and Angelo D’Alfonso, chairman of the New Britain Parks and Recreation Committee.

“We’re so pleased this event has come to fruition,” Mike Svanda, Newtown Pride coach, said. “When the tragedy at Sandy Hook took place we were devastated, as many people were. We were trying to think of a way to help affect change, a real difference for the future. We wanted to play soccer games to raise awareness and bring families together. Our goal is to play soccer to raise funds and awareness for the Newtown Parent Connection, and to help implement programs to help the recovery, establish support now, and set up preventative mechanisms for the future. The Newtown Pride Soccer team has dedicated the entire season to raising awareness and raising funds for the NPC, playing the game we love for the town we represent. It is amazing to see the Rams, Revolution and Cosmos come together for this cause and it’s an honor to be a part of this great event.”

“We’re honored to participate in Soccer Revolution and help raise awareness of the work the Newtown Parent Connection is doing,” New England Revolution president Brian Bilello said. “We’re proud to be New England’s team, and we want to do everything we can to assist members of our community. When we were first invited to Newtown in January for Soccer Night in Newtown, members of our team and many other representatives from around MLS saw how tight-knit and proud this community is. The work of the Newtown Parent Connection is vital to help its community recover, grow and thrive, and we’re excited to be part of the process with Soccer Revolution with the Rams, Cosmos and Pride.”

“The New York Cosmos are honored to help support the Newtown Parent Connection and the entire community of Newtown, Conn.” Erik Stover, New York Cosmos Chief Operating Officer, said. “This is going to be a wonderful event to benefit a great cause. We’re proud to partner with the Newtown Pride, the Boston Rams and the New England Revolution to assist the community in any way we can.”

“The Real Boston Rams are honored and thrilled to take part in the Soccer Revolution,” John Barata, general manager of Real Boston Rams, said. “The Newtown Parent Connection is laying the foundation for on-going support for those affected by the Dec. 14 tragedy in Sandy Hook. Their efforts are remarkable and the mission is great. We are happy to serve our fellow brothers and sisters in any way possible. Soccer is a global language and in this case we want to make it one of peace and unity. We are privileged to work with the New England Revolution, our MLS affiliate, the New York Cosmos and the Newtown Pride on this event.”

“Massachusetts Youth Soccer is proud to work closely and collaborate with the Boston Breakers as they have a great team on an off the field, and we hope to send many future players to their team,” said Massachusetts Youth Soccer Executive Director Mike Singleton. “Connecting youth soccer players with professional players and the professional game is a key part of development that we encourage and look to promote as much as possible. We are thrilled to partner with the Boston Breakers and hope our work together helps create fan support for both today and many years to come.”

Despite the size of the state, Massachusetts Youth Soccer is the second largest of 55 state youth soccer associations in the country with more than 200,000 members. Members are affiliated by more than 427 separate town and club soccer organizations throughout the state. Massachusetts Youth Soccer hosts the State Cup each year for Under 13 to Under 19 teams. It also sponsors the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC). This year’s MTOC takes place June 28-30 in Lancaster, Mass. Mass Youth Soccer also has an Olympic Development Program (ODP), which is designed to aid in player growth and development. ODP teams compete against some of the best in not only Massachusetts but throughout the Northeast and represent the region in national and international tournaments. Mass Youth Soccer also is affiliated with several leagues in the region, including MAPLE, Coastal, BAYS, and the New England Premiership.

“To align our organization with Massachusetts Youth Soccer is a great partnership for us. The philosophy of the Boston Breakers organization is to develop players in a professional environment,” Boston Breakers General Manager Lee Billiard said. “Partnering with MYSA certainly allows us to expand the reach and help with the development of many more players and coaches across the state. At the same time, this partnership will allow us to take our brand into more towns and spread the awareness of the Boston Breakers and women’s professional soccer. This is a very exciting partnership for us, and I am pleased our organizations could come together to enhance development and exposure of this beautiful game”

Alex Pollak, a freshman defender/midfielder from Orchard Park, New York scored two goals and added two assists for the Medaille Mavericks this past season.

Austin Tom, a sophomore midfielder/forward from Lancaster, New York tallied a goal and six assists for the Mavericks.

Coach Courtney hopes the players’ familiarity with each other will pay off on the field this season.

Last season, the midfielder from Offaly spent the summer in Greenville, SC playing for the Carolina Elite of the W-League.  In 10 games, Gee played 402 minutes and tallying one assist and taking nine shots.

After last season, Gee went back to Ireland and played in the newly formed Éireann Women’s National League for DLR Waves.  The Waves started off 0-4. Gee asserted her leadership to the first-year team, helping them to a record of 5-12-1.  Gee’s efforts helped right DLR’s ship and was named Bus Éireann Women’s National League Player of the Month for November/December 2012 .

While scoring ten goals in the 2012/2013 season, Gee ended the  season top ten in goals scored and was among the top ten in the Women’s National League most valuable player voting, finishing sixth.

Prior to 2012 in the W-League, Gee has spent time playing for the Chicago United Breeze in 2009 and the Arizona Rush in 2010 for the Women’s Premier Soccer League.

Stoneman knows that Gee will bring a certain presence to the field that will help his team gel.

“During the recruiting process we watched video and talked to her coaches she’s played with prior to this season, she brings out of maturity and stability to the midfield.  Her job will be to move the ball up the field.  We are extremely excited.  She’s a good player and that’s what we are looking for.“ Stoneman said.

Sylvia’s first chance to see action will be this coming weekend as the Impact travel New York  as they visit the Long Island Rough Riders(0-0) on Saturday evening at 5 pm at Cy Donnelly Stadium .  Sunday, Fredericksburg travel to Old Boys High Stadium to face the New York Magic (1-0) Sunday at 2pm.

“The US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League is evolving alongside its primary user group, the hundreds of premier youth soccer clubs in the Midwest,” noted US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League Commissioner, Paul Luchowski. “Our changes for 2013-2014 are a result of listening to the youth club directors who seek meaningful and competitive matches for all levels of their teams. We know that we are an integral part of their soccer playing calendar of league, State Cup and tournament play.”

The MRL continues to be a team based competition rewarding teams that have success. “We have heard loud and clear from our participating clubs, we need to continue with our focus on rewarding team success on the playing field due to the different competitive levels of teams at various age groups within the premier youth clubs,” added Luchowski.

The MRL, with more than 850 teams in 2012-2013, serves as the premier league competition for teams in the Boys and Girls Under-13 through Under-18 age groups in US Youth Soccer’s Region II, and is part of US Youth Soccer’s vertically integrated league competitions (State Association Leagues to Regional Leagues to National League),

US Youth Soccer is divided into four regions, Region I (East), Region II (Midwest), Region III (South) and Region IV (West) to assist in national competition.  The MRL is joined by the Region I Premier League, Region III Southern Regional Premier League and Region IV Far West Regional League as the country’s top regional competitions, with successful teams from each regional league qualifying into the prestigious US Youth Soccer National League.

The MRL provides an organized and integrated league structure with teams qualifying for league play through State Association operated competitions, in many cases State Leagues. The MRL also provides teams at its top tier (Premier I Divisions) the opportunity to qualify for the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships, part of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, as well as automatic slots for Premier I Division champions into the National League.

The restructuring into three tiers and creating a system for the U-13 and U-14 Premier I qualification competitions will better serve teams seeking meaningful and competitive league play.  Youth club directors have taken note of the well-crafted tiered structure of the MRL that offers teams within premier clubs with slots to match their competition level.

“The Midwest Regional League offers the best organized league competition model in the country,” stated Paul Tinnion the Director of Coaching for the Michigan Jaguars. “The league offers teams in our club on both the girls and boys side with competition tiers that meet our specific team development needs. We have teams in the First Division through Premier Division and have been fortunate to qualify for the US Youth Soccer National League through our success in the MRL.”

With three tiers of competition, the MRL provides youth clubs with the ability to have teams compete in their earned level of competition, as well as placing an emphasis on promotion and relegation, the integrity of the MRL stands out to many youth club directors.

Josh Sheldon, the Director of Coaching with the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors, believes, “Your teams know where they stand for each season based on the results on the field.  We know that we earned our Midwest Regional League Premier Division slots though successful play in the league. The MRL offers our teams with a clear path of what it takes to earn a top tier Premier Division slot competing against similar competitive teams from a number of states.”

After the annual review of competition structure by member State Association Technical Directors and key staff, as well as gathering feedback from club directors of coaching at the MRL’s annual round table meeting held at the US Youth Soccer Workshop/NSCAA Convention this past January in Indianapolis, the MRL has made the following changes:

THREE TIERS OF COMPETITION

The MRL offers clubs and teams in the Midwest with a multi-level competition platform that is a vital part of each club’s player development program specific to each club’s home market.

The MRL has refined its tiers of competition, continuing to reinforce the concept of vertical integration from State Leagues to Regional Leagues (offering multiple tiers) and qualification for the US Youth Soccer National League. Previously operating with Premier Division and First Division tiers of competition within each age group, the MRL will now operate three tiers – Premier I Division, Premier II Division and First Division. The addition of the third tier will realign teams into better competitive levels, while maintaining a similar number of teams.

The current Premier Division will be called the Premier I Division, and a new Premier II Division will be created above the existing First Division.  The existing Premier Divisions, now called Premier I Divisions, will not change their composition as teams will continue to earn their slots based on results on the field through the league’s traditional promotion and relegation system.

Those teams relegated from the current Premier Divisions and the top teams from the current First Divisions will be placed in the Premier II Division tier.

All other teams will compete in the First Division tier, which will continue to be the entry level for teams first entering the MRL.

UNDER-13 AND UNDER-14 PREMIER I DIVISION QUALIFICATION

The MRL has added the Under-13 age group for full competition in 2013-2014 to mirror the existing Under-14 competition where Fall Season play dictates the placement of teams into their respective tiers for the following Spring Season.

Previously, all teams during the Fall Season competed for Spring Season Premier Division slots. With the expansion into the Under-13 age group and the continued growth in the number of participants in the younger age groups, the MRL will institute a 32-team Premier I Division Qualification competition beginning with the 2013 Fall Season. The competition will follow the UEFA Champions League allocation system where State Associations that have historically placed teams in all Premier Divisions will have a larger allotment of teams into the 32-team competition versus those State Associations that have limited or no participation at the Premier Division level.

In addition to those teams participating in the Premier I qualification competition, the MRL will offer Under-13 and Under-14 teams with competition during the 2013 Fall Season qualification for the 2014 Spring Season Premier II Divisions and First Divisions.

Entering his ninth season in MLS, Saragosa has played in seven games (three starts) thus far in United’s 2013 campaign, logging 320 minutes for the Black-and-Red. Last season, Saragosa started 12 games – appearing in 16 overall – and logged 1,120 minutes, netting one goal and adding one assist. Saragosa joined the Black-and-Red on 2/6/12 from the Azerbaijan first division after leaving MLS in 2010 following his stint with Chivas USA.

US Youth Soccer is divided into four regions, Region I (East), Region II (Midwest), Region III (South) and Region IV (West) to assist in national competitions. The Far West Regional Leauge is joined by the Region I Premier League, Region II Midwest Regional League and Region III Southern Premier League, with successful teams from each Regional League qualifying into the US Youth Soccer National League.

Under the new format, the Far West Regional League will consist of three divisions; California League, Four Corners League and Northern League, to better accommodate the geographical size of the western region.  The new structure looks to provide teams a better format for meaningful and competitive games for individual and team development, as well as provide a platform for advancement to the US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships and the National League.

Breakdown of States in the New League Format:

California League: California North and California South

Four Corners League: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Southern Nevada and Utah

Northern League: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Northern Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming

“The new format of the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional League will help provide a more efficient league structure for the top teams in the western United States,” says US Youth Soccer Region IV Director, Ken Edmunds.  “Teams are looking for a consistent calendar of meaningful and competitive games in a more practical travel schedule, and the opportunity for advancement to the US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships and the National League brings added incentive to ensure the competitiveness of the Far West Regional League.”

Four teams from each age group will earn advancement to the annual Region IV Championships; the top two finishers in the California League, as well as the top team from each of the Northern and Four Corners Leagues.  The Region IV Championships is regional stage of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series.  In the Under-13 through Under-17 age groups, two teams from the Far West Regional League will also earn a spot in the National League, which consists of the top 16 teams in the country, the following year.  Details on National League qualification are still to be determined.

Logan Miller, a sophomore goalkeeper from Quincy, Illinios, started 18 games in goal for the Trojans in 2012. Miller earned his roster spot after impressing Coach Drew Courtney in an open tryout in March. He will look to compete for the starting goalkeeper role and anchor what Coach Courtney hopes will be a strong defense.

Joining Miller in defense is his college teammate Greg Pestana. Pestana, a sophomore defender from Sao Paulo, Brazil started 21 games for the Trojans in 2012, scoring one goal. He joins four other Brazilians on the Brilla roster.

Martin Gonzalez, a sophomore forward from Houston, Texas scored five goals and added three assists for John Brown University in 2012. Brilla will hope he can find the net this summer.

Looking to link up with Gonzalez is his Golden Eagle teammate, Misha Kolemasov. Kolemasov is a midfielder from Russia who missed his 2012 college season recovering from a broken leg.

Coach Drew Courtney is confident that Kolemasov will make a difference for Brilla this season, saying, “Misha’s ability to link with players is a real strength. His vision and ability to deliver a ball can really make an impact on the game.”

“It’s been one of those careers that if when I started I knew that was going to happen, I totally wouldn’t have expected it,” said Russell. “I’m very happy with my career – so, I’m just looking forward to going back to school, a little bit scared, but it’s really exciting and it’s a lot of fun. I love the guys in D.C. and they will always be a part of my soccer history.”

Russell joined the Black-and-Red in 2012 from Real Salt Lake, where he won an MLS Cup in 2009. Since joining the club, Russell has made 20 appearances (16 starts), tallying a goal and adding an assist in the dramatic 2012 MLS Cup playoff victory over the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. Russell will also be making an appearance on Thursday at Amidon-Bowen Elementary for a United Reads Event.

“Robbie has had a wonderful career, and we as an organization were lucky to play a small part in it,” said D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen. “He has helped mold our young players and has left, in a short time, a big imprint on this club.”

“Robbie has had a lengthy and successful professional soccer career, and we are grateful for his contributions to our playoff run last season,” said D.C. United General Manager Dave Kasper. “We wish him all the more continued success as he pursues his passion for medicine at Georgetown.”

Russell, who was part of the 2009 MLS Cup Champions Real Salt Lake, has made 98 Major League Soccer appearances (84 starts), tallying two goals and assisting on nine others. In six MLS seasons, the defender has logged over 7,000 minutes. Prior to making the move to MLS, Russell spent time with Icelandic Premier Division side Breidablik (2000), Norwegian Tippeligaen clubs Sogndal I.L. (2001-04) and Rosenborg BK (2004-06), and Danish Superligaen side Viborg FF (2006-08).

“We are looking for an improved performance Friday night,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer.  “We lacked intensity and work ethic last time out and that definitely needs to be on display versus LA.  Those traits will be needed as we enter an important part of our season. We need to take advantage of our home stand so we can stay at the top of the standings and make sure we bring another MLS team to Richmond in the US Open Cup.”

The Kickers enter Friday’s match following a 4-1 win over Antigua Barracuda FC last week.  Midfielder Joseph Ngwenya posted a first half hat trick and midfielder Nate Robinson contributed three assists before Luke Vercollone rounded out the scoreline early in the second half to carry the home side to a 4-0-2 record to start the season.

Meanwhile, the Blues are coming off a 10-day break after a dramatic 4-3 loss to Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves.  Conceding four goals before the hour mark, the Blues rallied after an own goal in their favor with Shay Spitz and Allan Russell cutting the deficit minutes before the fulltime whistle.

This weekend, the Blues travel to Richmond for the first game of the 2013 home and away series, facing the Kickers for the fifth time in history.  The two clubs last met on July 3, 2013 when the Kickers narrowly defeated the Blues 1-0 at City Stadium to draw the series record even at 1-1-2.  Previously, the Blues edged the Kickers 2-1 in Richmond before the two clubs battled to back-to-back scoreless ties in Los Angeles to conclude the 2011 campaign.

Players to Watch
Kickers:  Midfielder Joseph Ngwenya (#27) burst onto the scoring scene last weekend, posting a first half hat trick over Antigua, earning USL PRO Player of the Week honors.  With 10 points on the season, he now resides in fourth place in the USL PRO standings after making just four appearances.  Discovered at the Kickers combine and signing with the pro team just 24 hours before the season opener, Nate Robinson (#14) leads the league with five assists, contributing three against Antigua last week.  Following his collegiate career at University of Detroit Mercy, the midfielder spent the 2012 season with the Michigan Bucks of the USL Premier Development League.  Anchoring the Kickers defensive unit to start the season, Conor Shanosky (#21) registered his first professional goal with a stoppage-time equalizer in the Kickers thrilling 3-3 tie with Charlotte earlier this month.  The 6’4” defender joined the Kickers in April on a season-long loan from D.C. United.

Blues: Forward George Davis (#11) continues to impress following a standout rookie campaign with the Dayton Dutch Lions in 2011 and a brief loan stint with Orlando City in 2012.  He currently leads the team with three goals, including a lone tally in the Blues’ stunning 1-0 upset over Orlando City in April.  Mexican-American midfielder Rodrigo Lopez (#17) signed with Los Angeles following an extensive career with Chivas USA and the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.  He made eight appearances with Orlando City last season before signing with the Blues, where he has contributed one goal and four assists in his first nine games.  Goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski (#1) leads the league with four shutouts in eight appearances to start the 2013 campaign.  He spent time with the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew before signing with Los Angeles in 2012.