The Yardley Makefield Soccer (YMS) Academy Torches, an area U-9 girls’ travel team, placed second in their age division in the EPIC tournament on Mother’s Day weekend. More than 200 teams from various areas competed. This was the U-9 girls’ first year competing in the EPIC tourney and everyone in the YMS organization is so proud of the Torches for hanging tough and bringing home a trophy Pictured in the front row, from left: Caroline Foley, Kelsey Butler, Amy Ronin, Catherine Belveal, Emma Groth, and Lydia Hielferty. Back row: Coach Kim Drewes, Isabella Stepnowski, Hope Drewes, Kiera Snyder, Camila Drobac, Alexandra Paragano, Julia Vietti, and Coach Don Groth.

Labels: girls soccer, YMS

This Saturday night, April 18, the Yardley Makefield Soccer (YMS) Xplosion U17 team will face Lower Merion Velez for the right to attend this summer's USYSA National Championships in youth soccer.

This battle is the final game of the U17 USYSA National League season, which is comprised of eight of the top teams in the country. This is one of the more anticipated youth soccer games played in eastern Pennsylvania in a long time, with the coveted automatic entry into the USYSA National Championships on the line.

The game pits two of the more successful youth boys teams from this part of the state vying for the opportunity to be one of six teams to move on and play for the National Championships later this summer.

Among the players competing for YMS are Pennsbury's Eric Schoenle and Jimmy Ockford as well as Council Rock North's Ryan Tessler and Jake Fields. Schoenle is a senior who is headed to West Virginia. Tessler, a senior, and Ockford, a junior, have committed to Mount St. Mary's. Fields is headed to George Washington University in 2010.

Pennsbury top scorer Eddie Adams also competes for the Xplosion as does CR North junior Steve Neumann of New Hope, Brian Powers, a Pennsbury junior from Yardley, and keeper Mike Moulton, a Notre Dame junior from Newtown.

Germantown Academy juniors Colin Skelly, of Wrightstown, Chris and Ben Wysocki, both of Newtown, help anchor the YMS midfield. Pennsbury junior Drew Hutchins, of Morrisville, mans a position between the pipes for the Xplosion.

YMS can actually advance to nationals with a tie on Saturday. Lower Merion needs to win to get there. Both the Xplosion and Lower Merion can also reach nationals if the Dallas Texans Houston Division either loses or ties their game this Saturday against Cobb FC. The team from Georgia is battling the Texas squad the same night in Jackson, Mississippi.

The battle kicks off at 7:15 p.m. at Drexel University's Vidas Field this Saturday in what guarantees to be an intense yet entertaining event. The field is located at 43rd and Powelton Avenue in the University City section of Philadelphia.

The USYSA U17 Boys National Championships are set for July 21-27 in Lancaster, Massachusetts and will include the top two finishers from the USYSA National League, along with the four regional champions.

Labels: boys soccer, YMS

The U-15 YMS 93/94 Premier Fury recently captured the championship in the Jefferson Cup Premier White Division. The Jefferson Cup Soccer Tournament, hosted by the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club on March 21-22, is a nationally recognized Invitational tournament held every year in Richmond, Virginia and its surrounding areas.

Congratulations to the Fury.

The YMS U10 girls went undefeated, capturing the championship in the Superior Division at the Jefferson Cup. They had wins of 4-2 and 7-0 on Saturday afternoon and a nail-biter on Sunday morning that was decided by penalty kicks. The championship game on Sunday produced a 3-1 win over the PDP Flames White.

Congratulations to the Lightning.

YMS recognizes and supports the value of small sided soccer. The organization’s highly successful Peewee program has been a cornerstone of the development of their players in recent years.

Following the directive from USYSA, YMS decided to be one of the leaders in the development of this teaching method. Since the 2003-04 season, their U-8 to U-10 travel program and their U-8 and below In-House program has changed to accommodate the new system.

The combination of In-house Academy games and Academy Festivals has provided a better environment for the players to learn and grow. Coach John Greaves, assisted by coaches Drew Ruppersberger and Mike Trzaska, assembled this Academy team of girls from the YMS Academy pool only eight weeks ago to compete in this national tournament.

In order to be eligible for the Academy Teams you would have to be a U8 through U10 player.

See EPYSA age group chart to see if you fall in that range on the YMS Web site. Academy Tryouts begin on April 20. See Web site for complete tryout schedules and Academy, Travel, and In House Programs at http://ymssoccer.net.

Labels: girls soccer, YMS

Yardley-Makefield Soccer Program Director John Greaves (center) is flanked by YMS Xplosion center-back Eric Schoenle of Yardley (left) and Ryan Tessler of Newtown (right). A Pennsbury High senior, Schoenle made a commitment to play soccer at West Virginia University. Tessler, a Council Rock North senior, is headed to Mount St. Mary's.

Labels: boys soccer, Council Rock North, Pennsbury, YMS

Pennsbury senior and YMS Xplosion center-backfielder Eric Schoenle signed a National Letter of Intent Feb. 4 to play soccer at the University of West Virginia. Eric joins classmate Dalton Pepper who accepted a full scholarship to play basketball for the Mountaineers.

Labels: boys soccer, Pennsbury, Yardley, YMS