By Tom Schmitt For the Mirror A local soccer club — FC814’s sole premier team known as Team Energy U17 girls — is on its way again to challenge for the United States Youth Soccer League national championship. The two-time PAWest State Cup champions, and runnerup in the National Presidents Cup, and one of the top ranked teams in the nation in their age group, just returned from the Mesa, Arizona quarterfinal USYS event as champions. They will now head to Round Rock, Texas for the USYS semifinals to be played Feb. 21-25. Team Energy went 3-0 in play in Mesa, defeating Solar South from Texas in one game, Global Sports Academy from Idaho in the second game, and Galaxy from Illinois in the third game. The win in Mesa, according to head coach Marc Frye, was a total-team effort. Frye had six different players tally goals for the Energy, and goalkeeper Alexa Pretash notched two shutouts. In the finals, Emma Marasco, Catie Cammarata, Hayden Settle and Hailey DeGol all notched goals, while Meghan Andersen notched two assists and Sophia O’Dea and Ava Fry each tallied one. During the quarterfinals, the Energy outscored their opponents 7-1. n n n Former Altoona Mt. Lion soccer standout Darrian Berkheimer, a member of the Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchmen soccer team, was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region IV second team. She led the Dutchmen with 20 points on nine goals and two assists to earn her first All-Region honor at midfield. She was 54th in the nation with game-winning goals and had a .660 shot accuracy. Berkheimer is a senior pursuing a degree in Exercise Science. n n n Hollidaysburg Area High School goalkeeper Natalie Foster will continue her play at the collegiate level at Geneva College. She served the Tigers as a captain and was a team leader for the squad. Her coach, Tristan delGiudice, could not say enough nice things about his former player. “Natalie was a dominant keeper that got better year after year,” he said. She was a four-year varsity starter for Hollidaysburg. She won two district championships by shutting out the opposition. delGiudice said she was a pleasure to coach and will be hard to replace, predicting success for her in her collegiate soccer career. n n n The LA Galaxy is once again on top of Major League Soccer, winning its record sixth MLS Cup over the New York Red Bulls, 2-1. Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Jovelic scored in the first half for the Galaxy to secure the championship. LA had made a major comeback from last year when it finished 26th out of 29 MLS teams. The team has struggled for most of the last decade and followers began to boycott certain matches. The team has rekindled its formula for success it had in its early years. Fans responded with a huge celebration after the turnaround the team made with a fireworks celebration. “We won this trophy, and it’s finally back where it belongs,” Jovelic told the media. n n n The United States men’s national team got its new coach, Maurico Pochettino, off to a winning start with a 2-0 shutout of Panama in a friendly. Pochettino left Chelsea of the Premier League to take the helm of the U.S. team. His second game, however, was a reality check when the team was outplayed by archrival Mexico in a 2-0 loss. Mexico controlled the entire game, outshooting the US, 17-5, and dominating time of possession. Pochettino described the loss as a learning process. “Only we can improve and learn from this experience,” he told the media. He was hired after the USMNT’s awful performance at Copa America, where they were ousted in the group stage by losing to both Panama and Uruguay. Pochettino looks for the team to continue to mature, learn and improve in the months to come. Tom Schmitt writes a monthly column on soccer for the Mirror.

The team has struggled for most of the last decade and followers began to boycott certain matches. The team has rekindled its formula for success it had in its early years. Fans responded with a huge celebration after the turnaround the team made with a fireworks celebration. The win in Mesa, according to head coach […]

The team has struggled for most of the last decade and followers began to boycott certain matches. The team has rekindled its formula for success it had in its early years. Fans responded with a huge celebration after the turnaround the team made with a fireworks celebration.
The win in Mesa, according to head coach Marc Frye, was a total-team effort. Frye had six different players tally goals for the Energy, and goalkeeper Alexa Pretash notched two shutouts.
In the finals, Emma Marasco, Catie Cammarata, Hayden Settle and Hailey DeGol all notched goals, while Meghan Andersen notched two assists and Sophia O’Dea and Ava Fry each tallied one.
She led the Dutchmen with 20 points on nine goals and two assists to earn her first All-Region honor at midfield. She was 54th in the nation with game-winning goals and had a .660 shot accuracy. Berkheimer is a senior pursuing a degree in Exercise Science.
n n n
n n n
Former Altoona Mt. Lion soccer standout Darrian Berkheimer, a member of the Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchmen soccer team, was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region IV second team.
“Natalie was a dominant keeper that got better year after year,” he said.
The LA Galaxy is once again on top of Major League Soccer, winning its record sixth MLS Cup over the New York Red Bulls, 2-1.
Pochettino left Chelsea of the Premier League to take the helm of the U.S. team. His second game, however, was a reality check when the team was outplayed by archrival Mexico in a 2-0 loss.
“Only we can improve and learn from this experience,” he told the media.
n n n
n n n
n n n
Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Jovelic scored in the first half for the Galaxy to secure the championship. LA had made a major comeback from last year when it finished 26th out of 29 MLS teams.
delGiudice said she was a pleasure to coach and will be hard to replace, predicting success for her in her collegiate soccer career.
A local soccer club — FC814’s sole premier team known as Team Energy U17 girls — is on its way again to challenge for the United States Youth Soccer League national championship.
The two-time PAWest State Cup champions, and runnerup in the National Presidents Cup, and one of the top ranked teams in the nation in their age group, just returned from the Mesa, Arizona quarterfinal USYS event as champions.
For the Mirror
“We won this trophy, and it’s finally back where it belongs,” Jovelic told the media.