Featured News
MSO Welcomes a Women's League!!!
04/14/09
This summer, local women will take the field as the Medford Soccer Organization hosts its new women’s adult soccer league. “For years, we’ve been sitting on the sidelines, watching our friends and boyfriends play in a fun, local program,” said women’s league administrator Jess Ercolino. “Finally, the women in this area are being given the same opportunity and we couldn’t be more excited.” The new league is open to all women, 18-29, regardless of skill or how long it’s been since the last time they’ve played. The season will run in tandem with the men’s program – June/July – with weekend and weeknight games being played on turf fields in Medford. One of the greatest benefits the MSO program offers is the option to play with your friends, Ercolino explained. “Groups of girls wishing to play together will be placed on the same team so no one needs to worry about being split up,” she said. “You can play with best friends, old teammates, your college roommate or someone new.” In just two months, the response to the women’s league has been terrific. “I’ve had girls – some as far as Brigantine – say, ‘Thank you so much for doing this. I’ve been looking for a league like this for years,’” Ercolino said. “I think this league has been long overdue and I’m excited for our inaugural season to get underway.”
Registration is starting April 25, so please get in touch soon! For more information, contact Jess Ercolino, WMSOadmin@gmail.com or visit the new WMSO page now!
First Annual Deb Levy Soccer Tournament
04/14/09
Before the start of the 2008 season, I lost my mother to breast cancer. As devastating as it was for me, it also sparked a chain of events that has ultimately changed my life for the better. Not only do I have a completely new outlook on life, but I also was able to take the time to start a Non-Profit organization in memory of my mother. The concept of the organization involves giving everyone, whether they are a patient, survivor, family member, or friend a chance to fight cancer. ChemoClothes gives people a therapeutic and charitable outlet for people’s creative work. For more details on the organization, please visit our website at www.chemoclothes.com.
Mom was heavily involved in my soccer career. Shes and my father worked together for many years of my childhood, making sure that my teams and I had a chance to play at a competitive level. In addition to the Non-Profit, I will also be running a Soccer tournament in her memory with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
On the weekend of July 11 and 12, the tournament will consist of an eight team men’s division and an eight team co-ed division. Each team will be asked to donate $300 to enter the tournament. Every team will be given a minimum of 3 games each, with the top teams advancing to playoffs. Teams will be given a ChemoClothes shirt, as well as the opportunity to win trophies! All while still giving back to the cancer community! Hurry up and register, teams will be entered on a first come first serve basis.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact myself or Rob Miller. We will be happy to field anything you have regarding either the tournament or ChemoClothes.
-Jared Levy
MSO League Update
04/14/09
The MSO has gone through a lot of changes in the last several years. This year will be no exception. For one, the administration has been working since February to make sure that we deliver a good product to our local young adults. The bulk of the work has been distributed to several people instead of lying squarely on the shoulders of just one. With that being said, we’d like to give you an update on some changes that you will see directly.
Our league has recently taken on a woman’s league. Headed by Jess Ercholino, women in the area will be given the same opportunity as the men to play in both a recreational, yet competitive soccer league. The women’s league will be given the same luxuries as the men, and with the help of our current administration, who knows what it takes to start a league from scratch, the ‘WMSO’ will be starting on the right foot. The latest word is that the women will have five or six teams which is already more than what our men’s league started with!
Last year it was decided that the men’s night games were a great idea. Since our facility is equipped with lights, we will be providing both the men’s and women’s league with numerous night games. The night games will be held primarily on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. So if you work in a restaurant or at night, it would be strongly advised that you give your employer warning that you will be entering this league. We will work hard to get you a schedule as soon as possible so you can make the appropriate arrangement
It came to our attention last year that decent against our referees was a huge problem. This year we will be instructing the refs to card first ask questions later. There is no reason that the refs we employ, who do this for the love of the game, should be put through such nonsense. One may argue that they are not officiating games properly, and as a player there are times I would like to agree with you, however at every level of play referees are going to be criticized. I do not care if you’re a professional; you’re going to complain about the officiating. This has become apparent in my current league where we pay MORE for refs who are just as bad, if not worse than our MSO league.
Sponsorships will be mandatory. The cost of the field and insurance has sky rocketed in recent years and we are hoping that each team will be able to help with that. Each team will be required to bring in a $250 sponsor; any additional funds will be split 50/50 with the team. This was not only discussed administratively, but also with the current team captains and coaches.
The league also would like to give back to the cancer community. Working with ChemoClothes, a new Non-Profit organization in the area ran by our very own Jared Levy, the weekend of July 11 and 12 will be dedicated to raising money for the Susan G. Komen foundation. There will be a soccer tournament held at Ultimate Soccer in Berlin NJ, see www.chemoclothes.com or the front page article for more details. This event is not mandatory.
Obviously we are working very hard to help provide a great soccer experience to everyone. We appreciate your questions and concerns and would like you to express them to us. You can contact us directly or post it on our message boards. I anticipate much more trash talking on the forums this year.
MSO Reigning Champions
07/31/08
July 13th marked the end of a great regular season here at the MSO, and July 15th was the beginning of our tournament for the Cup. The nine teams of the league were split into two conferences based on their regular season standings. Conference A was comprised of the Dead Rabbits (2nd place), Team Rossi (3rd place), the Rumble Bees (5th place), Team Seiler (7th place), and Team Burke (9th place). Conference B was made up by Berzerker (1st place), Mosquitoes (4th place), Azzurri FC (6th place), and Gang Green (8th place). The tournament consisted of each conference's teams playing a round robin, and the team with the best performance moves on to face the best team of the opposing conference.
The tournament started out with a bang. The very first game was 9th place Burke playing 7th place Seiler. Team Burke, who hadn't won a game all season, beat Seiler 2-1. Just after that we saw the 2nd place Dead Rabbits face off against 3rd place Team Rossi. The two teams met just two days prior and had tied 3-3. The tournament game was action packed down to the last second, but alas it was also to end in a tie.
Each game saw 50 full minutes of hard play. No one team was a lock over any other - 8th place Gang Green came very close to upsetting 1st place Berzerker in their second match up, the 2nd place Dead Rabbits barely eeked out a 1-0 win over 9th place Burke, and ties were aplenty.
Both conferences came down to the wire. Conference A had three teams tied at the top of their table with a fourth capable of stealing the prize; Conference B's winner wasn't determined until the final game. In Conference A it was Team Rossi, Dead Rabbits, and the Rumble Bees fighting to move on. Each team tied one another, defeated Burke, and defeated Seiler. In the end the winning team was determined by the team with the fewest goals against - Team Rossi took it with a perfect 0 goals against. The Rumble Bees (who had the highest goal differential) finished with only 1 goal against, and the Dead Rabbits finished with only 2 goals against (both scored on PKs).
Conference B, meanwhile, saw two teams climb to the top. Going into the final game of the entire tournament it was Berzerker (3-0) against Azzurri FC (2-0-1). The winner moved on, and both teams were definitely playing to win. The game was everything a conference final should be - physical, hard played, and close to the end. When the final whistle blew, it was Azzurri FC over Berzerker by a score of 2-0.
The Cup finals were played on Tuesday, July 29 at 8pm. The sidelines of Bende field were packed out with spectators from both sides. Supporters of both teams, in addition to a large number of players from the other seven teams, looked on as the game started. Both teams came out with a bang. Azzurri FC started with a chance at the net very early on, and Team Rossi was quick to respond. The teams were evenly matched, but the momentum swung in Team Rossi's favor after a couple of fouls in the box. Rossi team captain Jim Curry was brought down in Azzurri's box and capitalized on the PK he was given. Shortly after Azzurri was given a chance to tie when a rough slide in the box gave them a PK. Team captain Brett Mattei took the shot, but Rossi goalie Colin Hinkelmon made the save.
After that the play picked up to a fever pitch. Both teams were playing each of the game's 90 minutes as if it were the last.
It was Brett Walker who put in the second goal of the game for Team Rossi, and it came off a great feed by Andrew Ford. With the pressure on to put one in, Azzurri went to an all-out offense. They had a large number of chances, but just couldn't find the back of the net. A third goal was finally put in unassisted by Rossi player Andrew Jamanow. That would seal the game as, minutes later, the final whistle blew. In the end it was Team Rossi manager Matt Rossi holding the Cup alongside team captains Jim Curry and Ryan Scheeler. Their team started as a group of friends who just happen to all enjoy playing soccer, and now they are champions.
After the team was presented the Cup and game ball, MSO president Pete Piscopo thanked everyone for a great season. As he pointed out, it's the administrators that push the pencils, but it ultimately is the players who really make the league. Bob Miller, the Director of Recruitment and Player Relations, presented Pete Piscopo, Skip Rand (MSO treasurer), and Brian Mitchell (referee assignor) with a gift of gratitude - a plaque from the MSO commemorating their hard work and dedication to making the MSO as good as it can be.
We're all looking forward to future seasons just as action packed and unpredictable as this one. If you want to get involved, email one of our directors and let them know. Thanks for a great summer, guys. I had an awesome time. I'll see you on the pitch.
- Bob Miller