Interesting News

The Valley U14s (red and white at right), line up for a pre-match photo with their opponents from Rastrick Junior Football Club in Yorkshire, England.

PRESS RELEASE
August 27, 2008

VALLEY SOCCER BOYS EXPERIENCE “FOOTBALL” ACROSS THE POND

The Valley Soccer Club’s U14 Boys soccer team returned recently from a successful and rewarding trip to England, where they received a full taste of “football” culture across the pond. For 10 days they traveled across Lancashire and Yorkshire, playing against local teams, watching games at all levels of professional soccer and getting a behind-the-scenes look at two of the leading clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United.

The team return with a 3-2 record and also played two split-squad friendlies. The 21 boys from Deep River, Chester, and Essex were accompanied by 9 parent chaperones. Coach Patrick Dilger, who developed the itinerary and planned the trip with team Manager Dave Zirlen, has coached the boys for the past six years – and most have now finished their club careers and are moving on to high school.

English summer showers followed the team throughout the trip, and their first game was played in a downpour against Uppermill, just outside of Manchester. The boys overcame the elements and the opposition, winning 5-2 with five different scorers. Valley struggled to adapt to the more physical English style of play in two following losses to Rastrick and Dewsbury, but by midweek they had found their stride, winning 3-1 in a hard-fought game against Leeds City and overhauling a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 against Greetland Goldstars on a soggy field in Halifax.

All of the English teams were very excited to play a team from the United States, inviting the local newspapers, displaying American and British flags beside the fields and selling programs for the games. After the matches, Valley was invited to the teams’ clubhouses, local pubs or in one case, the cricket club for an after- match meal and to swap stories with the opposition players. The team were also welcomed at one of the professional games – being introduced on the field at half time during the League 2 game between Accrington Stanley and Aldershot.

Around the soccer activities, the boys had time for other experiences, including an underground hike through the White Scar Caves in the Yorkshire Dales; touring the historic walled cities of York and Chester; riding the giant rollercoasters at beachside Blackpool and visiting a variety of outstanding museums, from the Beatles Story in Liverpool to the Royal Armories in Leeds (featuring a special exhibit of Lord of the Rings weapons and armor).

The team stayed in a sports youth hostel in a small village in the Pennines highlands, just outside of Manchester, and got to sample local delicacies, including a full English breakfast with blood pudding, bangers and mash, fish and chips and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. The team raised more than $15,000 to help offset the cost of their trip and would like to thank their local supporters, including AI Engineers; Earth Technology Inc.; First Student Bus Company; Gorilla Graphics; Muckies Meats; Shoreline Orthopedics; The Shiny Lapel Trio and XARA Soccer.

The “Valley Across the Pond” 2008 team was: Clay Arnold, Max Bowers, Ryan Carufe, Jake Cayer, Jonathan Dilger, Peter Dixon, Adam Jaynes, David Johns, Ian Johnston, Jack King, Brett Lacoske, Jonathan Luster, Chris Myers, Paul Myers, Humbert Polito, Ryan Quick, Brooks Rozelle, Demetri Sopkiw, Ryan Wichtowski, Dylan Woods and Nate Zirlen. Parents on the trip were, Patrick Dilger (coach), Patrick Carufe (assistant coach), David Zirlen (manager), Bert Polito, Steve Luster, John Wichtowski, Paul Johns, Julie Woods, and Karen Paulson.

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