Eighteen Capital Fall Classic champs qualify for 2015 Jefferson Cup
Glen Allen, Va. (Via Richmond Strikers) – With the 2015 Jefferson Cup application deadline of Dec. 1 quickly approaching, 18 teams have qualified for automatic acceptance into one of the top college showcase soccer events in the country by way of the Capital Fall Classic, which took place over the weekends of Nov. 7-8 and Nov. 15-16 in Richmond, Va.
Nine girls teams and nine boys teams from age groups U10-U18 earned spots in the Jefferson Cup by winning their Capital Fall Classic Premier Divisions. U10-U15 Premier Division age groups competed at Striker Park, while the U16-U18s played a college showcase format at River City SportsPlex. More than 470 total teams competed in the event.
Leading all clubs, four FC Richmond teams qualified on the boys side and one on the girls side. Teams from nine different clubs won the girls top divisions, and six clubs were represented among the boys champions.
“One of the biggest goals for us was to qualify for the Jefferson Cup, it’s a prestigious event and it means a lot to us,” said Nicolette Bell, coach of the U17 Girls Premier Division champion West Virginia Chaos 97.
“It’s huge, it’s an opportunity for us to play against some really good competition,” said Tim Krout, coach of the U13 Boys Premier Division champion FC Richmond Magic.
The Jefferson Cup is accepting teams on a “rolling” basis this year, enabling many teams to confirm their spring plans early and secure necessary hotel rooms ahead of others. So far, officials have accepted over 500 teams for the three-weekend event, which include 29 of the recent 32 Virginia State Cup Final Four teams, and seven of the eight state champions. Five of six of last spring’s State Cup winners have also applied and been accepted.
The full list of accepted teams, as well as the top competitive flights will be announced in Philadelphia this January as part of the annual NSCAA Convention.
Below is a look at all the Capital Fall Classic teams that earned automatic bids to the 2015 Jefferson Cup, slated for three weekends in March.
Girls
U10 – Richmond Kickers Elite: The Kickers had a scoring explosion in their first three games at the Capital Fall Classic, scoring 21 goals en route to three defiant wins. They drew BRYC 04 Elite 2-2 in their last game on Sunday with the round robin format U10 Premier Division already in hand.
U11 – Arlington SOL Red: Arlington ran the table in the top U11 division, going 4-0-0 and racking up 22 goals while conceding just four.
U12 – Future SC Monarchs White: Future SC went 3-0-1 on the weekend, winning the round robin format U12 Premier Division. Monarchs White sealed the division with a 6-1 win on Sunday afternoon over FC Richmond Mystx 02, edging second place Valley AFC Xpress 02 Green in points 31-29.
U13 – FC Richmond Mystx 01: No one in the U13 Premier Division was able to crack the FC Richmond Mystx 01 defense, which held opponents scoreless for all 240 minutes of action at the Capital Fall Classic. Mystx went 4-0-0 and beat Arlington Samba Red 2-0 in the Final.
U14 – Virginia Legacy Elite: Club Champions League division rivals squared off in the U14 Premier Final, with Legacy outlasting Virginia Rush Elite 2-1 at Striker Park. The win was Legacy’s fourth in as many games at the Capital Fall Classic.
U15 – Chantilly SC Storm: Coming off a weekend in which they clinched the WAGS Division I title, Chantilly SC Storm went 4-0-0 in the U15 Premier Division at the Capital Fall Classic. They knocked off Alliance SC Chili Peppers 2-0 in the Final.
U16 – SYC Stampede: In the U16 Premier Division Final, SYC Stampede leading 1-0 for most of the match, held Vienna YS Thunder Gold without an equalizer in the closing minutes despite a furious rally by Vienna.
U17 – West Virginia Chaos 97: West Virginia Chaos ran the table in the Capital Fall Classic U17 Premier Division, allowing just one goal in four total matches while scoring 21. The Final against FC Virginia was their toughest match, a 1-0 defensive battle in which a first half goal proved to be all Chaos needed.
U18 – Stafford Revolution 96: Stafford overcame several injuries to key players to go 2-0-1 in group play before grinding out a 1-0 win in the U18 Premier Division Final over Central Virginia United White.
Boys
U10 – Fairfax Police Youth Club Barca Juniors Blue: The youngest of the boys Jefferson Cup qualifiers, FPYC Barca Juniors Blue ran the table in the Capital Fall Classic U10 Premier Division at Striker Park with a 4-0-0 record.
U11 – Southwestern Youth Association: SYA Cardinals 03 Red went 1-1-0 in group play on Saturday, then exploded for six goals and gave up just one in Sunday’s Semifinal and Final matchups in the U11 Premier Division at the 2014 Capital Fall Classic.
U12 – FC Richmond Magic: FC Richmond Magic ran the table in the U12 Premier Division, going 3-0-0 and scoring 16 goals in just three matches.
U13 – FC Richmond Magic: Needing a win in their final match of the tournament later in the day, the Magic rallied for a 5-0 win over Freedom SC Shock and captured the U13 Premier Division on a head-to-head tiebreaker over Virginia Legacy.
U14 – FC Richmond Magic: The U14 Magic edged out Richmond Strikers Elite on head-to-head tiebreaker as both teams finished the weekend with 27 points. Magic defeated Strikers Elite 2-1 to open the tournament.
U15 – FC York 99 Elite: Despite four FC Richmond Magic teams capturing Premier Divisions at the Capital Fall Classic, FC York 99 Elite was able to defeat the U15 Magic 1-0 in a hard-fought Final.
U16 – Loudoun SC 98 Black: A go-ahead goal in the closing minutes of the match sparked Loudoun’s thrilling 2-1 win over returning Capital Fall Classic champions Virginia Rush Elite.
U17 – FC Richmond Magic: The Magic edged out a win over Virginia Rush Elite in the U17 Final at River City SportsPlex, completing an undefeated tournament. They allowed just one goal in four matches.
U18 – Lehigh Valley United: Lehigh Valley United cruised through the U18 Premier Division, going 4-0-0 and conceding only one goal throughout the tournament. LVU knocked off a tough Virginia Rush team 1-0 in the U18 Final.
+2015 Jefferson Cup Application (Deadline Dec. 1, 2014)
