(08.25.10) - The first win in the 2010-2011 campaign for AJ Auxerre was a big one! After losing 1-0 to Zenit St. Petersburg in their away leg of the Champions League playoffs, AJA returned to the Abbe-Deschamps Stadium and secured a 2-0 win over Zenit to win the aggregate series 2-1. With the 2-0 victory, AJ Auxerre have earned a position in the UEFA Champions League group stage!
Cedric Hengbart got the home side on the scoreboard early with a header goal nine minutes into the game. Ireneusz Jelen’s volley in the 52nd minute put AJA up in the aggregate and the home side maintained for the remainder to ensure a return to the Champions League after an eight-year absence. The Auxerre defense was aided late in the game as two men for Zenit were sent off.
Match day 1 of the 32-team group stage begins September 14 and 15. Groups will be drawn Thursday, 8/26 in Monaco.
Auxerre will return to Ligue 1 action this weekend when they take on AS Monaco. AJA will be looking for their first win in the domestic league after playing to draws in each of their first three matches.
Congratulations AJ Auxerre!
OREGON RUSH PLAYERS WIN GOTHIA CUP!
Congratulations to Hadlie Plummer, Natalie Ambrose and Shannon Patterson of the 95 Girls Nike team, who just returned from Sweden after winning the prestegious Gothia Cup. The three Oregon girls joined the Colorado Rush U15 Girls for the Gothia Cup after earning a free trip to Sweden from Nike by winning the North American Championship of the Manchester United Cup in May.
The Rush team took the title with a 3-2 victory in the final over Boo IF of Sweden. For the tournament, the Rush girls won all 10 of their games and outscored their opponents 50-2! In the final, Rush's Brittney Stark started the scoring off early in the first half, when she pounced on a loose ball in the box, and buried it in the back of the net. Boo answered back with a goal of their own a few minutes later. A nifty combination at the top of the box freed up a Boo striker who slotted her shot under a diving Sabrina Macias to level the score at 1's. Brittney Stark gave Rush the lead again when she followed up Gabbi Miranda's blast from 25 yards out. Stark completed her hat trick just before half. Kerri Marquadt got on the end of a Ashely Mages' cross and hit the cross bar with her shot. Stark was there to clean up the rebound as she headed it in from close range.
The second half saw a few good chances from both sides. Boo hit the cross bar from a long range shot midway through the second half. In the final minute, Boo converted a pk on a questionable foul in the box. Rush killed off the final minute of the game and came away with a 3-2 victory sending the players and fans into a frenzy!
Brittney Stark was selected MVP of the match after scoring three goals.
"Oh When the Rush," could be heard throughout the city, as the girls were taken away from the stadium on a convertible bus and driven all around town.
Coach Wes Hart had this to say after the game, "The atmosphere was awesome. Great stadium. Live TV. Replays on jumbo tron. It was cool! After the game, they paraded us around the city in a convertible bus and we did all the Rush chants throughout the city. All the people on the streets would cheer for us as we went by. Random people would come up and ask for photos of the girls. They were treated like pros!"
BEND PREMIER CUP BRINGS GREAT WEATHER AND GREAT SOCCER TO CENTRAL OREGON
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 1st Annual Bend Premier Cup July 16-18, 2010. We saw nearly 90 teams come to Central Oregon for some great soccer and some perfect weather. Our tournament went off without a hitch, and we cannot wait to grow the event in 2011. Go to www.bendpremiercup.com for results and information about next year's event.
OREGON RUSH PLAYERS PARTICIPATE AT REGIONAL CAMP
Club well represented in US National Pool and Region IV Pool
Below is a running tally of Oregon Rush ODP players who have been selected to either the US National Pool in their age or to the western US Region IV pool. Regional camp ends in late July, and this list will be updated weekly as mor eplayers are selected.
US National Team Pool
Zach Emerson: 97 Boys
Miguel Martin: 97 Boys
Shannon Patterson: 96 Girls
Region IV Pool:
Zach Emerson: 97 Boys
Miguel Martin: 97 Boys
Shannon Patterson: 95 Girls
Maryn Beutler: 93 Girls
Gabby Vazquez: 93 Girls
Congratulations everyone!
OREGON RUSH BEGINS SUMMER WITH A BANG
2 Players Selected to National Team Camp; 95 Girls win US Club Soccer Regionals
Congratulations to Zach Emerson and Miguel Martin of the 96 Boys Nike team, who were selected to the 1997 Boys National Team Pool, and will travel to Boston later this summer to compete for a spot on the US National Team! Great job boys!
Also, the 95 Girls, Coached by Eli Ulvi, became to first Oregon Rush team to win a Regional Title, winning the Super Group of US Club Soccer Regionals in Seattle, WA June 28. Along the way, the girls defeated top quality sides from OR and WA, and defeated Lake Oswego Extreme 2-0 in the finals to take the title. The girls have earned a bid to the US Club Soccer National Championships July 28 in Virginai Beach, VA! Well done ladies!
Soccer-a-thon and Golf Outing a Huge Success!
Oregon Rush would like ot thank all of our incredible sponsors, donors, and participants in our two big fundraising events, the Oregon Rush Soccer-a-thon and our 4th Annual Golf Outing. Between the two events, we raised nearly $24,000 to support our scholarship fund, which this year will allow dozens of players to participate in Rush programs who normally could not participate. Thank you to the many staff and volunteers who worked long hours to make these events possible, and to our donors and sponsors, without whose support this would never happen. We look forward to these events in 2011!
THREE OREGON RUSH GIRLS WIN MANCHESTER UNITED CUP!
Congrats to Natalie Ambrose, Shannon Patterson and Hadlie Plummer from the 95 Girls Nike team, who won the prestegious Manchester Utd. Cup with CO Rush this past weekend in Beaverton, OR. The MU Cup is an invitation only event for the top 16 U14 girls team in the United States, and is the de facto national championship for teams this age. The three Oregon girls were rostered with Coach Wes Hart and the Colorado Rush, and did a fantastic job, with Ambrose anchoring the backline, Patterson a force in CMF, and Plummer a dynamic forward. By winning the Man Utd Cup, our three girls will join the rest of the team on an ALL EXPENSES PAID trip from Nike to Sweden for the prestegious Gothia Cup in July. Great job ladies, you have made us all very proud!
RUSH TEAMS EXCEL IN OYSA STATE CUP; 93 GIRLS WIN 3RD STATE CUP TITLE!
UPDATE MAY 9 - Congratulations to the Oregon Rush 93 Girls Nike, who won their 3rd State Cup Championship with a 2-1 OT victory over Westside Metros in the final. Down 1-0 to an early goal, the 93 Girls never gave up, and finally equalized in the second minute of injury time on a penalty kick by Allie Cummins. In OT, the girls kept pressing for the winner, and were finally rewarded with five minutes remaining when Maryn Beutler received a great pass from Gabby Vazquez and beat the keeper for the winner. The girls advance to the Far West Regional Championships in New Mexico June 20-28,
Great games were also played by the 91 Boys and 91 Girls, who lost heartbreaking 1 goal decisions. The 91 Girls fell behind in the 2nd minute to 6 time defending champion THUSC Neon and despite putting up a great fight, could never find the equalizer and fell 1-0. The 91 Boys faced ESUFC Liverpool for the third straight year in the finals. They took a 2nd half lead on a PK into the final 5 minutes, before ESU was awared a penalty of their own. In OT, the boys fought hard but ended up conceding a goal with 5 minutes remaining and lost 2-1. Both teams played great and represented Oregon Rush well. Great job everyone!
UPDATE MAY 3 - Three teams have advanced to the State Cup Final! Great job to the 91 Boys and 91 Girls, as well as the 93 Girls, who all advanced to the finals. This is the 91 Girls 2nd trip to the finals, having last gone in 2006. The 91 Boys wil be making their 4th finals appearence, winning the State Cup in 2006 and 2008 and falling in last year's final. The defending state champion 93 Girls will be making their 5th finals appearence, having won in 2007 and 2009. Kudos also goes out to the 96 Boys, 97 Girls, and 95 girls, all of whom lost in the semifinals by a goal. Great job everyone.
If anyone is travelling to Portland next weekend, all the games are at the Tualitin Hills Rec Center in Beaverton. The 91s play at 10am, and the 93 Girls play at 12:30pm. We hope you can come and support these great Oregon Rush athletes as they strive for a state title! Go Rush!
UPDATE APRIL 25 - Six Oregon Rush teams have advanced to the State Cup semifinals next weekend in Beaverton, OR! Congratulations to the 97 Girls Nike, 95 Girls Nike, 93 Girls Nike, and 91 Girls Nike, as well as the 96 Boys Nike and 91 Boys Nike. Also, great job to the four Rush teams (97 Boys, 94 Boys, 96 Girls, 94 Girls) that had great seasons but fell just short this weekend in the quarterfinal stage. Finally, a well done to the U11 Boys and U11 Girls who participated in their first ever state cup this weekend in Salem. The girls played well but fell just short, while the boys had a great weekend before falling in the final 10 seconds of OT in the State Cup Finals! Great job everyone.
UPDATE APRIL 18 - Congratulations to the eight Oregon Rush Competitive teams who have already advanced to the Oregon State Cup knockout round. The 91 Boys Nike, 91 Girls Nike, and 93 Girls Nike have already advanced to the State Cup semifinals on May 2 in Beaverton, OR. In addition, the 96 Boys Nike, 94 Boys Nike, 97 Girls Nike, 96 Girls Nike, and 95 Girls Nike have all advanced to the quarterfinal round, and will play at locations throughout Oregon this coming weekend. Also this weekend, the 97 Boys Nike and the 94 Girls Nike have their final preliminary games, and will advance to the knockout stage with victories in their home games. And last but certainly not least, the 98 Boys Nike and 98 Girls Nike will contest their State Cup this weekend as well. Good luck everyone, make us proud!
FOUR OREGON RUSH GIRLS IDENTIFIED AS TOP CLASS OF 2012 PLAYERS!
Top Drawer Soccer (www.topdrawersoccer.com) has identifed four Oregon Rush players as among the top 20 girls players in the Northwest US for the Class of 2012. Congratulations to Kristen Parr, Maryn Beutler, Zoe Kilmer, and Haley Estopare! Click here to read the article.
OREGON RUSH AGM HELD ON APRIL 20
Thank you to all who attended our Annual General meeting held on April 20 at the North Firehall. We had a greattalk about Oregon Rush past and future, as well as the future of soccer in Oregon with regards to the decision of the Oregon Premier League to pull out of OYSA. Finally, we elected a great Board of Directors to lead us in 2010-2011. Congratulations to returning Board members Ryan Shore, Ron Fritz, Lolly Nelson, Mike Malmquist, Joe Wheeler, and welcome to new Board members Erik Tobiason and Todd Asevedo. We thank you for your service to Oregon Rush.
AFRICA RUSH PROGRAM UPDATES:
Did you know that Rush soccer now has partner clubs in Africa? Did you know that these clubs are thriving, and a player exchange program has begin with Rush clubs in the United States? Did you know what is happening to your old Rush uniforms when you transition to a new set? Click on the link below to read the 6 part series about our Africa Rush partners.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
OREGON RUSH PLAYERS EXCEL AT PRESIDENTS DAY TOURNEY WITH RUSH SELECT XI TEAMS
Click here for more info
Rush TD John O'Sullivan with 95 Girls team players Shannon Patterson, Delaney Crook, and Natalie Ambrose at the PDT event in Phoenix, AZ
THREE RUSH PLAYERS SELECTED TO REGION IV ODP CHAMPIONSHIP ALL STAR TEAMS
Congratulations to Maryn Buetler (93 Girls), Zoe Kilmer (94 Girls) and Shannon Patterson (96 Girls) for being recognized by US National Staff Coaches as among the top players in their respective age group at the Region IV ODP Championships this past January in Phoenix. All three girls made 2nd Team All Tournament, and their outstanding play led their teams to some impressive results. The Region IV ODP Championshsips are contested each year by the top players from 14 Western States in 4 age groups, and the selection of three Rush Girls to the all star team is unprecedented for our club. Congratulations ladies, great job!
OREGON RUSH CELEBRATES NATIONAL SIGNING DAY 2010
National Signing Day 2010 marked a significant milestone for Oregon Rush Soccer Club, as 13 players committed to playing college soccer (with a few more commitments just aroudn the corner). The Class of 2010 is the first senior class for ORSC to go through 3 years of our CAP program, which combined with their continued high level of play in OYSA and aroudn the region, attracted tons of coaches to Central Oregon. The success of the 91 Boys Nike and 91 Girls Nike over the past 8 years has been huge, including 2 state cup championshsips, 3 appearences at Far West Regionals, and numerous tournament and showcase vistories. Their achievements have set the stage for aspiring young players in our area to beleive in ORSC, and believe in their abiltity to play at the next level. Congratualtions to the following members of the Class of 2010, and thei school of choice Go Rush!
EUROSPORT ESTABLISHES "HAITI UNITED RELIEF FUND"
Soccer has a special way of bringing people together in times of joy, but it can also help unite people in times of great need. In the wake of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th, Oregon Rush sponsor Eurosport established Haiti United to centralize fundraising efforts for the U.S. soccer community.
Eurosport created this T-shirt to raise money for disaster relief. The Haiti United T-shirt is available at www.HaitiUnited.org, and every dollar you spend will be donated to Haitian disaster relief through the American Red Cross. This is an excellent way to raise money and show solidarity for our Haitian brothers and sisters.
Thus far, Haiti United has raised more than $74,000 for earthquake victims, but more is needed!
Let’s unite in the face of tragedy to show the U.S. soccer community’s commitment to making a difference in an unpredictable world. Visit HaitiUnited.org to find out how you can make a difference today.
91 BOYS NIKE WIN LAS VEGAS MAYOR'S CUP!
Team catapults to 33rd in National Rankings
Congratulations to the 91 Boys Nike team on their recent success in Las Vegas, NV, winning the prestegious Las Vegas Mayor's Cup. The team, coached by Eli Ulvi, went through the group stage of the tournament with 2 draws against Downtown Las Vegas Gold and CD Guadalajara Devils and a win verse La Roca FC. These results secured first place in the group and a semifinal pairing with CD Guadalajara. In the previous fixture between these two teams, 60 minutes of tense action ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Both teams had chances to nip the game, but again, the result was 0-0 and straight to penalties. After a succession of two successful spot kicks for each side, Abbott expertly dove to his right to palm away a low drive destined for the corner. After two more penalty conversions by Rush players, the final CD Guadalajara shooter missed high to send Rush through to the final on Monday afternoon.
The final paired Rush with the Group A winners, Las Vegas Premier SC, who hadn't conceded a goal and had 'maxed out' every team they had faced point-wise in group play. The match started with some quality movement from LV Premier which kept Rush pinned into their own half. Partway through the first stanza, Rush started to gain a bit of a foothold in the match and won a pressure-easing free kick near the center circle. A long driven ball into the top of the box was flicked on and found the feet of Brian Cronk who lifted the ball over the goalkeeper into the far corner of the goal. For the remainder of the match, Rush players kept their focus and maintained their defensive shape to minimize opportunities for LV Premier. When the final whistle blew, the Rush players could be very happy with a successful weekend. With limited subs available, there were some tired legs.
Coach Ulvi commented that "it took a lot of determination over the weekend to end up where we have. We didn't allow a single goal through all five games, which shows what a committed, organized team we are." The weekend's results catapulted the team up 70 places in the national GotSoccer rankings to 33rd.
Look to read about these players in the future as many will head off to play college soccer in the fall.
BEND CITY COUNCIL APPROVES MOU FOR FUTURE OREGON RUSH FIELD COMPLEX
On November 18, the Bend City Council gave permission to City Manager Eric King to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Oregon Rush and the City of Bend, allowing us to begin lease negotiations on a 40 acre parcel of city owned land in Juniper Ridge. The property has the potential to have ten full size soccer fields and could become the future home of our training, games, and tournaments.
"This is an incredibly exciting day for Oregon Rush," stated John O'Sullivan, ORSC Technical Director. "We still have a long, long way to go, but we now have a piece of property identified that may become our future home. We hope to build the finest sports park in Oregon, and help Central Oregon become the premier sports destination in the Northwest United States, with Oregon Rush Sports Park as its centerpiece."
95 BOYS NIKE WIN OPL CUP, 96 BOYS SWOOSH ADVANCE TO PRESIDENTS CUP SEMIFINALS
Congratulations ot the 95 Boys Nike team and the 96 Boys Swoosh team for compiling an impressive list of results these past two weekends.
The 95 Boys Nike team, coached by Chris Smith, continued their terific play from OYSA Fall league as they won the Premier Division of the Oregon Premier League Cup. They did so by defeating Portland City United 2-0 on Saturday and then defeating the THUSC Cobalt team 1-0 in a hard fought final match. This team finished the Fall season winning 9 of 10 games, rounding into form just in time for OPL.
The 96 Boys Swoosh team, coached by Tymon Emch, split their games on the weekend, but that was enough to push them through to the Oregon Youth Soccer Presidents Cup Semifinals. The 96 Boys defeated the Southside SC Lions 8-0, and fell to the THELO Rangers 2-1, yet advanced as the group wildcard. They face WAFC Milan in the semifinals on 11/21. The winner of the OYSA Presidents Cup advances to the western regional Presidents Cup finals, to be held in Medford, OR in July 2010. Good luck 96 Boys!
CONGRATS TO MOUNTAIN VIEW BOYS SOCCER AND BEND HIGH GIRLS SOCCER FOR REACHING THE OSAA 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS!
SUPPORT OUR RUSH PLAYERS AS THEY VIE FOR A STATE TITLE THIS SATURDAY AT LIBERTY HS IN HILLSBORO; BOYS AT 10:30 V CORVALLIS, GIRLS AT 1PM V SHERWOOD
OREGON RUSH WINTER TRAINING PROGRAMS BEGIN NOVEMBER 16
For the winter of 2009 - 2010, ORSC is offering some of our popular skills training programs, and we have added two exciting new programs, SPEED AND AGILITY training and YOGA FOR ATHLETES. These programs offer our players tons of opportunties, whether they want to work on their touch, their speed, or their overall flexibility and athleticism. CLICK HERE TO READ DESCRITPIONS OF EACH PROGRAM, and register soon at www.oregonrush.com. Thes programs will fill up, so act fast.
SIX OREGON RUSH PLAYERS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE WITH RUSH NATIONAL SELECT TEAMS
Congratulations to the following ORSC players who have been selected to play in the SC Del Sol President's Day Showcase with their respective Rush National Select teams in February 2010.
Eli Kilmer (U13 Boys)
Logan Riemhofer (U14 Boys)
Natialie Ambrose (U14 Girls)
Delaney Crook (U14 Girls)
Shannon Patterson (U14 Girls)
Hadlie Plummer (U14 Girls)
"One of the reasons we joined Rush was to enable our elite players to play at the highest level possible, with the best players in the country," stated ORSC Technical Director John O'Sullivan. "These players have proven to be some of the best Rush players in the United States, and will represent us well in Arizona." Both O'Sullivan and ORSC DOC Eli Ulvi will be a part of the Rush coaching staff at the event. Last year, Ambrose, Plummer, and Madison Shore all travelled to play with Rush National teams in Arizona, and their great play enabled more ORSC players to get a chance this year. This is very exciting for our players and our club. Good luck everyone!
RUSH SOCCER PARTNERS WITH FRENCH PREMIER CLUB AJ AUXEERE
In an incredibly exciting development for Rush Soccer, and Oregon Rush, the club has partnered with French Ligue 1 club AJ Auxeere to enhance player development on both sides of the Atlantic. "This is an incredible partnership for Rush Soccer and Oregon Rush," stated ORSC technical Director John O'Sullivan. "Not only will our coaches benefit from a partnership with one of the top youth development academies in Europe, but someday we hope to develop a player here in Central Oregon who apires to play professionally, to play overseas, to play for our national team. Now we have a direct avenue to one of the top European leagues through Auxeere, and our players can aspire for even higher goals." Please click here to read the Press Release from Rush Soccer.
Rush President Tim Schulz and the top brass from Auxeere
USA, USA, USA!!!
US Men clinch birth in 2010 World Cup Finals behind 2 goals from Colorado Rush alum Conor Casey!
Conor Casey scored the first two goals of his International career and the US Men's National team beat Honduras 3-2 to clinch a spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Conor tied the game 1-1 in the 55th minute after beating the keeper to a ball in the box and knocking a header into the back of the net. He would score again seven minutes later after beating the off-side trap and slotting the ball to the keepers left giving the Americans a 2-1 lead and quieting the hostile crowd. Landon Donovan would make it 3-1 with a well placed free kick just minutes later.
A scrappy Honduras team that had gone 8-0 in home qualifying matches prior to the game, would score their second goal in the 78th minute and had an opportunity to tie the game from the penalty spot late but the shot went over the cross bar and the US held on for the victory.
"This is surely a defining moment in the career of Conor Casey. Scoring 2 goals in the game that clinched a World Cup birth is truly amazing," said Andrew Kummer, Technical Director for Rush Soccer.
The big striker, and Colorado Rush alum, currently sits in second place in the MLS having scored 16 goals for the Colorado Rapids.
The US will have on final match in qualifying against Costa Rica on October 14th.
REACH PROGRAM TAKES OFF, PROVIDING SOCCER EQUIPMENT TO NEEDY CHILDREN
OREGON RUSH PARTNERS WITH REDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT TO OFFER CHOICE FRIDAYS SOCCER
Oregon Rush and Redmond Schools have partnered to offer a free program on Friday mornings to elementary and middle school boys and girls as part of the Choice Friday program. "We are very excited to be able to offer this educational and physical fitness program to the children in Redmond who have been effected by this year's budget cuts," stated Rush Technical Director John O'Sullivan. "Our staff coaches have volunteered their time to help the Central Oregon Community, and create a program that is free, and open to everyone. Choice Friday allows us to spread the beautiful game and give back to a community that gives so much to Oregon Rush Soccer Club." While details have not yet been finalized, Rush will run programs at Obsidian Middle School and Lynch Elementary School, and all registration will be done through those schools. Programs will begin Friday, September 19.
OREGON RUSH WELL REPRESENTED AFTER FIRST ROUND OF ODP TRYOUTS
Congratulations to the following Rush players selected to Oregon ODP for 2009-2010. After December tryouts are finished for 93-97s, we will certainly add to this list, but for now, great job everyone:
93 Girls: Maryn Beutler, Eve Hess, Annie Hill, Torrie Morris,
94 Girls: Zoe Kilmer, Caitlyn Tilby
95 Girls: Emma Malmquist
95 Boys: Wyatt Lay
96 Girls: Natalie Ambrose, Delaney Crook, Rachel Estopare, Shannon Patterson
96 Boys: Eli Kilmer
93 GIRLS NIKE FINISH THEIR SUMMER WITH A BANG!
The Oregon Rush 93 Girls Nike capped off an extraordinary soccer year with two incredible tournament performances, capturing the Pleasanton Rage College Showcase (CA) and the Surf Cup (CA) in back to back weekends. In a year that saw the girls capture their second Oregon State Cup Championship, and another berth in the Far West Regional Quarterfinals, the team spent the last weekend in July and first weekend of August in CA, playing in two of the top 10 girls showcase tournaments in the United States. In Pleasanton, the girls defeated Marin FC (CAN) 2-1, Pleasanton Rage (CAN) 1-0, and SCA Alliance (CAN) 4-0, while drawing SC Sporting (CAN) 1-1 to take top honors in the girls Super Group. At Surf Cup, the top rated Girls Tournament in the United States, the girls took the Gold Division crown, with five wins in five games, including victories over host SD Surf Blue (2-1), Canadian Provincial champion Calgary Blizzard (Alberta) 3-0, and a thrilling 4-1 victory in the finals over West Coast FC (CAS). In both events the girls were led by a rock tight backline, some great goalkeeping by Courtney Shearer, and the goalscoring prowess of Kristen Parr, who banged in an amazing 16 goals over the two weekends. Congratulations ladies on your extraordinary achivements this past year!
OREGON RUSH TEAMS EXCEL AT JULY TOURNAMENTS!
Congrats to all the ORSC teams that participated in July tournaments, as many of our teams gained some impressive results. From US Club Soccer Regionals, where the 91 Girls Nike reached the semifinals, through the LOSC tourney at months end, Rush teams competed against some of the region's best teams. Among the champions were the 93 Girls Nike, who won the Pleasanton (CA) Rage College Showcase, and the 94 Boys Nike and 96 Boys Nike, who won the LOSC Nike Cup. Congrats everyone, and good luck to all the teams in PQTs and QTs, as well as the 93 Girls Nike (Surf Cup) and 91 Boys Nike (SC Sporting Invitational), who are playing in top college showcase events in August. Go Rush!
RECORD FOUR OREGON RUSH PLAYERS SELECTED TO REGIONAL TEAMS, AND ANOTHER SELECTED TO US CLUB SOCCER ID2 CAMP!
Congratulations to all the ORSC players selected to participate in ODP Regional Camp with their respective Oregon ODP teams. These players were competing for spots on the Region IV ODP team, comprised of the top players in the western United States. The following four players were selected to the regional pool in their age group, recognized as one of the top 40 players in the western United States. Congratulations everyone!
96 Boys: Eli Kilmer (96 Boys Nike)
96 Girls: Natalie Ambrose (95 Girls Nike)
94 Girls: Zoe Kilmer (93 Girls Nike)
93 Girls: Maryn Beutler (93 Girls Nike)
Congratulations is also in order to Hadlie Plummer (95 Girls Nike) who became the first ever Oregon Rush player invited to the US Club Soccer ID 2 camp in Texas in November. In being seected to this prestegious event, Hadlie has been identified as a potential national team player through US Club soccer. Great job everyone!
GREAT JOB 97 AND 98 BOYS NIKE AT CLASH AT THE BORDER; CONGRATS TO ALL TEAMS ON A JOB WELL DONE
Well done 98 Boys Nike (coached by Keith Bleyer and Kyle Chown) and 97 Boys Nike (coached by Chris Rogers) for some great soccer June 25-27 at the Clash at the Border tourney in WA. Both teams took the age group title in their divisions, while the 95 girls Nike (coach Eli Ulvi) played great but fell in the final. Well done to all the teams who participated!
OREGON RUSH 93 GIRLS FALL IN FAR WEST REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS
The Oregon Rush 93 Girls Nike team, coached by John O'Sullivan and Greg Ranstrom, had a great showing in the Far West Regional Championships, advancing to the knockout round but eventually falling in the quarterfinal round.
The Rush girls, who qualified for the event by winning their second Oregon State Cup in May, won their preliminary group in a dominating fashion. They opened the tourney by defeating Hawaii Rush 3-0 behind three goals from Kristen Parr, and on day two defeated the Montana State Champion Magic City FC 4-0, behind goals from Claire Ranstrom, Tori Morris, Allie Cummins, and Rianna Alyward. In their last group game, the girls defeated the Washington State Champion and eventual semifinalist Evergreen FC 3-0, behind goals from Maryn Beutler, Tatum Randell, and Parr.
The Rush advanced to the quarterfinals as group winner, and faced Rio Vista FC, the New Mexico State Champion. In a hard fought game, the girls came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 score line, and were eliminated from the tournament. "Overall the girls are disappointed, as we felt we could have won the event," stated Rush Coach O'Sullivan. "We played some great soccer, though, and proved we are one of the top teams in the United States in our age group, and we are determined to be back next year and be regional champs!"
RUSH BOARD MEMBER, PARENT, AND FRIEND TO ALL STEVE LARSEN PASSES AWAY AT AGE 39
Former Oregon Rush Vice President and soccer dad to all Steve Larsen died on May 19 while running at Cascade Middle School track. Steve, age 39, was the father of five young children, two of whom played for the Rush, and the husband of Carrie Larsen. Those that knew Steve loved him for his ambition, competitiveness, and passion for life, but most of all for being a devoted father, husband, and servant of the Central Oregon community. He is well known for being one of the top all around cyclists in US history, competing as a professional mountain biker, road cyclist, and cyclocross racer, before turning his attention to triathalons. After retiring from professional sports, he moved to Bend and entered the field of commercial real estate, eventually starting Steve Larsen Properties. A memorial service for Steve was held on Saturday, May 23, and donations to a trust fund set up to support his children can be made at rememberstevelarsen.com. In the meantime, please keep the Larsen family in your parayers during this most difficult time.
RUSH PLAYERS AND PARENTS LEARN FROM THE BEST
FORMER US WNT HEAD COACH TEACHES AND SPEAKS ABOUT PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Oregon Rush would like to express a debt of gratitude to University of Michigan Head Coach Greg Ryan for his series of player and Parent clinics may 14-15, 2009. During his visit, Coach Ryan spoke about the unique opportunity before us here in Central oregon, as our geographic isolation allows us to teach our players properly, and focus on development over results for our young players. Coach Ryan gave two great clincis on Thursday, and followed that up with a talk on Friday night on Player Development. Many thanks to Coach Ryan and his son Ben for two great days!
OREGON RUSH SOCCER CLUB
