County players will compete at national event
PITTSBURGH— Members of the Pittsburgh Strikers Stars United under-15 boys soccer team haven't quit playing since the high school season last fall.
They're only too happy to continue.
Stars United is headed to the U.S.Club Soccer National Championships in Virginia Beach, Va., Friday through Tuesday for the first time.
"These guys started their season with us in November, right after the high school season was over," coach Toby Perkins said. "Usually, we're done by late June.
"Now that we're going to nationals, we're going a little longer."
The team plays and practices at the Island Sports Center on Neville Island and at the Tri-County Soccer and Sports Center near Cranberry Township during the winter months.
Play goes back outside in late March, and Stars United is 25-5-5 in 35 games since then.
Butler County players on the team include Alex Perri of Mars and Sean Burger, Vince Yock, George DeAugustino, Jeff Hart, Austin Smith, Ben Hart, Joe Bonessi and Will Hugo from Cranberry Township.
"A lot of those Cranberry kids will be sophomores or juniors for the high school team next fall,"said Tim Smith, Austin's father. "The high school program is going to benefit from this."
Seneca Valley's varsity girls team will benefit as well. The Pittsburgh North Stars under-17 team also is headed to nationals in Virginia Beach.
Four girls on the North Stars — Catherine Messmer, Brianna Meurer, Marrissa Accamando and Barbie Rohm — play for the Raiders.
Kaitlyn Angeletti graduated from Mars High while fellow team members Kara Angeletti and Dana Wonderly go to Mars. Tayler Bungo of Penn Township will be a senior at Sewickley Academy and Jen Cantella of Cranberry Township will be a senior at Freedom.
Like Stars United, this is the U-17 North Stars' first trip to nationals."They've been to regionals every year since 2005, and the Seneca Valley girls have been playing together on this team for seven years,"team manager Daniel Messmer said.Nine of the girls have been playing together since their under-12 season. The North Stars' U-17 coaches are James Meara and Ken Angeletti.To reach the nationals, Stars United and the North Stars had to qualify for the regional through state tournament play. Both regional tournaments were in Indianapolis.The North Stars are a combined 16-3 in league and tournament play, scoring 34 goals and allowing 10.The team posted three shutouts in regional play:1-0 over Phoenix SCNavy from Michigan, 3-0 over Omega SCBlack from Kansas and 3-0 over FCPride '91 from Indiana.A 3-0-1 record at regionals gave Stars United one of eight berths in the national tournament.Victories at the regional were 3-1 over the Chicago Fire, 2-0 over Bartlett, Ohio, and 3-0 over Buffalo (N.Y.)United. The team tied Rush Nike of Michigan, 3-3."I coached a lot of these Cranberry kids when they were in 10-under,"Smith said. "They've been together for a while."Their ability to play the possession game, controlling the ball with their feet and keeping it away from the other team, has really helped them."U.S. Soccer held its annual convention in Pittsburgh in February and the Stars United team was selected to put on an exhibition of its skills there.Perkins said three of the Cranberry players — Hugo, DeAugustino and Ben Hart — excel defensively. Austin Smith leads the team with 22 goals while North Allegheny product Matt Baird has added 19.Team members Smith, Pine-Richland's Mark Leibensperger and Blackhawk's Max Flick have been selected for the Olympic Development Program regional camp.North Allegheny's David Currie and Pine-Richland's Christian Holowchak are also on the squad.The eight qualifying teams are divided into two divisions at nationals. Stars United will play teams from Eastern New York, New Jersey and Canada.The North Stars' U-17 girls are ranked 72nd in the nation by Gotsoccer.com, 26th in Region 1 and second in PA West rankings.
