Team Chicago Academy-Santos is off to a perfect start in the MRL U18 Premier Division after three wins in Rockford this past weekend.

The opening game was against Iowa City Alliance – the reigning Region II Champions – and Santos was very dominant in its 2-0 win. Both goals were scored at the end of the first half. The eventual game-winner was scored by Madi Harris after a Heather Handwork cross and a pass in the box from Lilly Butler. The insurance goal came off a great run and cross from Katie Ciesiulka, which Sara Stevens headed home at the far post.

In Saturday’s second game against Sporting Blue Valley from Kansas City, Santos again was very dominant in the first half. Santos went up 2-0 on goals by Rachael Brots on a PK, which Lilly Butler drew after a great, mazy run, and just before the break Kelsey Pruett met a Talise Romain cross at the far post and steered it home.

However, failure to convert on two 100% chances in the opening six minutes of the second half to put the game out of reach proved costly as SBV struck back with two quick goals midway through the half. A very tight game finally was unlocked with 10 minutes left when Gianna Marconi calmly slotted the ball home at the foot of the far post after a nice Talise Romain pass.

Sunday morning’s game was against Michigan Gators who tied for 1st place in last year’s MRL Premier Division, and fortunately Santos had its best performance of the weekend in securing a 3-1 win. After dominating possession and chances in the first half, but without being able to find the net, Santos finally broke through with three perfect training-ground goals in the second half.

The first came as Heather Handwork served in a perfect low, driven cross at the near post that Kristen Brots ran onto and smashed home. A few minutes later Abbey Mazur’s tenacity won her the ball in midfield, and she sent a nice pass to Hannah Rodgers who in one touch slipped a perfect, weighted through-ball into the path of Sara Stevens’ perfectly timed run. Sara took a big, decisive touch around the on-rushing keeper and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net.

The Gators halved the lead with 20 minutes left, but only 4 minutes later Hannah Rodgers found Heather Handwork on the right flank, and she beat her defender, and instead of shooting from a tight angle she just slotted the ball across the 6-yard box for Sara Stevens to score in the empty net. A perfect, and very unselfish, goal to put the game out of reach.

Santos will now travel to St. Louis this Saturday for two more MRL Premier Division games, before it has four final one-off games in October and early November to finish out the MRL season.

Team Chicago – Lightning U9 Boys team, coached by Andrew Taylor, finished as the runners-up at the TCSA Classic Cup tournament in St. Charles two weeks ago.

Lightning’s first game against TCSA Premier Black resulted in a 2-1 loss. But facing United SA Elite in their next game, Lightning won 3-2. Coming off of this win, Lightning had a well-played 5-0 shutout against the Glen Ellyn Lakers the following day. In the final game, Lightning and TCSA Premier Black met again playing hard in the heat with no score going into overtime, only to lose 1-0.

Lightning is looking forward to facing TCSA this fall season in the Platinum 1 division!

Over Labor Day Weekend, Team Chicago Fluminense U8 boys took first place in the All American Trophy U9 division of the Bolingbrook Raiders Soccer Festival. On Saturday, between rain delays, the boys pulled off a nice win against the Bolingbrook Raiders Black team with a score of 3-1. Later that day, they beat the Lombard Firebirds FC Real team with a score of 2-1. On Sunday, the boys scored 4 goals to shut out Legacy SC 04 White.

It was a great way to start what is sure to be a promising season for boys! Team Members on Fluminense are: Kyle Bucher, Sebastian Guzman, Aiden Houck, AJ Iwinski,, Nik Juarez, Mactzil Lopez, Rian Mulherin, Leo Renteria, Braeden Seidel, Massimo Valerio and Luke Williams.

Congratulations Boys!!

Team Chicago Academy-Internacional midfielder Alena Sidwell has accepted a great scholarship to continue her soccer career at the University of Toledo. Alena, who plays her prep soccer for Head Coach Pat Feulner at Metea Valley H.S., will be part of Toledo Head Coach Brad Evans’ 2015 recruiting class.

University of Toledo is a perennial Division I Mid-America Conference (MAC) powerhouse. Alena joins fellow Team Chicago Academy-Internacional teammate Maddie Pokora in the Toledo 2015 recruiting class.

Team Chicago Academy-Santos defender AJ (Alexis) Jakuszewski has accepted a great athletic scholarship to continue her career at the University of Illinois-Chicago. AJ, who plays her prep soccer for Head Coach Guy Callipari at Wheaton-Warrenville South H.S., will be part of UIC Head Coach Brian Rigby’s 2015 recruiting class.

AJ has been a starter on Santos for the past three seasons playing up a year, and this summer she played two years up as she helped Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo win the 2013 National and Regional Championships. At UIC she will join Kendall Wilde, her Botafogo teammate from this summer’s big victories.