SPORTING KC SIGNS TYLER PASHER AND ADRIAN ZENDEJAS FROM SPR
Sporting Kansas City has signed midfielder Tyler Pasher and goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas to MLS contracts for the 2017 season, the club announced Friday. Both players have contract options for 2018, 2019 and 2020. (Full story)
Pasher and Zendejas become the first players to sign MLS contracts from the Swope Park Rangers, the United Soccer League affiliate of Sporting Kansas City. As a Canadian, Pasher will occupy an international spot on Sporting KC’s roster.
Pasher, 22, joined the Rangers in March after a successful preseason spell and played a leading role during the club’s inaugural USL campaign. He started 26 of 28 USL appearances with five goals and four assists (including playoffs), tallying three of his assists in the postseason as the Rangers were crowned USL Western Conference champions and advanced to the USL Cup Final.
Zendejas, 21, joined the Swope Park Rangers last June. He debuted in a 2-1 win over LA Galaxy II on Aug. 27 and started five of the team’s final seven regular season matches, amassing a perfect 5-0-0 record with three shutouts, 13 saves and a 0.40 goals against average. Zendejas carried his great form into the postseason, earning two more clean sheets as the Rangers rattled off three straight victories en route to the USL Cup Final.
RANGERS SIGN MAHER AND MUSA FROM SAINT LOUIS FC
The Swope Park Rangers have signed midfielders Parker Maher and James Musa, the club announced last Wednesday. Both players spent the last two seasons in the USL with fellow Missouri club Saint Louis FC and were two of just four players to make at least 50 appearances for the club. Musa will join the club pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa, while both signings are pending USL and federation approval. (Full story)
RANGERS SIGN CENTRAL DEFENDER LIAM DOYLE
The Swope Park Rangers have signed defender Liam Doyle, the club announced Monday. Doyle, who spent his rookie season in the USL with the Harrisburg City Islanders in 2016, will join the squad ahead of the 2017 season pending USL and federation approval. (Full story)
Doyle, 24, was a key member of the Harrisburg backline in 2016, making 28 appearances, starting all but one. He recorded one assist in a 2-2 draw with Bethlehem Steel FC on Aug. 30 and placed third on the team for minutes played with 2,435.
D-II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP DEC. 17 AT CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK
The Division II Football Championship will take place at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are now available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-KC-GOAL.
Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State will enter Saturday's semifinals on a 28-game winning streak, the longest active in college football. The Bearcats are the only team from Missouri or Kansas left in the tournament and are one victory away from returning to Children's Mercy Park, where they claimed the 2015 national title before a sold-out crowd.
LINDSEY AND U.S. U-17S WIN NIKE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES TITLE
Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Jaylin Lindsey and the United States U-17 Men’s National Team clinched the 2016 Nike International Friendlies title on Sunday with a 3-0 victory against Brazil at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. (Full story)
Lindsey, 16, started all three matches during the prestigious youth tournament as the U.S. cruised to emphatic wins against Portugal, Turkey and Brazil, claiming its third Nike International Friendlies championship since 2010 and its first since 2013.
SPORTING KC U-16S GO UNBEATEN AT USSDA WINTER SHOWCASE
The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-16s enjoyed a perfect weekend at the 2016 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase, securing three straight wins between Friday and Monday at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. (Full story)
The 2016 USSDA Winter Showcase was held in conjunction with the Nike International Friendlies, where Sporting KC Academy defender Jaylin Lindsey started in all three victories for the United States en route to the tournament championship.
SCN PARTNERS WITH KANSAS YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
The Sporting Club Network (SCN) and Kansas State Youth Soccer Association (KSYSA) have announced a long-term partnership focused on providing member clubs of both organizations additional coaching education opportunities and further access to Swope Soccer Village, the world-class venue located in Kansas City, Missouri’s historic Swope Park. (Full story)
The Sporting Club Network (SCN) is an affiliation program between athletic organizations and Sporting Club, the parent company of Sporting Kansas City and THE Swope Park Rangers. Through this new and innovative partnership program, member clubs and organizations have exclusive access to opportunities and events tied to Sporting Club’s professional soccer teams and facilities. The combined membership of the program exceeds over 70,000 members, highlighted by the largest Academy Affiliate program across the U.S. with 15 branded affiliates representing the Sporting name and helping support the club’s larger player development goals.
Kansas State Youth Soccer Association provides nonprofit, public, educational soccer development and competition to its members. KSYSA’s current membership consists of over 28,000 youth players, 1,600 coaches, 1,600 referees and thousands of volunteers through its network of over 30 member leagues/clubs across the state of Kansas.
NCAA D-II SOCCER CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT SWOPE
The 2016 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships were decided Saturday at Children’s Mercy Victory Field inside Swope Soccer Village. For the first time in either program’s history, the Wingate University men and the Western Washington women were crowned national champions in a thrilling afternoon of action. (Full story)
The Wingate Bulldogs (19-1-0) earned a historic 2-0 win over Charleston (W.Va.) — receiving goals in either half from junior forward Jon Ander — to hoist the North Carolina school’s first national championship in any sport.
The second match of Saturday’s doubleheader saw the Western Washington Vikings (24-0-1) complete an unbeaten season with a pulsating 3-2 win over three-time defending national champion Grand Valley State (Mich.).
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