Upcoming Practices:

• Tuesday, December 8, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., Murtagh #1 field
• Wednesday, December 9, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., Softball field next to Murtagh #1

Upcoming Tournaments

• CASL Showcase, Raleigh, NC, December 10-12, 2009
• Tampa Sun Bowl, Tampa, FL, December 27-30, 2009
• Triangle Friendlies, Dates TBD
• Freestate Capitol Cup, March 21-22, 2010

The Freestate Dragons earned 2nd place in the Patriot Division of the Bethesda Thanksgiving Tournament with a 2-1-0 record.  After losing a close match to SAC on Saturday, the Dragons rebounded to win two games on Sunday, defeating the Garden City Park Vipers (NY) 4-2 and Lehigh Valley 2-1.

In the early Sunday morning match vs the Vipers, Perry Clark and Kevin Fitch scored in the first half to send the game into halftime knotted at 2-2.  Second half goals from Ryan Leslie and Max Allegro gave the Dragons the 4-2 victory.  Nick Staufenberger, Patrick Thornton, Mike Kane, and Allegro were each credited with an assist. On Sunday afternoon, the Dragons defeated Lehigh Valley 2-1, with Jason Carcamo and Clark each tallying a goal and Allegro earning an assist.  Jared Fohs, Daniel Gaj, and Logan Webster also played strong in the midfield and on the attack throughout the tournament.

Keeper Luke Kell made tough saves in all 3 matches, supported by excellent defensive play from William Fisher, Matt Michael, and Kane.

• Freestate Capitol Cup Champions
• Columbia Invitational Finalists
• Maryland State Cup Semi-Finalists
• 3rd Place in NCSL Division 1 for Spring 2009
• Finished with a 3-1-0 record in the Tampa Sun Bowl and undefeated at the Triangle Friendlies

Congratulations to our Dragons players who recently graduated from high school and good luck in college!

• Mark Miller, Forward/Midfielder, has played for the Dragons for the past 8 years. He graduated from Arundel High School in June 2009. He will attend Anne Arundel Community College in the Fall and then plans to attend Salisbury University in Spring 2010.
• Rafiq Gharbi, Midfielder, has played for the Dragons for the past year. He graduated from Parkside High School in May 2009. He will attend Salisbury University and plans to major in Political Science/Pre-Law.
• Joey Gorirossi, Midfielder, has played for the Dragons for the past 9 years. He graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in May 2009.  He will attend Chowan University and plans to major in History (Pre-Law/Social Studies Education).
• Nick Mattox, Midfielder/Defender, has played for the Dragons for the past two years. He graduated from Chesapeake High School in June 2009. He will attend Lesley University and plans to major in Business Management.

Joey Gorirossi, Freestate Dragons Captain and attacking center midfielder, has committed to Chowan University (NCAA Division II) in Murfreesboro, NC.  He will play center midfielder for the Chowan Hawks:

http://www.gocuhawks.com/index.aspx?tab=soccer&path=msoc

Nick Mattox, Freestate Dragons outside midfielder, has committed to Lesley University (NCAA Division III) in Cambridge, MA.  He will play in the midfield for the Lesley Lynx soccer team and will also play for the tennis team.

The Dragons won their final two games of the NCSL Spring season, defeating DCST Blue Thunder 5-1 and MSC Revolution 1-0, to finish in 3rd place in NCSL Division 1 with a 5-3-1 record.

In the match vs DCST,  Joey Gorirossi netted a strong shot off of a good pass from Reggie Clermont to score the opening goal for the Dragons. Minutes later, Nick Mattox fired off a shot that was deflected by the DCST keeper. Logan Webster grabbed the rebound and sent a strong cross into the box, which Kevin Fitch slammed into the net to extend the Dragons lead.

In the second half, Clermont scored twice to put the Dragons up 4-0, with Jason Carcamo and Gorirossi earning assists.  DCST answered with a goal of their own to narrow the Dragons lead, but late in the game, Daniel Gaj sent a pass to Gorirossi, who slotted the ball to Ryan Leslie . . . Leslie's excellent shot gave the Dragons the 5-1 victory.

Mark Miller, Nick Staufenberger, and Rafiq Gharbi also played outstanding on the attack throughout the match. Keeper Luke Kell made several phenominal saves, supported by terrific defensive play from Jared Fohs, Mike Kane, William Fisher, Matt Michael, and Mattox.

Against the MSC Revolution, Carcamo netted a penalty kick for the game winner. Kell was again tremendous between the pipes to earn the shut out, while the rest of the Dragons, including striker Ford Raine, turned in outstanding play throughout the match to earn the win. 

The Dragons advanced to the finals of the Columbia Invitational Tournament, with a 2-1-0 record in the preliminary rounds of the Premier bracket.  In the first match of the tournament, the Dragons defeated SAC United Premier (MD) 1-0.  Max Allegro headed in the game winner off of a long throw-in from Jared Fohs.

The Dragons then lost 2-0 to a tough Chesco Premier (PA-E) team, but quickly regrouped and won their next match 2-0, defeating the Hanover Avalanche (NJ).  Patrick Thornton received a well-timed pass from Joey Gorirossi and netted his shot to put the Dragons up 1-0 early in the match.  Ryan Leslie extended the Dragons lead in the second half, firing a blistering shot into the net off of a solid pass from Allegro.

In the championship match, the Dragons fell 2-1 to the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays (MD) in a hard fought context.  Jason Carcamo tallied the Dragons goal on a penalty kick, after Allegro drew a foul in the box.

Keeper Luke Kell had a superb tournament, earning two shut-outs and numerous saves, and was supported by excellent play on defense from Fohs, Mike Kane, William Fisher, Nick Mattox, and Matt Michael.  Contributing strong play in the midfield throughout the tournament were Daniel Gaj, Nick Staufenberger, Rafiq Gharbi, Kevin Fitch, and Logan Webster, while Reggie Clermont, Mark Miller, and Ford Raine played great on the attack.

The Dragons defeated the ABGC Annandale Red Devils 3-2.  Early in the match, Nick Staufenberger scored for the Dragons with Patrick Thornton earning the assist. But the Red Devils quickly netted two goals of their own to take a 2-1 lead.

Midway through the first half, Joey Gorirossi sent a through ball to Max Allegro, who slotted a quick pass to Reggie Clermont.  Clermont beat the defender and sent a strong shot into the net to knot the score at 2-2.  The Dragons took the lead near the end of the first half when Daniel Gaj tallied the go-ahead goal off of a corner kick from Gorirossi.

The second half was a battle between two solid defenses, led by two tough goal keepers.  Keeper Luke Kell came up with some big late game saves for the Dragons to hold on to the lead, supported throughout the match by great defensive efforts from Mike Kane, Matt Michael, Jared Fohs, and William Fisher.  The Red Devils keeper faced continual pressure on the attack from Mark Miller, Ford Raine, Ryan Leslie, Rafiq Gharbi, Kevin Fitch, Nick Mattox, and Logan Webster.

In the second week of NCSL action, the Dragons defeated GRFL '91 Premier to extend their NCSL record to 2-1-0.  The two teams played to a draw for 86 minutes of an intense match. With four minutes left to play, Joey Gorirossi netted a strong shot off of a great pass from Daniel Gaj.

Keeper Luke Kell played a fantastic game, holding a strong team scoreless despite several tough shots.  He was supported by terrific defensive play from Matt Michael, William Fisher, and Mike Kane.  Turning in excellent play in the midfield were Jason Carcamo, Jared Fohs, Kevin Fitch, Nick Staufenberger, Rafiq Gharbi, Ryan Leslie, Logan Webster, and Ford Raine.  Max Allegro, Mark Miller, and Reggie Clermont contributed great play on the attack throughout the match.

The Dragons defeated MCLN MPS 91 Premier 3-2 in their NCSL season opener on Saturday.   Midway through the first half, Rafiq Gharbi sent a strong throw-in into the box to Mike Kane, who flicked it to Nick Staufenberger . . . Staufenberger headed a perfect shot into the back of the net.  Near the end of the half, Joey Gorirossi challenged the MCLN keeper for a 50/50 ball and knocked it to Daniel Gaj, who netted a strong shot to put the Dragons up 2-0.

The second half proved to be very exciting with the momentum shifting several times between the two tough teams. With under six minutes to play, MCLN netted a goal to narrow the Dragons lead and then quickly tied it up at 2-2 on a penalty kick.  With under two minutes left to play and the Dragons on the attack, Patrick Thornton was fouled in the box.  Jason Carcamo took the resulting PK, hitting a strong shot, but the MCLN keeper was able to get a hand on it to prevent the score. Thornton followed up the shot and netted the rebound for the game winner for the Dragons!

Keeper Luke Kell played a tremendous game, making several outstanding saves on some fine shots by MCLN. Matt Michael, William Fisher, and Kane turned in superb defensive play.  Kevin Fitch, Ryan Leslie, Logan Webster, Nick Mattox, Max Allegro, and Reggie Clermont played a fantastic game in the midfield and on the attack.

On Sunday, the Dragons faced the Alexandria Titans in a soaking rain and fell 3-2 after an intense battle between two solid squads.  Matt Michael and Mike Kane scored for the Dragons, with Jared Fohs earning an assist. 

The Freestate Dragons advanced to the semi-finals of Maryland State Cup defeating the Thunder Creek Rebels 6-2 in the quarter finals. The Dragons jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first half, with Patrick Thornton and Max Allegro tallying a goal apiece and Daniel Gaj and Reggie Clermont each earning an assist.

Early in the second half, Jason Carcamo and Mark Miller combined on a give-and-go resulting in Carcamo netting a strong left-footed shot to extend the lead. But the Rebels came back and scored on a corner kick to narrow the Dragons lead to 3-1. Nick Mattox answered back, drilling a 30-yard shot into the back of the net off of a beautiful cross from Allegro.

Joey Gorirossi scored a well placed shot off of a great pass from Miller, while Kevin Fitch added a late game goal with Miller earning his third assist of the match to give the Dragons a 6-1 lead. The Rebels tallied a goal in the final minutes of the match, making the final score 6-2.

Nick Staufenberger, Jared Fohs, Ryan Leslie, Logan Webster, and Rafiq Gharbi played a fantastic game in the midfield, controlling the pace and making key passes. Matt Michael, Mike Kane, and William Fisher played strong on defense while Keeper Luke Kell had a solid game between the pipes to earn the win.

The Dragons faced the Freestate Elite, defending State Cup Champions, in the semi-final on Sunday and played a hard fought match, but fell 3-1. All of the Dragons players contributed exceptionally tough play in the semi-final. Daniel Gaj scored the Dragons goal with Matt Michael earning the assist. The Dragons wish the Elite good luck as they head to the State Cup finals -- bring home the Cup for our Club!

The U17 Freestate Dragons advanced to the quarter finals of Maryland State Cup defeating the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 3-0. The two teams battled to a 0-0 draw at halftime, but the Dragons took the lead early in the second half when Kevin Fitch fired off a shot that was deflected by a defender but still found the net. Midway through the half, Daniel Gaj scored off of a long free kick from Matthew Michael to extend the Dragons lead. In the final minutes of the match, Max Allegro tallied the Dragons final goal with William Fisher earning the assist.

Contributing exceptional play from the center midfield positions were Jason Carcamo, Joey Gorirossi, Jared Fohs, and Rafiq Gharbi, while outside midfielders Nick Staufenberger, Ryan Leslie, Nick Mattox, and Logan Webster made great passes and controlled the outside lanes for the Dragons. Strikers Mark Miller, Reggie Clermont, and Patrick Thornton were strong on the attack throughout the match. Goal keeper Luke Kell earned the shut out with 7 saves, supported by outstanding defensive play from Mike Kane, Michael, and Fisher.

The U17 Freestate Dragons won the Freestate Capitol Cup Tournament, posting a 3-0-1 record for the weekend. In their opening match, the Dragons defeated GSC TAP Ajax (VA) 1-0. Mike Kane headed in the winning goal off of a great corner kick from Rafiq Gharbi. The Dragons then went on to defeat East Hudson Academy (NYE) 2-0, with Max Allegro and Nick Staufenberger each netting a fine shot and Kevin Fitch and Jason Carcamo each earning an assist. Next the Dragons faced a tough Thunder Creek Rebels (MD) team and played to a 1-1 tie. Allegro netted the lone goal for the Dragons off of a nicely placed free kick from Carcamo.

With 2 wins and 1 tie, the Dragons placed first in their bracket for the regular rounds, advancing to the finals against the Alexandria Titans (VA). The Titans came out fired up and playing a fast paced game and netted an early goal to take a 1-0 lead. But the Dragons came back and dominated the second half. Joey Gorirossi, Daniel Gaj, Carcamo, Gharbi, and Fitch controlled the game from the center midfield spots with smart play and precise passing, while outside mids Ryan Leslie, Nick Mattox, Logan Webster, and Staufenberger made key runs up the outside lanes and sent crisp crosses into the box on the attack. Strikers Patrick Thornton, Mark Miller, Reggie Clermont, and Allegro kept constant pressure on the Titans keeper. Dragons keeper Luke Kell and defenders Jared Fohs, Matt Michael, William Fisher, and Kane were superb in the finals as well as throughout the tournament.

Midway through the second half, Jared Fohs sent a long throw-in into the box, which Max Allegro flicked to Nick Staufenberger, who slammed in an excellent shot to tie the score at 1-1. The game winner again came off of a throw-in from Fohs that found Allegro in front of the net. Allegro headed it passed the keeper to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead and the tournament championship.

The Dragons started off the tournament with a 0-0 tie against ‘91 CASL Premier, then defeated Triangle FC Navy 2-1, and tied Triangle FC Silver 2-2. Against Triangle FC Navy, the Dragons trailed 1-0 until about the 70^th minute when Nick Staufenberger netted a penalty kick to tie the match at 1-1. With under a minute remaining, Patrick Thornton scored the game winner off of a perfectly placed ball from Jared Fohs.

In the match against Triangle FC Silver, the Dragons took a 1-0 lead early in the second half when Joey Gorirossi tallied a goal following up a shot from Thornton that hit the far post. Creating the scoring opportunity was a superb passing combination in the attacking half of the field involving Daniel Gaj, Staufenberger, Gorirossi, and Thornton. Midway through the half, the Triangle Silver knotted the score at 1-1. Just minutes later Mark Miller scored the go-ahead goal for the Dragons off of a great pass from Max Allegro. But in the final seconds of the match, Triangle Silver was able to tie the game at 2-2.

Also playing strong on the attack and in the midfield throughout the tournament were Ryan Leslie, Logan Webster, Kevin Fitch, Nick Mattox, and Rafiq Gharbi. Goal keeper Luke Kell make some exciting saves and had an excellent tournament, supported on defense by outstanding play from Matt Michael, Mike Kane, William Fisher, and Reggie Clermont.

The Freestate Dragons had 3 wins and 1 loss to finish second in their bracket in the Tampa Bay Sun Bowl over Christmas break. Keeper Luke Kell was tremendous between the pipes throughout the tournament with 22 saves in four matches, supported by William Fisher, Jared Fohs, Matt Michael, Mike Kane, and Reggie Clermont, who turned in outstanding defensive play. Joey Gorirossi, Rafiq Gharbi, Max Allegro, Jason Carcamo, Kevin Fitch, Mark Miller, and Patrick Thornton led the Dragons attack from the center midfield and striker positions, while outside midfielders Nick Mattox, Ryan Leslie, Nick Staufenberger, and Logan Webster were key throughout the tournament in transitioning from defense to offense and sending strong crosses into the box in the attacking third.

The Dragons defeated the Florida Soccer Club Spirit 4-2 in their opening match of the tournament on Saturday. The Spirit scored first to go up 1-0 about midway through the first half. The Dragons tied the score seconds before the half ended when Michael netted a long shot from about the 40 yard line. The Dragons dominated the second half, with Thornton and Gorirossi both tallying strong shots early in the half off of fine passes from Fohs and Staufenberger to give the Dragons a 3-1 lead. The Spirit fought back and narrowed the lead to 3-2, but Miller was fouled in the box late in the game and Carcamo scored the ensuing penalty kick to extend the Dragons lead to 4-2 and seal the victory.

The next match-up on Sunday morning between the Freestate Dragons and the Fusion 92 Gold of Georgia ultimately determined the bracket winner. Despite a tough fought and evenly played match (6 shots on goal for each side), the Fusion was able to net a strong shot for a 1-0 victory. The Dragons quickly regrouped and came out fired up later in the day to defeat the Venice Falcons of Florida 4-1. Fitch, Miller, Webster, and Gorirossi each scored for the Dragons, with assists credited to Allegro, Leslie, Kane, Thornton, and Michael.

The Dragons defeated SYA Virginia United 4-0 in their final match of the tournament on Monday. Allegro tallied two goals for the Dragons while Gharbi and Miller each netted one. Clermont, Staufenberger, and Carcamo had assists while Luke Kell earned a shut out.

Dragons players earned the following individual honors during the 2008 Fall High School Season:

Max Allegro, Bishop McNamara High School

• All-Conference Honorable Mention, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC)
• Magna Cum Laude Student-Athlete Award
• Led team in goals scored
• Leading Offensive Player  (goals scored and assists combined)

William Fisher, Eleanor Roosevelt High School

• Unsung Hero Award

Jared Fohs, Chesapeake High School

• All-County Second Team, Anne Arundel County

Joey Gorirossi, Bishop McNamara High School

• All-Conference Third Team, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC)
• Washington Post All-Prince George's County, First Team
• Team Captain
• Cum Laude Student-Athlete Award 
• Led team in assists
• Leading Offensive Player (goals scored and assists combined) 

Mike Kane, South River High School

• All-County First Team, Anne Arundel County

Ryan Leslie, Bishop McNamara High School

• All-Conference Honorable Mention, Washington Cathlolic Athletic Conference (WCAC)
• Cum Laude Student-Athlete Award

Nick Mattox, Chesapeake High School

• Anne Arundel County Senior All-Star Team 

Matt Michael, Bishop McNamara High School

• All-ConferenceThird Team, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC)
• Team Captain
• Summa Cum Laude Student-Athlete Award
• Coach's Award (Sportsmanship)

Mark Miller, Arundel High School

• Anne Arundel County Senior All-Star Team

Patrick Thornton, Bowie High School

• All-County Second Team, Prince George's County 

Dragons players played on the high school Varsity teams earning the following team achievements during the Fall 2008 season:

Archbishop Carroll High School:  Reggie Clermont

• 2008 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Quarterfinalists 

Bishop McNamara High School:  Max Allegro, Joey Gorirossi, Ryan Leslie, Matt Michael

• 2008 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Quarterfinalists 

Bowie High School:  Patrick Thornton

• 2008 Maryland 4A State Champions
• 2008 Maryland 4A South Regional Champions
• 2008 Prince Georges County 4A Champions

Chesapeake High School:  Jared Fohs, Nick Mattox

• 2008 Anne Arundel County Finalists
• 2008 Maryland 4A East Regional Semi-Finalists

Eleanor Roosevelt High School:  William Fisher

• 2008 Maryland 4A South Regional Semi-Finalists

Parkside High School:  Rafiq Gharbi, Luke Kell, Logan Webster

• 2008 Maryland 2A East Regional Finalists

St. Mary's Ryken High School:  Nicholas Staufenberger

• 2008 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Quarterfinalists

The Dragons played to a 2-2 tie versus the U17 National Team from Trinidad and Tobago in an international friendly hosted by Calvert Soccer Association.

Joey Gorirossi opened the scoring to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead in about the 35th minute of play, sending a hard shot from just inside the box past the Trinidad keeper off of a crisp pass from Reggie Clermont.

Trinidad came out very strong in the second half and netted an equalizer early in the half. Midway through the 2nd half, Trinidad scored again to go ahead 2-1. But the Dragons found their form and pressed hard on the attack in the latter part of the 2nd half. In about the 80th minute of play, Ryan Leslie sent a cross into the box that found Mark Miller, who flicked the ball to Max Allegro in front of the net. Allegro tallied a perfectly timed header to tie the score at 2-2.

Nick Staufenberger, Kevin Fitch, Daniel Artin, Nick Mattox, Ramone Cameron, and Patrick Thornton were also strong on the attack and in the midfield throughout the match.

Dragons keeper Luke Kell was phenominal in the net, making several remarkable saves. He was supported by fantastic defensive play from Matt Michael, William Fisher, Mike Kane, and Clermont.

The 2008-09 Freestate Dragons wish to thank the following sponsors for their generosity:

• J.E. Rice Insurance, Inc.
• Jim Buckley Offsetting and Services, Inc.
• Ultra Recycling, Inc.