Rider Cup
The Ocean City FC U11 Boys competed in the Rider Cup at Fort Dix in June. It was the first time this team had played together and the confidence in the squad was already sky high. After a number of strong practices and good, quality scrimmage performances the coach was happy with his whole squad and ready for the challenges ahead.
The U11 Boys breezed through the group stage only conceding a few goals while scoring double figures. Coach Steve Thurlby had a selection problem, all the players are performing very well, working extremely hard for the team but only 11 of the 17 player squad can be on the field at any time. Coach Steve found that no matter who he put out on the field, the team continued to perform fluidly and work together. A great problem to have!
The whole squad enjoyed the weekend getting to the final before falling at the last hurdle. In the final luck was just not on the side of Ocean City FC, hitting the bar and post during the game. The boys worked hard to the last whistle and proved that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. If Coach Steve can keep this team together then they will continue to improve individually and collectively as the years roll by.
Central Jersey Invitational
The U11 Boys stepped up a level for the Central Jersey Invitational tournament held again at Fort Dix, NJ. They found it tough going in their first two matches and must have been quite a shock to lose two in a row after winning so many games the previous time. The players were not used to playing against such speed and this told as they conceded goals on the counter attack. The games were never out of reach and the result does not reflect the chances that Ocean City FC created. However, this was a lesson for the U10 boys and one that will be reinforced during practice. The boys showed up with a confident attitude for the third and final group game and they dominated possession in the opponents half of the field. Throughout the tournament Coach Steve likes to rotate players and give everyone a good amount of time to show what they can do and develop their skills in a competitive environment. However, the U11 boys learned a new ‘unwritten’ rule of soccer. Josiah Nistorenko had scored 2 goals, was tired but was left on the field in the hope that he would score his 3rd goal to complete the hat trick. Unfortunately it was not to be but it is the fun nuances in the game that makes soccer so great. The team left happy with the final win but determined to work hard at practice to improve for the final tournament of the summer on the weekend of 23rd and 24th July.
Ocean City FC are looking for good, committed soccer players to come and tryout to play for our elite summer teams. Ocean City FC boast an excellent coaching staff that looks to nurture and develop the young players, to improve their technical proficiency and instill a lifelong love of soccer. This is the final tryout for the summer of 2012.
and off the field. The Pre-Super Y-League setup was developed by Ocean City FC to help develop our youth players at their own rate rather than pushing them into the Super Y-League too early.
