FC Sonic – Lehigh Valley NPSL Soccer

Toric Robinson of East Stroudsburg University and FC SONIC has signed with the Dayton Dutch Lions of the USLPRO league. ”We are all very proud of Toric and what he has been able to accomplish both on and off the field – a recognized ESPN The Magazine Men’s Soccer Academic All-America in 2009 – stated, FC SONIC head coach Dave Weitzman. We knew Toric had all the tools to play at the next level and this past summer he became a reliable leader for us in the midfield. FC SONIC would like to thank Toric for his time, effort, & passion that he brought to our organization and we all send our very best with him as he heads to Ohio.  BEST OF LUCK, T!!!!

FC Sonic Head Coach, Dave “Weitie” Weitzman, has been selected to coach the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) All-Star team alongside NPSL Technical Director, Matt Driver.
Weitzman will be with the All-Stars for a week as they travel to Madison, Ala. and Atlanta, Ga. to showcase the league’s talent.
While in Madison, Weitzman’s All-Stars will challenge the host city’s NPSL team, Rocket City United, to an exhibition match. Aside from playing host to the All-Stars, Madison will also be the site for the 2011 NPSL semi-finals and championship game.
This will be Weitzman’s second time coaching soccer in Madison in as many years. Last year, his FC Sonic squad won the Northeast division earning them the right to travel to Madison and compete for the NPSL national championship. Unfortunately, FC Sonic was unable to bring home a championship but Weitzman is excited to be back.
“It has been a wonderful honor to be down here assisting and co-coaching with Matt Driver for the last week,” remarked Weitzman.
Weitzman is not the sole All-Star representative for FC Sonic, joining him is midfielder, Cody Antonini.
“Cody is a great player, he’s a two-time All-American from Muhlenberg College and has been with our organization for the past three years,” said Weitzman. “Everyone in our organization thinks very highly of him. He’s very sound technically and works hard to comply with his defensive responsibilities. He can play multiple positions, has a great head on his shoulders and is overall just a great kid.”
After their weekend in Madison, Weitzman and the All-Stars will travel to Atlanta where they will play the Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The NASL represents the second tier of the US professional soccer pyramid. Their league is just one step under Major League Soccer (MLS) and is comparable to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) AAA league in respects to professional baseball’s league hierarchy.
The NPSL All-Star team is a great way for players to gain exposure and experience playing against “next-level” competition. Many of the league’s players aspire to play soccer at the highest level, either for an MLS team or for one of the other premier-level professional clubs around the world.
“Having the NPSL do the things they have done over the past year such as the All-Star week and giving our kids the opportunity to play against NASL teams has been been great for our league and its players,” explained Weitzman. “These events will improve our teams and give our players more exposure throughout the country and I believe the league is doing a great job at the administrative level.”

According to Weitzman, FC Sonic as an organization also benefits from the exposure generated by events such as NPSL’s All-Star Week. Aside from their players and coaches gaining professional experience, youth clubs and organizations associated with FC Sonic also reap the rewards.
“[FC Sonic] has been distributing free tickets to come see our games within our surrounding communities including Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and beyond,” said Weitzman. “ We hope that young soccer players will come out and watch players like Antonini and former FC Sonic All-Stars Ricky Mucelli and James Graf so that they can emulate the things those players do on the field and aspire to be as good, if not better than them.”
This season, FC Sonic (9 wins, 1 loss, 2 ties) narrowly missed contending for an NPSL national championship two seasons in a row. They finished second in the Northeast-Keystone conference, just two points behind 2011 NPSL third-place winners, Erie Admirals.
With a strong foundation in place and quality players and coaches leading the way, FC Sonic is looking forward to the 2012 season and has already begun the pursuit of a national championship.
Written By: Ulises Terrones

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head men’s soccer coach Dean Koski has named Ryan Hess as a new assistant coach, rounding out the current staff of Koski, Michael Benn and Michael O’Connell. Hess comes to Lehigh from nearby Moravian College where he enjoyed a standout playing and coaching career, with a coaching stint at Muhlenberg sandwiched in between. He is also a captain for local FC Sonic, a team which features a number of Mountain Hawks’ players.

2011 Camp Registration

2011 Camp Release

Date: Monday, August 8th through Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Location: Iron Lakes Sports Dome - www.ironlakessportsclub.com

Costs: $130.00 Per Person

Camp is limited to High School Boys only and 40 players maximum.

FC Sonic is sorry to announce the friendly previously scheduled for Saturday July 16, has been cancelled.  Sonic Management heard from Rev’s management that they would be unable to bring their team this weekend.

Stay tuned for updates on FC Sonic’s playoff hopes…

Posted from the Press of Atlantic City

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/ac-crusaders-lose-third-game-in-row/article_cb4be5f8-aaaf-11e0-b901-001cc4c03286.html

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – The downside of what began as a good first season continued for the AC Crusaders soccer team on Saturday at Egg Harbor Township High School.

FC Sonic, the leading team in the National Premier Soccer League’s Northeast-Keystone Conference, edged the Crusaders 1-0, the third loss in a row for AC after a 4-0-3 start. FC Sonic, of Bethlehem, Pa., is 8-1-2 and tops the Keystone with 26 points.

The only goal came on a penalty kick by FC Sonic center midfielder Ryan Hess in the 20th minute of the second half. Hess blasted one into the right corner as Crusaders goalie Tim Van Liew dove the other way. The PK was called when Crusaders midfielder Rich Stone took down Sonic forward Luis Devia inside the 18-yard line.

“We tied AC last time (2-2 on June 4) so we knew it would be a tough game,” said Hess, 24, a former player at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa. “They came out strong, but I think the goal hurt their spirits.”

There’s nothing complicated about the Northeast-Keystone Conference playoff system, because the team with the most points is the only one to advance. The top Keystone team plays the No. 1 team in the Northeast-Atlantic Conference, and the winner advances to the NPSL’s Final Four in late July in Madison, Ala.

“We had a lot of good chances in the first half, but that’s something that’s happened much of the season,” said Barry Lynch, the Crusaders’ co-coach with Nenad Gorgiev.

Sonic coach Dave Weitzman pointed out many players who led to the win.

“AC is a very good team and they really challenged us in the first 20 minutes,” Weitzman said. “Hess really came through for us, with his veteran leadership, and (goalie) Charlie Sales made some huge saves. Lou Devia created the opportunity that led to the penalty kick. (Forward) Chris Roell did a good job getting pressure. AC committed forward and we countered with Justin Kamine. He got his head on everything in the second half.”

Van Liew (six saves) made a big one-handed stop in the 30th minute. A Sonic shot went off the right post in the 40th minute and AC midfielder Billy Swetra cleared out a loose ball. AC’s Rodney Aguirre booted on from in close early in the second half, and Sales made the stop. Sales made a good save on Swetra in the 62nd minute. Roell sent a high shot on goal in the 69th minute, and Van Liew got a hand up and made the save.

“It was frustrating because we had a lot of chances in the first half,” said Crusaders forward Edward Campbell, 22, a junior at Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.). “It was hard for us to get forward once they put six men behind the ball defensively.”

The Crusaders play at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the New Jersey Blaze in South Brunswick, and host the Pocono Snow at 6 p.m. Saturday in the season’s final game.

“Our guys have played well this year, and we may bring in a few new guys next year to strengthen us.” Lynch said.

FC Sonic head coach Dave Weitzman is feeling very confident about the 2011 season. The Northeast Conference Champions, who open the season at home on May 16th against the always tough New York Red Bulls, had their first preseason training session and already looked sharp.

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“The boys worked very hard during the two-hour session,” he said. “They had a lot of energy and pushed each other to work hard throughout practice. Our expectation is to win the Keystone Division, the Northeast Conference and, finally, capture the NPSL Championship.  But, our players know that the immediate challenges are to bond as quickly as possible as a group that shares common goals, work hard in training and games, and take one game at a time.”

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For many of them, the bonding began last year when they finished at 11-2-1. The team has 15 returning players, including Charlie and Joe Sales, Jordie Ciuffetelli, Dan Odenwelder, James Graf, Ryan Hess, Carlington Lamont, Leslie Fraser, Ryan Wetherhold, and AJ Barnold are all players who made significant contributions last season.

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This season, there are also 20 newcomers, including Ali Famili, Tucker Sandercock, Chris Roell and Sean Baker. Other players whom Coach Weitzman will evaluate are Todd Ervin, Brett Crompton, Joe Puleo, and Mark Whitmeyer.

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The secret to the team’s success boils down to four requirements, explained Coach Weitzman. “1. Come into pre-season fit. Soccer is an aerobic activity and to play at this level we need to have players that understand the importance of taking care of their bodies so they can perform at a high level for an entire match and an entire season;  2. Come in with a positive attitude willing to learn and willing to compete every day;  3. Respect all staff members of FC Sonic, our terrific fans, and our opponents;  4. Take one game at a time, but have our teams’ goals always at the core — win the division, win the conference and win the NPSL Championship!”

FC Sonic Lehigh Valley announced the signing of four starting players from last year’s Northeast Conference Championship team. Central midfielder Ryan Hess (3 goals), defensive midfielder Dan Odenwelder, outside back Jordie Ciuffetelli, and center back AJ Barnold have all made commitments to step on the pitch for the 2011 FC Sonic season. “Having four players of high caliber such as Ryan, Danny, Jordie, and AJ gives us a tremendous amount of veteran leadership and flexibility in our lineup,” said Head Coach Dave Weitzman.

Also returning from last year’s squad are brothers Joe and Charlie Sales. Joe, a forward, came back from a serious knee injury to score two brilliant goals during his campaign. His second goal came in the final minutes of regulation against the NY Red Bulls that propelled the Sonic to the NPSL Semifinals in Alabama. As the backup keeper to former pro Sam Bishop, Charlie Sales posted 14 saves and earned two shutouts, including a key 1-0 victory on the road against the Erie Admirals.

Other FC Sonic signings include forwards Ryan Wetherhold (2 goals) and Eric Miller (1 goal), and defensive midfielder Schuylar Rimmelee. “All nine of these players know what kind of commitment must be made to be successful. I have a lot of trust in them,” said Weitzman

This past Sunday’s tryout session, at the Iron Lakes Sports Dome, included a vigorous 25 minute warm up with and without the ball, followed by spirited small-sided games. Seven teams played four fifteen minute games that allowed Head Coach Dave Weitzman and newly appointed Goalkeeper Coach Kyle Grim a full opportunity to evaluate all participants. After assessing the more than 60 candidates, Coach Weitzman has selected 27 field players and 4 goalkeepers to invite into preseason training.  Coach Weitzman is excited to open camp. “Assuming we get commitments from the selected players, I’m convinced that we will put a very competitive team out on the field,” said Weitzman.

FC SONIC will begin preseason camp on April 10, followed by practices scheduled through late April and an exhibition match at Muhlenberg College on April 30. The team will have its first match of the year on its home field, Lehigh University’s Ulrich Soccer Stadium, on Monday, May 16 against the NPSL New York Red Bulls. Kickoff is at 7pm.

Do you have what it takes ?

2010 Northeast Conference Champions & NPSL Final Four participant FC SONIC will hold open tryouts on March 6th & 13th at the Iron Lakes Sports Dome in Allentown, PA.  The tryouts will run from 12pm to 2pm and are open for all competitive players 16 years of age and older.

Players will be invited back for training April 10th, if necessary, followed by the first official day of training on April 23rd.  All NCAA DIII players are expected to attend all FC SONIC sessions unless their spring college season conflicts with these dates.

All NCAA DI players must report to training on May 3rd unless granted permission.

Official training sessions will continue April 26th, 28th & May 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th, & 17th.  Times to be determined.

FC SONIC’s first regular season game is scheduled for May 16th vs. NY Red Bulls.

All tryout candidates must complete a waiver and tryout application.

Download the waiver here

Download the tryout application