Last night Team Chicago Academy-Eagles played their final MRL game of the fall season. Due to injuries and illness, they were forced to play with just eleven players and no subs against a very tough Chicago Fire side.

Committing to strong team play and extremely solid team defending, the Eagles held off relentless offensive pressure from the Fire to keep the score level through 65 minutes. Unfortunately, the Chicago Fire got a lucky breakthrough in the closing minutes of the game to win 1-0.

This was just the second loss for the Eagles through 9 games in their first season in the MRL after a series of very strong performance. Eagles finished 5th with 15 points and 26 goals for and 11 goals against.

Great job boys!!!

Team Chicago Academy-Santos outside back Kelsey Pruett has accepted a great scholarship offer to continue her soccer career at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. Kelsey, who plays her prep soccer at Plainfield South H.S., will be part of Head Coach Matt Kellogg’s 2014 recruiting class.

The Bulldogs are members of the elite Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) with national powerhouse Grand Valley State University.

Team Chicago Academy-Santos emerged victorious from its top-of-the-table clash with previously unbeaten North Shore United to all but secure promotion to the 2013 MRL Premier Division. Santos will just need a tie in either of its last two games to take the U17 Girls First Division title.

North Shore United was 5-0-1 heading into Sundays match at Gentile Field, but they were no match for an inspired Santos squad. In front of a great crowd, Santos put in a dominating performance in an impressive 3-0 win to move to a perfect 5-0 record.

Co-captain Kristen Brots got the eventual game-winner 20 minutes into the contest after great link-up play by AJ Jakuszewski, co-captain Kaela Leskovar, and Olivia Schmitt down the right flank. A few minutes later Olivia Schmitt put the game out of reach with a perfect finish from Mary Rounce’s through-ball.

10 minutes into the 2nd half Heather Handwork sealed the victory when she ran onto Kristen Brots’ perfect diagonal through-ball and calmly slotted it far post.

Courtney Keefer and Abbey Fuster shared the shutout in goal behind a great performance by the entire defense.

Santos will now play its last two remaining MRL games on Gentile Field at PlayUSA this Saturday and Sunday at 3pm against FC Milwaukee and Croatian Eagles. Please, come out on Saturday to cheer Santos onto victory and promotion to the MRL Premier Division.

Continuing its impressive run in the U18 Girls MRL Premier Division, Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo beat Lou Fusz-Wipke 3-1 in the final game to go 8-0-1 with 35 goals for and 3 against. Bryce Banuelos got the first goal from Ashley Handwork and Jorie Clawson in the 1st half and Gianna Dal Pozzo and Meegan Johnston (from Zoe Swift and Zoey Goralski) sealed the victory in the 2nd half.

For the second year in a row Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo has clinched the MRL Premier Division title and earned a berth to the 2013 USYS Regionals in Des Moines, IA with an impressive 4-0 win at North Shore United.

Having seen Lou Fusz Wipke lose in the earlier game, Botafogo knew that a win against Regional-Finalist North Shore United would be enough to clinch the title, and the girls established an immediate control of the game which they never relinquished. Playing on a tiny field, it took a while to unlock the North Shore defense, but after Gianna Dal Pozzo got what would prove to be the game-winner with 15 minutes left in the 1st half, the outcome was never in doubt.

Early in the 2nd half Ashley Handwork and Zoey Goralski linked up and Zoey’s perfect, driven cross was emphatically slammed home by Ashley at the near post. A few minutes later it was Zoey Goralski who received a pass from Gianna Dal Pozzo in the middle of the field, and then drove forward before striking a perfectly placed low, driven shot into the goal.

As the icing on the cake, Gianna Dal Pozzo got her 2nd on the day after she made a perfectly timed run out of midfield to latch onto Hope D’Addario’s fantastic ball over the top and lob it over the on-rushing keeper.

Megan Geldernick earned the shutout in goal. This was her 7th shutout in 8 MRL games this season.

The Midwest Regional League (MRL) season is winding down over the next few weekends with some marquee match-ups for Team Chicago Academy teams.

This Sunday, Team Chicago Academy-Santos will host North Shore United at 3:30pm at PlayUSA in a match that will determine the Girls U17 First Division title and promotion to the U18 Premier Division for 2013-14. Both teams are undefeated and with a win Santos will earn the Division title, while with a tie Santos will need two wins in the final two MRL games November 10th and 11th at PlayUSA to secure the title. Please, come out to support Santos this Sunday.

Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo will travel to Wisconsin on Saturday and Sunday to take on its two only remaining rivals for the Girls U18 Premier Division title. Coming off an impressive 8-2 win v. Chicago-Inter last Wednesday after a sublime first half performance, Botafogo will need either two ties or at least a win against Lou Fusz Wipke in the Sunday game to retain its Premier Division title and earn a berth into the USYS Regional Championships in Des Moines, IA in June 2013.

On Monday night, Team Chicago Academy-Eagles will travel to Orland Park to take on Chicago Fire in its final MRL game. With a win Eagles will finish 3rd in the Boys U14 First Division and be in contention for a Premier Division spot for the 2013 Spring season.

Finally, Team Chicago Academy-Brasilia finished its MRL season with a 1-0 win at Chicago-Inter on a goal by Jasmine Ruiz from Rachel Erdman. Meegan Keefer and Madison Lockard shared the shutout in goal. With the win Brasilia finished tied for 2nd in the Girls U14 First Division, and is awaiting final confirmation that it has earned a wild-card into the Premier Division for the Spring.