TAMPA – The top two teams in the Mid Atlantic U17 girls division this season, Parsippany SC and West Chester United, have as good a chance as any division of sweeping through the other top ten teams in the United States and Canada and meeting again for the Super Y-League title. Listening to both team’s head coaches, they will be the last two people surprised to see it happen.

“Parsippany always has given us a challenge in and out of the Super Y-League,” said West Chester United SC Head Coach Garry Chandler. “This season was no different.”

“Both Quickstrike and West Chester gave us quality matches,” agreed Parsippany SC Head Coach Dominick Bucci. “Both teams were well coached and had many talented players.”

The teams met early in the season, a match that ended 3-0 in favor of home-standing Parsippany SC.

“Parsippany’s Katie Ryan, a tremendously speedy and gifted forward scored all three goals against us,” said Chandler. “Down 1-0 at halftime, we lost our top forward early in the second half of that game to a severe ankle sprain (she missed the next four weeks), but it really did not matter because Parsippany’s defense is well-organized and their goalkeeper is the best in the Mid-Atlantic division.”

“Amanda Davis had tremendous summer for us in net,” said Bucci of his goalkeeper.

“Ryan is one of the best attacking players in this age group,” added Bucci. “She led both the Super-20’s and the U17’s in goals this past summer. She is the type of player that at any moment can go off and get a goal for us.”

The teams finished eight points apart in the standings, Parsippany running the table and ending the regular season 10-0-0 while West Chester United SC finished 7-2-1. They fell to Ironbound SC 2-1 in their only other loss of the season.

“We have built quite a history with Parsippany in matching up against each other in several college showcases and other events the past couple of years,” said Chandler.

While Parsippany SC dominated the competition, scoring close to five times per match, West Chester United kept pace with a more conventional approach.  [Note: The last game between West Chester United & Parsippany SC was at the US Club Soccer Regionals in June when Parsippany SC won the regional championship over West Chester United (who were regional finalist) by an close 1-0 score.  Both teams then earned the right to advance to the USCS Nationals.]

“We had to use several different formations from one game to the next,” said Chandler. “We looked to match the formation to our strengths or our opponent’s weaknesses. It is good we can adapt quickly and play several formations. At the very least, the flexibility is a confidence booster. The players know that as each game provides a challenge, there has to be an edge somewhere. Sometimes that edge lies within a formation variation.”

“Julia DiFerdinando is an excellent technical player with terrific quickness on the ball,” continued Chandler. “She is a playmaking midfielder of rising quality. Morgan Gerz led the team in goals scored this season. She is a strong, hard-working forward capable of holding possession and taking on defenders. Paige Oechsle and Courtney McKee are two energy players who each defend with outstanding strength in the air. Dorie Heald is a super-competitive leader at central defense. She plays every ball with intensity. Leah Bagonis has endured more setback injuries than any other player on the team, yet she has worked to become a dangerous attacking player, excelling in one-on-one situations.”

For as much talent as Chandler has to work with, Parsippany might have more. Their flawlessness this season stems from the handful of Super-20 League players on Bucci’s U17 team.

“Jen Orlando and Katie Ryan both helped lead our Super-20 Women to the 2007 North American Championship,” said Bucci. “That was their second USL North American Title. This will be their fifth finals appearance. Both are two of the best players in the country at their positions.”

“Orlando is our center back who brings a tremendous amount of experience,” added Bucci going into more detail. “She is also very dangerous on set pieces, finishing second in goals scored with our Super-20’s. Mikaila Weaver is another gifted center back but the team is led by Katie Hannis. She is our engine in the middle, our work horse. She is a perfect leader and is made for that holding midfield position. She is a technical player who also has a great soccer brain.”

The only remaining piece of the puzzle is the system as a whole. For Chandler and West Chester United, it revolves around intensity.

“The approach has always been a team effort on both sides of the ball,” said Chandler. “Our attack relies on everyone getting involved to create scoring opportunities. Goals most often come from the determination and energy of Amanda Marino and Gerz or from the quickness of Bagonis, DiFerdinando and Thomas.”