One Win, Several Close Losses Mark First Annual "Eclipse ECNL Derby"

In the first ever "Eclipse Derby" between Eclipse Select (IL) and FC Wisconsin Eclipse, it became apparent that the newest Eclipse club is growing fast and making great progress.  

Eclipse Select, the 2010-2011 ECNL National Club Champion, has been one of the best clubs in the United States for the past 10 years. On Sunday, October 28, FC Wisconsin Eclipse showed that Wisconsin players can also aspire to this level, and that they are quickly moving in this direction.

In the first ever "Eclipse ECNL Derby" between Eclipse Select (IL) and FC Wisconsin Eclipse, it became apparent that the newest Eclipse club is growing fast and making great progress.  

Eclipse Select, the 2010-2011 ECNL National Club Champion, has been one of the best clubs in the United States for the past 10 years. On Sunday, October 28, FC Wisconsin Eclipse showed that Wisconsin players can also aspire to this level, and that they are quickly moving in this direction.

In this ECNL border battle, the U14 FC Wisconsin Eclipse team claimed victory in the first game, the only win of the day for FC Wisconsin Eclipse, in a 3-1 affair that went back and forth in a wide-open game.  Lindsey Weiss opened the scoring, with Taylor Kerwin and Celina Nummerdor also with one goal each in the second half to fight off a furious Eclipse rally.  The U15 FC Wisconsin Eclipse team started slowly, with a tough 1-5 loss that did not reflect the progress shown by the team over the past weeks.  The U16, U17, and U18 FC Wisconsin Eclipse teams all dropped their games with identical 0-2 scores that were tightly contested the entire way.  

"We knew going into these games that playing Eclipse Select, especially on the road, was going to be both a massive test and a great opportunity to assess where we were as a program," said Christian Lavers - just returned Saturday from the week long U14 and U15 US Soccer Youth National Team camps in Raleigh, NC.  "The result of almost very game yesterday was in doubt until the final 15 minutes - which reflects the competitiveness of our players and teams."

"If you look at each game, there were little details and little areas where each team needs to improve," said Monica White.  "For example, at U16, both goals were scored from set pieces, where Eclipse Select was consistently dangerous.  That is an area where, if the players become better and tougher, that result could change.  The U17s, fighting a massive injury problem already and losing their 5th starter of the year in the 40th minute, really showed a ’next man up’ mentality - but they need to be a little better in maintaining possession in tight spaces.  Overall, every team is getting closer to where they need to be."

The journey doesn’t get easier, as next weekend FC Wisconsin Eclipse finishes its tough 4-game Midwest Conference road trip with a visit to Sockers-FC Chicago in Illinois, folllowed by the return leg of the Eclipse Select match-up on Sunday in Milwaukee.  "We will put in another good week of training," said Andy Lee.  "The progress we are making every day in training is significant, and I look forward to seeing the teams come out in these second-leg fixtures this weekend to see the improvement."

"This is the ECNL," said Lavers.  "You play the best every day.  You play the next generation of college stars.  Our players are getting better, and we get the chance to see that every weekend.  More importantly, they have the opportunity to be challenged, and to be seen playing against the best every weekend.  The future is very bright."

 

 

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