Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Eclipse Select's Gorzak and Redei named to NSCAA All-America Team

Zoe Redei and Alissa Gorzak
Eclipse Select Soccer Club forwards Alissa Gorzak (Naperville, Ill.) and Zoe Redei (Highland Park, Ill.) have been named to the 2014 NSCAA Youth Girls All-America Team. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced 40 youth boys and 40 youth girls to the respective All-America Teams last Thursday.

An NSCAA All-America Luncheon will be held during the 2015 NSCAA Convention on Saturday, Jan. 17, in Philadelphia.

Gorzak and Redei currently feature for the Eclipse Elite ECNL 2016 (U-17) team, having won national titles in the Elite Clubs National League for the past two seasons with the U-15s in the summer of 2013 and the U-16s in the summer of 2014. The duo was called into a mid-October camp with the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team as both players hope to play a role in the qualification process toward the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Eclipse Select Alumni: Bendell helps South Carolina reach Elite Eight

Paige Bendell
South Carolina sophomore Paige Bendell (Orland Park, Ill.) was called in for her first start when center back Taylor Leach was suspended because of a pair of yellow cards in the team’s previous match. Bendell rose to the occasion against one of the top teams in the country, helping the South Carolina back line blank No. 6 North Carolina, 1-0, on Sunday in Chapel Hill, N.C., to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

This marks South Carolina’s first appearance in the tournament’s quarterfinals. The Gamecocks improved to 14-5-5 and will now face Florida State on Friday in Tallahassee.

Elsewhere, Penn State freshman Katy Keen (Zionsville, Ind.) only logged 12 minutes over her past two games, but her time was important in helping the Nittany Lions reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Keen came off the bench and assisted Penn State’s opening goal by Raquel Rodriguez in the 40th minute to take a 1-0 lead against Virginia Tech on Sunday in the third round of the tournament. Penn State went on to a 2-1 victory as Keen posted the second assist of her first collegiate season.

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Eclipse Select Commitment: Foster Ignoffo Bound for Kentucky in 2016

Foster Ignoffo
Eclipse Select Soccer Club forward Foster Ignoffo (Geneva, Ill.) had not initially envisioned Kentucky as a collegiate choice during her search. But with the help of a fellow teammate and the interest of an SEC program that has some of the best facilities and staff to offer, Ignoffo ultimately knew it was her best choice.

Several months ago, Ignoffo made the commitment to play for the Wildcats program starting in the fall of 2016.

“Kentucky had everything that I wanted and it felt like the right fit for me,” Ignoffo said. “It will be a great opportunity to play in the SEC, and their head coach Jon Lipsitz is a big reason why I committed. He seems like a great guy and great coach, and I can’t wait. Everything that Kentucky has, the campus, everything for its athletes, it will be a great experience.”

Ignoffo is enjoying a strong season with Eclipse Select this year. She has a team-leading 10 goals in 11 games as the Eclipse Elite ECNL 2016 (U-17) side is off to an 11-0-0 start in the Elite Clubs National League’s Midwest Conference.

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Eclipse Select Alumni: Pappalardo leads Colorado to Round of 32

Olivia Pappalardo
Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna and Colorado junior Olivia Pappalardo (Niles, Ill.) scored the opening goal – which proved to be the winner – and the Buffaloes defeated BYU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Boulder, Colo.

With chilly conditions and a snow-covered pitch, Pappalardo wasted little time giving her side the upper hand. In the seventh minute, she launched a 20-yard shot past BYU goalkeeper Katherine Snyder and into the upper right corner of the net to take a 1-0 lead. It was Pappalardo’s second goal of the season and third of her collegiate career.

Elsewhere, Illinois State sophomore midfielder Dagny Olson (Champaign, Ill.) played an integral role in leading Illinois State to a 3-2 victory against South Florida on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Tampa, Fla.

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.