Eclipse alumni: DePaul's Gorden, Penn's York tally winners, 1st goals

Sarah Gorden -- DePaul Athletics

Eclipse Select Communications

CHICAGO -- Several of the youngest Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumni earned their first collegiate goals this past weekend, with two tallying game-winners.

Eclipse Select alumna and DePaul University freshman Sarah Gorden (Elk Grove, Ill./Conant High School) netted a golden goal in the 100th minute to lift the Blue Demons to a 2-1 overtime win over the University of Minnesota on Sunday at Wish Field. Gorden's strike carried to DePaul to its second straight win after starting the season with five defeats.

"It was an awesome feeling," Gorden said of her first collegiate goal. "I knew after the first step that I had beaten the defender."

York lifts Penn over 'Nova: University of Pennsylvania freshman and Eclipse Select alumna Megan York (Chicago, Ill./St. Ignatius) garnered her first collegiate goal in the 49th minute and it held up the rest of the way as Penn topped Villanova, 1-0, on Friday at the home of Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, PPL Park, in Chester, Pa.

"It's very exciting," York said of the experience on the Penn Sports Network. "It's a great opportunity. It's an amazing venue. I couldn't ask for a better result, either."

Read more at EclipseSelect.org.

Eclipse sweeps SLSG in ECNL play

Eclipse Select Communications

CHICAGO -- The Eclipse Select Soccer Club's U-15 to U-18 Girls teams posted a weekend sweep against St. Louis Scott Gallagher (SLSG) on Saturday in Elite Clubs National League action on Saturday in Maryland Heights, Mo.

Eclipse Select U-17 improved to a perfect 4-0-0 with a 4-0 victory over SLSG. The U-17s have outscored their ECNL opponents by a 13-1 margin. Eclipse Select U-15 posted a 3-0 victory over SLSG and improved to 3-0-1. Eclipse Select's U-18s (2-1-1) earned a 4-0 victory and the U-16s (3-1-0) posted a 2-0 win against SLSG.

Read more at EclipseSelect.org.

Fire take hit with loss to Quakes

Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

The Chicago Fire's recent success hit a significant bump in the road as they fell to the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-0, on Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Chris Wondolowski had a goal and an assist and Ramiro Corrales also added a goal for San Jose, which ended a 13-game winless streak. The Fire's recent four-game unbeaten run came to a close, and what had been a positive stretch run took a wrong turn on Saturday.

"Dropping points now is not something we can afford," Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson said.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Eclipse's McGowan gains experience, confidence from U.S. U-15 sessions

By Charlie Corr
Eclipse Select staff

CHICAGO -- Lake Forest, Ill., native and Eclipse Select Soccer Club defender Ginny McGowan has had a busy 2011 on the pitch.

In the spring, McGowan made an immediate impact for Lake Forest High School during her freshman season, helping the Scouts to a sectional title match, earning team MVP honors and was the only freshman to receive special mention on the Chicago Tribune's All-State selections.

But surrounding the prep season and her club ball with Eclipse Select, McGowan has been a regular part of the U.S. U-15 Girls' National Team as she was invited to its training camp on three occasions this year. She recently wrapped up a session on Aug. 29 in Carson, Calif., and competing alongside some of the nation's top talent has been a valuable experience for McGowan.

"It has brought me confidence," McGowan said. "The level of play, technically it's a lot better and you're competing against each other. When you go through these camps, you're constantly being tested. It's pretty tough."

In the August camp, McGowan was joined by fellow Eclipse Select forwards Kayla McCoy (Lincolnwood, Ill.) and Maya Neal (Naperville, Ill.).

Read more at EclipseSelect.org.

Fire forced into defensive adjustment

Gonzalo Segares -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have found a rare winning stretch, so the team would prefer few to no changes toward its lineup now that it has a good thing going. Chicago posted back-to-back league wins, followed by a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal victory over the USL Pro's Richmond Kickers on Aug. 30.

But the Fire (4-7-15, 27 points) have no getting around a lineup adjustment this Saturday when they head out west to face the San Jose Earthquakes (5-10-11, 26 points). Left back Gonzalo Segares is not available because of yellow card accumulation.

That puts Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas on the spot as Chicago shoots for a third straight victory to continue its climb into the playoff picture. Will Klopas simply insert a bench player at Segares' left back position, or will he shift multiple players around within the defense and midfield?

"The whole thing is, who do you put there so you don't disrupt too many things?" Klopas said after Wednesday's training. "Because there's a good line of communication now with the group in the middle and stuff like that. It's just making a decision. Sometimes, that's why you sit around all night and you don't go to sleep, and you try to figure out -- is it this guy, is it this guy, is it this guy? But I have the confidence in any of the guys we put out there."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Buczkowski named to WPS's Best XI

Jen Buczkowski (right) -- Getty Images

Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna and Philadelphia Independence midfielder Jen Buczkowski was named to WPS's Best XI of 2011. The Elk Grove Village, Ill., native and Notre Dame product started and played in 18 regular-season matches for Philadelphia, and capped off her 2011 season with an appearance in the WPS Championship against the title-winning Western New York Flash.

Read more at WomensProSoccer.com.

Eclipse Select alumna Forbes nets Horizon League Player of the Week

Eclipse Select alumna Jamie Forbes

Eclipse Select Communications

CHICAGO -- Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna and junior goalkeeper Jamie Forbes (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North High School) made a whopping 11 saves as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee defeated the University of Minnesota, 1-0, on Sunday at the Minnesota Gold Classic at Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul, Minn.

For her efforts, which included a four-save performance in a 2-0 win against Iowa State on Friday, Forbes was named Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday. Forbes also was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week for Week 3.

Forbes has played in every minute of the 2011 season, posting a 6-0 record, four shutouts and a 0.67 goals against average. Forbes' 11-save effort ties for 14th among the Wisconsin-Milwaukee record books for most saves in a match.

"I thought Jamie Forbes was up to the task when she was called on," Milwaukee head coach Michael Moynihan said following Sunday's match. "She played fantastic. She was a real force back there with a great presence and made some big stops."

The Panthers' 6-0 start ties a program-best record, and they will be in the national spotlight this Wednesday when they host Marquette University at Engelmann Stadium. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. and is televised on Fox Soccer's NSCAA Game of the Week. Forbes is expected to make her seventh start.

Read about Eclipse Select's other alumni news, including Libertyville native Jessica Price's ACC Player of the Week performance for Florida State, at EclipseSelect.org.

Eclipse Select announces programs for West Fall Soccer Skills School

Eclipse Select Communications

CHICAGO -- The Eclipse Select Soccer Club announced its 2011 West Fall Soccer Skills School, which takes place from September through early October at Just for Kicks, 10200 Soccer Drive, in Plainfield, Ill.

Programs offered include Effective Dribbling with Finishing at Extreme Speed (4:30 to 5:30 p.m.) and Pure Finishing (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.), and the sessions take place on Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Oct. 7. The skills school is for boys and girls, ages 9-14, who are travel-level soccer players. Players will be subdivided by Eclipse staff based on their skill, agility, strength and other criteria.

The cost is $75 per player, per program, and a registration link is available at www.EclipseSelect.org. For questions and more information, contact Eclipse Select Director of Players-West Brian Kibler at briankibler@me.com.