USL News Release
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced today the Premier Development League Team of the Week for the 11th week of USL competition honoring Yakima Reds goalkeeper Robert McCurdy as Player of the Week.
McCurdy shined brightest in a week that saw numerous multi-goal matches from premier goal scorers by ending the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency Program’s unbeaten streak at five games. The night prior to McCurdy’s highlight game, the Whitecaps dropped five goals on the division-leading Tacoma Tide. But in spite of Vancouver outshooting Yakima 25-12, McCurdy stonewalled the ‘Caps and picked up his second clean sheet of the weekend and his third this season.
"Robert stepped up and showed his experience this weekend,” said Yakima Head Coach Hector Vega. “Experience dominated youth and quickness this time around and Robert was a key aspect of that, this past weekend in Canada. He kept the Yakima Reds hopes for the playoffs alive. "
The Reds’ week began with Saturday night’s match with the Abbotsford Mariners. Yakima outshot the Mariners 10-6 but McCurdy was called upon to make two timely second-half saves to preserve the shut out.
“If Robert McCurdy was perfect against Abbottsford, he was simply out of this world Sunday afternoon against Vancouver,” wrote the Reds in their weekend report following the two shutout wins.
McCurdy is the third player from Yakima to be named to the PDL Team of the Week for the 2008 season. The first two were Jacob Sagare in Week 3 and Junior Garcia in Week 5 and Week 6. Yakima’s record of 8-4-1 is the club’s best start since the 2000 season, when they qualified for PDL playoffs before falling 5-2 to the Michigan Bucks in the PDL Seminfinals.
The Reds can return to the PDL playoffs if they finish in one of the top two spots in the Northwest Division. They are currently in second place, behind the Tacoma Tide. The Whitecaps U23’s are in hot pursuit of the Reds in third place. The month of July will decide the fate of the Reds as they battle Vancouver at home on Friday, July 11 and finish the regular season out in Tacoma against the Tide. That match will most likely decide who gains entry to the 2008 playoffs.
In other happenings around the league, the Rhode Island Stingrays got their first four-point week of the season thanks to forward Tim Ritter, who tallied twice against the New Hampshire Phantoms in Thursday’s 2-0 win. He played his second full match of the week in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Vermont Voltage and still had enough left in the tank to score the only goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with the Ottawa Fury. Ritter has six goals and one assist this season.
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PDL Team of the Week
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Pos
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Name
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Team
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Highlights
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GK
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Robert McCurdy
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Yakima
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2SO, 10S week on the road: 2-0 over Abb. 1-0 over Van.
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D
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Ged Quinn
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Reading
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1G in 2-0 win over Northern Virginia. 2SO week for Rage.
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D
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Kikunda Bushiri
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Ottawa
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1G, SO in 3-0 win over Long Island Rough Riders.
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D
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Kyle West
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West Virginia
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1G in 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire.
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M
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Lucas Rodriguez
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Kansas City
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1G, 1A in 3-1 win over Colorado Rapids U23.
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M
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Mike Konicoff
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Westchester
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2G, 1A week: 3-3 draw with Brooklyn. 2-1 loss to Ocean City.
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M
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Ty Shipalane
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Michigan
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1G, 1A in 2-1 win over Chicago Fire. Bucks are 10-1-0.
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M
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Austin Da Luz
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Austin
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2G, 1A week: 3-0 win over Baton Rouge. 2-1 loss to El Paso.
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F
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Tom Oatley
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Kalamazoo
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2G in 3-2 win over Cleveland Internationals.
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F
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Chris Karcz
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Newark
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3G week for Newark on the road. 3-1 over HRP. 4-3 over VL.
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F
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Tim Ritter
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Rhode Island
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2G in 2-0 win over NHP. 1G in 1-1 draw with Ottawa.
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Honorable Mentions
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F
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Davis Paul
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Los Angeles
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Hat-trick in 3-3 draw with the San Jose Frogs
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F
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Brandon Swartzendruber
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Thunder Bay
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2G in 3-2 win over STL. 90 min. in 2-1 win over STL day before
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F
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CD Harris
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Panama City
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5G week vs Palm Beach Pumas
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