The MPSC Boys 94 Elite team secured a berth in the 2009 Region 3 Premier
League (R3PL) with a 3-2 victory over Bridge FA in a State Cup semifinal
match, Saturday, May 16, at the MESA Soccer Complex outside of Greenville.
The MPSC Boys will join CESA Premier as South Carolina's two representatives
in the R3PL. CESA defeated MPSC, 2-0, in a hard-fought State Cup
championship match, Sunday, May 17.
"One of our goals before the season was to earn a position in the R3PL,"
said MPSC Coach Kian Brownlee. "The boys deserve a lot of credit for their
commitment and effort. It is a tremendous accomplishment."
Winning the R3PL slot capped a banner Spring season for the MPSC boys, who
finished with nine wins and one draw during the regular season and were
champions of the Augusta Arsenal Shootout in February.
MPSC opened State Cup play with a 1-0 victory over the Georgia-South
Carolina Bulls, Saturday, May 10, at College of Charleston Stadium. Andrew
Davis scored the game-winner and goalkeeper Joe Wichmann earned the shutout
for MPSC. Team co-captain Brock King anchored the MPSC defense.
MPSC's semifinal victory over Bridge FA was a tense, back-and-forth affair.
Though MPSC had the edge in play, Bridge FA scored the only goal of the
first half. In the second half, MPSC took a 2-1 lead on goals by Christian
Jablonski (assisted by Hamilton Carlin) and Alistair Jones, only to see
Bridge FA tie the score late in the match. The outcome wasn't decided until
Jablonski headed a perfectly placed free kick by King past the Bridge FA
keeper in the game's final minutes.
Earning the R3PL berth implies a major boost in MPSC's strength of schedule
for the Fall, as regular-season opponents will come from a region that
includes Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"Between our R3PL schedule and our plans to compete in high-quality
tournaments around the region, we will be asking a lot of our boys in the
summer and fall," said Brownlee. "I believe they have the ability to answer
those questions and compete with the best club teams in the region."
