Nine Hockessin Soccer Club teams bound for regional championships

Nine teams from the Hockessin Soccer Club have kicked their practices into high gear to prepare for the U.S. Youth Soccer Region 1 National Championships.

The teams were scattered around the fields of the soccer club complex, on Evanson Road in Hockessin on June 23, running drills and playing scrimmages in their last practice before the championships begin.

More than 100 players will make the trip to Portland, Maine, to play against the top teams from 15 other states during the 5-day tournament that starts June 27.

“I am excited about the level of talent, going against the best. I’d say we have a pretty good shot,” said Kevin Kelleher, 16, who plays striker for the Clash. “Anything less than winning the final would be heartbreaking.”

The players have had high expectations all season and have worked hard to win their way into regionals, said Kelleher of Brandywine Hundred.

The Hockessin Soccer Club won nine of Delaware’s 14 spots in the regional tournament during the state championships, held at the Kirkwood Soccer Club on June 1.

Winning those games was a huge confidence builder, and confidence is exactly what the teams need to succeed in the championships, said Haley McNulty of Newark, who plays striker for the Blast. Her team will be playing teams from Central Pennsylvania during the championships.

McNulty, 12, said the competition will be stiff.

“We are a little nervous, but we are looking to go out and win,” she said. “We want to be confident about ourselves and not just hang loose on the field.”

The club’s success is a result of talented players whose skills are allowed to flourish under the Hockessin Soccer Club’s system, which includes a trainer for most teams who works with individual players to improve technical abilities, like dribbling, passing and shooting said Scott Mosier, the club’s director of coaching.

The teams practice hard and are focused on improving their skills and winning games, said Amanda Penkrot of Brandywine Hundred, midfielder for the Academy Select.

“Practice is almost like school,” said Penkrot, 15. “Our theory is we have fun by having success. We take it really seriously.”

The club began working with players individually about four years ago, and the results are starting to show, Mosier said.

“If we give the players that technique, everything falls into place later,” he said. “That is the key to success.”

Strong players make strong teams, so the better each individual becomes, the more success the Hockessin Soccer Club can expect, he said.

Mosier said he is surprised by how quickly the training has taken hold – two of the club’s teams reached regionals four years ago and every year there are more – and he is continually impressed by the talent of the players.

Mike DiSabatino of Chadds Ford, Pa., who plays defense for Arsenal, said he is excited to show off on a national stage. DiSabatino hopes to be among the 56 teams who compete for the national title in July.

“The championships are an opportunity to play soccer in order to bring glory to Delaware,” he said.