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After an eight hour bus ride down on Friday afternoon, the Jammers awoke on Saturday to face the Pennsylvania Rush - ranked seventh in Pennsylvania by GotSoccer.com and fourth in the state by SoccerInCollege.com. After a sluggish start, the Jammers began to settle in and establishing control of the match. JSC nearly got on the board in the 14th minute, but Justin Jones’ shot to the top left corner was deflected wide by the Rush keeper’s fully extended diving effort. The Jammers would continue to test the Rush keeper, who proved equal to the challenges for the remainder of the match. The final whistle came without a goal either way despite the Jammers owning a 15-4 shots on goal advantage and the JSC keepers, Bobby Harrell and Drew Pierce logging a pair of saves each while the Rush keeper was called into action 11 times.

JSC returned later that afternoon to face the Inter SC Bandits out of Boston, Mass. Inter entered the match ranked 20th in the state, though had earned positive results in the US Club Region A Championships this summer. On this day the Jammers finally found their scoring touch and they found it early. Jones got the team on the board within the first four minutes off a corner kick from Pierce Verchick. The next goal would come just even minutes later when Jones sent a ball into the penalty area where Jose Valencia headed it back off the goal line to a wide open Joey Fiorello for an easy tap in to make it 2-0. Two minutes later JSC would earn a third goal as Verchick took a feed from Fiorello and drew the keeper off his line before sending a shot to the far post’s side netting. A fourth goal before halftime happened just five minutes later when Jones sent a corner kick into the box where Nick Hastings would one time a shot through the scrum to make it 4-0. A let down was not in the cards after intermission, as Andrew Daniel found himself in the box off a cross from Verchick to poke home a fifth goal just three minutes in. The final score came courtesy of Bart Toe who found himself on the end of a ball sent through the defense by Verchick to beat the keeper to make it 6-0 at the 41 minute mark. Once again Harrell and Pierce combined for the clean sheet.

Sunday morning saw the Jammers back on the field against a quality opponent. This time it was the Huntsville SC Strikers Blue out of Alabama. The Strikers entered the game ranked 19th in the country, 6th in Region III, and 1st in their state. These lofty rankings were obtained after winning the Region III Premier League’s Central division in each of the last two seasons as well as making the semifinals of the USYS Region III Tournament last year. Once again Jamestown started a bit slow, but picked up the pace and began to settle in and enjoyed the run of play in spurts - taking six shots and forcing the Strikers’ keeper into action twice. Meanwhile Harrell was called into action just once on a routine catch. While both keepers were relatively un-harrassed in the first half, the middle of the field was a different story. The match was hotly contested and physical throughout the opening period with both teams competing at a high level. In the second half, however, things began to get interesting as the center official began to go to the wallet to the chagrin of both teams. Huntersville would receive two yellow cards, but JSC would see two players sent off leaving them playing 9 on 11 for the final 18 minutes of the match. Playing a 3-3-2 formation, the Jammers manufactured an improbable result as Tanner Speetjens hit a 25 yard shot that hit the bottom of the cross bar and seemed to cross the goalline. The assistant referee, who was standing 25 yards from the end line, made no signal and it wouldn’t matter as Verchick ran through to bang the bouncing ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0 with nine minutes remaining. The Jammers would then fall into a 4-3-1 and hold on for victory.

By virtue of their 2-0-1 bracket record and their 7-0 goal differential, the Jammers took top group honors and earned a spot in tournament quarterfinals on Sunday night against the winners of Bracket E - the Gainesville (Fla.) Soccer Alliance Rampage. The Rampage entered the match with JSC ranked third in the state of Florida (GotSoccer & 6th in SIC), 21st in the region, and 44th in the country. In addition the team was coming off a Finalists performance at the Disney Soccer Showcase in December and a championship at the 2008 CASL Soccer Showcase. With kickoff coming at dusk and the game being played under the lights, the Jammers came out and set the tone early to the tune of seven chances on goal, while JSC keeper Harrell was called into action three times. After a scoreless first half, the teams began to turn up the intensity in hopes of avoiding a penalty shootout. The breakthrough for Jamestown came in the 62nd minute when Verchick sent a corner kick into the box where Daniel would run in for a header to make it 1-0. The Jammers would nearly get a second goal a few minutes later, the Rampage defense was able to clear the ball off the line. Harrell would finish the match with another shutout - this time a solo effort as Pierce was out due to injury - by recording seven saves.

After returning to the hotel later in the evening, the Jammers were back on the field at 7:45 the next morning for the 8:30 kickoff of the semifinals. Their opponent would be a fellow NCYSA Premier League opponent - the FVAA Flash Red. While the Jammers will begin their first season as a Premier team this week, the Flash have three years of experience in the league and won it last season - dropping just one game. In addition the team had just returned from winning Copa Blue bracket at the Disney Soccer Showcase in December. The Flash are ranked 2nd in North Carolina, 10th in the Region, and 28th in the country according to gotsoccer.com Despite being a fifth high level match in less than 48 hours, the Jammers battled hard and held the Flash scoreless throughout the first half. JSC would have a couple of chances, but injury and fatigue began to settle in. Still the team nearly had a breakthrough in the second half, though the Flash defense was able to hold off a late goal. By virtue of the 0-0 result, the teams headed to a penalty shootout where the Flash prevailed and moved into the Finals where they fell 2-1 to the Florida Rush Nike, the 14th rated team in the country.

All told the Jammers finished their five game weekend with a 3-1-1 record and an 8-0 goal differential in those five contests.

Statistics From 11v11 President’s Day Tournament

Game 1: Pennsylvania Rush
Score: 0-0
Saves: Harrell (2), Pierce (2)

Game 2: Inter SC Boston Bandits
Score: 6-0
Goals: Jones, Verchick, Hastings, Toes, Fiorello, Daniel
Assists: Verchick (3), Jones, Valencia, Fiorello
Saves: Pierce, Harrell (2)

Game 3: Huntersvile (Ala.) Strikers Blue
Score: 1-0
Goals: Verchick
Saves: Harrell, Pierce (2)

Game 4: Gainesville (Fla.) SA Rampage
Score: 1-0
Goals: Daniel
Assists: Piece
Saves: Harrell (7)

Game 5: Fuquay-Varina Flash Red
Score: 0-0* (0-1 on PKs)
Saves: Pierce 4, Harrell 5

Just a week after their first organized competition of the season, the 92 JSC Jammers Gold traveled to the Norcross Nike Cup in Norcross (Ga.) to compete in the event’s Championship bracket comprising USYS State Champions from Kentucky and Tennessee as well as several other top teams from across the Southeast Region.  After three games the team remained unbeaten on the season, but missed the championship round by less than a minute.

The opening match saw the Jammers face off against the CUP Crew Juniors Gold out of Cincinnati, Ohio.  The Crew Juniors, which is the official youth soccer partner of the MLS’ Columbus Crew (and formerly Cincinnati United Premier Red), entered the matched ranked third in the state of Ohio and 38th nationally.  Early on the Crew took control, testing JSC keeper Drew Pierce with six shots - forcing five saves in the opening half.  The first half ended with the Jammers and Crew still scoreless.   The second half saw the teams reverse roles and JSC began to spread the field and control the pace of the match.  Things seemed to take a turn for the worse, however, as a Columbus cross was misplayed by the JSC defense for an own goal at the 48 minute mark, giving the Crew a 1-0 lead.  JSC would respond just four minutes later when Joey Fiorello retrieved a Nick Hastings corner kick from the far side of the 18 and played a cross into the box where Jose Valencia headed home the equalizer.  The Jammers would continue to pressure the opponent’s goal, but couldn’t find the game winner while the defense tightened up and limited the Crew to just three shots in the second half - all of which were saved by Bobby Harrell. 

The next match saw the Jammers pitted against Region II power and three time USYS Kentucky State Champion Mockingbird Valley Soccer Club White - ranked 1st in the state and 32nd in the country entering the game.   Once again the Jammers found themselves in a competitive match against a quality opponent with the two teams trading possession and opportunities.  The Jammers were credited with eight first half shots, while Mockingbird tested Harrell with five shots forcing three saves.  In the second half the Jammers jumped out early as Evan Mobley won the ball at midfield and sent a ball through for a streaking Stephen McDaniel who beat the last defender before slotting the ball into the far corner for a 1-0 JSC lead.  It looked as though the Jammers were going to hold on for the victory as fatigue began to set in late, but then JSC found some bad luck as a Mockingbird header took an odd bounce and came off the post for an easy follow-up equalizer with just over a minute remaining in the match.    Unfortunately the final whistle came as Fiorello was on a break behind the last defender, leaving the match 1-1.

With two draws on Saturday the Jammers knew they needed some help on Sunday when they faced Fushion Premier 93 - the 2007 USYS State Cup Champions from Tennessee.   In order for Jamestown to advance they would need a shut-out victory and for Mockingbird to tie or lose to Columbus.  The Jammers jumped on their opponents early on when Bart Toe advanced to the end line before finding Fiorello in the middle of the box for a one time strike and a 1-0 lead.  The advantage would double 10 minutes later when Pierce Verchick took a feed from Mobley and beat the keeper to make it 2-0.  Verchick would nearly get a second goal after halftime, but his header was just off the mark.   Pierce and Harrell combined for the shutout.

Unfortunately for JSC the result meant the Crew had little to play for and couldn’t replicate the score of their last two meetings with Mockingbird (both 1-0 Crew victories), losing 3-1 and sending Mockingbird to the championship match where they defeated Norcross Fury 4-1.  The final table had Mockingbird finishing 2-0-1, having beaten the Fusion 1-0 on Saturday morning; the Jammers finishing second at 1-0-2; Fusion at 1-1-1, with a 2-0 win over Columbus; and CUP Crew at 0-2-1.

Score: 1-1

Goals: Valencia

Assists: Fiorello

Saves: Pierce (5), Harrell (3)

Score: 1-1

Goals:  McDaniel

Assists:  Mobley

Saves: Pierce (3), Harrell (3)

Score: 2-0

Goals: Fiorello, Verchick

Assists: Toe, Mobley

Saves: Pierce (1), Harrell (2)