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Local Teens Take Their Soccer Game To England – Berkeley Times
May 23, 2007

Local Teens Take Their Soccer Game To England

Berkeley Times
Eye on Sports
May 23, 2007

Twenty four local soccer players will be traveling together this August to play soccer overseas. Collectively, they attend 15 different high schools, play for two different rival club teams and yet form a very strong side that will square off against Welsh and English squads on their 10 day trip this summer.

“The idea of this trip was something I’ve talked about to my players for a long time, but it didn’t come together until we joined forces with the Toms River group,” Coach Lockwood stated. That merger was the partnership of his primary squad, the Jersey Shore BOCA Alliance team with the Toms River Youth Soccer Club’s Red Bulls coached by Donny Sanders. “Donny and I sat down and developed a plan to keep our teams intact but train together and form two “shuffled squads” to facilitate even higher level play in regional tournament and league play.”

Both coaches agree that the plan has worked out very well. In fact, the two squads finished in first and second place in the Monmouth-Ocean Soccer Association U-15 fall league.

While their MAPS league schedule has the boys traveling to New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware for games, the trip to England is a first for each of them.

The trip will have them playing against English teams in Liverpool, Manchester and London, as well as a couple of matches in Wales. Coach Guy has taken into consideration that the boys will need to train hard while they are there, as their various high school soccer coaches will expect them to come back in top form, as their school season kicks off shortly after their return. They will have time to visit some historical and cultural locations.

The last fundraiser for this trip will be the Jersey Shore BOCA England Tour Golf Outing being held on June 4 at Eagle Ridge Golf Club in Lakewood.

Berkeley Times
Eye on Sports
May 23, 2007