Bucks County Local News
SOCCER: Score One for The Cure Tonight at Macclesfield
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010
By Steve Sherman
BucksLocalSports.com Editor
Tonight at Macclesfield, Pennington seniors Alexa DeMaio and Renee Washington are hosting the second Annual Score For The Cure soccer tournament.The three-on-three tourney for girls, ages 10 to 14, takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at Macclesfield Park, in Lower Makefield.The first Score For The Cure was held a year ago at Macclesfield in honor of the late Charlotte Moran, who died last spring after a long battle with cancer.For more than 20 years, Moran was heavily involved with youth soccer, the Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program (ODP) and Region 1 ODP.The executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA), Moran promoted professional women's soccer leagues and encouraged clubs and schools to offer girls soccer. After Moran succumbed to pancreatic cancer in May 2009, Pennington School alum and former Red Raider soccer players Amber Brooks and Heidi Sabatura -- ODP Players themselves – decided the funds raised by Score For The Cure should go to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.DeMaio and Washington have decided tonight’s tournament should continue to benefit the Lustgarten Foundation.However, they’ve also decided to add another benefactor in fellow girls soccer player Jamie Botteon, 16, of Bristol, Connecticut. Last December, Botteon was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). A goalkeeper, Botteon has been a member of the SoccerPlus Connecticut U16s, Region 1 ODP program as well as the Bristol Eastern High School of Connecticut. Unfortunately, Jamie is not the first in her family to be struck by AML, says DeMaio. In 1992, at the age of two, brother Wade was diagnosed with the disease. For the next 11 years, Wade battled leukemia before succumbing to it in 2003. During his life, Jamie gave Wade three bone marrow transplants, a painful ordeal for anyone to have to deal with, but especially for a young girl.“We (Renee and I) love soccer and growing up. All we wanted to do was be like our soccer idols, play at the highest levels, and go on to play at the collegiate levels,” said DeMaio.
“Luckily, we have been able to do so, playing on nationally-ranked club teams as well as high school teams, and ODP teams.”After leading Pennington to Prep A championships for the last four years, DeMaio and Washington are moving on to play at the college level – Renee, at LaSalle University, and Alexa, at the University of Vermont. The pair wants to see Botteon realize the same dream when it comes her turn to graduate from high school. “We would hate to see a young girl like ourselves, who shares the same love for soccer, be held back from following her love for the game,” said DeMaio. Area residents and soccer fans can help by either participating, donating money, sponsoring, or purchasing bracelets.
Trenton Times Covers Score for the Cure
Huge Soccer Weekend Gives Girls Time to Shine
Published: Saturday, June 19, 2010, 2:25 AM
by Mary Ann Tarr
It doesn't involve quite as many details as the World Cup, but the logistics of making this a big girls' soccer weekend have been an ongoing process for years. The 30th edition of the Jersey Area Girls Soccer tournament takes place today and tomorrow at fields in and around Mercer County. Ranging from Under-9 to U-19, about 200 teams will compete in 10 divisions. Most of the teams are from New Jersey, including many featuring players from The Times' area, however squads from Pennsylvania (which also have some familiar names on their rosters), New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia and other states are also scheduled to compete at sites including Mercer County Park, The College of New Jersey (most notably the Green Lane Fields), Friendship Fields in Bordentown and other locations including those based in Allentown/Upper Freehold. Event organizers expect 40-50 college coaches to be watching the action in the tournament that has 111 teams from U-15 and older, which is considered the showcase ages. With 36 entrants, the largest of these divisions is U-15 while there are 32 U-16 squads as well as 27 in U-17. The weekend is already off to a great start for Renee Washington and others who participated last night in the "Score For The Cure" fundraiser. Washington and Alexa DeMaio coordinated the 3 vs. 3 girls' soccer tournament for ages 10-14 as part of an internship through The Pennington School, where the two recent graduates were leaders on and off the soccer pitch. Washington and DeMaio continued the program initiated last year by former Pennington greats Amber Brooks and Heidi Sabatura who staged the 2009 event in honor of the late Charlotte Moran, who was heavily involved promoting and supporting girls' and women's soccer for more than 20 years. Moran died last year after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. DeMaio and Washington decided to dedicate some of the proceeds of this year's event to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and some to a teenage soccer player who has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Washington and DeMaio planned for 20 teams to play in U-10, U-12 and U-14 brackets with as many as six girls per team. The fun fundraiser at Macclesfield Park in Yardley, Pa., included raffles for many soccer-themed items including a ball autographed by the two-time defending NCAA champion University of North Carolina women's team. "We've been working since the middle of April, devoting a lot of time to the tournament," Washington said. "It's a lot of time, weekends and nights, but it's worth it."
SOCCER: Score One for The Cure Tonight at Macclesfield
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010
By Steve Sherman
BucksLocalSports.com Editor
Tonight at Macclesfield, Pennington seniors Alexa DeMaio and Renee Washington are hosting the second Annual Score For The Cure soccer tournament.The three-on-three tourney for girls, ages 10 to 14, takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at Macclesfield Park, in Lower Makefield.The first Score For The Cure was held a year ago at Macclesfield in honor of the late Charlotte Moran, who died last spring after a long battle with cancer.For more than 20 years, Moran was heavily involved with youth soccer, the Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program (ODP) and Region 1 ODP.The executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA), Moran promoted professional women's soccer leagues and encouraged clubs and schools to offer girls soccer. After Moran succumbed to pancreatic cancer in May 2009, Pennington School alum and former Red Raider soccer players Amber Brooks and Heidi Sabatura -- ODP Players themselves – decided the funds raised by Score For The Cure should go to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.DeMaio and Washington have decided tonight’s tournament should continue to benefit the Lustgarten Foundation.However, they’ve also decided to add another benefactor in fellow girls soccer player Jamie Botteon, 16, of Bristol, Connecticut. Last December, Botteon was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). A goalkeeper, Botteon has been a member of the SoccerPlus Connecticut U16s, Region 1 ODP program as well as the Bristol Eastern High School of Connecticut. Unfortunately, Jamie is not the first in her family to be struck by AML, says DeMaio. In 1992, at the age of two, brother Wade was diagnosed with the disease. For the next 11 years, Wade battled leukemia before succumbing to it in 2003. During his life, Jamie gave Wade three bone marrow transplants, a painful ordeal for anyone to have to deal with, but especially for a young girl.“We (Renee and I) love soccer and growing up. All we wanted to do was be like our soccer idols, play at the highest levels, and go on to play at the collegiate levels,” said DeMaio.
“Luckily, we have been able to do so, playing on nationally-ranked club teams as well as high school teams, and ODP teams.”After leading Pennington to Prep A championships for the last four years, DeMaio and Washington are moving on to play at the college level – Renee, at LaSalle University, and Alexa, at the University of Vermont. The pair wants to see Botteon realize the same dream when it comes her turn to graduate from high school. “We would hate to see a young girl like ourselves, who shares the same love for soccer, be held back from following her love for the game,” said DeMaio. Area residents and soccer fans can help by either participating, donating money, sponsoring, or purchasing bracelets.
Trenton Times Covers Score for the Cure
Huge Soccer Weekend Gives Girls Time to Shine
Published: Saturday, June 19, 2010, 2:25 AM
by Mary Ann Tarr
It doesn't involve quite as many details as the World Cup, but the logistics of making this a big girls' soccer weekend have been an ongoing process for years. The 30th edition of the Jersey Area Girls Soccer tournament takes place today and tomorrow at fields in and around Mercer County. Ranging from Under-9 to U-19, about 200 teams will compete in 10 divisions. Most of the teams are from New Jersey, including many featuring players from The Times' area, however squads from Pennsylvania (which also have some familiar names on their rosters), New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia and other states are also scheduled to compete at sites including Mercer County Park, The College of New Jersey (most notably the Green Lane Fields), Friendship Fields in Bordentown and other locations including those based in Allentown/Upper Freehold. Event organizers expect 40-50 college coaches to be watching the action in the tournament that has 111 teams from U-15 and older, which is considered the showcase ages. With 36 entrants, the largest of these divisions is U-15 while there are 32 U-16 squads as well as 27 in U-17. The weekend is already off to a great start for Renee Washington and others who participated last night in the "Score For The Cure" fundraiser. Washington and Alexa DeMaio coordinated the 3 vs. 3 girls' soccer tournament for ages 10-14 as part of an internship through The Pennington School, where the two recent graduates were leaders on and off the soccer pitch. Washington and DeMaio continued the program initiated last year by former Pennington greats Amber Brooks and Heidi Sabatura who staged the 2009 event in honor of the late Charlotte Moran, who was heavily involved promoting and supporting girls' and women's soccer for more than 20 years. Moran died last year after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. DeMaio and Washington decided to dedicate some of the proceeds of this year's event to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and some to a teenage soccer player who has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Washington and DeMaio planned for 20 teams to play in U-10, U-12 and U-14 brackets with as many as six girls per team. The fun fundraiser at Macclesfield Park in Yardley, Pa., included raffles for many soccer-themed items including a ball autographed by the two-time defending NCAA champion University of North Carolina women's team. "We've been working since the middle of April, devoting a lot of time to the tournament," Washington said. "It's a lot of time, weekends and nights, but it's worth it."
