7/31/07 -- UZOIGWE, JAFTA NAMED TO PDL STARTING ELEVEN; CLARK SET TO REPEAT HISTORY
PDL Champs take on Brooklyn Knights this Saturday at Lake Orion High School in National Semis
Lake Orion, MI (July 31, 2007) -- The United Soccer League (USL) announced the 2007 All-Premier Development League (PDL) team today and to no one’s surprise, contained two of the Michigan Bucks star players. Leading scorer Kenny Uzoigwe (17 goals, 5 assists) and playmaker Nate Jafta (7 goals, 12 assists) were selected to the top eleven team, chosen from all players throughout the 63 team PDL. While Jafta is enjoying his second consecutive PDL Team of the Year honors, Uzoigwe patiently awaits next week’s announcement for PDL Player of the Year. Although Kenny’s 17 goals this season are impressive, what really stands out is that the potent striker has come off the bench most of the season to score the majority of his goals in the second half. The spectacular individual effort goal he scored in Chicago on July 5th was upstaged this past weekend in the playoffs when Kenny scored a bicycle kick goal that is sure to be the PDL goal of the year.
The reigning PDL Champion Michigan Bucks are the minor league affiliate of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer (MLS) and look to have as many as eight players drafted to MLS in the next two years. The Bucks potent offense has led the PDL in scoring in each of the past two seasons (50 goals in 2006 and 55 goals so far this season). The Bucks first two playoff wins (over St. Louis 4-1 and Chicago, 3-0) which helped them clinch their second straight Central Conference championship, were highlighted by excellent defending and brilliant goal scoring. On defense, center back Mike Holody(Clarkston/University of Michigan, All Conference) leads the Bucks as team captain and is supported in the back by goalkeeper Steve Clark (Mason/Oakland University), who is having another stellar year in the nets. Clark was last year’s championship game MVP and has put together a record of 13-0-3 while not losing as a Bucks goalkeeper in over a year. Clark has only allowed 0.68 goals a game and has recorded seven shutouts. Bucks coach Dan Fitzgerald was disappointed that his star goalkeeper was left off the post-season All-Conference Team, but hoped the snubbing would only motivate the young goalkeeper. “Steve doesn’t care about individual awards; he only wants to drink from the championship cup again this year. I’m not sure what else the kid can do to make All Conference -- he hasn’t been beaten in a PDL game since early July, 2006! Clark made some great saves in both the playoff games last weekend and we are counting on him to step up and do the same against Brooklyn on Saturday night,” concluded Fitz.
Tickets for Saturday night’s semi-final match (7:30 kickoff) are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $5 Youth (under 5 free) and are available at the gate. The Bucks will need an incredible crowd on Saturday if they are to have any chance at hosting the Championship game at home, should they prevail over Brooklyn. The Bucks beat the Laredo Heat in last year’s title match 2-1 in front of a crowd of over 7,000 fans. The team front office will submit their bid to host this year’s Championship match to be played at Lake Orion High School on Saturday, August 11 (7:30 kickoff) by Wednesday afternoon. The final match will be shown live on national TV and can be seen on Fox Soccer Channel.
For more information, visit the team web site at buckssoccer.com.
