TAMPA- The United Soccer Leagues announced the Premier Development League’s (PDL) top honors at the Final Four banquet on Friday. Though the Michigan Bucks are not participating after last Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Thunder Bay, the team is very much a part of the league’s festivities as they collected three of the top post season awards. Bucks director of coaching Gary Parsons was named PDL Coach of the Year, while Stew Givens received Defender of the Year and Mitch Hildebrandt collected Goalkeeper of the Year. The only major award that avoided the trio was the PDL MVP award that went to Milton Blanco of Fresno, with Hildebrandt finishing second. In addition to having the Bucks in common, the three also share a past connection at Oakland University. Parsons recruited and coached both Givens and Hildebrandt while the head coach at Oakland, located ten minutes from the Bucks home stadium at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

This year’s individual success is something the Bucks have become accustomed to. Hildebrandt and Givens were named to the All PDL XI, the top eleven players in the 64 team league comprised of nearly two thousand players. The Bucks have had an All PDL player named for a league record eight consecutive years. In addition to All PDL team, Givens and Hildebrandt were joined by another Oakland University product, Tom Catalano on the All Central Conference team.

This year marks the third time in the team’s sixteen year history that the Bucks have placed two players in the league’s top eleven. Nate Jafta and Kenny Uzoigwe earned the honors in 2007 and Jafta and Mike Holody in 2008.

In his third year at the helm, Parsons led the team to the top record in the Central Conference (12-2-2, 38 points) and earned the right to host the playoffs last weekend at Ultimate Soccer Arenas. After defeating the Des Moines Menace in overtime on Friday the team battled hard but could not overtake Thunder Bay the following night. Thunder Bay sent the Bucks home for the second year in a row while they participate in their second consecutive Final Four. Parsons is the third Bucks coach in history to be named Coach of the Year, following Joe Malachino in 2000 and Steve Burns in 1997.

Givens led the defense that only yielded 9 goals in sixteen regular season games this season and did not allow a goal at home until the playoffs. The solid defender was a valuable weapon for the team not only with his savvy, but with his patented long throw ins and penalty kick taking. Givens recorded four goals and four assists on the season, many of those from set pieces or the penalty spot. Stew is the second Bucks player to earn Defender of the Year, joining Kevin Taylor (2005).

Hildebrandt began his career in the PDL five years ago when he played for the Bucks in his first game ever in Cleveland, OH while still in high school. The senior at Oakland registered a PDL high twelve wins and twelve shut outs on the season and made spectacular saves in nearly every match. Hildebrandt is the first Bucks keeper to ever earn Goalkeeper of the Year.

Parsons was pleased with the recognition of his players and humbled by the personal award. “The boys deserve everything they got this year,” said Parsons. “My success as a coach is really a credit to my coaching staff and the commitment the players made all season long. The team we had this year made me look very good because they performed so well day in and day out. I know everyone of the guys would trade the personal awards to be playing this weekend in the PDL Final, but we just didn’t get the job done. I know (Bucks Chairman/ CEO) Dan Duggan is still very disappointed with our result last Saturday, as we all are. He has made an incredible commitment all year long in allowing us to get the players we need to be successful and nobody looks after their team like he does. This is an incredible environment for our coaches and players to be a part of and we all want nothing more than to be the best each and every year.”

Duggan was happy to see the post season accolades roll in for his players and coaching staff. “This is why I do this each year. I promise the kids we will help them get recognition and this is what you are seeing here. We had four players train with the Colorado Rapids this summer and two heading to Columbus to train with the Crew next week. There are three players right now (Catalano, Givens and Sebby Harris) that are looking at either signing with a USL Pro team or possibly heading to Europe for trials. If I were a USL Pro team with playoff aspirations, I would snap these guys up before they head overseas. My job is to give them the opportunity to succeed and to help get them to the next level. Gary Parsons has been extremely instrumental in all of their progression to earn a living playing the game they love,” concluded Duggan.

The Bucks have already started to process to put their squad together for 2012. “It didn’t take long to get the calendar out and map out our recruiting trips this fall. We will be busy starting next week in identifying the top fifty players we want to invite to camp next May,” said Parsons. For more information on the Michigan Bucks, please  continue to visit www.buckssoccer.com.

SENIOR EDITOR - dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

PONTIAC, Mich. — The Thunder Bay Chill repeated as the Premier Developmental League Central Conference champs Saturday night, ousting the top-seeded Michigan Bucks, 2-1, in the conference finals at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

Pushed up on a restart, defender Wilson Rodrigues-Neto scored the game-winning goal at 85:09 to help the Chill freeze Michigan in the conference finals for the second straight season.

Last year the Chill toppled Michigan, 2-1, in double-overtime in a match played in Thunder Bay.

Rodrigues-Neto’s left-footed shot from 25 yards out found the netting inside the left goal post. Gustavo Oliveira served the ball on a corner kick and Rodrigues-Neto beat his mark to the loose ball before burring his opportunity.

“At first I was going to make a run at the near post, but I saw the ball go over my head, so my first reaction was to go back on defense,” said Rodrigues-Neto. “But the ball stayed there and I tried to loop around when I saw the ball high in the air. I just closed my eyes on the shot and I hit it as hard as I could.”

Michigan had outscored the opposition 41-11 in 17 matches heading into the contest, but were held in check throughout the contest by the Chill, which had yielded only nine goals during the regular season.

“Our defense has really got us here,” said Chill coach Tony Colistro. “All season defense has been our strength. We’ve got the attack, but it’s really defense that has taken over. (The Bucks) have a great attack. We were able to fend them off and one of our defenders got the winning goal. We were able to knock a couple through their defense. They haven’t given up many goals all season.”

The Bucks (13-3-2) did not allow a goal at home in eight matches during the regular season and led the PDL with 12 shutouts coming into the conference finals. Yet it was the Chill who scored first, when Oliveira’s bending free kick from 30 yards out eluded Michigan goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt and found the corner of the goal on a one-hop just 7:46 into the contest.

Michigan, the all-time winningest franchise in the entire PDL which was trying to reach the Final Four for the sixth time, didn’t waste much time clawing back.

After Luke Holmes was tripped up in the penalty box, defender Stew Givens converted the ensuing penalty kick at the 10:33 mark, beating Chill netminder Stephen Peterson to his right.

The score remained 1-1 until Rodrigues-Neto’s late-game heroics.

“We beat a very good team,” said Rodrigues-Neto. “Last year we got to the (PDL) finals and came up short. I got hurt in the semifinals and didn’t play in the finals last year. I know there are a lot of guys on (this team) who want (some redemption).”

Michigan outshot the Chill 15-12, but it was Thunder Bay that proved more dangerous with an 8-7 edge with shots directly on goal and picked up a 9-5 edge on cornerkicks. Both teams had ample scoring chances throughout the match.

Paterson had six saves for Thunder Bay, while Hildebrandt  finished with six saves for the Bucks, who had to come from behind the night before with a 3-2 triumph over the Des Moines Menace in the semifinals.

“Just like last night, I thought in the first half we were getting our opportunities,” offered Bucks coach Gary Parsons.  “I’m not sure their defense was getting much done. I think if we would have put our chances away when we had them, and we had plenty of them, then the result might have been different. In the second half, (Thunder Bay) played much better. They took the lead even though I thought we had the better of them. Credit them for making the adjustments at halftime and stepping up and making the plays. They are a good team.”

Thunder Bay advances to the PDL Final Four for the second straight season and will play at a site, date and time to be determined Monday after all four regional finals are completed.

To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.

BY DAN STICKRADT

Friday night’s match was a track meet from the opening whistle. As expected both teams relied heavily on their attacking side to try and open the match but Des Moines’ plan was clear from the beginning that defense was the focus.  The Bucks came out attacking and had the better chances early with the speedy combination of Luke Holmes and Lucky Mkosana wreaking havoc in the Menace box.  On the flip side the Bucks knew they had to keep tabs on strikers Lebogang Moloto and John Sosa.  

It appeared the teams were going to half time scoreless when Moloto took a pass at midfield right before the halftime whistle and took on two Bucks defenders before sending a cross onto the head of strike partner Sosa.  Sosa’s header was saved by Bucks keeper Mitch Hildebrandt but as the ball spun through his hands he deflected it and appeared to have secured the save.  The referee’s assistant ruled the ball, in mid air, crossed the plane of the goal line even though when the ball came to rest it was inside the six yard box.  “There is no way that ball crossed the line,” said a disappointed Hildebrandt.   The Des Moines goal was the first goal registered against the Bucks at home this season and was a tough one to swallow.  “If you are going to make that call, you better be sure the ball was actually over the line,” said Bucks coach Gary Parsons.  “There was no way that either official was in a position to tell whether that ball broke a plane because Moloto broke so fast they were behind the play.  It is a judgment call that you hate to have go against you, but at the end of the day that goal should not break our back,” added Parsons.

With the Bucks down 1-0 at halftime it was time for their experience to take over the game and their maturity to be the guiding force.   The Bucks outshot the Menace 11-2 in the second half and continued to try and break down their solid defense.   While the team would continue to press it was late in the game when the repeat Great Lakes Division champs would finally break through.  Second half sub Tom Mellor took a ball down the left side of the pitch in the 90th minute, beat two defenders and sent a laser cross into the penalty box that Bucks leading scorer Tom Catalano headed home to ignite a frenzy in the huge crowd at Ultimate Soccer Arenas. “I knew it was going to happen,” said Catalano.  “It was just a matter of time. We never even looked at the clock to put pressure on ourselves. We could see that they were on their heels and we needed to just keep hammering at them.”

As regulation ended at 1-1 and the teams headed to a thirty minute overtime it appeared the Bucks had the momentum behind them. That came to a screeching halt when defender Kofi Opare was given a straight red card for a tackle from behind and Des Moines was awarded a penalty kick in the 103rd minute.   When Sosa put his second goal of the game past Hildebrandt from the penalty spot things looked bleak for the Bucks fans.  The team however, did not seem to notice the set back.  Two minutes later Catalano would send a dangerous cross into the box where Bucks substitute Latif Alashe headed home his first goal of the season and the all important game-tying goal as the first over time stanza came to a close.

It was at that point when things changed in the Bucks favor for the first time on the evening.   Menace goal scorer John Sosa was red carded for abusive language at the end of the first over time, leveling the teams at ten men each for the final fifteen minutes.   “That was the game changer,” said Parsons.   “We had the momentum but we were still playing down a man for 15 minutes.  When he goes off on the ref, he not only evens the sides but he gives us a huge momentum boost in our team huddle. The boys knew at that point we were going to finish this before we had to go to penalty kicks.”

To the crowd’s delight the Bucks did just that. Second year Bucks attacking mid fielder Scott Caldwell took matters into his own hands with nine minutes to play. The Akron captain, who scored the game winning goal in last December’s 2010 NCAA College Cup National Championship game ripped a shot from 20 yards out that took a deflection past Menace goal keeper Jhojan Obando for a 3-2 lead.   All that was left was to salt away the rest of the match with a solid defensive performance so the Bucks could join Thunder Bay for a rematch of last year’s Central Conference Final.

The Chill beat the Chicago Fire Premier 1-0 in the earlier match on a Luis Gonzalez goal in the 37th minute to put them in the conference final on Saturday.  Thunder Bay lost to the Portland Timbers U23 team in the PDL final last year on the heels of winning their only PDL title in 2008.  The Bucks and Chill will face off at 7:30 PM at Ultimate Soccer Arenas with the winner representing the conference at the 2011 PDL North American PDL Final Four on August 5-6 (venue TBD).   Tickets for Saturday night’s championship match are $10 all ages (5 and under free) and are available at the door at Ultimate.  For more information please visit the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com.

PONTIAC -- In the final game of the Michigan Bucks’ regular season the team showed the same offensive and defensive prowess that earned it both a division championship and the honor of hosting the PDL Central Confrence playoffs.

The Bucks trounced the visiting Toronto Lynx 4-0 on Saturday, finishing the season with a 12-2-2 record (38 points), best in the Premier Development League’s (PDL) Great Lakes Division and Central Conference. With the win Michigan was awarded hosting duties for the Conference semifinals and championship on July 29th and 30th, respectively.

“The incentive tonight was to get the win so that we could host the conference tournament… so I think there was plenty of motivation to play,” Bucks head coach Gary Parsons said. “I don’t think we were coming into this game lackluster; I think we were coming into this game to get a job done. Everyone in that locker room knows we haven’t been scored on in this building this year and our only hiccups have come on the road.”

After some back-and-forth play early against Toronto, including a few quality chances by the Lynx, the Bucks struck for their first goal of the game.

“Toronto is always going to come in hard, no matter what, and they proved that by pressing. I thought they did a good job of putting us back on our heels until we really figured them out and opened up the game,” Bucks goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt said.

In the 21^st minute midfielder Luke Holmes sent an inch-perfect chip over the Lynx defense to forward Stefan St. Louis, who was making a run up the right side of Toronto’s box. St. Louis drilled the ball to the far post, giving Michigan a 1-0 lead.

“Latif (Alashe) slipped me the ball and I just looked up and saw Stefan making that run off the shoulder of the defender,” Holmes said. “He took a good touch and finished it well. It was a great finish.”

Fourteen minutes later the Bucks struck again. Joey Dillon sent a long cross to midfielder Tommy Catalano, who ripped a wicked shot into the side netting from eight yards out for a 2-0 lead.  The goal was Catalano’s team leading ninth of the season and he later added No. 10 in the 70^th minute.

“Tommy has really come along this season... He’s got a nose for the goal now and he’s turning into a very good finisher as well as a good player all over the field,” Parsons said.

Michigan pounded goalkeeper Mike Watkins with 11 shots in the first half alone and outshot the Lynx 21-to-6 in total.  Meanwhile, Bucks goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt had a memorble night while not breaking much of a sweat.  While recording his 12^th win of the season and his PDL leading 12^thshutout the fifth year PDL goal keeper received the 2011 Paul R. Scicluna Award, given each year to the player that best represents the organization both on and off the field.

“It’s a tremendous honor and I just hope that it’s not the only honor that we get this year; hopefully we can raise a bigger trophy on August 6^th," Hildebrandt quipped, referring to the PDL championship.

As the #1 seed in the Central Conference the Bucks earned the right to host the Central Conference playoffs next weekend and will be joined by the Thunder Bay Chill (top seed in the Heartland Division) and either the Chicago Fire Premier or FC London from the Great Lakes division and the Real Colorado Foxes or Des Moines Menace as the second seed from the Heartland. The Bucks will take on either the Foxes or Menace on Friday night (8:00 kick off) immediately following the opening game between the #2 seed from the Great Lakes and Thunder Bay (5:30 PM kick off).

Tickets for the Central Conference Final Four at Ultimate Soccer Arenas are half price this week during presale and are available either online or at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.  All playoff tickets are $10 at the door on Friday and Saturday, but can be purchased for only $5 at buckssoccer.com.   In addition to the 50% presale savings the Bucks are offering four person family passes ($80 value) for only $25, which allow four fans of any age to attend all three Central Conference matches (both semi final games on Friday and the championship match on Saturday).  The special four passes are available for a limited time only.  For more information please contact the Bucks office at 248-334-7460.

Chicago, IL  --  When the Premier Development League (PDL) schedule was released early this year everyone pointed to the end of the season showdown in Chicago where perennial powerhouses, the Michigan Bucks and Chicago Fire Premier would meet; a game that has historically held playoff implications for both squads.   Once again Wednesday night’s match was for all the Great Lakes division marbles and then some.  

Both teams came into the match tied for first place with identical 10-2-2 records and have one game remaining on the season’s upcoming final weekend.   With the Bucks holding the tie breaker compliments of their 2-0 victory on Memorial Day, the Fire came into the game knowing it had win to overtake the Great Lakes Division champs and avoid a Tuesday night playoff game with FC London.

In a game worthy of a PDL final both teams came out attacking from the opening whistle.   While most of the game’s first 20 minutes were shared between the eighteen yard boxes the Bucks created a couple of opportunities through the run of play while the Fire had several free kick chances that had Bucks keeper Mitch Hildebrandt on his toes.  A match of such magnitude would not be complete without a bit of controversy.  In the eighteenth minute Bucks striker Kenny Uzoigwe was pulled down in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.   When Stew Givens stepped up to take the PK he was forced to wait several minutes to find the game ball that had been cleared into the stands.   By the time the ball was retrieved the referee changed his mind and gave Chicago a free kick. 

“I have been in this game for over 40 years and I have never seen anything like that.  I still don’t know what happened.   There must be a time limit to take a PK but there was no ball to shoot,” said a bewildered Bucks head coach Gary Parsons.  While the coaching staff was still fuming over the reversal the team kept pressing and four minutes later Uzoigwe was pulled down again in the box and the ref again pointed to the spot.  Givens stepped up to take his third spot kick of the year and was denied for the first time by Fire goal keeper, Jordan Godsey.  “I think I just took it too quick,” said Givens.  “I wanted to take it before the ref changed his mind again,” the co-captain joked.   Godsey’s save would prove to be the only meaningful save of the first half.   Hildebrandt was only forced to make one save in the half and did get some help from the goal post in the 37th minute.

The Fire came out attacking in the second half while the Bucks decided to rely on their competent back four to protect Hildebrandt and the goal.  “We didn’t just decide to defend by design but we all knew the situation.  They had to win the game and we knew they were going to come at us with everything.  I had hoped we would have kept the ball a bit more to create some chances in the first fifteen minutes of the half,” said Parsons, who also noted  “they are a very talented and disciplined side.”

The Bucks chances in the second half were sparse.  Tom Catalano  took an aggressive strike from 35 yards out that dipped down in time to hit the cross bar but not the netting.  Uzoigwe would be forced to leave the game with a thigh injury in the 58th minute and was relieved by striker Stefan St. Louis.  The third year Bucks striker from Trinidad has been quiet this season but has provided some highlight reel goals over the past several years.   Wednesday night he added another to his resume.  In the 74th minute St. Louis took a pass down the left sideline from Simon Omekanda and found a defender on his back and two more center backs lurking to keep the lone striker in check.   St. Louis beat the first defender and streaked past former Bucks team mate Kevin Cope at the top of the eighteen where he released a rocket that left Godsey no chance and put the Bucks ahead, 1-0. The game winner was St. Louis’ fourth goal of the season and the shutout registered by Hildebrandt was his PDL leading eleventh clean sheet.

The win gives the Bucks a season-series sweep of the Fire and their ninth Great Lakes division title.  With the loss the Fire will finish in second place and host FC London next Tuesday in a play-in game to see which team will join the Bucks in representing the Great Lakes division in the Central Conference Final Four to be held the weekend of July 29-30.  

With a win in their last regular season game on Saturday against the Toronto Lynx coupled with a few results in the Heartland division going the Bucks way, there is still a possibility Michigan will host the Central Conference playoffs should the team secure the best record in the conference.   The Bucks are battling with Real Colorado and Thunder Bay for this honor and both teams play each other in back to back games on Friday and Saturday.  The United Soccer Leagues will be announcing the playoff hosts on Saturday night.

Tickets for the Bucks home game on Saturday (7:30 kick off) are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale now for only $4 when buying in advance.   Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or on line by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.

PONTIAC -- The Michigan Bucks and FC London butted heads on Saturday night in a potential Premier Development League (PDL) playoff preview.   The Bucks came away with the 2-0 win in a tightly contested battle at Ultimate Soccer Arenas where they have yet to concede a goal this season.

Michigan, London and the Chicago Fire Premier have locked up the Great Lakes division’s three playoff spots, but the division championship (and a first-round bye in the playoffs) is still up for grabs. The Bucks knocked London out of contention for first place, setting up a crucial road match up against Chicago on Wednesday, July 20^th.

The Bucks currently lead the Great Lakes division with 32 points (10-2-2), but Chicago is just three points behind with a game in hand.  London plays at Chicago on Monday in a game that will help clarify the upcoming playoffs which begin in ten days. 

“We know what we’re up against when we play London and we know what we’re up against when we play Chicago,” Bucks head coach Gary Parsons said. “These are three quality teams that are going to go head to head and battle; and whoever puts their chances away is going to come out the winner and we did that tonight.  It also helps to come up with some huge saves in goal and Mitch (Hildebrandt) did that again tonight as he has done all season long.”

While Michigan had a few good runs early in Saturday’s match up neither team managed a goal in a very even first 45 minutes.  “They were exactly what we expected; they are a really hard working team and we knew it was going to come down to us taking care of a couple of our chances,” midfielder and Co-captain Simon Omekanda said. “We had a couple of chances that we missed, but we just kept going at it.”

London had the slight advantage in shots in the half, seven to six, and in the 31^st minute nearly took the lead. On a free kick that was sent into the box London ripped two shots that were knocked away by a sprawling Bucks keeper, Mitch Hildebrandt with a third blocked by defender Sebby Harris.

“It seemed like all 22 guys on the field were inside the box because I couldn’t see anything. I kind of just knew he was going to hit it and he caught it clean. It came hard,” Hildebrandt said, of the second shot from six yards out. “I kind of just made myself big and was in the right place. It was a funny play, but it got us out of a jam and we were able to come back in the second half and get three points.”

Hildebrandt came up big once again for the Bucks, recording his tenth win and league-leading 10th shutout of the season and continued his scoreless streak at home.

In the 68th minute the Bucks finally broke the stalemate with a goal from midfielder, Tommy Catalano. After a long throw-in got the ball near London’s box, defender Sebby Harris flicked the ball to a wide-open Catalano, who composed himself from short range and finished the game’s first goal.  The goal was Catalano’s team-leading eighth of the season.

 “That’s what you work for. You work your butt off to get the chances to get the goal and whoever gets the first one has got a huge advantage now,” Parsons said. “So Tommy’s goal was good timing for that and it took a little bit of the steam out of them.”

The Bucks continued pressuring for the second goal to try and put the game away and it was Catalano who was instrumental in creating the opportunity.  On a corner kick in the 80^th minute Catalano took his position in front of London goal keeper Toba Bolaji.  While the two battled for position Bolaji took down Catalano while the ensuing corner kick was headed into the box.  A penalty kick was awarded to Michigan and co-captain, Stew Givens buried it to secure the victory.

Following Wednesday’s showdown at Chicago, the Bucks return home for the regular season finale on Saturday, July 23 at Ultimate Soccer Arenas (7:30 kick off) against the Toronto Lynx.   Tickets are $10 Adults and $7 Youth at the door but can be purchased for only $4 in advance by visiting the Bucks web site or at Ultimate Soccer Arenas this week.

PONTIAC-   The Michigan Bucks 2-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Kings last Saturday guaranteed the Bucks a record 14^th trip to the Premier Development League (PDL) playoffs in 16 seasons.   As much as a spot in the playoffs would sound good to most PDL teams, the Bucks do not want to give up their season long hold on first place in the Great Lakes division.   This year’s playoff format has the #3 seed playing at the #2 seed on Tuesday, July 26, with the winner joining the #1 seed in the division in the Central Conference Final Four (venue to be determined).  If the Bucks can win their last three USL regular season matches they will stay home in the mid week while the other two teams battle for the final spot.  If the regular season ended today London FC would travel to Chicago for that play-in game.  However, in the next seven days the three teams all square off  head to head so first place is still within reach of all three clubs.

The imperative stretch run begins this Saturday, July 16 when FC London comes to Ultimate Soccer Arenas to take on the Bucks; victory would move them into the driver’s seat for first place, while a tie keeps the three teams in a wild card race to the end.   Following Saturday night’s game London travels to Chicago on Monday night and the Bucks follow them into the Windy City for a Wednesday night clash with the Fire.   By then the dust should be settled and everyone will know what is left to do in their final regular season match on July 23.

Bucks head coach Gary Parsons is following all of the scenarios as well as the Bucks potential to host the Central Conference Final Four the weekend of July 29-30.  “We know there are dozens of different scenarios of what could happen over the next two weeks, but all that really matters is for us to win our last three games.  If we do that, we will be the Great Lakes Division champs, avoid a mid-week playoff and are still a potential host of the Conference Finals.   Anything less than that and we let everyone else back into the mix and that is always dangerous.   We have the benefit of controlling our own destiny and need to step up and take advantage beginning Saturday with London.”

The Bucks defeated FC London 2-1 earlier this season in a classic battle in Canada and currently hold any tie breaker over both they and Chicago (2-0 win in May).  After the Bucks huge home game this Saturday and road game at Chicago on Wednesday the team returns home for the regular season finale against the Toronto Lynx at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

Tickets for the Saturday’s showdown with FC London (7:30 kick off), sponsored by MSYSA can be pre-purchased for only $4.  Tickets at the gate are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free).   Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or on-line by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.  All youth players involved in MSYSA are encouraged to wear their team jersey in support of the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association.

PONTIAC-The Michigan Bucks got a much-needed win over the visiting Cincinnati Kings Saturday on a night in which the team inducted two former and a current great into its Hall of Fame.

Tim Richey (1996-97), Kheli Dube (2005-07) and current assistant coach Dan Fitzgerald (2002-present) were all inducted in a ceremony at halftime, the team’s third Hall of Fame class. Meanwhile, on the field the Bucks shut down the Kings and scored two goals of their own to get the victory.

“I thought we played well tonight. The game was in order for the most part; we kept their chances limited,” head coach Gary Parsons said.  “We could’ve had another goal or two, it would’ve made it easier, but I’ll take 2-0 every night.”

Michigan retained its first place standing in the United Soccer Leagues’ (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) Great Lakes division and now have 29 points (9-2-2). Second-placed Chicago Fire Premier sit just four points back, with two games in hand which sets up a crucial match on July 20^th in Chicago.  The Bucks defeated Chicago 2-0 in the first game of the series.

Against the Kings the Bucks attacked early. In the first three minutes the team took three shots; all saved by keeper Joey Barnard, including a Luke Holmes free kick that just nearly missed his reach.

However, the Bucks would strike in the 10^th minute. Defender Stew Givens threw the ball into the box where midfielder Tommy Catalano headed it past a defenseless Barnard. Catalano, who stands at just at just 5’9” and 150 lbs, was surprised that he was able to get through the box unguarded.

“Being a little guy, it’s tough to get over those big guys,” Catalano said. “That was the first time [Parsons] actually put me in on the long throw, and it came out good.”

The goal was Catalano’s seventh of 2011 while Givens recorded his fourth assist on the season.

Michigan could not build upon its 1-0 lead before halftime despite out-shooting Cincinnati 11-3 in the first half.

“We knew we were dominating them, having more possession and everything, but we knew they were going to come out with high energy and come out swinging…so we obviously had to match that or even go above that,” Catalano said.

Midfielder Luke Holmes blocked an equalizing shot in the 56th minute on a rocket from the Kings’ Brent Hobson. The shot was headed for a wide open net but Holmes knocked it away at the line. Four minutes later he gave the Bucks their second goal of the night.

Catalano, after recovering a ball inside Cincinnati’s box, fed it to Holmes at the top of the box. Holmes settled it, waited for the right moment, and scored on a shot to the near post.

“This was Luke’s best game with us. To be fair to him, we’ve had him out on the flank more than the middle, and he’s really suited for the middle. He had a really nice game tonight,” Parsons said.

The Kings were limited to just two more shots in the second half as the Bucks held on for the win. Bucks keeper Mitch Hildebrandt continued his scoreless streak at home, recording his sixth shutout in six games. Hildebrandt has a league leading nine clean sheets to go with his nine victories in goal.

The Bucks will play another game at home against FC London on July 16^th before taking on Chicago. Tickets for the London game are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale for only $5 when buying in advance.  Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or online by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.  

Akron, OH --   The Michigan Bucks achieved yet another Premier Development League (PDL) milestone when they became the first team in league history to win 200 games when they beat the Akron Summit Assault 4-3 on Wednesday night.  The Bucks (8-1-1, 25 points) kept their slight lead in the Great Lakes division by winning their eighth consecutive match, while Akron (4-3-3, 15 points) dropped to fourth place in the standings, percentage points behind Toronto for the division’s final playoff spot, with six games remaining.   

The two teams played for the second time in seven days and the advantage went to Akron early.  “They came out with a good game plan and pressured our back four from the outset.  We knew what they were going to do and what they are capable of;” said Bucks head coach Gary Parsons, “we failed to execute our game plan in the first thirty minutes.” 

The Bucks game plan is usually pretty predictable; play solid defense and play the high powered attackers in to create offensive opportunities.  The Bucks did create some early opportunities starting with a corner kick in the game’s first minute and a potential breakaway for Lucky Mkosana in the twelfth minute.   Mkosana and Akron goal keeper Brad Stuver would arrive at a loose ball behind the defense thirty five yards from goal but Stuver was able to get a foot on the ball to keep the speedy forward from opening the game’s scoring.   Stuver would leave the game shortly thereafter with a leg injury suffered while making the save.  Then came possibly the strangest 16 minutes in Buck’s history.

In the 17^th minute, confusion between two Bucks defenders and goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt allowed a ball to sit unattended in the box.   Akron forward Aodhan Quinn tapped in what might be the easiest goal of his career to put the home team on top, 1-0 and marked the first time the Bucks trailed in a game since the 93^rd minute of their only loss of the season on May 23.  Bucks midfielder Simon Omekanda would suffer a hamstring injury that would bring striker Tom Catalano off the bench  in the 22 minute and it wouldn’t take him long to get into the action.  Catalano took a nice pass from Mkosana and buried a shot in the top corner to knot the score at 1-1 just a minute after entering the match.   It would take only one additional minute for the Bucks to take their first lead of the night when Luke Holmes beat his defender and laid off a great ball that Mkosana finished neatly.  The goal was the third in three games for Lucky and Luke’s fifth assist of the season put him atop that category for the team. 

With the 2-1 lead coach Parsons was a bit more comfortable while hoping his team had settled in defensively and would keep things in order.   Two minutes later, lightning struck again when a poorly cleared ball fell to the feet of Akron’s Tom Schmidt, who finished another first-time, easy chance to tie the score.  If the first two mental errors were not enough for Bucks fans, six minutes later in the game's 32^nd minute, a third giveaway put Akron striker Ashton Campbell in alone on Hildebrandt and he coolly slotted home the go-ahead goal.  

While most teams would be devastated by the bizarre turn of events over the short period, the Bucks continued to do what they do best... attack.  Two minutes later, Catalano took a pass from Sebby Harris, cut across the eighteen yard box, beat two defenders and ripped a left footed shot in the top corner to knot the score at 3-3.  Fortunately for the Bucks, that is how the half would end so the team could regroup.

“With the mental errors we made tonight, we were lucky to get to halftime with a tie.  I don’t know whether it is lack of concentration or arrogance, but we often try to make a low percentage pass into dangerous areas.   Good players and good teams will make you pay. Tonight we didn’t give Mitch a chance in goal.  We gave them three gifts and they buried them all.  The key to the second half was to not give up the ball.  If they were going to beat us, they were going to have to break us down defensively,” concluded Parsons.

The second half did indeed look much better for the visitors, as the Bucks tightened things down and didn’t allow a second half shot on goal.   Offensively the team continued to counter attack and had a few chances but couldn’t break through with the game winner until the game’s 60^th minute.   Bucks leading scorer Kenny Uzoigwe was a constant force up top keeping the Akron defense busy.  He took a long ball into the goal mouth and was ready to head in the go-ahead goal when an Akron defender came over the top with a hand ball to deny the striker the opportunity to finish.   Bucks co-captain Stew Givens stepped up to take the team’s first penalty kick of the season and scored his third goal of the campaign and second against Akron, for the match winner.   Hildebrandt recorded his eighth win in goal for the Bucks this season and was only forced to make two saves on the night.

The nature of the game put a bit of a damper on the 200 win milestone, as the team was disappointed with the mental breakdown that occurred in the first half.  “We’ll take the road win and the three points and move on,” said a relieved Bucks Chairman/CEO Dan Duggan.  “You need a gut check like this during the season.  We talked this weekend about how we would react when we got to that one game that would be a shoot out.  The guys were convinced they can score goals with anyone and proved it tonight.  I would prefer in the future if they just did their job defensively and didn’t have to prove they could come from behind.   As an organization, we are proud to be the first PDL team to ever reach the 200 win plateau.   I suspect in years to come we will be in a very select and special group of franchises that ever achieve this milestone.  It reflects our team’s consistency over the years.   We have played for 16 seasons and never had a losing season, which is something that we are quite proud of,” concluded Duggan.

The Bucks now turn their sites to their upcoming rematch with the Hamilton FC Rage in Ontario on Sunday.  The Bucks defeated the Rage 3-0 earlier this month and will be looking to run their winning streak to nine games.  The team then heads to South Bend, IN on Wednesday for a mid week rematch with the Indiana Invaders before coming home to Ultimate Soccer Arenas on Saturday, July 9 for their special home game which is Hall of Fame Night.  This year the Bucks will be inducting three more players to the Michigan Bucks Hall of Fame.  This year’s class includes Tim Richey (1996-97), Kheli Dube (2005-2007) and assistant coach Dan Fitzgerald (2002- present). 

Tickets for the game are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale now for only $5 in advance.   Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or online at www.buckssoccer.com.

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The Bucks and Des Moines Menace have faced off in the post season four times in the past with the Bucks holding a 3-1 lead in the series.   The Bucks won playoff games in 1997, 2002 and 2003 and the Menace's lone playoff victory came over the Bucks in Des Moines in 2005 and culminated in the franchise’s only PDL title.   Des Moines began in 1994, two years before the Bucks, and is second in total victories behind Michigan of all the 64 PDL teams in North America.   The Bucks set the PDL record for wins earlier this season when they became the first team in league history to ever surpass 200 all time victories. 

Both teams are known more for their flair in the attacking half of the field and scored a similar amount of goals on the sixteen game regular season campaign with the Menace holding a slight advantage (41-38 goals scored).  The Bucks dominate the defense like few teams in the PDL and held teams to only 9 goals on the season (compared to Des Moines’ 20) and registered a league high twelve shutouts during the campaign.   Bucks goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt not only led the PDL with the twelve victories and twelve clean sheets but he did not yield a single goal in eight home games over the summer.    Parsons would like to see a repeat of that two more times this weekend,  “we know if Mitch continues to dominate between the pipes our offense should create enough chances to give us the lead.   If we can jump out early we should be able to hold down the fort knowing we have a solid defensive back line and the best PDL keeper this season as our back stop.”

Tickets for both matches on Friday are only $10 all ages (5 and under free) at the door but are still available at half price until 3 PM Friday.  The Bucks best ticket value is the Family Four pack, which includes 4 tickets to both games on Friday and 4 tickets to the championship match on Saturday.  The $80 value Family Four pass is available until 3 PM on Friday for only $25.  Tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or on line at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKET link.  The Bucks are hoping for huge local support from the community to help sway the USL to select the Bucks as Final Four hosts should they survive the weekend.  “We know that Laredo was selected in 2006 and 2007 because of their huge local support where they brought over 7,000 fans to the game.   If we can sell out Ultimate Soccer Arenas we may have a chance.  Plus the team plays better with the place full so hopefully that advantage will insure we are still alive to play next weekend.” concluded Duggan.

Both games will be streamed live over the internet on Friday and can be viewed at www.USLlive.com beginning with the first match at 5:30 PM.  To keep up with all of the 2011 PDL playoffs please visit the United Soccer League home page at www.uslsoccer.com. 

PONTIAC --  The Michigan Bucks will be honoring three former/current Bucks players and coaches at halftime of Saturday night’s Premier Development League (PDL) game against the Cincinnati Kings at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac (7:30 kick off).   The third class to be inducted represents sixteen years of some of the top players, coaches and soccer entrepreneurs to be a part of the organization.   The Class of 2011 covers Bucks legends from the first season in 1996 until this current year’s squad. Entering the Bucks Hall of Fame are Tim Richey (1996-97), Kheli Dube (2005-07) and Dan Fitzgerald (2002- present).  

Tim Richey was a part of the Bucks inaugural season and came to the team after a couple years of professional soccer with the Tulsa Roughnecks and the Detroit Wheels.  The Birmingham Groves and Michigan State graduate led the team to the PDL Finals in each of the franchise’s first two seasons and scored the winning shootout goal in the first season to send the team to the CocoaBeach. FL. national finals.  Richey’s influence with the Bucks far exceeded White Pine Stadium where the team played its home games in Saginaw, MI back in the early years.  Richey joined forces with Joan Duggan (mother of Bucks Chairman/ CEO, Dan Duggan) to form the first inner city soccer league in Detroit in 1998, where Richey coached his first group of 20 kids as a volunteer.  Together they received financial support from the USSF Foundation and the Michigan World Cup Organizing Committee Foundation (funds from the 1994 World Cup) and partnered with Think Detroit to further develop the program.   In 2006, the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) joined forces with Think Detroit to support the non profit organization that helps develop young children raised in the city of Detroit.  Today, the TDPAL Detroit Youth Soccer League has over 1,000 boys and girls playing organized youth soccer within the city.  In the past three years, Richey has developed his kids from being introduced to organized soccer for the first time to producing several premier teams that compete with all of the top youth clubs in the area.  Richey is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Think Detroit PAL.

Mkhokheli Dube (Kheli) is the most famous of the three inductees, currently playing in Major League Soccer for the New England Revolution.   Dube first came to the Bucks in 2005 from Lindsey Wilson College and led the team through 2007, including back to back appearances in the PDL Championship game in 2006 and 2007.  Dube was one of the hardest working, diligent college players to ever play in the PDL and played every minute of every game as if he were auditioning for a job in MLS.   Even though he played two games against the Columbus Crew with the Bucks and finished a stellar college career at Coastal Carolina, he was not drafted until the eighth pick of the supplemental MLS draft in January 2008.  He made an immediate impact for the Revolution, scoring eight goals in his rookie season, including scoring in his very first match.   Dube was the leading candidate for MLS Rookie of the Year until a late season injury sidelined him (he finished runner up).  Although hampered by a couple of fluke injuries this season, including a recent car accident, the forward has stayed positive and rehabbed enough to hopefully make a major difference as the Revolution prepare to make a playoff run in the second half of the season.   Dube will be on hand for Saturday night’s ceremonies, thanks to Rev’s head coach Steve Nicol allowing him to miss training  to receive his honor in person.

Dan Fitzgerald might be the most invisible coach the PDL has ever seen having been an integral part of the Bucks organization since he began as an assistant coach in 2002.   He has been the assistant to three different Bucks head coaches and held the top spot from 2006-2009.  During his reign as the Bucks leader, the team went to back to back PDL title games, won its only PDL championship, won the PDL regular season championship (2008) and went to three consecutive US Open Cups, an unprecedented run in league history.  Although Fitzgerald has kept a full time job outside of the Bucks and a low profile within the team, he has been a long time key to scouting, recruiting, coaching and analyzing competition.   “He has an incredible eye for talent and a computer-like memory for soccer,” said Bucks CEO Duggan.  “Whenever coaches from around the country want to know about a player that played against the Bucks, we have them call Dan.  He can’t remember where he had dinner last night but he can tell you who scored in what minute of every game dating back to 2002.   When we need to know what we are up against, we send him on the road and he will come back with a fool proof game plan.   He has been a wealth of soccer knowledge and a great friend of the program for a long time and we are grateful to have him as part of our team for life.”

The Bucks are looking to keep their first place lead in the Great Lakes division as the regular season winds down.  They also would like to avenge an early season loss at Cincinnati.  The team gave up a late penalty kick goal to tie the away game and then were scored on in the 92^nd minute to be eliminated from US Open Cup qualification.  Tickets for the rematch on Saturday are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale now for only $5 when buying in advance.  Discounted tickets can be purchased by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.

SOUTH BEND -- The Michigan Bucks continued their struggles on the road this season when they lost to the Indiana Invaders on Wednesday night on a last minute goal.   The Bucks (8-2-2, 26 points) remain in first place in the Great Lakes division despite the 2-1 setback; however, the loss opened the door for the Chicago Fire Premier to make a move on the top spot.  Although the Bucks playoff fate is not yet in jeopardy the team was desperately trying to nail down first place with the hopes of securing a home playoff series later in July.   The Bucks have given away both losses on last minute goals and recorded both scoreless ties on the road this year.  At home the team has yet to concede a goal while maintaing a perfect 5-0 record and look forward to the next two matches in the friendly confines of air conditioned Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

Wednesday night’s match featured a much more spirited Indiana team than the one that came to town and lost to the Bucks 3-0 at the Canton Cup in late May.  The Invaders scored first in the 44^th minute on a goal from Musa Kamara. The Bucks appeared to have tied the score only a minute later but the goal was disallowed on a controversial off side that resulted in a couple yellow cards issued by the referee.   When things cooled down and play resumed in the second half it was much of the same end to end action with both teams creating scoring chances.   The Bucks would finally get the equalizer when a long pass from Ryan Keener reached Invaders goalkeeper, Avery Steinlege at the edge of the box where crafty Bucks forward, Kenny Uzoigwe stole the ball from the feet of Steinlege and walked in alone to knot the score at 1-1 in the game’s 54^th minute.

Although the Bucks outshot the Invaders 15-12 and edged them in corner kicks 7-5, it was Indiana that created more dangerous chances and in the game’s 90^th minute finished off the Bucks when Adam Mena’s shot found the side netting in stoppage time.   Bucks head coach, Gary Parsons was searching for answers after the final whistle wondering why the team plays so differently on the road than at home.   “This makes no sense to me.   Is there really that much difference in the field or the atmosphere?  Referees on the road have not exactly been our friends this year, but that has nothing to do with our lack of defending. Not at all.   This was a game we should have won but did not work as hard as the other team.  That is unacceptable.    We simply cannot get outworked by any team in this league if we want to win games.   The talent in this division top to bottom is just too good to think you can bring anything less than you’re “A” game and expect to get points,” concluded a disappointed Parsons.

The Bucks return to Ultimate Soccer Arena for a taste of homefield advantage the next two Saturday nights with matches against Cincinnati and London before takeing one last road trip to Chicago on Wednesday, July 20. The regular season will then close out at home against the Toronto Lynx on Saturday, July 23.   This Saturday the team will seek revenge for their first loss of the season when the Cincinnati Kings come calling for a 7:30 p.m. kick off.   The game will feature the Bucks third Hall of Fame Induction ceremony when three former/ current Michigan Bucks greats will be inducted at halftime.    This year Tim Richey (1996-97), Kheli Dube (2005-07) and Dan Fitzgerald (2002- present) will be honored.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame game are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale now for only $5 when buying in advance.   Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or on line by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.

HAMILTON --  The Michigan Bucks struggled on the road Sunday but came away with a critical point in a 0-0 draw with the Hamilton FC Rage.  The tie keeps the Bucks (8-1-2, 26 points) atop the Premier Development League’s Great Lakes Division while also keeping Hamilton’s (3-5-3, 12  points) slim playoff hopes alive in their inaugural season .  When the Bucks defeated the Rage two weeks ago at home, it was an early goal that set the tone.  The team tried the same strategy on Sunday, but the goal never came.  In the game’s third minute Luke Holmes sent in a nice cross from the corner that first year Bucks forward, Peter Jacobsen headed just over the cross bar.  Less than ten minutes later Kenny Uzoigwe sent a ball across the box that defender Justin Sass booted high as well.

While the Bucks tried desperately to find their scoring touch goal keeper, Mitch Hildebrandt played another outstanding game, making several great saves, including a beauty in stoppage time to deny the home side a late game winner.   The OaklandUniversity keeper registered his eighth shutout this season to lead the PDL.   Bucks head coach Gary Parsons acknowledged Hildebrandt’s stellar play so far this season, “There has really been only one part of our team that has been consistent game in and game out, and that has been Mitch. He has been brilliant in every game this season and has not taken a minute off. We have let him down more than once defensively and he has continued to bail us out. I haven’t seen all the teams in the PDL this season, but I can’t imagine another keeper with a better highlight reel of saves than Mitch has this year. If we are going to succeed and make a run in the playoffs, we need everyone to step up and play to the same standard as Mitch has committed to this season,” concluded Parsons.

The game was very even up and down the pitch as both teams recorded 15 shots and each goalie registered 12 saves.   Corner kicks were also even at seven a piece.  Although the Bucks pressured late trying to get the game’s only tally; they could not connect on a couple of second half set pieces, including a late throw in opportunity that Bucks forward, Kenny Uzoigwe headed just high of the goal.

The Bucks continue their road trip when they travel to South Bend on Wednesday to take on the Indiana Invaders, another tough team trying to secure the third and final playoff spot in the Great Lakes division.   Following Wednesday night’s match the Bucks return home for a game against the Cincinnati Kings on Saturday, July 9 at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac. Saturday’s home match is Michigan Bucks Hall of Fame Night, when they will induct the latest three Bucks legends to the prestigious club.  

Tickets for the Kings game are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale now for only $5 when buying in advance.   Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or online by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link. 

PONTIAC-The Michigan Bucks scored twice in the first half of Wednesday night’s game against the Akron Summit Assault to record the team’s seventh victory of the season. With the 2-0 win, the team (7-1-1, 22 points) maintained its lead atop the Great Lakes Division in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League (PDL).  The victory not only keeps the team’s seven game winning streak intact, but moved the franchise within one victory of a PDL milestone very few would have ever thought possible.   

The Bucks have won a PDL record 199 matches in their sixteen year existence (including regular season, playoff and US Open Cup matches).  “I am not sure when Francisco Marcos created this league 25 years ago that he would have conceived a PDL team winning 200 games.   There are MLS clubs that have been in existence since 1996 (the same year the Bucks started) that play twice as many games each year as the PDL teams, and they have yet to win 200 games.  It really will be something we will cherish as an organization,” said Bucks Chairman/ CEO Dan Duggan.

Although this was the first time the Bucks would ever play against the expansion team from Akron, they expected to face a strong midfield presence.

“We kind of had an idea of what they were going to do, so we tried to adjust our midfield for it. We changed it throughout the game to try and counterbalance it,” defender Stew Givens said. “At times, we had more of the play in midfield and at times they had more of the play, so it was kind of a back and forth game there.”

Forward Kenny Uzoigwe, the PDL’s all-time goal scoring leader, added one more to his career total in the 10^th minute. After a Bucks’ offensive possession was kicked out to midfield, Tommy Catalano sent the ball right back into Akron’s box, finding Uzoigwe alone for a header.

“I always trust Kenny,” Catalano said. “On that ball, I knew I could trust him. He’s a big guy; I knew he could head that ball in.”

The goal was Uzoigwe’s sixth this season, the 82nd of his career, and put Michigan on top 1-0.

Akron nearly pulled even in the 29th minute, when forward Ryan Minick got past the Bucks’ defensive line but missed wide with a shot from inside the eighteen. The Assault were limited offensively all game, and Michigan keeper Mitch Hildebrandt faced just six shots and was forced to make only three saves while recording his seventh win and PDL leading seventh shutout of the season.   The four year Bucks veteran and Oakland University netminder has yet to concede a goal at home in five matches this summer.

Givens doubled his team’s lead in the 31^st minute. On a free kick from about 30 yards out, midfielder Tony Walls’ headed the ball to an unmarked Givens inside the penalty area.   The veteran made no mistake with his first-time side volley that was directed past Akron goalkeeper Brad Stuver, into the bottom left corner of the net for his second goal of the year.

“I saw the ball go over my head, and then I was just looking for a knockdown,” Givens said. “It just fell into a space, and I was there and had time on the ball and was able to take my time and just pick my corner and finish it.”

The Bucks will take their mid season break this weekend and return to play their next three games on the road, starting with a rematch against the Assault next Wednesday, June 29 in Akron, where they will try to reach the 200 win plateau.   

“It’s definitely different playing a team twice in a row,” Givens said. “We’ll hopefully be able to figure them out quicker and then be able to get a few more goals and take it to them.  We still had a few guys off with summer school that will be back next week so we can make the final push into the last three weeks of the season as a cohesive unit.”

The Bucks next home game will include the team’s third Michigan Bucks Hall of Fame Induction ceremony when the team returns home to Ultimate Soccer Arenas on July 9th to take on the Cincinnati Kings at 7:30 PM. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased for just $5 before the day of the game. Tickets at the door on Saturday night are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free). Click here to purchase tickets online.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Bucks lined up on Saturday without their top two scorers (Kenny Uzoigwe and Luke Holmes) and had the team’s third leading scorer (Tommy Catalano) leave the game after just 30 minutes, but still managed to get enough offense to take down the Hamilton FC Rage 3-0 in front of over 500 fans at Borden Park. The late afternoon game was sponsored by the Rochester Soccer Club as part of the club’s annual tryouts.

Babayele Sodade filled in at forward for Uzoigwe and Lucky Mkosana played the other forward position to lead the Bucks offense that came out firing from the opening whistle. Sodade had a couple of quality opportunities in the game’s first minutes but couldn’t open the scoring.

"Babayele gives us what Kenny does, but Kenny’s a prolific goal scorer...so we’re getting the same things out of Babayele, except that maybe Kenny is going to get a few more goals," Bucks head coach Gary Parsons said.

Meanwhile, Mkosana, playing in just his third game with the team, gave Michigan an early lead in the fourth minute. Using his pace, Lucky pushed a ball past the last defender and went in on goal from 30 yards out. After getting past hard charging Hamilton keeper Nick Kurtz, Mkosana saved the ball from going over the end line and curled it into the top left corner of the net from an impossible angle for his first goal of the season.

"I thought [the keeper] was going to reach the ball first, but I managed to kick it behind him, and I got a really quick chip over the defenders," Mkosana said. Looking to extend the 1-0 lead, the Bucks peppered Hamilton’s net with fourteen shots in the first half. Kurtz made eight saves, preventing Michigan from gaining a larger advantage. Sodade was stopped on a couple of point blank saves and a Simon Omekanda shot from 18 yards out destined for the top corner was also denied by Kurtz. Even with all the continued Bucks pressure, Hamilton made it into halftime down by just one goal.

The Rage came out to start the second half with a different strategy and decided to open the game up. The first part of the second half was an end-to-end affair that seemed to frustrate the Bucks. Assistant coach Dan Fitzgerald summed up the second half breakdown that kept Hamilton in the game until the later stages.

"This was a good test for our guys. We could have had several first half goals, but didn’t cash in," Fitzgerald said. "We were getting out of our game trying to chase that second goal and it put a lot of pressure on our defense. There was a fifteen minute stretch where we gave up four corners and really needed to calm things down and get back to our plan. I was pleased to see the defense stay composed. This is the kind of pressure we will see the last half of the season, so it was a great test."

Hamilton went to substitute keeper Justin Silveira for the second half, who stymied the Bucks offense for nearly 45 minutes. The Bucks subbed in another of the team’s offensive weapons in Stefan St. Louis, who has scored some great individual goals of his own over the past three seasons. Saturday he delivered another beauty when he took a ball near the top of the box, beat two defenders and ripped a left footed shot to make the score 2-0 in the 82nd minute.

Substitute John Dreshaj came on late in the game, stole a Rage pass and sent a nice cross to the back post where Mkosana rose above the defenders and headed home his second goal of the game to close out the scoring in the 3-0 shutout.

"That’s the game right there. You’re going to spend the last ten minutes of the game defending your goal, and the last couple of games that we’ve had a one goal lead, we haven’t done as good a job as I would have liked," Parsons said. "Stefan scores the second goal, and it’s a whole different matter then."

Along the defensive line, the Bucks back four were solid all game long but no player was stronger than goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt. The fourth-year Bucks goalie made several spectacular saves and picked up his sixth win and sixth clean sheet of the season. Hildebrandt has only given up four goals in eight games this year and has been key to the Bucks six-game winning streak.

The first place Bucks (6-1-1, 19 points) begin the second half of the regular season when they take on the third-place Akron Summit Assault (3-1-3, 12 points) on Wednesday, June 22nd at Ultimate Soccer Arenas (7:30 kick off). Pre-sale tickets can be purchased for just $5 before the day of the game. Tickets at the door on Wednesday night are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free). Click here to purchase tickets online.

TORONTO-   The Michigan Bucks had an enjoyable weekend in Canada when they came away with a two-game sweep after Sunday’s 4-0 win in Toronto.  The win kept the Bucks in first place (5-1-1, 16 points) in the Great Lakes division of the United Soccer League’s (USL) Premier Development League (PDL).  After defeating FC London 2-1 on Friday evening, the team took the short drive up the 401 and posted their fifth consecutive victory of the season.  The loss on Friday was the first for FC London (3-1-0, 9 points) and the Lynx dropped to 2-3-0, good for six points on the season.

The Bucks jumped out early on Toronto, Sunday when Canadian striker Babayele Sodade (Windsor, ONT/ UAB) out-leaped the Toronto defense and headed home the game’s first goal on a throw in from Stew Givens. After battling back and forth for the balance of the first half, that proved to be the only goal before the break.

The Bucks came out hard in the second half hunting for another goal to put the game away.  Tom Catalano (Macomb, MI/ Oakland) scored his fourth Bucks goal of the season on a very nice individual effort.  His unassisted goal clanged in off the post in the 47^th minute to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.   Michigan head coach Gary Parsons rested 32 year old striker Kenny Uzoigwe for the first half and brought him on to play the final 45 minutes to apply some additional offensive pressure.   

The team’s leading scorer responded by heading home two more goals, giving him three for the weekend and five on the season.  Uzoigwe scored his 80^th PDL goal in unique fashion after taking a cross from the right side from Luke Holmes (Oldham, England/ Akron), Uzoigwe battled both a defender and goal keeper for the ball before finally heading home the goal from his knees.   “I’ve scored a lot of crazy goals in my life,” said Uzoigwe,  “but never one quite as bizarre as that one.”   The Bucks continued to control play for the balance of the game and Uzoigwe was rewarded once again when he got on the end of a Tony Walls (Milwaukee, WI/ Wisc-GB) corner kick to head home the game’s final goal in the 78^th minute.

Defensively the Bucks have been sound all season long.  The back line has included a mixture of veterans and rookies that have combined to play quite solid so far this season.   Stew Givens (Troy, MI) has been the leader all season long in organizing the back four and keeping things as simple as possible for net minder Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, MI/ Oakland).  Hildebrandt has been spectacular all season for the Bucks turning in his fifth win and fifth shutout of the season in seven contests.   The fourth year Bucks player saw 13 Toronto Lynx shots but was only forced to make four saves on the day.

The Bucks return home on Saturday, June 18 as part of the 2011 Bucks Stop Here Tour.   This stop brings the team to Borden Park in Rochester where the Bucks will take on the Hamilton FC Rage for the first time.  The unique event is sponsored by the Rochester Soccer Club and is being played at the end of the club’s annual youth soccer tryouts.  Kickoff time for the match is 5:00 PM.  Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.

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LONDON-   The Michigan Bucks retained their hold on first place in the United Soccer League’s (USL) Great Lakes Division with a 2-1 win over FC London on Friday evening.    The Bucks (4-1-1, 13 points) handed London their first loss of the season (3-1-0, 9 points) when they closed the deal with a second half Kenny Uzoigwe goal in the 56^th minute.  Uzoigwe’s header from a Sebby Harris (Oxford, MI) free kick from mid field put the team on top to stay, while the defense held off a late London rally for the equalizer.  

Kenny’s third goal of the season, along with his three assists put him atop the Bucks scoring leaders with nine points. Forward Luke Holmes (Oldham, England/ Akron) opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he smacked home a left-footed shot from close range to give the Bucks a very early 1-0 lead.  Holmes has three goals and two assists on the season for the Bucks (8 points).

As usually is the case, both teams battled the entire match and defended tightly to keep the game a low scoring affair.   PDL Honorable Mention player this week, goal keeper, Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, MI/ Oakland) came up big on several occasions in registering his fourth win of the season in the Michigan goal.  Hildebrandt was denied his fifth shutout of the season when striker Harris Cekic scored on a FC London penalty kick to tie the game at one in the 18^th minute.

Bucks coach Gary Parsons was happy to get his first road win of the season, especially in a hostile environment.   “London had a nice crowd tonight (over 950 people) in a great soccer park.   They have done a nice job here with this club and always put one of the hardest working teams in the PDL on the field each year.   As hard as it is to play against them, we always have competitive matches that are entertaining for the fans.   I am happy with the progress we are making as a team and need to continue to build on our winning streak Sunday in Toronto,” said Parsons.

Michigan continues their Canadian tour this weekend by taking the short drive to Toronto to take on the Lynx on Sunday (6:00 PM kick off).  The Bucks will look to make it five wins in a row after stumbling out of the gate with an opening season road trip that produced only a tie and a loss.  Following Sunday’s match, the Bucks return home to take on the Hamilton FC Rage on Saturday, June 18 at Borden Park as part of the Rochester Soccer Club youth tryouts.  Ticket information for that game can be found on our web site at by clicking on the TICKETS link.

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PONTIAC -   The Michigan Bucks continue their 2011 “Bucks Stop Here Tour” when they visit Borden Park in Rochester Hills on Saturday (5:00 kick off) to take on the expansion Hamilton FC Rage.   The special event is being hosted by the Rochester Soccer Club to conclude the organization’s annual youth tryouts and admission is free to the public.  Bucks Chairman/ CEO Dan Duggan is happy to visit the local community and pleased with the commitment from RSC.  “This is a great up and coming youth soccer organization in the metro Detroit area and we are proud to be a part of their annual tryouts.   As part of the sponsorship deal, RSC has purchased all the tickets to the match and have decided to just open the game up to the general public.  The organization expects to have over 1,000 RSC players and parents in attendance, so it should be a great event.”

The Bucks come in to Saturday’s match sitting on top of the USL’s Premier Development League (PDL) Great Lakes Division with a five game winning streak and an overall record of 5-1-1 (16 points).  Hamilton comes in with a record of 1-3-2 (5 points) in their inaugural season in the PDL.   Bucks head coach Gary Parsons doesn’t know much about the Rage, but he has learned in the PDL you never take any team for granted.  “Sometimes it is easier playing a team you have seen before because you can prepare a bit. In this case, we know very little about the Rage, except that they are capable of coming in here and ruining our party.   It is up to the veteran leadership on this team to keep everyone disciplined enough to do their job and make the proper adjustments as the game progresses.  We know we have enough fire power to score goals, so our strategy as always is to come out and play entertaining Bucks soccer to get the fans behind us,” concluded the fourth year coach.  Saturday’s match marks the halfway point of the PDL sixteen game regular season schedule and a win will keep the team on top of the division.

The Bucks will then play a home game at Ultimate Soccer Arenas on Wednesday, June 22 (7:30 PM kick off) when they host the Akron Summit Assault for the first time.  Ticket prices for that match will return to the Bucks normal home game ammount and can be purchased at the door for $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free).  Fans can purchase pre-sale tickets to the match for only $5 by visiting the Bucks office at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or stopping by the merchandise table on Saturday at Borden Park. For those wishing to purchase $5 pre-sale tickets on-line, please visit our web site at www.buckssoccer.com and click on the TICKETS link.   For more information about the 64 team PDL, please visit the United Soccer Leagues home site at www.uslsoccer.com. 

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Alex Dropkin

WALLED LAKE–– After the Michigan Bucks’ performance against the River City Rovers on Friday night, the team’s goalless draw against the Rovers at the start of the season is a distant memory. The Bucks scored five goals and pummeled the Rovers with 17 shots in the first half alone in a 5-0 shutout win before a vibrant crowd at Walled Lake Central High School.

Friday night’s goal production was shared among several of the quality attackers, led by Stefan St. Louis (Trinidad) and Luke Holmes (Oldham, England/ Akron).   But it was Bucks  co-captain Stew Givens (Troy, MI) who lit up the scoreboard first off a diving header from close range finishing a Kenny Uzoigwe cross into the box in the 17^th minute.

“The game is about finishing your chances and we had those chances in the first half of the game in Louisville, but we didn’t put any in. Once you don’t put your chances in, the game gets tougher and tougher as you go,” head coach Gary Parsons said. “Tonight, we unlocked the gate early and got the goals. Then the game became easy for us.”

Just two minutes later, Michigan doubled its lead on the goal of the game from Luke Holmes. Holmes, after receiving a pass from defender Adam Shaw (Lone Tree, CO/ Michigan), weaved his way through three River City defenders and scored on a shot from just inside the box.  Holmes also had two assists, both coming later in the match.

“The most important thing was that we got early goals and then we could afford to sit back. We got five goals, but we didn’t have to keep going forward and going forward [later in the game],” midfielder Luke Holmes said.

The Bucks continued to pressure the Rovers’ defense with tight passes and fluid ball movement. In the 36^th minute, midfielder Tommy Catalano (Macomb, MI/ Oakland) found forward St. Louis right in front of the net for the Bucks’ third goal of the game.

“It’s always good to have quality players on your team. Luke and Tommy’s support from the mid field make it easier for the forwards to finish,” St. Louis said. “The opportunities came mainly because the midfielders and forwards were all pressuring the defense and forcing them into making mistakes and making our opportunities count.”

Catalano would add a goal for the third consecutive game, tying him for the team lead in scoring (3 goals/ 1 assist for 7 points) with Uzoigwe (2 goals/ 3 assists). St. Louis would round out the team’s scoring with his second of the night just before halftime.

Friday’s victory closes out a home stand in which Michigan won all three games, scored eleven goals and allowed zero. Following a Chicago Fire draw against Hamilton FC on Friday, the Bucks now move into first place in the Premier Development League’s Great Lakes Division.

Goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, MI/Oakland) wasn’t busy but did make two key saves in the first half to secure his third win of the season and recording his fourth shutout in the team’s first five matches.  “Tonight the boys made things much easier for me than the first time we played this team,” said a relaxed Hildebrandt referring to the 0-0 tie on opening night when he was called on to make two game saving stops in the final minutes in Louisville.  “Having this much fire power up top is any goal keeper’s dream.  But the back line did a nice job of staying organized for the entire 90 minutes.”  The Bucks solid defense held the Rovers to zero shots on goal in the second half.

The team will hit the road for a two game road trip to Canada next weekend, squaring off first against FC London on Friday, June 10 before heading up the road to Toronto for a game on Sunday, June 12.  The Bucks next home game will be on Saturday, June 18 at Borden Park in Rochester against the Hamilton Rage as part of the Rochester Soccer Club annual tryouts.  Kickoff is 5:00 and tickets are available on the Bucks web site.

For all information about the Michigan Bucks and the United Soccer Leagues (USL), please visit us online at www.buckssoccer.com.

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Alex Dropkin

PONTIAC, MI –– Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, Mi/ Oakland) closed out a Memorial Day weekend that would make any soccer player proud.  The fourth year Michigan Bucks goal keeper followed up his shutout performance against Indiana on Saturday with another clean sheet against division rival Chicago Fire Premier at Ultimate Soccer Arenas on Monday night.  Hildebrandt finished the Bucks US Open qualifying campaign (consisting of the first four regular season games) with three shutouts as the Bucks doused the Fire by registering a 2-0 win, highlighted by a first half penalty kick save from the ’keeper that would ignite the home team.

The Fire came into the match with an undefeated record of 3-0-0 and already qualified for the Open Cup tournament.  The Bucks squandered a couple of early chances to secure their ticket to the Cup when they came away from their first two matches with only one point.  However, the team rebounded this past weekend with two much needed victories as they defeated Indiana 4-0 at the Canton Cup on Saturday and by putting out the Fire on Monday night.

Monday’s game was an intense match between two of the Premier Development League’s (PDL) top franchises, highlighted by physical play and end to end attacking.   Both goal keepers (David Meves for Chicago, Hildebrandt for Michigan) were called on early and often to keep the scoreline in check.  Bucks head coach Gary Parsons highlighted how crucial Hildebrandt’s play was when appraising his team’s defensive preformance, “I don’t think defensively we were tight enough; we allowed them too much time to play. They’re a quality team, and when you give them some time to play they’re going to go through and create dangerous opportunities.”

The Fire nearly got on the board first after being awarded a penalty kick in the 25^th minute... Midfielder Harrison Petts went left, but was denied by an outstretched Mitch Hildebrandt.

“As soon as they gave the penalty kick, it’s like we’re down 1-0 already, and then Mitch saves that and it just gives the whole team a lift. I think it woke the team up more than anything, and then, the results speak for itself,” midfielder Luke Holmes said.

The Bucks capitalized on the momentum boost provided by Hildebrandt’s save. Twelve minutes later, Tommy Catalano nearly scored on a shot that beat Fire goal keeper David Meves and bounced off the right post.

A few minutes later the Bucks would earn a free kick from 20 yards out and Holmes would step up to try and put the home team on top.  The first year Bucks player would smack home the games first goal, beating his Akron college team mate Meves on the short side, giving the Bucks a 1-0 lead right before halftime.

The Bucks doubled that lead in the 69^th minute when a Kenny Uzoigwe header was laid back to midfielder Tommy Catalano, who rocketed the ball into the net for his second goal of the season.  The win pushed the Bucks up to second place in the PDL’s Great Lakes Division.

The Bucks will take on the River City Rovers of Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, June 3^rd. The game is a part of the “Bucks Stop Here” tour, and will be held at Walled Lake Central High School at 7:30 PM.   Tickets for Friday’s match can be purchased for a discounted rate of only $5 by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKET link.

June 2, 2011

TAMPA-  The United Soccer Leagues (USL) have honored Michigan Bucks striker Kenny Uzoigwe as the Premier Development League (PDL) Player of the Week.  Every Thursday the league announces its PDL team of the week for all games played between the 64 teams in North America.  Uzoigwe scored two goals in the Bucks 4-0 shutout of the Indiana Invaders on Saturday, making him the PDL’s all time leading scorer with 78 goals.   The 6’4 forward from Toledo, OH has had this honor several times before in his first eight PDL seasons, but none were as satisfying as the latest.  “To be honored by the league is special.  But getting us off to a fast start against Indiana and following that up with a huge win against Chicago is really what the team needed.  We are starting to put it all together after a slow start on the road this year,” concluded Uzoigwe.  On how long the 32 year old intends to continue to play, “until I break the 100 goal mark,” he laughed. 

The team continues its home stand as the Bucks visit Walled Lake Central High School on Friday night for the first time when they host the River City Rovers (7:30 kick off).  The Bucks opened the 2011 season in Louisville where they had to settle for a 0-0 draw playing down a man the last 28 minutes.  The team will have eight new faces for the return match, most of which have been in training camp for only the last week.   Tickets for the game sponsored by the Walled Lake North Boys Soccer Boosters are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) and available at the gate.  The third of three consecutive home games is the last time the team is in the area until they play at Borden Park in Rochester Hills on Saturday, June 18 (5:00 kick off) as the highlight of the Rochester Soccer Club annual tryouts.  Tickets for that game and all Bucks home games are on sale at Ultimate Soccer Arenas or by visiting our web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.

Bucks Ultimate Soccer Camps Filling Up Fast

The Michigan Bucks Ultimate Soccer Camps are the coolest camp in town.  Not only are Bucks camps run by the team’s pro players and college all Americans, but the camp takes place in air conditioned Ultimate Soccer Arenas.  There are two summer camps for boys and girls ages 6-15 to choose from; Monday to Friday (9 AM to 3 PM) July 11-15 and August 1-5.  Included in the $199 registration fee is a Bucks camp T-shirt, certificate of participation and four tickets to a Bucks home game to watch the teachers in action.  The Bucks also have discounted rates for return campers and campers who register with other siblings or team mates ($10 discount for each camper).  To sign up for Bucks camp, go to our web site at www.buckssoccer.com and click on the CAMPS link and register on line.  For further information, please contact the Bucks office at Ultimate Soccer Arenas at 248-334-7460.

May 28, 2011

Alex Dropkin

CANTON, MI –– After tallying two goals in the Michigan Bucks 4-0 win over the Indiana Invaders on Saturday, forward Kenny Uzoigwe now stands as the United Soccer League (USL) Premier Development League’s (PDL) all-time leading goal scorer.   Uzoigwe’s scores were No. 77 and 78 of his career, the most in PDL history surpassing Des Moines Menace Legend Tomas Boltnar.

“Setting the record is a great achievement, not just for myself but for the organization,” Uzoigwe said.  His first goal, which set the record, put the Bucks on the board in the 14^th minute. Defender Stew Givens hurled the ball into the Indiana box, where Uzoigwe headed it past a diving Invaders goalkeeper Avery Steinlage.

“One of the things that we wanted to accomplish in the first 15 minutes was to get a good start; get a goal, and then we would build on that…. I thought that’s what we did. But it wasn’t just my goals; we had a team effort,” Uzoigwe said.

In the 36^th minute, Uzoigwe struck again. After Steinlage blocked but failed to corral an incoming shot from defender Tony Walls, Uzoigwe tucked the rebound into the back of the net for his second of the game.

The goal gave the Bucks a 2-0 lead, which they would carry into halftime. Michigan outshot Indiana six to three in the first half and had a four to zero advantage in corner kicks.   “I thought we played sloppy in moments, but overall, it was crisp, clean and we finished our chances,” Givens said. “Finishing our chances just makes the game a lot easier.”

In the 66^th minute, on another powerful Givens throw-in man-of-the-match, Walls headed home to extend the Bucks’ lead to three.

The Bucks (1-1-1) will host the Chicago Fire Premier on Monday night in what is expected to be a thriller.  Tickets for the Memorial Day match at Ultimate Soccer Arenas (7:30 kick off) are $10 Adults and $7 Youth at the door but can be purchased for only $5 by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKET link.

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CINCINNATI, OH --   The Michigan Bucks finished a disappointing season opening road trip by conceding two late goals in defeat to the Cincinnati Kings 3-2 late Monday night.  The second match of the season saw another long weather delay, which delayed kickoff two and half hours.   Once the game started the Bucks came out the aggressor and pounded the Kings goal with aggressive play that resulted in seven first half corner kicks and several dangerous throw ins that should have put the visitors on top.   Kings goal keeper Kaido Koppel made several great saves and relied on his goal post and cross bar for a couple more to keep the early score at 0-0.  

The Bucks were caught napping on what looked like a harmless restart when a ball fell between two Bucks defenders and onto the foot of Branden Stelmak, who beat Bucks goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, MI/ Oakland) on the short side for a 1-0 lead in the 23^rd minute.   The Bucks continued to force the action with the attacking trio of Kenny Uzoigwe, Victor Costa (Oklahoma Baptist) and Simon Omekanda (Rochester Hills, MI).   Omekanda was continuously electric down the right flank whipping in dangerous crosses and serving corner kicks into the Cincinnati penalty area.   The Bucks looked to have an opportunity to tie the game when a Uzoigwe header was cleared off the line by a defender’s hand ball, but the infraction went unnoticed.  Several minutes later Michigan scored its first goal of the season right before halftime when Omekanda placed a perfect ball onto the foot of Sean Grisham (Marietta, GA/ Southern Poly Tech) who tied the score at 1-1.

The second half wasn’t much different, with the Bucks coming out the aggressor.   In the 57^th minute, the Bucks took their first lead of the season when Uzoigwe found Costa open on the right side of the box.  The Brazilian striker took one touch and calmly slotted home for a 2-1 lead.   The next twenty minutes went back and forth with both teams getting quality chances. Hildebrandt made another terrific point blank save off the foot of Stelmak to keep the Bucks lead until the 80^th minute.  Defender Justin Sass (Butler) was ruled to have fouled a Kings player in the penalty area and Stelmak converted the PK to knot the score at 2-2 with ten minutes to play.

The Bucks squandered several opportunities to close the game out but continued to press for the game winner when they were caught on a counter attack in the last minute of play.  The Kings went end to end and second-half-sub Marc Miller finished the play and the game with the winner for Cincinnati.  Bucks head coach Gary Parsons was disappointed with only one point after the first two games.  “I really feel like we could have and should have won both of those matches.  I can give you all kinds of excuses as to why we couldn’t get it done, but the bottom line is that this young group of players has got to learn to play together for 90 plus minutes."

"There was a lot of good soccer to build on but you have to finish your chances and you have to protect the lead.  We knew we were only one bad call or penalty kick away from disaster and needed to get that third goal.  Unfortunately we could not connect the final pass.   Give Cincinnati credit, those kids worked hard the last ten minutes and earned the game winner.  We will hopefully get some more bodies healthy and ready to go for this weekend’s two games, which are very important ones,” concluded Parsons.  Lost in the score line of the two game road trip was consistent outstanding play by veterans Omekanda, Stew Givens (Troy, MI), Alex Morisette (Shelby Twp, MI) and Hildebrandt.

The Bucks return home for a two game Memorial weekend home stand beginning on Saturday at the Canton Cup Soccer Tournament at Independence Park against the Indiana Invaders.   Admission is free to the general public compliments of the organizing committee of the Canton Cup, who are sponsoring this event for the fourth consecutive year.   Kick off is a scheduled for 12:00 noon highlighted by a special fly over of World War II planes in honor of all our area veterans who have and are currently serving our country.   The focus quickly shifts to the Chicago Fire Premier on Monday, Memorial Day in the final game of US Open Cup qualifying at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac (7:30 PM kick off).  Tickets for the Fire game are $10 Adults (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) at the door but all tickets are on sale now for only $5 when buying in advance.  Discounted tickets for Monday’s match can be purchased at the Bucks booth at the Canton Cup, Ultimate Soccer Arenas or on line by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.

LOUISVILLE, KY --   The Michigan Bucks opened their sixteenth Premier Development League (PDL) season with a scoreless draw against the River City Rovers of Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday night.   The Bucks offense fired nearly 20 shots at the Rovers goal but could not find the winner in a game delayed by more than an hour due to weather.  The Bucks had several chances in both halves of the match and outshot Louisville 18-9 on the game.  Offensively, Simon Omekanda (Rochester Hills) and Victor Costa (Oklahoma Baptist) created most of the chances but failed to put a ball past Rovers keeper Matthew Soyna. Luke Holmes (Akron) put extensive pressure on the home side for the first 65 minutes, before being sent off for retaliation foul.  Although the Bucks played a man down for the last third of the game, they continued to create chances right up to the final whistle.   Defensively the squad was solid and didn’t allow a shot on goal in the first half.   Bucks goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, MI/ Oakland) didn’t have much to do in the first half but came up big during the final half hour with the team pushing forward trying to get the game winner, while playing short handed.  Hildebrandt made an outstanding point blank save in the 86^thminute on what would have been the decider had he not deflected the chance over the cross bar.

Bucks coach Gary Parsons was not enthused with the result but found some positives in the team’s first game.  “Given the weather conditions and playing down a man for a half hour, I will take the result.  It is not what we expected, but we have been around long enough to know that the first game of the year always produces a learning curve.   You hope you can still find a way to win, but if you don’t finish in soccer you don’t win.   I liked a lot of what I saw from our defenders, especially playing a man down.  Offensively, we have talent and I believe it will all come together.  We know we need at least four points on this road trip (a win and a tie) so it makes Monday’s game at Cincinnati a game we have to find a way to win. “

The team doesn’t have much time to regroup, as they prepare for the Monday night showdown with the Kings (7:30 kick off). While the Bucks sit at 0-0-1 (1 point) in the Great Lakes Division standings, Cincinnati holds a record of 0-1-1 in its first two games.  Following the Bucks game on Monday night, the team returns home for two games on Memorial Day weekend.   The Indiana Invaders visit the Bucks at the Canton Cup Tournament on Saturday, May 28 (12:00 kick off) and the Chicago Fire Premier close out the 2011 US Open Cup qualifying with a Memorial Day game on Monday, May 30 at Ultimate Soccer Arenas (7:30 kickoff).  Michigan will most likely have to win all three of their next three matches to secure a coveted spot in the US Open Cup tournament this June.

PONTIAC, MI-   Bucks fans turning up to see the 2011 version of the high powered Premier Development League (PDL) club will see a mix of familiar faces and new players that are made up of eight nationalities and sixteen different colleges and universities around the country.   Michigan formally announced its initial roster for the season on Friday. The will travel to Louisville, KY on Saturday to open their 16^th season against the expansion River City Rovers.  The Bucks will be defending their Great Lakes Division Title with twelve returning players as the foundation for the team.   Most fans are used to seeing the team comprised of mainly local talent from Michigan State, Oakland and Michigan with several out of state college All- Americans added.  This year will be quite different.  In addition to the three local schools, players have come to play for the Bucks representing Dartmouth, Alabama- Birmingham, Yale, Oklahoma Baptist, Akron, Southern Poly Tech, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Lees-McRae, Central Florida, Georgetown, Butler and Marshall.   This year’s roster will also look a bit like a United Nations meeting with players representing the United States, Canada, Kenya, South Africa, Holland, Brazil, England, Trinidad and New Zealand.

Returning again this year for his ninth PDL season is striker Kenny Uzoigwe, who with his next goal will become the all time leading goal scorer in PDL history.   Joining the 32 year old striker are Simon Omekanda (Rochester Hills, MI), Stefan St. Louis (Trinidad), Tommy Catalano (Oakland), Alex Morisette (Shelby Twp, MI), Chad Barson (Akron), Colin and Stew Givens (Troy), Babayele Sodade (UAB), Victor Otieno (Detroit Mercy) and goal keepers Mitch Hildebrandt (Oakland) and Adam Grinwas (Michigan).   Rejoining the team are Sebby Harris (Oxford, MI) and Tony Walls (W-GB).  Harris just returned from playing in England for Northampton Town where he signed following the Bucks 2009 season.

Joining the team for the first time are a slew of NAIA All- Americans looking to help the Bucks get back to the US Open Cup and the National Final Four this season.  Striker Luke Holmes (Akron) was one of the top NAIA players in the country last year and transferred to Akron where he will join Barson in defending their NCAA Division 1 title this fall.  Last year Holmes finished tied for second in the PDL in scoring for FC London (Uzoigwe finished fourth).  Oklahoma Baptist sends three Brazilians to Pontiac this year in Victor Costa, Caio Franca and Felipe Souza.  

Adding some much needed brain power to the line up are first year players Peter Jacobson (Yale), Joey Dillon (Georgetown) and Lucky Mkosana (Dartmouth).  Jacobson and Dillon are MYSYA players from Ann Arbor and Rochester Hills, respectively. 

Director of Coaching Gary Parsons is pleased with this year’s recruiting class and looks forward to a high scoring team that will entertain the local fans.  “I think we worked harder recruiting this year than in any past year and I am happy with the versatility we came up with.   We have some of the top strikers in the PDL here and we have solid midfielders and defenders to back them up. If the coaching staff here can do its job in putting the right eleven players on the field at the right time, we should be very successful.  Past years have seen the Bucks rely more on a core foundation from UM, MSU and Oakland.  While we still have their top players, we felt the need to sign some of the truly impact players we saw between August and December watching college games,” concluded the third year head coach.

Not only has Parsons beefed up the squad, but he went to work in the off season to add to his already competent coaching staff. Returning to join Parsons this year are longtime Bucks coach Dan Fitzgerald as well as last year’s goal keeper coach Mark Zathey (Michigan Rush).   Replacing assistant Andy Wagstaff, who left to join Steve Burns at the University of Michigan are soccer legend Steve Seargeant as well as Gronthik Chatterjee (Waza), Demir  Muftari (Vardar)  and former Bucks player Scott Duhl (Wolves).  Seargeant is well known to the Michigan soccer community having worked with Parsons at Oakland University for twenty five years after completing his professional career with the Detroit Express in the old NASL. 

The Bucks open the season this weekend with games in Louisville on Saturday night and in Cincinnati on Monday night.  Both games serve as PDL league games and US Open Cup qualifying matches.  The team then returns to Michigan to open the 2011 home season on Saturday, May 28 against the Indiana Invaders at the Canton Cup Soccer Tournament (12:00 kickoff).  The final game of US Open Cup qualifying will take place on Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day) when the Bucks host Chicago Fire Premier at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in what may become the deciding game as to who gets the lone coveted US Open Cup spot from the Great Lakes Division.  Tickets for the Memorial Day showdown are $10 Adult (16 and over) and $7 Youth (5 and under free) the day of the game.   All tickets are discounted to $5 by taking advantage of the Bucks presale.   Discounted tickets can be purchased at Ultimate Soccer Arenas, through the Bucks booth at the Canton Cup tournament or on line by visiting the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com and clicking on the TICKETS link.