Josh Hopkins wasn’t quite sure how this would go.
Combining two travel soccer programs would be both a challenge and an opportunity, and one that leaves much to the unknown. After its first season, however, things are going quite smoothly for Erie FC.
Born from a merger between Erie Admirals Soccer Club and Millcreek Soccer Academy, Erie FC is the area’s newest youth soccer club. The move has proved fruitful for its U17 girls, who won their National Premier Leagues (NPL) conference and will travel to Denver for the NPL Finals, which is scheduled for Thursday through July 10.
“My focus was to create a fun and challenging environment for the girls,” said Hopkins, head coach of the Erie FC U17 girls who doubles as General McLane girls’ skipper in the fall. “The players are passionate about the game, drive for individual improvement and are genuinely happy for their teammates when they are successful. The girls truly came together as one.”
Who is on the team?
Eight high schools are represented on the 16-player roster Erie FC will take to nationals. The group, which practices at Gate of Heaven in Millcreek Township, was drawn from the 32-player pool with which Erie FC operates.
“Putting (the teams) together has created such an amazing group,” said Molly Taylor, who attends Mercyhurst Prep. “Both teams were very talented, and instead of opposing each other, now we’re working together. It was pretty easy to mesh together honestly.”
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Taylor is the lone Lakers’ representative on Erie FC’s Denver roster. She’s joined by five McDowell players — Trinity Bennett, Claire Faulhaber, Olivia Murray, Carmel Frenn and Abba Whatmore — plus Lena Bookhamer (General McLane), Kaylyn Carnes (Southwestern, New York), Maisee Carrier (Fairview), Abbi Erion (Girard). , Hanna Lindenberger (Fairview), Emma Malstrom-Jouannett (Southwestern), Taylor McChesney (Fort LeBoeuf), Jenna Popowski (Fort LeBoeuf), Emily Samluk (Fort LeBoeuf) and Haley Stadler (Cathedral Prep).
“It’s been a really fun experience for everyone,” Popowski said. “We got to know each other the first day and I feel like we excelled really well as a group of girls. When we first came here, we were all a little nervous about getting to know each other, but we’ve done a lot better as the season has gone on.”
How did they qualify for nationals?
Erie FC competes in the Great Lakes Alliance (GLA), a US Club Soccer-governed conference within the NPL. It won the GLA regular-season title with a 7-0-2 record before two dominant league tournament victories — each by four goals — secured Erie FC’s spot in Denver.
In its 11 GLA games, Erie FC scored 41 goals and conceded just nine. At Denver, it will play teams from Ohio, Texas and Minnesota in group play starting Thursday. In Erie’s group, there are 10 teams and Erie will play three group stage games. In a points-based system, Erie FC will need to finish in the top four among 10 teams to advance to Friday’s semifinals.
“We expect to represent ourselves, our community, and our league to the best of our ability,” Hopkins said. “The season has already been successful and while we acknowledge that, we are hungry for more.”
Fast-track to success
Reaching a national-level tournament in the club’s first year, Hopkins said, is quite the achievement for the group led by him and assistant coach Andy Bennett. The merger’s goal was to create the best possible youth soccer experience for Erie-area players, and with the combined resources of the two sides, Erie FC will provide additional access to educational events, gear, field space and coaching roles.
“Our culture, attitude, and mindset are now big strengths of this group,” Hopkins said. “My mantra is, trust the process, praise the progress, and learn from the results. The team has embraced that.”
Other intended consequences of the merger include creating more pathways to achieve player goals regardless of skill level, enriching local coaching staff and maintaining the community feel with which the clubs previously operated.
“The passion within each individual is pretty even,” Taylor said. “Everyone wants to see each other do well and we want to do well together.”
Some team members also play for the Erie FC women’s team, which competes in the Lake Erie Conference of the Women’s Premier Soccer League. The club hopes, with its expanded resources, to develop talent for this team at a greater rate.
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“It is a lot of soccer between the high school season in the fall and our winter, spring, and now summer club season,” Hopkins said. “They embrace their craft and put in the work.”
Contact Jeff Uveino at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie FC finds immediate success after girls youth soccer merger