Friday evening the IMG Bradenton Academics hosted their second home game vs. the Mississippi Brilla. After a successful season opening win vs. Ft. Lauderdale Shultz Academy, IMG came into this game with a 1-1-1 record.

 The first half begun with a possession struggle in the midfield with both teams eager to find their rhythm. Mississippi found it first. After a corner kick was cleared, the ball found its way back on Bradenton’s half and a quick cross from Brilla midfielder Lucas Paulini found Willie Hunt unmarked at IMG back post for the first goal of the match in the second minute. Down a goal, IMG came to back to life quickly. Midfielder Steven Morris led the attack and quickly sped down the right flank, with a swift pass to team Caption Andre Manders; Manders found his way into the box and was taken down. Unfortunately Steven Morris couldn’t not convert the potential game tying goal.

Posted: Friday, June 26th, 2009

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The Bradenton Academics at IMG Academies are one of nearly 70 teams from around the country representing the United Soccer Leagues in the Premier Development League, which mainly consists of college-age players. The league will run throughout the summer.

Tomorrow two PDL Southeast Division rivals will take the field at the IMG Soccer Academy.  The first-place Bradenton Academics (7-3-1) will host the Central Florida Kraze (3-5-2) tomorrow, for the teams’ third contest this season.

The Academics have already boasted two victories over Central Florida, and in impressive shutout fashion.  In the first game, Jose Robert Ramos and Cameron Hepple each found the back of the net as Bradenton rolled to a 2-0 victory.

In the second game, the Academics got the offense going early, scoring three first half goals.  Gerard Voutier, Zak Boggs, and Ramos all scored in the first 34 minutes, and that would be all Bradenton needed, winning 3-0.

The Bradenton Academics sit in first place in the Southeast Division.

The Bradenton offense is not the only event happening on the field, as the contests between these two divisional foes have been rather chippie.  The teams have combined for 53 fouls, including nine yellow cards and three ejections, in the only two games of the season series.

The Academics will look to make it six straight games without a loss.  They are 4-0-1 in that stretch, the tie coming last Friday against the Mississippi Brilla FC.  During that impressive run, Bradenton has outscored their opponents 9-2 and have posted three shutouts.

Since falling twice to the Academics, the Krazes’ offense has been clicking and they are riding a winning streak of their own with three consecutive wins coming against Nashville, Atlanta, and Baton Rouge.

The teams will square off one more time this season, on July 9^th, in Central Florida.

The Bradenton Academics at IMG Academies are one of nearly 70 teams from around the country representing the United Soccer Leagues in the Premier Development League, which mainly consists of college-age players. The league will run throughout the summer.

Game 1: Bradenton at Mississippi

A hot evening in Mississippi created a rough atmosphere for both the Bradenton Academics and Mississippi Brilla on Friday as the teams battling for Southeast Division supremacy tied 0-0.

From the start, Mississippi (5-1-3) took control of their home turf. If not for a well organized defense led by Guilherme Reis, the Academics (6-1-3) could have been in a hole early in the first 20 minutes. Happy Hall (IMG Soccer Academy alum), and Kyle Williams were matched up man to man and held the Brilla forwards without a shot. It was obvious that this match would be won or lost in the midfield.

As the Brilla defense bunkered, Zak Boggs (IMG Soccer Academy alum) and Ze Roberto Ramos (IMG Soccer Academy alum) struggled to get free. The three quality chances were all created from direct kicks. A well-struck ball by Ramos looked as though it could have been the goal needed but was denied by the top of the crossbar. All efforts from both teams came up short as the first half ended 0-0.

Strategic second-half substitutions gave Bradenton fresh legs to finish the match. Ryan Maxwell and Ederson Lopes aided the attack. Combining with Anthony Ampaipitakwong (IMG Soccer Academy alum and Akron University) and Blair Gavin (IMG Soccer Academy alum and Akron University), Maxwell made his presence known and controlled the right flank challenging the defense at every opportunity.

As time wound down, a quick counter from Mississippi led to a gravity-defying save from Academics goalkeeper Ryan Thompson keeping the Brilla scoreless, which is how it would stay. A well-fought game ended 0-0, with the Academics still on top of the Southeast Conference.

The Bradenton Academics at IMG Academies are one of nearly 70 teams from around the country representing the United Soccer Leagues in the Premier Development League, which mainly consists of college-age players. The league will run throughout the summer.

For the second time in three weeks, the Bradenton Academics’ Zak Boggs was named one of two forwards on the PDL Team of the Week.

Boggs, and IMG Soccer Academy alum, scored a combined two goals in 3-o and 2-1 Bradenton victories last week that helped keep the Academics (6-1-2) in first place in the Southeastern Division. He now has seven goals on the season.

The Academics face two tough away games in the next couple days. They face second-place Mississippi Brilla tonight, then travel to Baton Rouge to play the Capitals on Sunday.

The Bradenton Academics at IMG Academies are one of nearly 70 teams from around the country representing the United Soccer Leagues in the Premier Development League, which mainly consists of college-age players. The league will run throughout the summer.

The Bradenton Academics continue to sit atop the Southeast Division table after dominating nearly all facets of the game in a 3-0 win Thursday against the Central Florida Kraze.

The PDL team moved into first place with a 3-1 wins over the Atlanta Blackhawks and a 2-1 victory over the Mississippi Brilla in an important home stand that features one more game against the New Orleans Jesters next Sunday.  Zak Boggs was the Umbro man of the match as his hatrick paved the way for a show down with the Brilla on Memorial Day.  Boggs converted at the far post early on after Happy Hall latched on to head Gerard Voutier’s conner down to the far post. Ten minutes latter Boggs broke free and calmly chipped the ball over the advancing Blackhawk keeper.  The Blackhawks rallied when the Academics took their foot off the gas and looked to cruise into the halftime break.  Wilfred Loizeau by far the most dangerous man for Atlanta pulled a goal back to make it 2-1 at the half after a slalom run thru the IMG midfield and a deft curler to the far post.  Goal Keeper Zach Johnson had come up big with 2 early saves but he was left stranded by Loizeau on this occasion.

Boggs closes out his treble after a clever move off his marker to win his back and stay on side.  Boggs calmly controlled the cross and finished low and hard to the far post to put the match out of Atlanta’s reach.

Sunday May 10, 2009

Far from the comforts of IMG and Academy Park, the Bradenton Academics played the Panama City Pirates to a 0-0 draw in Panama’s home opener Mother’s day Special. Despite the 7 hour van ride and the second match in 4 days the Academics were up for the match the Pirates play the perfect host, draw big crowds and have a great stadium atmosphere.
The Pirates opted for a 1-4-5-1 formation and played with a very low line while looking to counter attack thru lone striker CD Harris. The” Bunker Tactic” was difficult for the Academics to adjust to with only 2 training sessions and forced an adjustment in our formation to able to press Panama’s build up while trying to get around the outside and combine thru short passes.
Bradenton carried the game in terms of build up and possession but never really found a break thru the opponent’s defense while avoiding a few dangerous moments from set pieces and counter attacks. Ryan Thompson needed 1 big save to record his first shut out of the year and Ze Roberto Ramos came up with a big defensive action to ensure the tie. Bradenton best chances were confined to Corner Kicks and shots from outside the box that were always blocked off, deflected or rushed due to immediate pressure.
Dan Ingvarson, Corey Kendall and Happy Hall all did an excellent job with marking assignments and turned the second half into virtually one way traffic for the Academics. Ramos was sacrificed at left back but put in the performance of the game demonstrating his versatility as a player. Zak Boggs seemed most affected by the constant positional adjustments and tight marking. He never really found his rhythm and without the benefit of the full supporting cast he was often out manned.
In the end it was “ a result that neither team was thrilled with but one they both can live with” stated Pirates coach Bill Elliott. Academics assistant coach Scott Bowers stated, “we would have liked to come away with the 3 points, but it’s a long trip and the Pirates have proved tough to beat at home. In the end at this point of the season we have to be happy to share the points.”
The Academics travel to New Orleans on Saturday May 16th to face the Jesters at 8:00 pm EST.
 

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Bradenton Academics opened their season Thursday afternoon as they played host to the Nashville Metros.

A slow start to the game for both teams saw the first half close deadlocked 0-0. For the first game of the season, the Florida sun proved to be a factor for both teams. Cramps and fatigue showed heavily but Bradenton quickly adapted and began to follow the game plan once the whistle blew to start the second 45 minutes of play.

Whatever Coach Durkin said at halftime worked. The Academics came out with all pistons firing. In the 49th minute Jose Ramos connected with Speedy Courtois for the fist goal of the match and Courtois first of two assists. That goal started the attack. No more than three minutes later, Ramos found Ederson Lopes putting Bradenton up 2-0.

The attack mounted and quickly grew from 2-0 to 4-0 with goals from Happy Hall (53rd minute) and Zak Boggs (65th minute).

A well deserved win for a newly formed team. The outlook seems bright for Coach Durkin’s boys. This Saturday they will make the seven hour trip to Panama City to take on the Pirates at 7:00 PM.

TAMPA – Zak Boggs, a junior forward on the University of South Florida men’s soccer team, has been named the 2008-09 BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Boggs is the first student-athlete in USF history to receive the honor, which is given annually to the top academic performer across all male sports in the BIG EAST Conference.  The West Virginia native will receive a $4,000 scholarship toward postgraduate or professional studies.

“Amazing accomplishment,” said Justin Miller, Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development and Academics. “Zak really embodies what it means to be a USF Student-Athlete. He has demonstrated the ability to succeed at an extremely high level in everything he takes on. Zak is very well-deserving of this recognition, as it speaks to his commitment to excellence and his outstanding work ethic.”

Miller, who oversees the academic pursuits of the men’s soccer team, added, “As he continues in his graduate coursework, Coach Kiefer, his teammates and our entire department, expect nothing but great things from him in the future.” 

Boggs was the second-leading scorer on a USF squad that captured its first BIG EAST Championship and reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship. He had five goals and five assists for 15 points and finished the year with four game-winning goals. He scored both USF goals in the Bulls’ 2-1 NCAA tournament win against Harvard last season and assisted on the tying goal in the 1-1 draw against UNC-Greensboro in the second round of the NCAA tournament.