Expos host Silverbacks in soccer showdown (posted July 2, 2007)
BY ED PIERCEFLORIDA TODAY
As the summer continues, it’s been a season of surprises for the Cocoa Expos soccer teams.
And when the Expos host the Atlanta Silverbacks in a doubleheader this weekend at Cocoa Municipal Stadium, the teams hope to continue to surprise fans with outstanding play.
Led by a trio of Brevard County stars, the Expos women’s squad has raced to a record of 4-1-1 in Women’s League play behind the first-place Richmond Kickers Destiny and Atlanta , who are tied for the Atlantic Division lead with records of 5-1.
The Expos women’s team features former Brevard County prep stars Courtney Baines (Satellite), Allison Blagriff (Eau Gallie), Jane Alukonis (Melbourne Central Catholic) and Katie Fraine (Titusville) and has only surrendered two goals all season, while finding the net 15 times.
Fraine is second in W-League in shutouts with 3, trailing only Melanie Wilson of the Silverbacks (4) in the category. Fraine’s sparkling play in goal has drawn the attention of opponents and last week she was named USL W-League National Player of the Week.
"The Silverbacks, like the Expos, feature many former WUSA players and women’s World Cup-bound national team stars," James Kryger, the Expos women’s coach said. "The Expos have once again taken the right steps early in the season propelling them into the top of the league standings and fighting for one of two playoff spots offered in one of the hardest W-League divisions in the country.
The Expos men’s team is still looking for a win after starting the season 0-7-3.
Brian Lundy, a former MCC star, has one of the two goals scored this season by the team, which competes in the Southeast division of the Premier Development League.
Also suiting up for the Expos this year are a bevy of former Brevard prep stars including Matt Cermak (MCC), Matt Smith, Daniel Monje, Logan Linton, Devin Rice and Tommy Maciejka (Merritt Island), Sean Duble (Cocoa) and Nick Scherer and Mike Bierman (Rockledge).
Tickets can be purchased at the gate or by calling 639-EXPO (3976). Admission to both games of the doubleheader against Atlanta is $3 for students and $5 for adults.
Gates open at 4 p.m., with the men’s game starting at 5:30, followed by the women’s game at 7:30.
On Sunday, July 1, the Expos women’s team will host rival Richmond, the only squad to score against them all season. Gates open at 4 p.m., with the match starting at 5:30.
The Expos home matches are played at the Cocoa Municipal Soccer Stadium off Clearlake Road in Cocoa.
Expos Fail to Capitalize, Fall to Central Florida (posted May 29, 2007)
By PAUL D. BOWKER
Cocoa Expos News Release - www.cocoaexposoccer.com
Friday, May 25, 2007
COCOA, Fla. -- A goal and two assists by Central Florida's Justin Cook sent the Brevard County Cocoa Expos down to a 4-0 loss Friday afternoon at Cocoa Municipal Stadium. The game began a busy weekend for the Expos, who will try for their first Premier Development League win of the season Saturday at the Palm Beach Pumas (5 p.m., International Polo Club-Wellington).
Despite a slow start in three U.S. Open Cup qualifiers to begin the season, Expos head coach Udo Schenatzky is impressed with his team's defense. The Expos are 0-2-1, including a 0-0 tie with the Cary Railhawks U23's in their home opener last week. "Our defense is pretty solid," Schenatzky said. Expos goalkeeper Matt Smith (Merritt Island) battled through a knee injury to make several key saves in Friday's game. He has played in all three games. "I hope he can play tomorrow," said Schenatsky, referring to Saturday's game at Palm Beach.
Other key defensive stops included a block in front of the net by Matt Cermak in the second half. Two of the Kraze's goals came when Central Florida marched in on Smith alone and another on a well-placed header by Tanner Wolfe with just five seconds left in the first half. And the Kraze's first goal carried some doubt with it. "In my opinion, they were offsides," Schenatzky said.
Until that point, the Expos were setting up their game offensively, but first goal swung the momentum. Three goals by Central Florida put the Expos in a hole they couldn't dig out of. "The chemistry, right now it is not working so well." Cook beat out the Expos defense for a loose ball and chipped it over Smith's head and into the net in the 34th minute, and Wolfe's goal made it 3-0. Keith Savage finished out the scoring in the 70th minute, moving past the defense, putting a fake on Smith and pushing it around him and into the net.
The Expos' best chance to score came in the 57th minute, when Brian Lundy was heading toward the net and was tripped up by Central Florida's Oscar Ortiz. On the resultant corner kick, Central Florida goalkeeper Alessandro Barcherini made a save off of the Expos' Eric Loyd. Lundy said with so many new players on the team, it will just take time and a few training sessions to get the offense flowing. "We have a lot of new players. ... They have their own style," he said.
GAME SUMMARY KRAZE 4, EXPOS 0 Central Fla. 3 1 -- 4 Cocoa 0 0 -- 0 Scoring summary CF: Barber (Cook), 27:00 CF: Cook, 34:00 CF: Wolfe (Delgado), 44:00 CF: Savage (Cook), 70:00 Shots: Expos 3, C. Florida 10 Goalkeepers: Central Florida, Alessandro Barcherini, Doug Parra; Expos, Matt Smith. Saves: Expos2, C. Florida 2 Fouls: Expos 12, C. Florida 7
Cocoa Expos USL Teams Move to Cocoa Municipal Stadium in 2007 (posted April 5, 2007)
Cocoa Expos News Release - www.cocoaexposoccer.com
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Cocoa Beach, FL -- The Cocoa Expos have announced that both it’s USL teams will be playing all home games in 2007 at the newly renovated 3000 seat Cocoa Municipal Soccer Stadium. The Cocoa Expos PDL and W-League teams will host the Stadiums Grand Opening on May 25 when both teams take to the field in a back-to-back home opener.
The Cocoa Expos for the first time since the clubs inception in 1993 will feature home matches played outside the friendly confines of the Cocoa Expo Sports Center. The PDL Expos will officially play its first game of 2007 at Municipal Stadium on May 19 when they play host to Cary Rail Hawks U23's in a US Open Cup match up. The Expos first USL match day will coincide with the Grand Opening events when they take on Central Florida Kraze at 5:00 pm. Immediately following the match, the W-League Expos will then open there 2007 campaign taking to the field at 7:30 to battle Florida in state rivals Bradenton.
The Expos have also announced the launching of a brand new website www.cocoaexposoccer.com which will help to strengthen soccer development on Florida’s Space Coast. Executive Director of the Cocoa Expos James Kryger commented on the club’s new home venue "We are very excited about 2007, our new website and the move to Municipal Stadium will prove to be giant steps forward in our clubs vision for the future. The stadium, although brand new, got a soccer specific face-lift this fall and made it an obvious choice for our plans in 2007. Our PDL and W-League teams will welcome every one of our fans and our opponents with state of the art facilities and world-class entertainment. We are looking forward to giving all our faithful supporter’s some family friendly soccer action this summer."
The PDL Expos are by far one of the nations most storied franchises and have always helped produce some of the leagues finest players. Recently former Expo Freddy Moojen signed a two-year deal with first division Montreal Impact, a testament to the success of the PDL pyramid and to the contribution the Expos organization make each and every year in producing and helping educate the young soccer players of tomorrow.
In 2006, the Cocoa Expos moved forward with another one of its plans and added a USL W-league side. The Lady Expos wasted no time making there mark in the league standings and played themselves to second place finish in arguably one of the hardest divisions nationwide. The Lady Expos will once again look to take aim at a playoff berth in 2007 by adding many of the Central Florida Krush superstars to its already dangerous roster.
Further information on the 2007 Cocoa Expos USL teams can be obtained by logging onto www.cocoaexposoccer.com or by calling the Expos front office at (321) 639 3976 ext 15. Tickets for the 2007 Cocoa Expo’s PDL and W-League season go on sale April 15th 2007 and can be pre-ordered online.
Montreal signs former Expo Moojen (posted March 26, 2007)
Thursday, March 26, 2007 - Cocoa,FL -- The Montreal Impact announced, Thursday March 1st, the signing of Brazilian forward and former Cocoa Expo front liner Frederico Moojen to a two-year contract. Moojen a former Expo was one of the franchises young faces that quickly developed into one of the PDL’s best players.
Moojen, 24, was the Impact’s second-round pick in the 2006 United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division College Player Draft. During his college career, Moojen tallied 59 goals and 133 points in three seasons with Clemson University and Lincoln Memorial University.
In 2005 and 2006, Moojen also finished top scorer of the USL Premier Development League (PDL), scoring 18 goals each season with the Cocoa Expos. In 2006, he was also named PDL Player of the Year.
Head Coach of the Montreal Impact Nick De Santis commented on Moojen’s signing, "We’re very happy to have him with us. He is a natural scorer who is dangerous around the net. It will be a new challenge for him and he will have to adapt to the league’s style of play but his offensive qualities are a great asset."
Executive Director of the Cocoa Expos PDL James Kryger commented on Moojen’s
move to the top "Freddy is one of the best young and up and coming players in
the USL. I was fortunate enough to work with Freddy this fall at the USL soccer
combine and aside from what everyone already knows about his on field ability,
what will make him a top professional is his personality and character, he has
a true love for the sport. I personally know that every game he features in
will be exciting to watch, he literally can score in any situation. The Expos
and entire organization wishes him all the best and we will always consider
Freddy one of our own".
EXPOS MEN AND WOMEN RELEASE 2007 SCHEDULE (posted March 11, 2007)
January 18, 2007 - Cocoa, FL. - The Cocoa Expo, in conjunction with the United Soccer Leagues (USL), released their 2007 men’s and women’s regular season schedule today. The Cocoa Expo PDL men’s squad will start their season on Friday, May 11 away against Bradenton Academics. The W-League Cocoa Expo will kick off on Friday, May 25 versus Bradenton Academics at home in Cocoa Stadium.
The Cocoa Expo men’s schedule will once again feature 16 regular season games: Eight away and Eight played in the friendly confines of Cocoa Stadium. The men will play series of home and away games against team in the southeast division as well as an additional home game against different teams around the country.
The Cocoa Expo women’s schedule includes 12 regular season games in the W-League Atlantic Division: six away, and six at our beautiful Stadium in Cocoa. They will play a home and away against each team; just like the men’s squad, our women’s squad will have a series of exhibition matches locally and around the country.
The women’s regular season will wrap-up at home versus the Fredericksburg Lady Gunners on July 13. The top two teams in the Atlantic Division qualify for the playoffs set to be played in Virginia. The Winner of the Central Conference advances to the W-League Final Four scheduled to be held in Rochester, NY at the brand new Patec Park.
The men’s final regular season game is on Friday, July 13 against long-time rivals the Palm Beach Pumas in a special 5:00 p.m. (EST) start time. The PDL playoffs will kick off the following week.
Cocoa Expos season tickets start at just $50 and include all Cocoa Expo Men
and Women’s regular season and special matches at the Cocoa Stadium. For more
information call 321 639-3976 x 15 or visit our web page
www.cocoaexposoccer.com
