'Banana', the team mascot, inspired the Cougar Soccer Club Girls U10 Elite to a 2-0 road win over Arsenel on Oct. 3.
By Mike Connolly
Correspondent
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — For the first time in six years, the Cougar Soccer Club girls are back on top.
The Girls U10 Elite team finished the season 9-0-1 to win its Northern Counties Conference flight. It is the first Cougar girls team to win its flight since the fall of 2016.
Team members included Callie O’Connor, Charlotte Kelly, Emma Clammer, Georgia Dorazio, Harper Goldfus, Jane Kessler, Kendrick Conway, Madeline Stein, Marryn Rando, Matilda Spitser and Samantha Babcock.
The team featured the most potent offense in its flight (34 goals) while yielding just five. It was coached by parents Cathy Clammer, Jason Rando and Marc Kessler. Oscar Hidalgo was the professional trainer for the team.
The Girls U10 Elite team was the only Cougar SC girls team to win its flight – but three other girls teams took second, U9 Elite, U11 Elite and U13 Elite. Overall, this was the most NCSA successful season for Cougar SC girls in history. The club joined NCSA in fall of 2016 and has never before had more than two teams finish second or higher in the same season. NCSA is one of the largest US Club Soccer conferences in the country.
The other three girls teams also had successful seasons. U9 Premier finished with four wins, U10 Premier had two victories and the U14 Elite team managed one win and three draws.
Cougar Soccer Club has been serving the families of Maplewood and South Orange since 1965. The club promotes youth soccer that is geared for the player who wants to learn, train and play at the very highest levels of competition. Over 10,000 children have trained and played Cougar soccer, and hundreds of coaches and parents have volunteered their time to make every season successful and enjoyable for all involved. Cougar Soccer Club also partnered with South Orange Rec to bring rec-level soccer back to South Orange and Maplewood this fall. Learn more at cougarsoccerclub.com.
Photos Courtesy of Mike Connolly
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