FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2011
Virginia Beach, Virginia – As so often this season the PDL Piranhas put on a show for their fans, battled hard, but came up short in the end. The 1-0 loss against Northern Virginia last Friday was a symbol of the 2011 season.
The determination however existed in an exemplary manner against the Royals, and that’s what Coach Rizzo will demand from his players as they go on the road for the last time this year, facing Real Maryland Saturday and Fredericksburg Hotspur Sunday.
"The PDL Piranhas always play to win and will continue that team tradition in our last three games,” said head coach Cesar Rizzo. “We are disappointed that we won’t be playing in the post-season but we are preparing for our final three as if we needed to win them to qualify for the playoffs."
Kick-off at Richard Montgomery HS on Saturday is 7 p.m. The game against the Hotspurs will take place in the Fredericksburg afternoon sun, starting at 3 p.m. at University of Mary Washington.
PDL PIRANHAS (3-7-3)
“We came in this game with a clear desire to win but we knew it would be a tough match,” said Rizzo Friday night at the Sportsplex.
In the end the Royals proved to be a little too tough for his squad. Although the Piranhas stood up to the table-topping Royals, getting very close to a lead a couple of times, they couldn’t convert their efforts into tangible rewards.
In the 65th minute Northern Virginia sub Kingsley Onwuka broke into the Piranhas box and although hassled by a defender he was able to place the ball right below the crossbar and out of keeper Dillon Brunk’s reach. One goal would be enough to decide the game.
“We knew it would be a tough match - they are in second place in the division and we tried very hard to neutralize them. We succeeded except for isolated play and that’s all it took,” Rizzo said.
With three games left in the season, the Piranhas want to make a name for themselves and finish strong. In the two meetings with Maryland they are 0-1-1, losing 3-0 at home and holding the Royals to a 2-2 tie at their place.
Against the Hotspur, who trail to the Piranhas by six points, Virginia Beach looked good so far, not losing once in three games and winning one game with 2-0 at home.
The PDL Piranhas return home to the Sportsplex on July 23 for their final match of the 2011 season against Northern Virginia at 7 p.m.
Real Maryland Monarchs (6-5-2)
On paper the Monarchs could still make the playoffs, although it seems rather unlikely that they could make up an eight-point-leeway to the Northern Virginia Royals with three games left in the season. In the beginning of the 2011 campaign the Monarchs looked like a serious contender for the conference crown, but only managed to win two of their last eight games and dropped behind in the standings.
The Monarchs are led by midfielder Ryan Garcia, who has fifteen points in twelve games, scoring seven goals and assisting one.
Fredericksburg Hotspurs (1-9-3)
The Hotspurs had a tough inaugural PDL season. In thirteen games Fredericksburg earned six points. Out of all teams they beat No.1 seed Northern Virginia at home 2-1. The Hotspurs are led by midfielder Nicholas Surkamp with three goals.
About the PDL
Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg and Maryland are members of the South Atlantic Division in the PDL Eastern Conference along with the West Virginia Chaos, Northern Virginia Royals, and the Carolina Dynamo.
The PDL features 64 teams across the United States and Canada in four geographic conferences and nine divisions and provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The PDL Regular Season consists of 16 games with eight home games and eight away matches and concludes on July 24th.
For more information on the 2011 Virginia Beach Piranhas, including camps, tickets, sponsorships or to volunteer, please visit www.vbpiranhas.com or call 757-572-1592.
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