UNITED FA 94 GIRLS ELITE SIGN 17 TO COLLEGE

Congratulations to United FA 94 Elite Girls. 17 of the 18 will be furthering their soccer career in college. CONGRATULATIONS!

Today is a big day for our club. This is our largest graduating class ever. For years, United FA 94 Elite has put UFA on the map of top soccer clubs in the Region. We are proud of those girls and thank the parents for their trust and commitment. As a coach, I cannot say enough. I just feel blessed that I was able to work with such a great group of young ladies. - Iggy Moleka, Coach - United FA 94 Elite

Below is the list of girls and the colleges they will continue their soccer careers with.

Alexa Allen Auburn
Mackenzie Bailey Georgia Gwinnett College
Mary Beth Bleekrode Wofford
Alexis Connors Campbell
Kala Faulkner Auburn
Hannah Garcia Wofford
Diana Getzewich Samford
Anna Hilpertshauser Georgia State
Meghan Hussey Florida
Ally Jordan College of Charleston
Kelsey McQuaid Connecticut
Jordan Morell Emory
Liliana Rios Georgia
Amanda Schwartz Western Carolina
Claire Sullivan Furman
Abby Toner Drexel
Cheyna Williams Vanderbilt
Ally Baron Undecided

UNITED FA 94 GIRLS ELITE SIGN 17 TO COLLEGE

Seventeen girls from the United FA 94 Girls Elite team have signed commitments to play in college. This storied team has achieved many accomplishments since its very beginning, starting at U10, with the former Atlanta Soccer Academy and transitioning to United Futbol Academy in 2010. Below is a brief history of this remarkable team.

During Fall 2003 and the inaugural year of the Atlanta Soccer Academy (ASA), Coach Iggy Moleka started coaching a small group of U10 girls. That first season, the team struggled, but Coach Iggy was happy with the performance of one girl in particular, Mary Beth Bleekrode. Mary Beth mentioned to her coach that she knew a girl from school that was a good player, so a shy young girl named Ally Jordan came to join the team in the Spring at the invitation of a friend.

With Coach Iggy’s training and the girl’s hard work, 2004 saw a much-improved team. The girls started off that year with their first Atlanta Cup Championship and a winning season. They would go on and win The Atlanta Cup two more times, in 2007 and 2011.

In the Fall of 2005, the team carried over the same roster. Over Christmas, the team traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, FL to compete in the prestigious Orange Classic. The girls not only won the championship but they won it playing up an age group. Abby Toner moved up from the second team for this tournament and has been with them ever since.

One key position that the team really needed was a goalkeeper. and in the spring of 2006, a young girl named Hannah Garcia moved into town and solved that problem. Another key player, Mackenzie Bailey, transferred to the team as well. The team had a strong core group of players and showed their growing dominance in Columbus, GA where they competed in what would be their first of six State Cup championship games. They won it on their very first try. They would go on and win it again at U15 and U17.

As the roster increased in Fall 2006 as the girls entered the 11v11 format of the U13 age bracket, an influx of new players joined the team: Kala Faulkner, Diana Getzewich, Jordan Morell and Meghan Hussey (Meghan joined in the Spring).

The work ethic of the United FA 94 crew was evident even then. The hard work and commitment of both the girls and Coach Iggy to their training, competition and friendship has been a hallmark of this team. Another strength has been the girl’s consistency, whether it’s a practice, a scrimmage, or a game, the girls come out to play, play hard, and to win. It is the mark of what makes true champions.

2007 brought Alexis Connors, Anna Hilpertshauser, Liliana Rios, and Claire Sullivan to the team. After a great Fall season, the girls qualified to play in the Region 3 Premier League (R3PL) for the Spring season. The girls did well, finishing in the middle of the pack, but it was an adjustment going from playing the top teams in the state to the top teams in the Region. In June, the team would make it to the finals of State Cup for the third time, this time finishing as finalists.

Chenya Williams joined the team in 2008. With a finalist finish in State Cup, the girls qualified to start their U15 season, once again, in R3PL. The team did very well but what seemed to bring the team to a whole new level that year was the Las Vegas College Showcase. This tournament exposed the girls to an entirely different group of teams and level of play. They met the challenge, defeating some highly ranked West Coast teams. Vegas propelled the team to their second Georgia State Cup Championship and their first chance to represent Georgia in the Southern Regionals, held in Dallas, Texas. They would go on to the quarter finals where they would lose a close game to a very strong Texas team. The 2008/2009 gave both the ASA U15 Girls Xtreme Elite team and the young ASA club some national exposure.

Joining the team in 2009 was Alexa Allen. 2009 would also bring the team its first R3PL championship, going undefeated for the season. For the second year in a row the team would represent Georgia, in the Southern Regionals, this time held in Baton Rouge, LA. In sweltering hot temperatures, sometime approaching 100 degrees, the girls would make it all the way to the finals. They would lose this game to another Texas team that eventually won the national championship. By this time not only were the team and club getting attention but many of the girls were getting attention from college coaches from all over the United States.

In 2010, at the U17 age group, the team was invited to play in the US Soccer National League. This league is reserved for the very best teams in the nation. Ally Baron, Kelsey McQuaid, and Amanda Schwartz joined the team. In a remarkable show of consistency, talent, and hard work the team would go on and win the R3PL championship for the second year in a row along with their third State Cup championship, and their third trip to Southern Regionals. Both Coach Iggy and the girls felt the National title was in reach. Unfortunately, a team from Brentwood, TN unexpectedly crushed their dream in the semi-finals during a heartbreaker of a game (1–0), ending their season.

2011 brought the United FA 94 Elite into their final season. The team competed in R3PL and were invited back to play in the National League. They had a strong showing in both but were not able to repeat as R3PL champions. They are now looking forward to State Cup and hopefully their fourth appearance in the Southern Regionals.

United FA 94 Elite’s accomplishments go beyond those listed here. There have been numerous tournament victories including the summer when a majority of the team played in the Super Y league and won a National Championship. There have been just as many victories and awards for individual players as well.

This team is a remarkable group of girls. As they embarked on their final season, both girls and coach experienced excitement and a little bit of sadness knowing that this will be the last year they play together. It will be the end of a long and exciting journey of playing club soccer, but the start of a new journey and level of play in college.

The sport of soccer brought out in them what sports should bring out: hard work, friendship, character, leadership, and, most of all, fun. The United FA motto, “Skills for Soccer. Skills for Life.” was truly reflective of this group of girls and their coach.

From a parent’s perspective: A reflection of Coach Iggy - One cannot say enough about Coach Iggy Moleka. He had a vision and goals for this team since they were U10. He put in countless days of training and hard work in developing them. He has a passion for the game that rubbed off on the girls. He is a mixture of hard nose coach and second father to each girl. There isn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for the girls or them for him. In a few short months when they go off to college, I’m sure Iggy will have the same feelings that a father has when he sends his first daughter off to college.