CLUB SPORTS: Sitch soccer team advances to Champions League (10/14/01)

CLUB SPORTS: Sitch soccer team advances to Champions League

by Omelan Twardowsky

NEWARK, N. J. - According to the rules of the Garden State Soccer League and its top Elite Division, the champion of that division automatically advances to the Champions League, which operates in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Presently the Champions League consists of American and National divisions, in which a total of 20 soccer clubs compete.

As reported earlier, the Chornomorska Sitch soccer team of Newark had won the Elite Division championship in the 2000-2001 season and thus advanced to the Champions League.

Playing under the name of Union Ukrainians, the Sitch team has been assigned to the National Division, together with such powerful soccer clubs as Costa Rica United, Makedonjia, Roma (a former rival of Sitch in the American Professional League), Newark Benfica, Santa Croce, Uruguay, Cowell's Kickers, Hispano American and Waldwick Kickers. Sitch is the only Ukrainian representative in this league.

Many of the above clubs are very popular within their ethnic communities and enjoy great support not only from the spectators, but from sponsorship by business and financial institutions as well. Because of the modest financial capabilities of Newark Sitch it will be very difficult for Ukrainian soccer players to compete against these clubs. Their hope is that Ukrainian businessmen and professional people, as well as financial institutions will support their representatives no less than is the case in the other ethnic communities.

It should be noted that the Sitch team advances to the Champions League with essentially the same, predominantly Ukrainian, roster that won the somewhat weaker Elite Division. To date, the following players have been registered with the league: Michal Hojcska (goalie), Christopher Mykolayevsky, Roman Stefourak, Alexander Babushkin, Vladislav Yerovinkin, Yevgeniy Miladinov, Ihor Cheshko, Vladimir Silin, Ilya Yermolenko (the last seven are recent arrivals from Ukraine), Marco Hordinsky, Eugene Gulievicz, Joseph Dovichak, Stefan Vavrek, Artur Sadykov and Andriy Koziol. Sitch expects to reyister a few additional promising players. Dusan Sokolak is the coach and reserve goalie, Jerry Twardowsky is the team manager.

The fall schedule of the Union Ukrainians soccer team is as follows: October 14, Uruguay; October 21, Cowell's Kickers (home); October 28, Roma; November 4, Newark Benfica; November 11, Waldwick Kickers (home); November 18, Hispano American; November 25, Santa Croce (home); December 2, Makedonjia. On October 7 the team played its first game against Costa Rica United.

All starting times are 2:15 p.m., except for the Newark Benfica game, which is at 4:15 p.m. Sitch home games are played at Kearce field at Valley Street and Springfield Aveue in Union, N.J. (across from Home Depot).

The article above was translated from Ukrainian by Dr. Orest Popovych.

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