Dorri, White Lead Kansas City Brass Into U.S. Open Cup Play Tuesday Night
6/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Kansas City, Mo. - Throughout the summer off-season, UMKC student-athletes take advantage of many different opportunities to keep in top form, whether working on individual conditioning and strength training, playing in amateur tournaments, or competing on amateur teams in their sport. For four members of the UMKC men's soccer team, that participation will take a historic turn tomorrow night, as seniors Josh White, Richard Harris and Ali Dorri, along with junior Garret Guthrie represent the Kansas City Brass in a first-round match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Brass will take on the Cleveland City Stars (USL-2) at Greene Stadium in Liberty, Mo., with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The U.S. Open Cup is one of the oldest competitions in any sport in the United States, having been contested consecutively since 1914. Qualification for the tournament is open to any team recognized by the U.S. Soccer Federation, from amateur rec-league squads to Major League Soccer sides. The Brass are one of eight teams to qualify from the PDL, the fourth of five tiers of competition within the U.S. Soccer structure. The PDL represents organized amateur teams comprised primarily of NCAA-eligible athletes, with players retaining full NCAA eligibility while preparing for the transition to the rigors of professional soccer.
Dorri and White were instrumental in the Brass' qualification for the knockout rounds of the tournament, helping the team to a perfect 4-0 record during the first four games of league play. Dorri was named to the PDL Team of the Week for week five (week ending May 20) after helping the Brass to a 3-1 win over the Des Moines Menace in the season opener for both sides. White earned PDL Player of the Week honors seven days later, after scoring game-winning goals for the Brass in both the third and fourth matches for the team.
The Brass currently sit in second place in the Heartland Division behind St. Louis, although Kansas City holds three games in hand on the first-place Lions as well a win in the teams' first meeting this season.
About The City Stars -- Currently third in the USL-2 standings with 17 points (5-0-2 overall record), the Cleveland City Stars are an expansion franchise. The City Stars are led by a pair of international imports, as Adam Moffat (Linwood, Scotland/Elgin City FC) has tallied nine points (4 g, 1 a) with Nigel Codrington (Georgetown, Guyana/Caladonia AIA) adding six points (2 g) on the campaign.
Elsewhere In The PDL -- In addition to the four student-athletes playing for the Brass over the summer, UMKC's Miguel Rodrigues is playing for the Indiana Invaders. The Invaders are currently third in the Great Lakes Division, with eight points on the campaign from a 2-2-2 record. Highlights from the Invaders' season include a 3-3 tie against 2006 PDL North American champion Michigan Bucks and a 2-1 win over in-state rival Fort Wayne Fever.
