Reading Rage PDL Announcer Featured at Phillies Game!

Exeter H.S. senior Brad Dalius (the voice of the Rage) gets opportunity to announce Philadelphia Phillies starting lineup!  Congratulations Brad!  Click here for complete story

Whitecaps sign wheeler

Reading Rage PDL Player of the Year and League MVP Aaron Wheeler will be forgoing his senior season and has signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps of USL1.  Click here for complete story

Rage 2009 Season Honors and Accolades continue to mount!

Wheeler named 2009 PDL MVP

While the Rage’s 2009 playing season is over, the individual accolades continue to mount for current (and former) Rage players.  Last year’s Rage regular season and playoff hero, Tyrell Burgess was again named to the USL 1 Team of the Week and this week was highlighted by being the USL1’s  Player of the Week for his performance against the Rochester Rhinos.  Tyrell was also featured on ESPN Sportscenter’s Top 10 Plays for Saturday August 1.  Tyrell is currently a starting midfielder for the Vancouver Whitecaps (USL1).

Prior to the start of the playoffs, The Rage’s Aaron Wheeler was named Scoring (37 points) and Goal Scoring (17 goals) Champion, with teammate Jon Ports being named League Assists Leader (10).  Statistical honors report here:  http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/350994.html

Last week the All-Conference team announcements were made and representing the Reading Rage on the Eastern Conference team was Adam Gazda (Lehigh University) and Aaron Wheeler (Towson University).  Gazda was one of only five players nationwide who repeated their 2008 All-Conference selection.  Notably absent from the All-Conference selection was the nation’s assist leader, Jon Ports (York College-10 assists).

Carolina’s Cody Arnoux recently inked a contract with Everton of the English Premier League.  Additional conference team selections and information can be found at:  http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/351766.html

Earlier this week Aaron’s accolades carried a bit further when he was announced as one of the 11 players selected on the 2009 All-PDL Team and he was named as one of the three finalists for the 2009 PDL Player of the Year.  Also listed were the nominees for the U20 Player of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, and Coach of the Year.  While Rage Head Coach Brendan Burke has guided the Rage to their best two seasons ever, ironically his name was not one of the three named finalists for PDL Coach of the Year.

Earlier today Aaron Wheeler’s nomination was confirmed.  He is the first Reading Rage player to garner Player of the Year honors.  Rage General Manager Art Auchenbach told USL media today, “Aaron was just what the Rage needed this year.  Obviously Coach Burke has done a tremendous job bringing in loads of talent to put a huge Reading Rage stamp on the PDL map and this was highlighted this year by big Aaron Wheeler.  Aaron’s combination of size and speed obviously were too much for opposing teams.  The Rage have struggled in past years with our offensive output, but this year Aaron obviously was the ideal target forward and it showed with his positioning and finishing abilities.  Aaron was a team player, never putting his personal stats before the goals of the team.  I know he was probably the most frustrated by our early exit from this year’s playoffs.  He stated himself that he would give up all his goals for a spot in this weekend’s PDL title game.  Aaron will undoubtedly be a key figure in the near future for a professional club.” 

Coach Brendan Burke stated, “Aaron is deserving for this award, not only because of his unique skill set (being 6’5”), but also his personality and commitment to training.  We hope this award comes with the opportunities that he deserves to be at the next level.  He’s the type of player that you really hoped that the season wouldn’t end.  Obviously he was a big target all year and regardless of the amount of fouls committed against him, he NEVER reacted in a negative fashion, and was never cautioned or ejected from a game for unsporting behavior.”

More information about Aaron’s selection and the other PDL MVP honors can be found at:  http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/353693.html. 

CONGRATULATIONS ADAM GAZDA & AARON WHEELER

2009 ALL EASTERN CONFERENCE pdl TEAM SELECTIONS

The Rage's midfielder Adam Gazda & forward Aaron Wheeler were named to the 2009 Eastern Conference All-Conference Team.  All-League Selections will be made the week of August 10.  For more information on the All Conference team selections CLICK HERE.

Tyrell Burgess named to USL 1 Team of the week

Last years rage PDL standout wide player Tyrell Burgess garners Team of the Week honors as the Vancouver Whitecaps continue a push up the league table in the USL First Division.  The Whitecaps are scheduled to join the MLS in 2011 and Burgess is making a case to stay with the team through that transition after making his fourth consecutive start for Northwest Club.  Read Full Article Here

Rage Dream Season comes to a close

July 25, 2009 was to be the start of another great Rage playoff run.  Amid worries of rain, the Reading Rage took to the pitch looking to break a recent streak of bad luck in opening games for number one overall seeds.  The number one seed in the PDL playoffs had not won in the last five years, leaving arguably the best teams in the league with nothing more than memories of a great season.  In a game that featured over 20 fouls, six cautions, and two ejections the Reading Rage and Cary Clarets faced off in a heated battle, aiming to take the next step toward a PDL championship.

The two teams were as close to even in the first half could possibly be, tied 0-0 tensions strained, and tempers flared as each team traded physical play and numerous hard fouls.  The Rage had many opportunities to break open the game early, firing 11 shots on goal in the first half, but were turned away each time.

As tensions built on the field, the atmosphere in the stands, created by the largest crowd of the season, became nothing short of electric despite the chance of rain.

The second half began with a flare, as the Clarets took control and fired shot after shot at Rage goalie Jeremey Vuolo. It was the Rage who struck first though, as Jon Ports dribbled up the left side of the pitch.  Ports got as close as he could to Clarets goalie Akina Fitzgerald before centering a picture perfect pass to forward Aaron Wheeler for his league leading 17th goal of the season in the 57th minute.

Cary did not allow Reading to remain joyous for long though as in the 61st minute Clarets midfielder Tommy Drake navigated through a scrum in front of the goal and headed in a corner kick to tie the game at 1-1.  The game then began to take an ugly turn.

Clarets midfielder Tyler Lassiter was ejected from the game in 68th minute after punching Rage midfielder Evans Frimpong in the throat.  Lassiter did not go quietly, letting the officials know just what he thought of their call before leaving the stadium.

Numerous hard tackles and cautions later, Rage coach Brendan Burke got his own early trip to the locker room as he was tossed in the 85th minute for throwing his cups of water to the ground and telling the 4th official that he missed a call on a night the officials seemed determined to make both teams pay for their physical play, by missing many calls, making ample obviously “make up” calls and not taking control of the game when it was getting out of control. 

After Burke’s ejection and many other long stoppages in play, the officials granted the teams five minutes of stoppage time to decide the affair before overtime.  The Clarets did not waste the opportunity either, as midfielder Christian Ibeagha took a free kick and stuffed it home just before the stoppage time ran out, giving the Clarets a 2-1 lead, leaving fans and players alike dazed and shocked at the outcome.

2009 Regular Season PDL National Champions

Sunday night as the final minutes ticked off the clock, the Reading Rage celebrated something they had never been able to claim before in their history: a regular season national championship.  Players, coaches, and fans alike knew that something special had been accomplished by the PDL’s best team of 2009, bringing a chorus of cheers as “We Are the Champions” pumped through the stadium’s sound system.   The 3-1 win over the Fredericksburg Gunners capped off an exhilarating season, in which the Rage knew they were true champions.

The night started off on the right foot, that is the right foot of Rage midfielder Adam Gazda, as he gathered in a deflected shot by Jon Ports.  Gunners’ goal keeper Ken Manahan blocked the initial shot off a corner kick but the rebound found the steady foot Gazda who immediately deposited a shot of his own into the back of the net, giving the Rage a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute of play.

Gazda did not stay quiet for long either, waiting only until the 31st minute to break open up the left side of the pitch.  He then spotted Aarron Wheeler streaking up the middle and passed off to his forward who did what he has done all season long, reeling in his league- leading 16th goal of the season, giving the Rage all they would need to wrap up the title.

The Gunners gave the Rage faithful a scare in the 62nd minute as Josh West headed in a rebound off the cross bar.  Fredericksburg had been garnering momentum since the 34th minute though when Manahan stuffed two shots off a Wheeler penalty kick.  The tide seemed to be turning but Jimmy Taranto put those fears to rest.  Taranto took a beautiful feed from Ports in the 76th minute and kicked in his 5th goal in the past two games, all but ending hopes of the upset minded Gunners.

Reading’s Fan Appreciation Night brought one of the largest crowds of the season to watch the title-claiming performance.  The group of players, who they watched Sunday, earned this title through hard work and determination, never giving up or giving in, even when the road was not the easiest.  The champions will start anew Saturday night at 7:30pm against either the Cary Clarets or Carolina Dynamo in their first round playoff game. 

Regular SEason Finale Friday 7-17 & Sunday 7-19

The Rage have two remaining regular season games this weekend.  If the Rage win both of these games, they have the potential to win the Regular Season National Title and earn the #1 seed in the country.  It will be a close battle between the Rage, Kitsap Pumas (Washington State), and the Ottawa Fury (Canada).  The Rage are currently in 3rd place in the nation (out of 67 teams), with two games remaining.

This weekend, the Rage will be hosting the Virginia Legacy Friday night at 7:00 where it will be Relay for Life Night and Mascot Mania Night.  We are fundraising for local Relay for Life Teams, and we also want the Reading area to come on out and support the areas 2nd oldest mascot Toro!

Sunday is the season finale against Fredericksburg Gunners and is also Fan Appreciation Night.  We will have giveaways for the 1st 200 fans in attendance and will also be giving away LOTS of free food and prizes throughout the night.  Also, the Ozzy's Moon Bounce will be FREE on Sunday for all of the kids 10 and under!

So far this year the Reading Rage have helped raise over $5000 for charities and local organizations and our 7-10-09 Rage Against Hunger helped collect over 150 pounds of food for the Greater Berks Food Bank

Lastly, we encourage everyone to watch BCTV Monday night at 9:30PM for our monthly live call-in show, the Reading Rage Soccer Scene.  We will be recapping the regular season and will also be updating everyone on the date, time, opponent for the Rage's 1st round divisional playoff game. This program is shown live on the third Monday of every month at 9:30 p.m. BCTV is on Channel 13 on Comcast and Channel 19 on Service Electric Cablevision. The show replays on: Wednesday @ 11:30 AM, Friday @ 4:30 PM, Sunday @ 1:30 PM.

Rage Clinch Mid-Atlantic Division Regular Season Title

READING, PA – The Rage were adjusting to a 3-5-2 formation in the beginning of Wednesday’s match against the Royals but adapted quickly, downing the Northern Virginians 4-0 by the final whistle.

The recent additions of US U20 Men’s National Teamers Andrew Wenger and Zarek Valentin paid dividends as the Rage jumped out to a 2-0 lead with an Adam Welch (Hogan assist) goal in the third minute and an Adam Gazda (Taranto assist) tally in the 12th minute.

The Rage controlled the possession and play for the middle part of the half before adding goals in the 32nd minute (Wheeler goal, Quinn assist) and the 39th minute blast by Jimmy Taranto (Wenger assist).

The Rage dominated both sides of the ball in the first half, outshooting the NV Royals 8-0.

As the second half got underway the Rage quickly reasserted themselves and once again dictated play.

The Rage stretched the Royals and maintained possession and pressure. The Royals best opportunity of the day came and went as, Rage keeper Jeremy Vuolo parried away a one-on-one shot to preserve the clean sheet and win for the Rage.

The win secured the Rage’s second straight Mid Atlantic Division regular season crown and the No. 1 seed for the July 24-26 PDL Divisional Playoff. The Mid Atlantic Divisional Playoff will be hosted by the Rage with the date, time and opponent to be determined.

AAron Wheeler Named to PDL Team of the Week

Rage forward Aaron Wheeler was named to the PDL team of the week for his 4 goal performance in the Rage's 5-1 June 21 victory over the VA Legacy.  Wheeler is now 2nd in points throughout the PDL.  The Rage have now had a player named to the team of the week for the past 5 weeks.  Check out the USL article by clicking here.

Rage Rebound Against VA Legacy

On Friday night June 19, the Reading Rage suffered their first loss of the season, in painful fashion after an injury time winner gave the poised and plucky Hampton Roads Pirahnas a 1-0 win.  Less than 48 hours after the first loss of 2009, the Rage returned to action against the Virginia Legacy.  The teams traded punches in the first 15 minutes, with the Legacy equalizing Evans Frimpong’s 13th minute strike with a 16th minute goal of their own (Clair).  Soon thereafter the Rage took charge and returned to the form expected of them.  Aaron Wheeler was a one man wrecking machine as he dismantled the Legacy backline and exploded for four goals in the first half!

Wheeler tallied a penalty kick goal in the 25th minute after Rage midfielder Jon Ports was tackled in the box.  Wheeler followed up his penalty kick goal with two consecutive headers, one off of an Adam Gazda cross (39th minute) and another off a Josh Bienenfeld cross (40th  minute).  He finished the half with a beautiful individual effort from the top of the penalty area where he beat several defenders and launched a scorcher into the far corner of the net for his 4th tally of the half and a deserved Reading Rage 5-1 lead.  After the break the Rage rested Wheeler and a few other starters and began preparations for their Friday night home matchup against the West Virginia Chaos.  With the 5-1 win, the Rage reconfirm their hold on 1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division.  They are now three points clear of the Cary Clarets who defeated the Hampton Roads Pirahnas Sunday night.

.

Evans Frimpong Named to PDL Team of The Week

The Reading Rage's Evans Frimpong was named to PDL team of the week for his 2G, 1A weekend (June 13-14).  Congratulations Evans!  Click Here for the complete story.

JUne 13 & 14 Game Previews

The Reading Rage return to action June 13 & June 14 for their home rematches against the Carolina Dynamo and the Cary Clarets.  The 1st place Rage are only three points clear of 2nd place Cary, and five points clear of 3rd place Carolina in the Mid-Atlantic Division standings.  This weekend will prove to be crucial for all three sides.  The Rage defeated both Carolina and Cary in their May 22 & 24 matchups.

Saturday June 13 is Cancer Awareness Night at the Rage.  The Reading Rage players will be wearing pink official game jerseys that will be auctioned off throughout the game and presented to the highest bidder at the conclusion of the game.  Each player will be “sponsoring” an individual and/or organization affiliated with cancer research and awareness.  All money raised from the jersey auction will be donated to numerous cancer support and research organizations.  Additionally, the Rage Youth Academy have been preselling tickets for the weekend games and 50% of the ticket money sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society.  More than 1 million people are expected to be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2009; an astounding 560,000 (over 1,500 per day) people are projected to die from the disease this year alone.  In fact, Pennsylvania is the fifth leading state for diagnosis in the nation with an astronomical 74.170 new cases likely. The National Institute of Health expects that America will spend of $228.1 billion fighting, treating, and researching cures for this combination of deadly diseases.  Cancer awareness is of utmost importance to the Reading Rage family as former team founder, coach, and general manager Paul “Archie” Moylan passed away in 2000 due to his battle with cancer.  Kickoff for Cancer Awareness Night is at 7:00PM

With less than 24 hours rest, the Rage return to the field Sunday June 14 at 6:00PM to square off against the Cary Clarets for the Rage’s Faith and Family Night.  The Reading Rage will be “tithing” 10% of the Sunday ticket money to the largest church group in attendance.  Additionally the Rage will feature Rick Wagner and his Disc Dogs (www.discdogdemos.com) at halftime.  Rick and his dogs have performed for many sports teams and TV programs including Penn State University, US Naval Academy, Late Show w/ David Letterman to name a few.  It promises to be a fun family night to remember.

Harrisburg to Host Reading in US Open Cup 1st Round

The Reading Rage fell to a strong Harrisburg City Islanders side 4-1 in their US Open Cup First Round Game.  For the game match report please click here.

The Rage and City Islanders are 2 of 40 total teams to qualify for the 2009 edition of the US Open Cup.  The US Open Cup will be comprised of 8 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, 8 USL 1st Division teams, 8 USL 2nd Division teams, 8 USL PDL teams, and 8 United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) teams.  The 8 MLS teams join the US Open Cup brackets in the 3rd round.  More information on the US Open Cup and the brackets can be found at www.usopencup.com.  More information on the Reading Rage and the Harrisburg City Islanders can be found on the United Soccer Leagues website www.uslsoccer.com. 

aMAYzing finish to the may schedule

After a strenuous May schedule that saw the scorching Reading Rage play 5 games in 12 days (4 games on the road), the team is off to the best start in team history (5-0-1), and looking for some cool down time.  While the next league match  (June 13 vs. Carolina) is nearly two weeks away, the Rage won’t have much time to rest as they must get prepared for USL2 power Harrisburg City Islanders in the June 9 U.S. Open Cup first round game.  After a 3-2 Friday night thriller against West Virginia, the Rage players were not too excited to hit the road again to tackle the Fredericksburg Gunners for a Sunday game to finish the first 1/3 of the 2009 campaign.  After a bit of a pregame mix-up left the Rage looking blue (literally, as they were forced to wear their blue warmup tees for the game), they quickly forgot about all travel and uniform woes and promptly set about to disarming the Gunners.  In a game that could have easily resulted in 7-8 goals for the Rage (a missed PK and several point blank opportunities sent wide), they were happy to keep a clean sheet in their 5-0 throttling of the Fredericksburg side.

While conceding some soft goals has been the only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the 2009 Rage season, you would have never guessed it Sunday night, as it was the Rage defense that starred in all aspects of the game.  In addition to the clean sheet, Rage defenders figured prominently in the evening’s scoring festivities as well.  Right back Adam Welch had two goals, and left back (and game MVP) Josh Bienenfeld made numerous great runs down the left flank, creating additional opportunities for the Rage offense.  Josh did not let a single Fredericksburg forward get past him with the ball.

Once again, Rage scoring leader Adam Gazda showed his “goal”den touch as he opened the night’s scoring with a 24th minute goal off of a great feed from fellow midfielder Jon Ports.  It was Adam’s 3rd goal on the weekend!  In the 44th minute, defender Adam Welsh scored a header off of a Stephen Hogan corner kick. Jon Ports again made a great pass to assist Aaron Wheeler in his 45th minute goal and a deserved 3-0 lead for the Rage.

The second half started the same as the first ended, with the Rage scoring and the Fredericksburg faithful singing the blues.  Adam Welch scored his 2nd of the night in the 47th minute off of a Jon Ports corner that was flicked on by Aaron Wheeler.  While the Rage defense continued to dominate any semblance of Fredericksburg attack, the Rage subs made an impact, culminating with Dawyne Smith’s 87th minute goal off of a Mario Vila Boa assist, to complete the 5-0 rout.

With the win, the Rage close out May with an impressive 5-0-1 start to the season.  Unlike the 2008 Eastern Conference Championship season where it was the Rage defense carrying the team, the Rage offense is now carrying their share of the load, with the Rage scoring 3 or more goals in 5 of the first 6 games of 2009.  Their 21 goals on the season have them tied with the Newark Ironbound Express for the PDL lead in goals scored.  With 16 points, the first place Rage are 8 points clear of second place Carolina in the PDL’s Mid Atlantic Division.

The Rage’s next game is the U.S. Open Cup 1st round against the Harrisburg City Islanders, June 9, 2009.

United Soccer Leagues PDL Website:  http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/

Wild In West Virginia

In a game in which 23 fouls and 4 cautions seemed to set the tone for the evening, the Rage were able to match the physical style of play favored by West Virginia and secure a deserved road win.

After a 7+ hour road trip, the Rage were bound to suffer from some bus lag against the physical West Virginia Chaos. It surely showed as the Chaos quickly pounced on some sloppy Rage defending in the 6th minute when Jamie Davis crushed home a 20 yard blast. Throughout the rest of the first half the Rage started to gain their legs and applied constant pressure on the Chaos defense. Chaos GK Adam Mitchell made several brilliant point blank saves to maintain a 1-0 halftime lead for his team.

At the start of the 2nd half the Rage started to show their class led by  PDL player of the week Adam Gazda. In the 59th minute Gazda created some space for a hard shot from the top of the penalty area and Chaos goalkeeper Mitchell was unable to control the rebound and Rage defender Ged Quinn was able to slot home the tying goal. The Rage continued to dominate but WV wasn't about to go quietly into the night. In the 62nd minute Rage GK Jeremy Vuolo made an incredible stop on a WV counter which allowed the Rage to possess and create an opportunity of their own. After WV defender Vick Harrison was issued a caution after a Chaos foul, Adam Gazda stepped up to take the free kick. From 22 yards out Gazda deposited a majestic goal to give the Rage the 2-1 lead in the 67th minute. With under 10 minutes to play Rage workhorse midfielder Jason Yeisley outhustled his midfield opponent and planted a perfectly headed through ball into the path of Gazda whose pace tied the Chaos defender in knots and he cheekily poked a short side goal into the back of the Chaos goal for a 3-1 lead (82nd minute). Undaunted, the Chaos continued to pressure and a Ryan Messick 86th minute miskick cross caught the Rage defense out and found the back of the net and cut the score to 3-2. The Rage made some tactical substitutions and were able to slow the pace and kill off the remaining time to hang on to the deserved 3-2 road win.

The Rage return to action Sunday on the road against Fredericksburg.

week 8 weekend preview

The Rage (3-0-1) head to Charleston, West Virginia on Friday to face the West Virginia Chaos (1-1-3).  The Chaos and the Rage last played each other in 2007 when the Rage and West Virginia were both part of the Northeast Division of the PDL.  While the Rage have been dominating teams recently, the Chaos have quietly been putting together a decent run of success on the road against the staunch Mid-Atlantic Division competition.  The Rage and Chaos kickoff Friday night at 7:30PM at West Virginia’s Schoenbaum Stadium.

On Sunday May 31, the Rage look to wrap up a successful May as they tackle the tough Fredericksburg Gunners.  In 2008 the Rage clinched the Mid-Atlantic Division title with their July road win against Fredericksburg.  The Gunners sit in 3rd place (2-1-1) with 7 points, 3 shy of the Division leading Rage (10 points).

The Rage welcome back 2008 captain Stephen Hogan to the weekend lineup, along with 2008 All Conference nominee Jimmy Taranto.  “The experience of Jimmy and Stephen will be crucial to keep the boys focused this weekend.  After the fast start of the team, we need to remain focused on the task at hand, and that is to garner as many points possible on the road.”, stated team advisor Troy Snyder.  The Rage will be looking to finish the first month of the season extending their division lead in the very tough Mid-Atlantic Division of the PDL.

adam gazda named week 7 pdl player of the week

The Reading Rage are in the news again.  The United Soccer Leagues released their Week 7 Team of the Week and it was highlighted with the Reading Rage’s Adam Gazda once again being named PDL Player of the Week.  Adam was named to the 2008 PDL All-League team, and his return to the 2009 squad paid immediate dividends as he scored 3 goals in his first three games, and helped the Rage secure their U.S. Open Cup berth.  Check out the United Soccer Leagues website for more details on Adam and the PDL Team of the Week.  Click HERE to read the full story!  Congratulations Adam!

Rage Crush the Clarets

It was sweet music to the ears of the Rage faithful when the final whistle blew Sunday night in Cary.  Not only did the Reading Rage earn a road trip sweep in North Carolina Memorial Day weekend, but they did it in memorial style, shutting out the hard charging Clarets 4-0.  With 9 total goals on the weekend the Rage emphatically punched their ticket to the first round of the prestigious U.S. Open Cup.  The Rage are the ONLY local team to qualify for the US Open Cup.

The Rage opened their scoring Sunday night in the 9th minute after powerful Rage striker Aaron Wheeler was taken down inside the Cary box, resulting in a well deserved penalty kick.  Dawyne Smith calmly slotted home the spot kick for a quick 1-0 lead, and the Rage never looked back.  Soon thereafter Aaron Wheeler was moving again and took a tally for himself, unassisted, for a 2-0 lead.  Later in the 1st half a pretty give and go from Jon Ports to Adam Gazda resulted in the second 3-0 halftime lead in two games.  It was Adam Gazda’s 3rd goal in as many games for the Rage.

After the break, the Clarets showed some spark and put some real pressure on the Rage defense.  But the Rage defense wasn’t about to let the offense steal the show and goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo and central defender Ged Quinn held the defense tight and held the Clarets in check.  2/3rds of the way through the 2nd half Dawyne Smith again found himself with a great opportunity and forced the Clarets goalkeeper to make a good initial stop, but Rage midfielder Luke Mulholland quickly pounced on the loose ball and slotted home for an insurmountable 4-0 lead.  The goal left the Clarets players and staff seeing red, literally, as Clarets defender El Hadj Cisse was issued a red card in the 81st minute, and soon thereafter in the 87th minute Claret coach Dewan Bader received his marching orders after the 2nd red card for the visibly frustrated Clarets.

Rage G.M. Art Auchenbach stated, “While a lot of the local talk by the Naysayers & Pub Soccer Leagues and teams is how they may have ‘more attractive’ soccer and more ‘local players’, it’s hard to argue with a 3-0-1 start and an Open Cup berth.  Obviously we have a lot more to prove as there’s a lot of season left, but after 12 goals in 3 games Coach Burke and I are very pleased with how things are coming together.  We look forward to the potential for hosting a U.S. Open Cup game and further demonstrating to the Reading area, and the region, why the PDL is hands down the best pro-am soccer in the nation.”  With the win the Rage qualify for their first US Open cup spot since 2003.  As one of eight PDL clubs and only 1 of 40 total teams to qualify, the Rage is among elite company.  Final pairings for the first round will be released May 27th and more details and information can be found on the U.S. Open Cup website at http://www.usopencup.com/index.html.

Reading Rage Offensive MVP: Aaron Wheeler

Reading Rage Defensive MVP:  Jeremy Vuolo

Game MVP:  Aaron Wheeler

History of the U.S. Open Cup:  http://www.usopencup.com/home/55786.html

U.S. Open Cup bracket:  http://www.usopencup.com/2005bracket/index_E.html

United Soccer Leagues PDL Website:  http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/

Rage are Dynamite against the Dynamo

The Carolina Dynamo’s history, and recent prowess within the PDL ranks had most of the Mid-Atlantic Division a bit scared when they (along with Cary Clarets) were introduced as the newest members of the already strong division.  Carolina was the 2006 PDL Regular Season champions and this year they are expected to continue that success.  Needless to say the Reading Rage, relative newcomers to success on the pitch, were a bit shocked when they found out at the league meetings that not only would they have to play Cary/Carolina in one weekend, but also have the road trip represent two of their four US Open Cup qualifiers.

Thanks to a new crop of talent sprinkled with some team veterans, the Rage players were able to endure a long drive, and not show any fear when they took to the field for the 7:30PM kickoff at Carolina’s Bryan Park.  The first half of the game showed the blend of the new with the old as the Rage entered the locker rooms with a 2-0 lead.  The first goal was a brilliant Jason Yeisley (Penn State University) header off a Dawyne Smith (Bethel College) assist, with an astonishing Adam Gazda (Lehigh University) 30 yard blast to add to the tally.

The Rage came out in the second half showing no mercy as Jon Ports (York College) planted a highlight reel diving header off of a Jason Yeisley cross.  With about ten minutes left in the game, and the Rage starting to make a couple tactical substitutions, the Dynamo scored two back to back goals to cut the lead to 3-2.  As the Dynamo were pressing for the equalizer, Rage veteran Pat Stanco (Albright College Head Coach) deposited the 4th goal off a Mario Vila Boa (Bethel College) assist.  In the last few minutes of the game Jason Yeisly assisted again on a Mario Vila Boa goal to finish the job 5-2. 

With the win, the Rage improves their chances for advancing in the US Open Cup Tournament. If Reading wins their Sunday game against Cary Clarets, they will clinch a spot in the Open Cup for the first time since they were a professional club (Pro Soccer League) back in 2003.

Reading Rage Offensive MVP's: Jason Yeisley/Adam Gazda

Reading Rage Defensive MVP's:  Ged Quinn/Darren O’Connor

Game MVP:  Jason Yeisley (1 goal, 2 assists)

rage Youth soccer night a rousing success!

Reading Rage G.M. Art Auchenbach, RBJSL Registrar Jim Christian, Rage Youth Academy Board Member Paul Yacowbowsky, Reading Rage Technical Advisor Troy Snyder at Youth Soccer Night kickoff with official UMBRO PDL League ball and Reading Rage mascot TORO!

TORO shows his appreciation to Rage Brigade fan club contest winner Christopher Ku and his father James Ku at halftime

The 420 plus fans in attendance Wednesday night May 20 were happy with the action on the pitch as were the Rage players happy with the vocal support of the numerous youth players in attendance. The youth players in attendance with the Rage Brigade faithful cheered on the Reading Rage squad in a come from behind 3-2 win.  Ten RBJSL clubs were in attendance at the game, with Governor Mifflin Soccer Club having the largest representation on the night.   Overall there were over 25 different youth teams in attendance.  Marc Miller, a Conrad Weiser youth soccer coach, expressed his thoughts on the Youth Soccer Night and the Reading Rage when he stated, "Without a doubt the Reading Rage PDL team is the best team around.  Grant (Marc's son) can't wait to come back to more games."  We're sure everyone would echo Marc's sentiments!  The Reading Rage are the premier pro-am team in the region.  This is why the Reading Rage has attracted so many of the top national and international talent to Reading to play alongside local stars like Tyler Witmer, Corey Hertzog, Geoff Pezon, and more.  Team advisor Troy Snyder (a former U.S. Mens National Team player) states, "It's a great opportunity for our local boys to be able to be on the field with so many other world class soccer athletes.  The experience for them playing with Jamaican, Kenyan, Irish, English, Ghanaian, and Bermuda internationals will only enhance their collegiate and professional prospects."

Rage defender Adam Welsh clears the ball away

The Rage travel to Carolina Memorial Day weekend for a Friday matchup against division leaders Carolina Dynamo and a Sunday game against the Cary Clarets.  With two wins the Rage would guarantee themselves a spot in the next round of the prestigious U.S. Open Cup.

Video highlights of game available on USL LIVE!

For more information on the May 20 game against Hampton Roads, click here.

Royal Reading Duel

The Reading Rage kicked off the 2009 season at Exeter’s Don Thomas Stadium Saturday May 9 against Premier Development League (PDL) foe, Northern Virginia.  The game was a story of two halves, with the Rage dominating the first set and their counterparts, the Royals, taking the second stanza.  The duel ended as it started, in a dead-even tie (1-1).

The Rage opened their season on a high note in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd that included members of the Sons of Ben (Philly 2010 supporters club), Exeter H.S. band, and the NEW Rage Brigade fan club. Using stifling defense and a goal in the 39th minute by Aaron Wheeler (assist by Jon Ports), the Rage commanded first half play.  Northern Virginia was physically overmatched and could not manage one shot on goal in the half.

After the break, the Royals came out rejuvenated.  Their play improved phenomenally against a visibly fatigued Rage team.  The turnaround was capped by Joe Barnd’s goal (assist Matt Brady) in the 63rd minute of play.

“This was a game we should have won tonight,” said Rage Coach Brendan Burke. “We saw that with the quality of play in the first half…I have to give credit to Northern Virginia for not giving up.”

The large crowd of nearly 600, which filled Don Thomas Stadium’s bleachers, was treated to a surprise entrance before the game.  Toro the Bull, the Rage’s furry mascot, entered from stage left in a Majesty Coach & Tours limousine, drawing cheers of “Let’s go, Rage!”

Even though they were outplayed in the second half, the Rage had a chance to win in the 82nd minute of the second half.  Corey Hertzog (Antietam H.S./Penn State University) streaked down the right side of the field and took a feed on a one-timer, firing to the right side of the goal.  Cheers rose from the stands as fans believed that Hertzog had scored his first goal of the season, but the officials signaled that the ball had gone off to the right and had not actually entered the goal, wiping the score off the board and leaving the game tied. 

As part of the home opener Rage Against C.F., the Reading Rage was able to raise nearly $1000 for Cystic Fybrosis research.  The Rage’s next game will bring the Piranha’s of Hampton Roads May 20th.  It will be “Youth Soccer Night,” at the park and all youth players wearing their jersey will receive a $2 discount on admission.

rage on the radio!

The Reading Rage will be featured on the Thursday May 7 talk show, ‘Feedback’ with 830AM WEEU radio personality Mike Faust. Be sure to tune in between 11:00-12:00 Thursday morning to hear more about the upcoming Rage season and call-in to talk with Rage players and staff. This radio appearance is sponsored by Quality Plumbing Solutions. 

At 12:30PM Thursday May 7, the Reading Rage is holding their annual ‘Giorgio Foods-Reading Rage Press Conference’. This press conference is open to all Rage Sponsors and Media. This year’s Press Conference will be held 12:30-2:00 at the offices of Keller-Williams Realty Elite at 2213 Quarry Drive, Suite 201, West Lawn, Pa 19609. Light refreshments will be served and 2009 Reading Rage players and staff will be available for questions, interviews, and autographs. Refreshments will be served 12:30-1:00 with a 1:00 start for the press conference. Seating is limited so RSVP’s are appreciated.  Please RSVP to Troy Snyder by clicking HERE.

rage home opener saturday may 9!

The Reading Rage PDL season opener is Saturday May 9, 2009 at 7:00pm against the Northern Virginia Royals.  The home opener is Rage against Cystic Fibrosis (C.F.) and Soccer Coaches Night.  The Reading Rage is working with local CF Foundation members to sell game tickets to raise money to battle this disease.  Cindy Fortunato, a local C.F. Foundation member, joined Rage G.M. Art Auchenbach via phone on the April 20 Reading Rage Soccer Scene TV show (on BCTV) to describe how the CF Foundation and the Wilson Jr. Soccer Club have partnered to set a goal of selling 1200 Reading Rage game tickets.  The Rage’s own mascot, Toro, appeared at a Wilson Jr. Soccer Club team meeting to drum up support for the Rage Against C.F. Night.  The Reading Rage will be donating 50% of the ticket revenue sold for the May 9 game to the C.F. Foundation.  If interested in purchasing Rage Against C.F. Night tickets, feel free in contacting Cindy Fortunato (cindy.f@comcast.net) or Heather Christie (heatherandtroy@comcast.net) for more information.  For more information about C.F., please check out the website www.cff.org.  In addition to the Rage Against C.F. Night, the May 9 home opener is also Soccer Coaches night.  Any soccer coach who shows their USSF license or NSCAA membership ID will get in FREE!

Check the Reading Rage 2009 schedule by clicking HERE.

Vancouver Whitecaps sign Tyrell Burgess

Click here for the full story

2008 eastern conference champions!