The Virginia Legacy would like to congratulate the U17 Wizards on their amazing run to the State Cup Final Four.  Coached by Carey Aliff, the Wizards battled from the round of 32 all the way to the semi-finals before falling to the eventual state champions, the Arlington Strikers.  Arlington is currently ranked #6 in the nation and is a regional finalist.  In the semi-final match, the Wizards went into the half tied 1-1, with the goal coming from Christian Murphy, but were unable to hold off the Strikers attack in the 2nd half.  

Goalkeeper Luke Pfeifer had this to say about his team, "I knew that from day one of tryouts that this team would be very successful. Making it to the final four of the State Cup proved this to be true as we worked together as not only a team, but as a family.  In the quarter final game against the Strikers, the feeling that came with winning, to make it to the semi-finals, was an unforgettable one. As we prepared for the semi-final game against Arlington, we knew they would be a tough team and we would have to come out 100%.  Even though the final score didn’t reflect it, we played hard as a team and we were proud of our performance on the field. At the beginning of the season, we had set a goal to make it to the final four and we are excited to say we have accomplished that goal."

Throughout the tournament the Wizards showed an extraordinary amount of class, poise, and competitive fire.  Coach Aliff said of his team, "The U17 Wizards are a committed group of players that train to get better every session and compete to win every game.  We have a team motto that "average is not good enough", meaning that every player strives to get better and works to achieve team goals and we do not settle for giving less than our best.  This attitude has enabled the team to be more than the sum of its individual players and become a legitimate team with the potential to continue improving."

Congratulations to the Wizards for all of their success this season and best of luck in next year’s State Cup tournament! 

Round of 32

VLSC - 2 : ABGC United - 0

Sweet Sixteen

VLSC - 2 : Team America FC - 1

Elite Eight

VLSC - 6 : Richmond Strikers 1

Final Four

VLSC - 1 : Arlington FC - 5