Sonoma County Sol
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| Full name | Sonoma County Sol Soccer Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Sol | ||
| Founded | 2004 | ||
| Stadium |
Santa Rosa High School Santa Rosa, California | ||
| President | Greg Volker | ||
| Head Coach | Vincent Cortezzo | ||
| League | National Premier Soccer League | ||
| 2013 |
1st, Golden Gate Conference Playoffs: Championship Final | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
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Sonoma County Sol is an American soccer team based in Santa Rosa, California, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the West Region, Golden Gate Conference.
The team plays its home games at Cougar Stadium on the campus of Rancho Cotate High School in nearby Rohnert Park, California, where they have played since 2012. The team's colors are orange, blue, and white.
The team has a sister organization, also called Sonoma County Sol, which plays in the Women's Premier Soccer League.
History
After the 2004 season, the MPSL disbanded but a new men's league, the National Premier Soccer League, replaced the previous league and expanded on the territory of the MPSL by adding a Midwestern Division. The Sol was one of the founding clubs of the NPSL, specifically in the Western Division. Like the NPSL and its member clubs, the Sol falls under the auspices of the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
In 2005, the Sol finished second in the Western Division in the regular season standings, 3 points behind the Sacramento Knights, attaining the number 2 seed in the NPSL West playoffs. In the Western Division playoffs, the Sol beat the number 3 seed Chico Rooks at home in the semifinals and then traveled to Sacramento to face the Knights in the NPSL West Championship Game. The Sol triumphed over the Knights in a hard fought match at the soccer stadium at Sacramento State University, garnering the NPSL West Championship. The Sol then hosted Midwest Champion Detroit Arsenal for the inaugural NPSL National Championship game in Santa Rosa, California.
Also in 2005, the Sol qualified as one of three NPSL West representatives for the Region IV U.S. Open Cup (U.S. Open Cup Website qualifying tournament, where the Sol won its group and then went on to beat the Salinas Valley Samba for the tournament championship and a spot in the USASA National Open Cup. The Sol would later meet the Samba in Santa Rosa in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup itself. At the USASA National Open Cup in the August heat of Frisco, Texas, in the semifinals the Sol faced the AAC Eagles of Chicago who prevailed 2-1. With this result, the Sol's 2005 campaign came to an end.
In 2006 however, the Sol bounced back and prevailed in the USASA Open Cup. It started with a road trip to Seattle for the Region VI championships. The Sol beat out the Chico Rooks (NPSL) in group play to advance to the finals, where they defeated the Suaharos (sp?) 2-1 in the finals. Beto Sanchez, the back up goalkeeper, was subbed on as a forward due to injuries in the 80th minute, and netted the game winner in the 85th minute on a diving header. The Sol then traveled to Frisco, TX for the national finals where they defeated the heavily favored (and overrated) home side Dallas Roma FC 3-2 in double over time. They then went on to defeat the Lightning (Chicago) 1-0 in the finals to claim the USASA National open cup championship.
In 2013, following a first-place finish in the Golden Gate Conference during the regular season, the Sol would advance through the playoffs to the NPSL Championship Final, visiting RVA Football Club, but losing 2-0.[1]
Players
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 | MPSL | 6th | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2005 | 4 | NPSL | 2nd, Western | Final | 1st Round |
| 2006 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Northwest | Did not qualify | 2nd Round |
| 2007 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Northwest | Semi Final | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Northwest | Semi Final | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Western | Champions | 2nd Round |
| 2010 | 4 | NPSL | 5th, Northwest | Did not qualify | 1st Round |
| 2011 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, West-Northern | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2012 | 4 | NPSL | 2nd, West-Northern | Conference Final | Did not qualify |
| 2013 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Golden Gate | Final | Did not qualify |
| 2014 | 4 | NPSL | 2nd, Golden Gate | Regional Final | Did not qualify |
| 2015 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Golden Gate | Regional Semi Final | 2nd Round |
Honors
Domestic
- National Premier Soccer League
- Winners (1): 2009
- Northwest Division (NPSL):
- Winners (3): 2007, 2008, 2009
- Golden Gate Conference (NPSL):
- Winners (1): 2013
Head coaches
- UAS Hugo PEREZ (2004)
- USA David Shaffer (2005-2006)
-
Benjamin Ziemer (2007–2011) - Mark Carr (2012)
- Vincent Cortezzo (2012-present)
Stadia
- Ernie Nevers Field at Santa Rosa High School; Santa Rosa, California (2004–2010), (2016–present)
- Seawolf Stadium at Sonoma State University; Rohnert Park, California (2011)
- Cougar Stadium at Rancho Cotate High School; Rohnert Park, California (2012-2015)
Average attendance
~400
References
- ↑ "RVA FC WINS IT ALL". NationalPremierSoccerLeague.com. August 5, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
External links
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