Mahaska United Wins Now And Dreams For The Future

Academy Tournament (9-24-2011) Left to Right - Front row, #8 Isaac Semini, #5 Marcus Corcoran, #25 Carson- G-Force-Genskow - Back., #88 Jared Mccrea, #17 Carson Breaon, #10 Ethan Olivas, #21 Josh-Bulldog-Huedepohl, #14 Damian Corcoran, Landon-Keep-Hunolt Coach...Loren Lammers (photo submitted)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – With the determination to win, the young players from the Mahaska United Soccer team look to not only the soccer goal in front of them, but a goal in the future.

The team plays at the U10 (9 years old and under) level, and they have recently traveled to Des Moines where the U10 and U9 academy tournaments were held.

Coach Loren Lammers helped explain the difference between recreation level and academy level “We got invited to go to the academy even though we’re at the rec division.”

The ten member team took on the two day tournament beating their first opponent from Ankeny 13-0. In their second match, they faced a team from Johnston winning over them 6-3. During the tourney they also faced a Des Moines Menace Club team winning over them 16-0, and earning them a spot in the championship on that Sunday. There they took on a team from Valley, winning 2-0. “So at that point, we would have captured the title or the tournament,” Coach Lammers said of his teams efforts.

They have also won the Iowa Games at the U9 level. This group has been playing together for two full years, but Coach Lammers says he’s coached most of them since they were 5. “We play at the U10 level even though most of these kids could be playing at the U8, they’re already playing up a level,” Lammers stated about how his team is performing.

The group travels all over the state and also to Illinois to take part in tournaments. The one in Illinois was made up of mostly select teams from Chicago, Indiana and Peoria. The Mahaska United was the only Iowa team to play in that tournament.

Lammers says his interest in soccer goes back to his high school days where he played. Lammers, who works for Mahaska Bottling, was encouraged by his employer to be involved with a charity or community group or event. “So I started coaching here at the Mahaska County Soccer Club probably 9 years ago.”

“It’s 7 years from now, by the time this group gets to high school we plan on winning the state championship,” Coach Lammers says of the goal of the players, parents, and those who help the team including coaches.

A lofty plan and goal for a group of players, some as young as 6 to look to the future and say, ‘we want that.’ “As long as they’re willing to just keep on working, there’s no limit, as long as the efforts there,” Lammers said of his team.

Here are some stats from the teams effort this year:

Mahaska United 16…Fairfield A 0
Mahaska United 18…Fairfield B 0
Mahaska United 12…Fairfield C 0
Mahaska United 10…Washington 0
Mahaska United 11…Albia 1
Mahaska United 13…Ankeny 0
Mahaska United 6…Johnston 3
Mahaska United 16…Dsm Menace 0
Mahaska United 2…West Dsm/Valley 0

The team has outscored their opponents 104 to 4 this season. The team individual totals are as follows:

Mccrea 33
Olivas 20
Semini 18
Genskow 10
Marcus C 7
Hoffman 6
Damian C 6
Breon 1
Huedepohl 1
Hunolt 1
Salevsky 1