Terrill Cup Finals : Hawks Defeat Reds United FC (WPL) 3-0, Claim 2nd Terrill Cup Title in Team History
(Gaithersburg, MD - 12 PM, Bretton Woods Country Club)
After much deliberation as to whether the game woud be played at RFK stadium, August 3rd at Bretton Woods was confirmed as the location for the 2008 Terrill Cup finals. The Terrill/Blassie Cup is a competition open to all WISL affiliated teams. In the Spring, WPL teams are invited to participate in the Terrill Cup in standing with WPL's longtime affiliation with WISL (the WPL used to be simply the premier division of the WISL, but seperated as a legal entity in 2003). The Terrill/Blassie Cup has been held twice a year since 1982, and it's champions have invariably been the hallmark of top adult amateur teams in the greater DC area for decades. Unable to participate in 2007 due to National Cup committments, the Hawks were eager to repeat as champions and add to an impressive list of championships in 2008.
On a beautiful, atypically dry and sunny August afternoon, the Aegean side set its sights on a Terrill Cup finals clash with WPL rivals, Reds United FC. Reds finished only a point behind the Hawks in Spring 2008 standings and were sure to provide a stiff challenge. The game started with both teams sharing equal amounts of possession, but as the half wore on - possession started to clearly favor the Hawks. Despite several chances from both teams, the halftime whistle blew with no goals being scored.
 The second half was a different story, and the Aegeans began methodically wearing down the Reds defense. The Hawks were able to capitalize on a mistake by Reds keeper in the 60th minute, allowing Justin Bodiya to gobble up the loose ball and score to give the Aegeans a 1-0 advantage. A second goal followed in the 65th minute, when stopper Alan Golden's daring run in the box and subsequent driven cross was smashed home by striker Nate Burkey for a 2-0 lead. With the game in hand, the Hawks were able to add more insurance in the 85th minute, when Nate Adams was fed with a through ball towards goal by center midfielder Watson Vaughan-Prather. Adams deftly elluded the lunging Reds netminder and was able to register the Hawks third and final tally of the game.
A solid effort was turned in by all the Hawks that showed up, in particular considering the absence of some of the teams marquee players, the result provides evidence of the Hawks depth in terms of talent and character. WISL Commissioner, Chip Terrill, provided a history of the Terrill Cup to the lads during the trophy presentation, and thanks were provided by the team to Sportsplex Management for their sponsorship. In a post in the WISL website, Chip Terrill stated:
"In a tough battle between two WPL teams, Aegean Hawks capped its spring 2008 season with a firm 3-0 victory over WPL rival and Fall 2002 Cup holder, Reds United.
This win marks the second Aegean Hawks Cup championship. Trophy hand-off presented by James Lewis player/manager of the Wobblers, a three time Cup winner that lost to Aegean Hawks during the run up to this season's final.
Springfield Motors (managed by Klaus Meiers and formed from players that would eventually compose the Washington Stars APSL team) hold the WISL Cup record of 6 championships followed by Wobblers, World Bank (the former British Bulldogs reincarnated) and by Asterix (led by Howard University's Trinidadian contingency; i.e. David Reid, the brothers Hislop including Shaka, Kona et al, and US players Crawford Tuttle, Keith Martin and CBS Washington correspondent Chip Reid.
For a complete history of the WISL Cup please visit www.wisl.org.
WISL's Cup is named for Charles Terrill and Mike Blassie, the two persons most influencial in WISL Founders Judge D.R. "Chip" Terrill's commitment to building a soccer nation."
The team will wrap up it's spring/summer season next weekend at the Neptune Tourney in Virginia Beach, then take several weeks off prior to the start of the WPL Fall 2008 season in September. |
