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Meet the NEW Dayton Dutch Lions FC

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n115763131772703_358The Dutch Lions Capital Group purchased the license to play professional soccer in the Premier Development League (PDL) of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) in Dayton. The club will also have a Youth Academy in order to develop youth players to professional players. This Academy is based on the Dutch youth development philosophy, ranked worldwide in category 1 according to FIFA.Dutch Lions FC brings an attractive, dominating style of professional soccer – based on the Dutch philosophy – to the community.

There are 18 million soccer players in the USA (the most in the world) and although the Americans dominate almost every sport, there are almost no US players performing at the world’s top level. The Dutch Lion’s feel this is due to a lack of tactical development, something the Dutch school is known for worldwide.

The Dutch Lions FC will start educating kids at the age of seven and develop them eight to ten years to prep them for a professional career in either the USA or Europe. And even if a professional career is out of reach, the quality education will more than likely contribute towards obtaining a soccer scholarship for a college career.
You can help welcome the owner and new players at the Dayton Racquet Club on Friday April 30th  for lunch and a ‘meet and greet’. The cost per person for lunch is $20. RSVP to Lori Luebben at 224-4381 .  Lunch will begin at 11:30am.

Thanks to Lefty, the Gems Play Today.

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The Dayton Gems pt. 2

The Dayton Gems were originally established in 1964 by local business man Edgar “Lefty” McFadden. Discussing the team of that day may sound an awful lot like describing them today, for many similarities exist between that team and the one that now plays for Dayton. The Gems played then where they play now, at Hara Arena, which also opened its doors for the first time in 1964. The original team also played in the International Hockey League.  The IHL similarly folded (though much later), but has been re-established as a new entity carrying on the same name. Though eventually growing to immense size, the IHL was considered a bus league for mostly Midwestern teams who could easily ride a couple hours to each game, which is again true today. The IHL in its current incarnation was once the Colonial Hockey League, a smaller league that adopted the IHL name in 2007.

Blade warms up the crowd before the game.

Blade warms up the crowd before the game.

It’s a wonder all the similarities that exist between the two, but if it has any bearing on the future of the new franchise, it may bode well for the Gems. In the 1968-69 and 1969-70 seasons, they won back to back championships, and again in 1976. They produced several NHL players in that period as well, and frequently filled Hara to capacity for games, with local fans dazzled. The Gems did eventually fall on hard times, as we all know, and folded in 1980, but exactly thirty years later they play for Dayton again.

In their first year they have proved themselves to be competitive in the league. Struggles are expected as the team learns to play together, but they stand only one spot out of playoff contention, with plenty of games left in the season. With John Marks coaching the team, hopefully for years to come, it seems a very likely possibility. Coach Marks left the ECHL as the winningest coach in the League, with 523 wins, and 3 championships to his name since 1993*. Prior to his time there, he coached in the former IHL, with another 240 wins. Most of coach Marks’ professional hockey career was with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he started as a defenseman but eventually changed over to the left wing position, where he scored 129 goals.

During last Saturday’s tribute to Lefty McFadden, Coach Marks spoke in front of a crowd about his own experiences in the NHL and how he coaches his team. He thanked the loyal supporters in Dayton and those who work so tirelessly for the team before discussing how they are fairing so far. He acknowledged they still have some work to do, and discussed in quite a bit of depth how he likes to train his team, giving those present a crash course in basic hockey strategy. Teamwork, he said, was the key to any team’s success. Discussing some of the Gem’s heartbreaking losses this year, which have frequently been only by a difference of one goal, he explained how a team playing together and playing their role can come out victorious. Later on in the evening he recalled that when he was playing in college, a friend of his, who played basketball, discussed the similarities of the games with him. He said the principles of protecting the net were the same; a good defense will make the opposing team shoot from the perimeter. Likewise a good offense can dissect that defense, get in close and make the shot; but only, he stressed, when working together.

The Gems played good defense in last Saturday's 4-2 win against Port Huron

The Gems played good defense in last Saturday's 4-2 win against Port Huron

The night continued on the ice with a pre-game ceremony that honored Lefty McFadden with a banner that will now hang in Hara Arena, as well as distribution of a plaque and flowers to his family members who were in attendance at the game.  After the Star Spangled Banner, the Gems came out fast against Port Huron in the first period.  They struggled for the first five minutes to keep the Icehawks away from their own net, but Dayton then flashed down the rink and scored two goals in less than one minute.  John Ornelas, with an assist from Preston Briggs and Pierce Norton, fired the first shot past the Port Huron goal tender, and only 19 seconds later, Joe Van Culin slipped another one by with the help of Corey Courturier and Matt Auffrey.  Keeping the aggressive pace going, Mike Olynyk scored yet again, with assists from Preston Briggs and Justin McCutcheon.

Following a late first period goal by Port Huron’s Adam Maccarone, the Gems went into the second period up 3-1.  An increase in penalties as well as no score on either side, showed it was heating up between these teams, and it could be felt in the crowd whose cheers, despite their lack of numbers, echoed loudly throughout the entire arena.  It wasn’t until the third period that things really got interesting though, as Port Huron scored again to bring the game within one goal.  A fight broke out between Matt Auffrey of the Gems and Daniel Tetrault of the Icehawks in the middle of the period, and 28 minutes of penalties were wracked up between both teams in the 3rd as well.

Justin McCutcheon sealed the game however with a late goal that brought the final score to 4-2.  Coming from the Johnstown Chiefs in Pennsylvania, McChutcheon has only been with the team for about a month. He has proven himself a valuable player already, scoring 3 times in the 9 games he’s played with the Gems, including 2 in the difficult loss to the Quad City Mallards last Wednesday. Having a quick word with him, I asked how well he was adjusting to Dayton.  He smiled and laughed a bit, saying he was enjoying it so far but hasn’t had a lot of down time since he’s been here, as their schedule has kept the whole team rather busy.

I embarassingly stutter through some questions with Wingman Justin McCutcheon

I embarassingly stutter through some questions with Wingman Justin McCutcheon

This weekend the Gems will take on the Muskegon Lumberjacks Friday at 7:30pm and also also play the Quad City Mallards again on Sunday at 5:00pm.  The Lumberjacks are first in the league right now, having only lost 10 games all season, but the Gems are responsible for 3 of those losses earlier in the year.  Don’t forget $10.00 adult tickets and $7.00 tickets for children 12 and under, makes for a cheaper night of entertainment than going to the movies, and on Friday nights, beers are only $2.00 a piece.

* information taken from hockeydb.com

**All photographs courtesy of Andrea Ivey.

First Season for Dayton Gems Punctuated by Community Outreach.

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The Gems Face off agains the Bloomington Prairie Thunder (Photo by Andrea Ivey)

The Gems Face off agains the Bloomington Prairie Thunder (Photo by Andrea Ivey)

The Dayton Gems Pt. 1

After the Dayton Bombers decided not to play this season, it looked like the city would be without a professional hockey team for the first time since 1991. The Bombers had varying degrees of success throughout their eighteen seasons, making it to the Kelly Cup Finals several times and to the playoffs thirteen of those eighteen years. Yet they always failed to draw a crowd large enough to fill The Nutter Center. Money woes associated with the inability to fill such a large venue eventually led to the owners turning control of the team back to the ECHL last June with no further plans to either play in Dayton, or relocate elsewhere at this time.

The Gems celebrate after a goal by Preston Briggs (Photo by Andrea Ivey)

The Gems celebrate after a goal by Preston Briggs (Photo by Andrea Ivey)

The winter in Dayton seemed like it was going to be a little colder this year; less jovial, less to do, less to help chase away the doldrums, and just one more reason to stay at home while the thermometer dipped below ten degrees again. That was of course, until a dedicated group of investors decided that they could not bear to see their city once again without a hockey team. They endeavored to bring back the once famous Dayton Gems, and after several months of planning, securing rights, and finding players, coaches, and staff for the team, it was announced they would be returning to their old stomping grounds at Hara Arena.

This first season for The Gems has not necessarily been an easy one. Money issues again appeared to threaten the team’s legitimacy, and they nearly folded after less than two months of play in the IHL. The league took control of the team in early December, and realizing the value of having Dayton in their line-up, quickly found an energetic group to take control of the team.

The community as a whole seems weary to embrace this new hockey team. Tired with high ticket prices and uninspiring crowds, Daytonians increasingly stopped going to Bombers games, and it seems that level of caution has carried over to The Gems. With the lowest average attendance in the league thus far, locals seem almost unaware of the team, and most seem willing to go with a “wait and see” attitude, unconvinced their tenure will last.

The Gems, on the other hand, have had little difficulty supporting their community. In the first four months of their operation, the Gems have spent more time collecting donations for charity groups, offering up their time for others, and making appearances at local events, than just about anyone reading this has done in the last year, myself included. This is not to say that they are more worthy of praise than others in Dayton who spend tireless hours trying to help out in their community. Yet thus far they have shown more support to us than we have to them. I do them no justice by simply listing what they have been apart of, but allow me to highlight their accomplishments thus far:

  • Blade (the mascot) participated in a 5k walk for St. Jude’s research hospital.
  • The team helped serve food at this year’s Feast for Giving at the convention center.
  • Several team members participated in Literacy Night in Fairborn on Dec 17th.
  • Collected donations for Toys for Tots.
  • Collected over 400 teddy bears for sick children at Children’s Medical Center and Ronald McDonald house, and subsequently delivered them personally.

    John Snowden wearing the special Air Foce Camo Jersey from January 29th (Photo by Andrea Ivey)

    John Snowden wearing the special Air Foce Camo Jersey from January 29th (Photo by Andrea Ivey)

  • Collected and donated over 2 tons of food for Foodbank, and delivered it.
  • Collected $5000.00 in donations for the Red Cross Haiti relief fund.
  • Regularly sponsor local school fundraisers.
  • Participate in an educational outreach program by speaking with students and discussing goals, ambitions and being a part of the team.

They also make appearances in the community to help Dayton get to know their team better:

  • They frequent Brixx Ice Co. for lunch to talk with fans.
  • Appear as guest judges at The Fox and the Hound’s “Dayton Icon” contest every Monday at 9pm.
  • Participated in the Bridal Fashion Show at Hara Arena as models.

Most recently, the team honored members of the United States Air Force during Wright-Patterson Night last weekend. The Gems wore commemorative Air Force camouflage jerseys that were auctioned to fans after the game, and donated the proceeds to The Air Force Aid Society.

This is a dedication to Dayton, a want to be a part of this community, and a desire to get all of us to know them better, to know our team, The Dayton Gems.

Still not convinced? Well, join us next week, we’ll talk about hockey in Dayton, the history of the Gems, how they are doing so far this year, Lefty McFadden, and plenty of other reasons to get up and go see a game. ($2.00 beers every Friday is a good reason, including this Friday!)

This Friday the Gems start at 7:30PM and take on the Flint Generals, and Saturday they take on the Port Huron Ice Hawks at 7:30PM, in a tribute game to Lefty McFadden.

5-0 WSU Raiders still “Undefeated since 1967”

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2009 Wright State Club Football Team (Photo by Chris Mallets)

2009 Wright State Club Football Team (Photo by Chris Mallets)

Autumn is the favorite time of year for many people, bringing out some of the best in American traditions and folklore.  It’s the time of year when the holidays slowly creep into our thoughts; when pumpkin pie and apple cider is plentiful; turkey, squash and all manner of food is enjoyed seemingly only for a few months until the following year; when ghost stories and old legends start cropping up again, and family comes together as the wind gets colder.  But for many, it’s considered the best time of year for one simple reason; football.

Indeed die hard fans from all over the country will warm up their newly purchased hi-def television, bought specifically to watch the game on, and sit glued to a chair until the end of January while cursing at the guy in their fantasy football league who has kept hold of Tom Brady for the last five years.  Others will find time to make it to the field at 8AM on a Saturday morning to tailgate with friends and family before watching their Alma Mater lose to their oldest rival for the seventh consecutive time.  Tradition is the name of the game, whether college or professional, but nowhere in Dayton has that particular tradition been missing more, than at Wright State University.

For years there have been a number of rumors and reasons given as to why one was never established.  Whatever that reason may be however, action was finally taken with a help of a student government initiative that was headed by former student government president Mohammad “Moody” Kassem.  As a result, an established club football team is playing its first season for Wright State.

Vice President for the team, Steve Jones discussed how the team was established; explaining that there had been previous attempts to create a club team before, most notably back in the 80s.  “It was really just a lot of talk back then, as far as I know, but there wasn’t any real action taken.  Moody and Eric Corbitt were the ones who did all the initial work and started creating the program this time around.”  The word was spread and as try outs started, more than 100 young men showed up to try and make the team.  “We had a spring game,” says Jones, “and we did lose it, but at the time we were having some initial difficulties internally.  For a number of reasons our head coach left, and it seemed that we might not have anyone to lead the team.  A number of schools on our schedule dropped us for fear that we would disband before the season started, and it left us with only 5 scheduled games.  We also didn’t have a permanent place to play home games.  We had asked to play at Alumni Field, but Campus officials were concerned that the field would be ripped up too much.  That might change in the future however; we’re still in talks with them.”

QB Nick Worley completed 17 of 30 passing attempts for 301, yards no interceptions, and one touchdown pass to Jovan Tolbert last Saturday against Miami University (photo by Chris Mallets)

QB Nick Worley completed 17 of 30 passing attempts for 301, yards no interceptions, and one touchdown pass to Jovan Tolbert (photo by Chris Mallets)

The difficulties subsided and a new head coach, Paul Grimes, took the reigns.  Two more games were also added to the season at the last second, rounding out to a reasonable seven, and they opted to play at some local high school venues for their home games.  The Raiders play in the Midwestern Club Football Conference, North Division with Marquette University and Ohio State University.  The South Division includes Miami University, Xavier, The University of New Orleans and Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville.  Wright State is enjoying a 5-0 start, and is the only undefeated team in the conference to date.

“This is an amazing group of guys,” says Jones, “There is chemistry between them that has led to this 5-0 start, and that includes the work of Coach Grimes.  They are extremely dedicated, and they have to be.  Nothing is given to them here because we don’t have the funds to provide it.  Each player is expected to pay for their entire uniform, including helmets and pads, and that comes to about $425.00 a guy.  We were very thankful that the Ohio National Guard has agreed to sponsor us, and most of that cost was taken care of, but there is no guarantee that that will happen again, and they know that.  Honestly all the work I do for the team is because these guys are so great, so dedicated, and they deserve to be able to play.  It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do so far.”  When asked about how he hopes the team might evolve next year, he said, “Well, we have learned so much this year, we are going to be a lot better prepared when next season comes around.  We’re still in talks to find a permanent home on campus, but also are working on increasing exposure and support.  We’ve talked with the cheerleaders and dance teams to see if they would want to come out and perform at games, as well as the pep band, and just try to get some of the pageantry and help create a better atmosphere for both the fans and players.”

He also mentioned he’s already been approached by high school students wanting to learn more about the program.  “Some of these guys are being scouted by some D-2 and D-3 schools, but they are coming to us and asking us if they can play here because just like those schools, we can’t offer scholarships to them, but it’s far cheaper to come to Wright State and play football than it is some of those other schools.  It’s pretty exciting to know there is already that interest even though we haven’t finished a full season yet.”

The fledgling team has a long way to go, and though the first year has been shaky at times, there is no doubting the commitment and love for the game by all those involved. They have started an amazing season, and their victory this week has propelled them to the top of the conference.

Running Back Stanley Frazier ran for 168 yards on 31 carries and scored 2 touchdowns last Saturday against Miami University (Photo by Chris Mallets)

Running Back Stanley Frazier ran for 168 yards on 31 carries and scored 2 touchdowns last Saturday against Miami University (Photo by Chris Mallets)

The Raiders won at home last Saturday 31-14 versus the Miami Redhawks.  Wright State Quarterback Nick Woley completed 17 of 30 passing attempts for 301 yards no interceptions, and one touchdown pass to Jovan Tolbert.  Running back Stanley Frazier had a stellar day with 168 rushing yards on 31 carries and two touchdowns.  Ryan Johnson also returned an onside kick for a touchdown in the last quarter.  The Raiders totaled 458 yards of offense while the defense limited the Redhawks to only 228 yards, and caused two fumbles and one interception for the night.

The Raiders will finish their season at home on November 15th against the Ohio State Buckeyes.  The game will be held at Bellbrook High School at 1pm, tickets are on sale for $5.00.

We will fight right and be true, So let’s go, fight, win. Let the action begin, We’re from W-S-U!