Press Articles & Media Highlights

Below are recent news articles and stories that have actually been published and aired.

 

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Hurricanes Prove Their Point

The South Conference's Sunshine Flight gets underway while the West Conference starts its second month

Friday, May 20, 2013

by Jeff Kuntz - 239Sports - www.239sports.com

The Sunshine Division of the National Premier Soccer League is going to be fun to watch.

Featuring powerhouses like Jacksonville United and the Georgia Revolution, an NPSL General Manager called it “one of the best (divisions) in the country for sure”.

Many observers believed NPSL newcomers like the Cape Coral Hurricanes, Miami United and the Tampa Marauders stood no real chance against their well-established divisional opponents.

After-all, just two seasons ago Jacksonville United were the league champions and are still very highly regarded in U.S. soccer circles, while last year the Revolution won 7 out of their 10 NPSL games (7 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses) to win their division.Cape Coral celebrates after goal in 20th minute

Needless to say, Cape Coral would have their hands full on Saturday, May 18th against Jacksonville.

Both teams clearly had something to prove. For Jacksonville United, it was their regular season opener, while for the Hurricanes it was their first NPSL game that would allow them to play with most of their key players in the lineup.

On May 4th, Cape Coral played against Miami United while missing a staggering 7 out of their 11 starters due to the fact the United States Soccer Federation had not declared them eligible to play.

Miami United defeated Cape Coral 3-0, while J.P. Terrasi, the frustrated General Manager of the Hurricanes, vowed that his team would prove to the NPSL that his squad could compete with the best of the best once he was able to field his full starting line-up.

Terrasi was right.

Cape Coral battled Jacksonville tooth and nail to a 1-1 draw, refusing to back down as the intensity increased throughout the game.

“It was a very physically played game on a small field,” said Jacksonville head coach Pat Cannon. “They were a tough physical team and were tough to break down. Both teams had plenty of chances and the game could have gone either way.”

By most accounts, the game should have actually gone only one way: a Hurricanes victory.

In the first half Cape Coral’s Cody Antonini failed to convert on a couple of golden scoring opportunities which could have put the Hurricanes in control of the match. Antonini was buzzing all evening as Jacksonville failed to find a way to control the Hurricanes star midfielder, allowing him to take four shots in the first half alone.

One of Antonini’s shots was so close to going in that the crowd of 189 fans believed he had scored and began cheering.

While none of Antonini’s attempts found the back of the net, in the 20th minute Antonio Wint caught Jacksonville’s keeper Stuart McCrory off guard by chipping a pass from Owen McCorkle over McCrory’s head to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead.

Jacksonville United got even in the 62nd minute as Hollis Donaldson crossed the ball inside the Hurricanes’ crease, taking an unfortunate bounce off a Hurricanes defender and finding itself right at the feet of Jacksonville’s Hector Vega in prime scoring position.

Vega made no mistake and buried it behind Hurricane keeper John Damasco Jr., tying the game at 1-1.

Despite that defensive lapse, Cape Coral controlled the pace for nearly the entire game and must have felt like they deserved the victory.

“We dominated the first half for sure and put Jacksonville on their heels,” said Terrasi.

“But then they came out much stronger in the second half and eventually tied it up. I think we are shocking people and most of the other teams were taking us for granted but we have an extremely strong team,” explained the Hurricanes’ GM.

Cape Coral head coach John Damasco Sr., whose son plays keeper for the Hurricanes, knew that his team let some valuable points slip away.

“Even though a few players got tired in the second half, the whole team played well tonight. It was great to see us jump out to an early lead but we definitely need to work on defending set pieces and corner kicks. That got us again tonight,” said Damasco Sr.

With the draw against Jacksonville the Cape Coral Hurricanes secured their first ever NPSL point, and more importantly have ensured that no other team will take them lightly this season.

For an expansion team that was supposed to be over-looked, Damasco has the Hurricanes playing focused, and it no longer would be a surprise if Cape Coral qualified for the NPSL playoffs.

Cape Coral currently sits in fourth place in the Sunshine Division with a 0-1-1 record. Their next game is Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 7pm against the Tampa Marauders (0-1-0) at Cape Coral High School. For information about tickets, please visit www.capehurricanes.com.

To read the full article online at the Cape Coral Breeze website, click on the following link:

http://239sports.com/2013/05/20/hurricanes-prove-their-point/

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Hurricanes Season Underway

Wednesday, May 18, 2013

by Jeff Kuntz - 239Sports - www.239sports.com

Sitting up in the stands at Cape Coral High School on May 4th, a warm Saturday evening, were five young men staring intently at the field. They stood out right away, looking unusually focused for a group of guys who just seemed to be watching two soccer teams go through their warm-up routines preparing to play a game.

But it turns out these five young men, dressed in Cape Coral Hurricanes attire, were actually members of the home team who unfortunately hadn’t yet received clearance from the United States Soccer Federation to participate in the Hurricanes first ever regular season match in the National Premier Soccer League.

They were forced to sit and watch as their teammates prepared for their regular season debut against their new NPSL Sunshine Division rivals, Miami United.

Although the two teams had already played twice this year as part of the Everglades Cup, tonight’s match actually counted in the NPSL standings so both clubs wanted to come out strong. Miami United had drubbed Cape Coral 6-0 on April 14th in the first Cup match, but the second game on April 26th was an completely different story as the Hurricanes played arguably their best game in franchise history. Cape Coral lead the game 2-1 until the last minute when a desperate Miami team tied it up at 2-2 in the final minute of play.

Fast forwarding to the May 4th game, the five uncleared Hurricanes sat in the bleachers unable to help as a short-handed Hurricanes squad lost the NPSL opener 3-0.  Miami United were clearly the sharper and quicker of the two teams, and it would be fair to say that it was a one-sided game from start to finish.

However, we later discovered that there were even more Hurricanes players missing than we thought.

“We had 7 of our starting 11 guys not internationally cleared for the Miami United NPSL game which was a very important element for us,” said Hurricanes General Manager J.P. Terrasi.

The good news for the Hurricanes is that those problems are in the process of being resolved. Terrasi says that 4 out of the 7 uncleared starters have now been cleared by the USSF, and will be available to the team for their next NPSL match on May 18th against Jacksonville United.

“We got back some of our top college guys that add instant quality and credibility on the field. When you add a Cody Antonini, Andrew Palumbo, James Gibson, Olivier Benedict, among others, it serves as an immediate impact on the quality of play,” Terrasi explained.

They’ll need all the help they can get. Jacksonville United won the NPSL championship two seasons ago, and entered this year widely regarded as one of the serious contenders to win in all in 2013.

“Jacksonville is a deep and talented team that relies heavily on their defense,” noted Terrasi.

It’s pretty clear, though, that the GM believes he has enough skilled players to put the ball in the net. “It’s no question that we have a couple of speedsters and a couple guys that can really control the ball. Cody Antonini is no stranger to scoring and Antonio Wint has already proven that he can score. Andrew Palumbo has built his career on scoring and creating plays and Davian ‘Bobo’ Cranston is the fastest guy on the team and can create plays for us too,” Terrasi said.

In between the Miami United and Jacksonville United games, Cape Coral were invited to play in an exhibition match against the Ocala Stampede on May 11th, a highly regarded team from the Premier Development League.

Ocala were the PDL Southeast Division champions in 2012, boasting an 11-3-2 record and were looking for an opponent to serve as a preparation match for their first game in the U.S. Open Cup.

The PDL is part of the United Soccer Leagues, and is generally considered to be at the same level of play as the NPSL talent-wise.

Cape Coral surprised Ocala by defeating them 3-2 on goals from Antonio Win (2) and Wilfredo Alvarez. Observers of the match also praised Hurricanes keeper John Damasco for his sharp play, as the Stampede came out flying and took plenty of shots on goal.

With his team coming together, Terrasi feels like the Hurricanes are positioned to make some noise in the NPSL.

“We are going to be very competitive this season and we will give each team a real run for their money. There is no question about that. If we can maintain our guys positive attitude, have them continue to be healthy and keep getting them properly trained and playing well together, I firmly believe that we can compete with anyone in the league,” says Terrasi.

Cape Coral will have a chance to prove Terrasi right on Saturday, May 18th against Jacksonville.

Kick-off is at 7pm at Cape Coral High School, located at 2300 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral, FL 33991. Tickets are $6 for adults, and $4 for children – however any youth soccer player (14 and under) who wears their team jersey to the game can get in for free with a paying adult.

For more information about the Cape Coral Hurricanes, visit their website at www.capehurricanes.com.

To read the full article online at the Cape Coral Breeze website, click on the following link:

http://239sports.com/2013/05/18/hurricanes-season-underway/

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Soccer Newsday - NPSL Weekly:  Sunshine Sides Start Season

The South Conference's Sunshine Flight gets underway while the West Conference starts its second month

Friday, May 3, 2013

by Daniel Casey - Soccer News Day - www.SoccerNewsDay.com  

The Miami United NPSL soccer team brought all but two of its high touted and famed international players to Cape Coral Friday night for the s

This weekend the NPSL’s Sunshine Flight of the South Conference gets its season underway with the league’s newest rivalry, the Everglades Cup, between Cape Coral Hurricanes and Miami United.

During the preseason, the teams have played twice with Miami drubbing Cape Coral 6-1 the first time out and then drawing 2-2 in the second match. One suspects the 2013 debut for each of these expansion clubs this Saturday will result in another high-scoring affair.

The Everglades Cup isn’t the only rivalry cup that Cape Coral is in. There’s also the Gulf Coast Cup against the other Florida expansion side Tampa Marauders. Unfortunately for Cape Coral, it appears that it can’t get much traction in this match up either with 2 preseason games both going 2-0 in Tampa’s favor.

Tampa will be opening its season away at Jacksonville United, the defending champions. Soccer in Florida has grown by leaps in bounds over the last 2 seasons. It would seem that the new faces Cape Coral, Tampa and Miami will definitely bring an edge to the competition. It’ll be very interesting to see who comes away as the NPSL’s champions of Florida.

US Open Cup begins

While the Floridians sort themselves out, the Georgia Revolution will spend the weekend prepping for their Play-In Round match for the 100th US Open Cup this Tuesday against the Colorado Rovers.

Also facing a US Open Cup Play-In Round game on Tuesday will be the West Conference’s FC Hasental. The squad will be on short rest after facing the San Diego Flash this Saturday.

FC Hasental has cooled since the ridiculous opening match goal barrage as it has faced progressively better opposition in the West Conference’s Southern Flight. FC Hasental will face the San Diego Flash, who is coming off a 5-0 victory over the conference’s whipping boy, Las Vegas Stallions FC.

Vegas trouble

Las Vegas has had a horrid start to its season. Arguably its best match thus far had been a 0-0 draw to the other San Diego side, San Diego Boca. Things won’t get easier for the Stallions this weekend against Flight-leaders Orange County.

OC Pateadores are undefeated (3-1-0), having only given up 2 goals, and last week against San Diego Boca got their offense going in a 8-0 win. While Las Vegas has started off poorly, it’s been no picnic for Boca.

Boca will also face a challenge, going up against FC Santa Clarita, which is on a 3-match winning streak. If Boca can turn its form around, it’ll be due to the fact that Santa Clarita has only just won these matches by a single goal.  

Marquee matchup in the Northern Flight

In the Northern Flight, the San Francisco Stompers will have the weekend off. Hopefully, the squad will take the time to buck up its ideas and re-set its game plan. April for San Francisco was a bit of a nightmare as the team recorded 4 straight losses.

Also having a hard time of it so far is the Northern Flight’s expansion side CD Aguiluchos USA, with their lone win coming against San Francisco. CD Aguiluchos will travel to face the staunchly middling Real San Jose.

The weekend’s marquee match will be between the Sacramento Gold and Sonoma County Sol. With only a point separating the 2 teams this will be an early season test. If Sonoma County is victorious, it’ll have begun to put a nice cushion between itself and the rest of the Northern Flight.

But if Sacramento comes out ahead, it will set the tone for the rest of the matches between the two as it is quickly becoming clear that the Northern Flight winner will be on these sides.

 

http://soccernewsday.com/usa/a/642/npsl-weekly-sunshine-sides-start-season

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Cape Coral Hurricanes GM - J.P. Terrasi on Ultras Alive Radio Show

Cape Coral Hurricanes General Manager was interviewed by Pieter Brown and Uncle Ed on the Ultras Alive internet radio show on Monday night, April 29th.  Ultras Alive is an internet podcast radio show hosted by Fort Lauderdale Strikers supporters but they cover a wide range of soccer topics and guests.

During this show, they talk through the Hurricanes roster, season, playing Miami United, the NPSL, the Sunshine Conference and the growth of the league.  J.P. is the second interview of the show and they spent about 25 minutes together.  They've invited J.P. back on the show at a future date later in the season too.

To be taken directly to the page where you can listen to the whole broadcast, click on this link below:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/soccersupportersradionetwork/2013/04/30/ultras-alive-87

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Hurricanes Play to a 2-2 Tie with Miami United

April 30, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

Special to The Breeze , Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The Miami United NPSL soccer team brought all but two of its high touted and famed international players to Cape Coral Friday night for the second leg of the Everglades Cup Series against the Cape Coral Hurricanes.

Two weeks ago, the Hurricanes traveled to Miami for leg one of the series. The game was scheduled to be played the night before but because of field conflicts, Miami had to ask for the game to be rescheduled until Sunday afternoon. The Hurricanes still made the trip although with a severely depleted 13-player roster since many of them had work and school commitments.

The highly touted Miami team proceeded to roll up a 6-0 score against the Hurricane squad.

Friday night, Miami had brought a similar team that the Hurricanes faced two weeks prior but there wasn't much the same with the Cape Coral squad. Even though the Hurricanes only got three new players in from the dozen or so that they are expecting back from college, everything looked and felt different about the team even leading up to the opening kickoff.

The Hurricanes dominated time of possession in the first half and also played well off the counter as was showed by the team's first goal. Davian Cranston took a good midfield pass down the left side and had a great cross where newcomer Cody Antonini was finishing his run and tucked it home for the first score of the game.

The second goal came just over ten minutes later as the Hurricanes, who were really starting to play well together, had a string of successful good passes that was started by newcomer Nick Murawski in midfield and he also ended it after completing his left-sided run where he slammed the ball home cross-corner past the goalkeeper.

The home crowd erupted in cheers as the Hurricanes up 2-0 over the highly touted Miami United squad. The Hurricanes continued to press but the Miami United team got their shots in as well after that and could have went on the board a few times if it weren't for some excellent shot stopping from Cape Coral goalkeeper John Damasco.

The Hurricanes had a momentary lapse of defense right at the end of the first half. That brief moment allowed Miami to get on the board with a well placed corner kick and subsequent scramble in front of the net. Stefan Diopp was in the right place at the right time, as he popped the ball past the Hurricane keeper with less than 20 seconds to go of injury time.

The second half started much like the first half with the Hurricanes coming out and pressing the play. They outshot the Miami team in both halves 14 to 12 but the Hurricanes had four shots that could have easily doubled the score.

Each team made substitutions and play went back and forth through the remainder of the game until the final possession when Miami had backed up the Hurricanes deep into their zone. Miami was knocking on the door when one of their players went down easily just outside of the box forcing a free kick.

The Miami player stepped up and drove the ball over the Hurricane wall and hit the underside of the crossbar in the top left corner. The ball ricocheted and fell just over the line for the game's final goal. Although the game ended in a 2-2 tie, the Miami team got much more than they were hoping as the younger Hurricanes played very hard and well together throughout the game.

Both teams are two of the newest to the NPSL and are members of the newly formed Sunshine Conference that also includes Jacksonville United, Tampa Marauders and the Georgia Revolution. For more on the game and the players for both teams, visit their websites at: www.CapeHurri-canes.com and www.MiamiUnited-Soccer.com.

Saturday night, May 4, marks the first match of the Inaugural NPSL season for both teams when the two teams play each other once again at Cape Coral High School at 7 p.m.

Tickets will be sold at the gate for only $6 for adults, $4 for students and then youth (14 and under) who are members of any youth soccer organization can get in free with a paid adult as long as they wear their soccer club jersey.

To read the full article online at the Cape Coral Breeze website, click on the following link:

http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/534777/Hurricanes-play-to-a-2-2-tie-with-Miami-United.html?nav=5015

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NPSL Rivals Cape Coral and Miami Fire Four in Everglades Cup Bonanza

Cape Coral Hurricanes continued their push towards their inaugural NPSL soccer season with the second leg of their Everglades Cup match v Miami United on Friday night, looking to avenge the 6-0 thrashing they had suffered at the hands of their Florida co-horts two weeks ago down in steamy Miami.

The Hurricanes had a much improved squad to choose from since that game, a game that due to a schedule shift meant that many of their regular players couldn't participate in, and looked to bring the fire upon the visiting side in revenge for the heavy defeat placed upon them that day.

With a combination of players new and old, the Hurricanes looked more cohesive than the first leg, in particular Cody Antonini and Nick Murawski who played beyond their years, taking control of the game - grabbing possession by the scruff of the neck.

 

 

Cape Coral High School

 

In keeping with this dominance, they took a deserved lead when Davian Cranston played in Cody Antonini who fired home as he collected the pinpoint cross, scoring the opening goal to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Cape Coral continued in this vein and within 10 minutes added a second goal much to the desire and determination of Nick Murawski, who started the move in a series of passes before finally receiving the ball back in striking range, to drill the ball past the keeper making the score line an impressive 2-0.

It was a dream coming true for the players and supporters alike against a highly rated Miami United side but the game was far from over however and the visitors were entertaining to watch without having produced the end product thus far.

Cape Coral goalkeeper John Damasco had been on excellent form throughout the first period and was called upon several times to keep Miami at bay, form that would never be called into question despite losing a goal close to the end of the first half.

Stefan Diopp managed to squeeze the ball over the line after a mass scramble in the six yard area to end the half 2-1 to the home side.

It's often said that the worst time to lose a goal is right before half time but it didn't appear to affect Cape Coral as they bolted from the starting gates in the second half, much like they did in the opening 45 minutes.

The game moved from end to end, chances being created, saves being made but in similar style to the first half, Miami scored their equalizer from a set piece, this time from a free kick from just outside the box that was sent direct into the postage stamp with a deflection from the bar.

It was harsh on the Hurricanes to lose a goal so late in proceedings but the game's never over until the fat lady sings and Miami proved that point by pushing all the way until the final whistle.

Final score
Cape Coral Hurricanes 2
Miami United 2

Both Cape Coral Hurricanes & Miami United are part of the newly formed Sunshine Conference alongside Jacksonville United, Tampa Marauders and the Georgia Revolution with kick off in the conference starting this coming Saturday, May 4th.

To read the full article online at the Examiner website, click on the following link:

http://www.examiner.com/article/npsl-rivals-cape-coral-and-miami-fire-four-everglades-cup-bonanza?cid=rss

Schedules and team details can be found here:

http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/schedules/2013/58259648.html

You can follow Region3Soccer on Twitter @region3soccer

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Miami United team to visit Cape to take on Hurricanes

Highly Touted and Talented Miami United Team Comes to Town

April 24, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

Special to The Breeze , Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The highly touted and highly talented Miami United International soccer players are coming to Cape Coral this Friday night, April 26. The game will be the second leg of the Everglades Cup Series that the Cape Coral Hurricanes and Miami United will play this summer. The two teams are set to play each other four times for this special series and two additional times in National Premier Soccer League play.

Both teams are two of the newest to the NPSL and are members of the newly formed Sunshine Conference that also includes Jacksonville United, Tampa Marauders and the Georgia Revolution.

The first leg of the series that was held two weeks ago was a difficult one for the Hurricanes as they lost 6-0 but Miami had requested that the game be rescheduled to Sunday afternoon from the already scheduled Saturday night game and the Hurricanes were missing many key players that afternoon.

Even though the NPSL is primarily a developmental league in the U.S. Soccer pyramid, a few teams have made the decision to have professionals on their squad. Miami United is one of those teams that have made the decision to forgo the use of college players and instead have recruited top players from all over the world. According to their website at: www.miamiunitedsoccer.com, they have international players hailing from Honduras, Brazil and even a player that was signed by AC Milan in Italy. They list Simon Quintieri, Daniele Fortunato and Joao Paulo Marangon as the "Brazitalians" on the team, Mattia Desole as their key recruit from AC Milan and three other Honduran Internationals as well.

Most teams in the league use numerous college players to make up their squads and according to NCAA rules, those players cannot report to spring camp until after May 1.

So, as the Hurricanes and most of the teams across the country are still waiting on some of their key players, those few teams, like Miami, have already had their full squads in camp and have been training regularly.

"It will surely be interesting," said head coach Joe Zakowicz, "our players got quite the education when we went to Miami a couple of weeks ago but it was good for them to play against that kind of quality."

This egame kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at Cape High School. Tickets will be sold at the gate for only $6 for adults, $4 for students and then youth (14 and under) who are members of any youth soccer organization, can get in free with a paid adult as long as they wear their soccer club jersey. You can also check out more specials online at: www.CapeHurricanes.com

For more information about the Cape Coral Hurricane's NPSL team, players, tickets and ticket promotions, merchandise, schedule, team history, sponsorships, advertising, the Hurri-cane's U23 Reserve team, or any other questions, please see our website at:www.CapeHurricanes.com or contact General Manager J.P. Terrasi at 239-677-8752 or email to jp@capehurricanes.com

For more information about the NPSL, visit www.npslsoccer.net

To download the full article, you can Download the PDF - HERE

To read the full article online - http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/534708/Miami-United-team-to-visit-Cape-to-take-on-Huricanes.html?nav=5015

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KORRIO Honors Zakowicz

Cape Coral Hurricanes Head Coach gets honored by International Soccer Network

April 5, 2013 - Cleveland, OH

Written by: Gary Moody, ISN - International Soccer Network Editor

“Find your passion.”

“Chase your passion with every fiber of your being.”

“Never let anybody outwork you.”

Three pieces of advice from Coach Joe Zakowicz. Three lessons he shares with his players.

Zakowicz is one of the good guys in the American game.  Someone of great faith, character, and passion for the sport we all love. He is the mastermind behind both the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Ave Maria University in Florida.  He also recently signed on as the head coach of the NPSL’s Cape Coral Hurricanes.

“Joe is an exceptional coach with a vast amount of coaching, administration and leadership experience,” Hurricanes General Manager J.P. Terrasi commented,  ”He knows how to build a team and develop players, but more importantly he has strong Christian values and an unwavering faith that will help build strong character in our players as well.”

Zakowicz is a man who has gotten it done at every level.  He began his coaching career with the Central Delaware Soccer Association and as an assistant at DIII Wesley College.

The early days were instrumental in growing Zakowicz as a coach and a supporter.

“It was a tremendous amount of fun and it fed my passion.” A passion that would last a lifetime.

Zakowicz would spend first two years as a head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan University before building a powerhouse of a program at Bethel University in Tennessee.  One of his former players, Melvin Belong, won the NAIA National Championship there in 2008 as the men’s head coach.

Yes, his former players and assistants have gone on to big things.  Over a dozen moved on to become college coaches. So you can see he has made an impact, a big one.

Zakowicz would go on to coach and serve as Athletic Director at Mid-Continent University, where he led the men’s squad to an impressive  142-64-18 record from 2000-2009.  He would garner a lifetime of personal hardware at MCU, including the NCCAA National Coach of the Year award.

Zakowicz even started and ran his own youth club in Western Kentucky called Jackson Purchase Futbol Club.  This would be a great opportunity to share his passion with countless others, exposing a new generation of athletes to the beautiful game.

Today Zakowicz is the man with a plan at Ave Maria with 2013 marking his third season at the Florida Catholic university.  But nobody said it was going to be easy.

“I came to Ave Maria two years ago, inheriting a 1-15-1 team. It was and still is the biggest challenge of my coaching career.”

But things are looking up for the Gyrenes.

“Our players have shown great growth this spring and we have half a semester yet to train. I am excited for our program and Ave Maria University Soccer. We will win this year!”

College soccer is just one piece of the puzzle for the veteran coach.  Helping an expansion NPSL team find its way is also on the agenda.  Making the playoffs is a priority, but this veteran coach and mentor knows there is more to life than what happens on a pitch.

“The greater goal is to provide a learning environment in which our players can truly grow in the game and as young men. We hope to have an eternal impact on building young men of character during their time with the Hurricanes. I hope we can truly be about developing the players we have and that they might be able to reach their personal goals in the process. The bottom line is that we develop them well.”

With his history of helping players and coaches reach their goals, there is no doubt that he will develop them well.

And he does all this because he loves the game.  It’s not for the money, but rather the intrinsic rewards.

“We all have a million favorite moments that I call ‘hidden paychecks.’ Winning championships, celebrations, seasons all come and go, but the relationships and memories are what is special.”

Here is to Coach Zakowicz and his journey toward even more special soccer memories!

This story originally appeared on ISNSoccer.com as part of the ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio. Photo Credit: Colin Voreis/Ave Maria University

 

To read the full story on the NPSL website:  http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/home/708562.html

To read the full story on the ISN website:  http://www.internationalsoccernetwork.com/

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Begin Second Season Friday

In their first season, the Hurricanes finished with a 4-3-2 record.

April 4, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

Posted by: www.CapeCoral.com

The Cape Coral Hurricanes announced their full season schedule yesterday.

The schedule not only highlights their Inaugural NPSL (National Premier Soccer League – 4th Division of U.S. Soccer) Regular Season games, but also some high quality games during their pre-season and post-season as well.

The Hurricanes will play two special soccer series called the “Gulf Coast Cup” Series with the Tampa Marauders and the “Everglades Cup” Series with Miami United both new teams to the NPSL.

On top of playing each of the teams in a home and away series for the NPSL league commitments, they will play each of them four times (two more home and two more away) to complete each of these series.  The winners of each series will get an actual trophy that will be engraved with the winner’s names and passed along each year.

The Hurricanes will play a minimum of 11 home games this year at Cape Coral High School as they will be bringing in some major market teams from cities like: Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville and Atlanta.  The five teams will be playing in the newly formed Sunshine Conference, which will be in the South Region of the NPSL.

The Hurricanes will also have two games against local all-star teams as they did most of last year’s exhibition season.  Last year, the Hurricanes played a full exhibition season in 2012 featuring games against four USL PDL teams as well as local all-star and tournament teams.  They ended the season with an impressive 4-3-2 record in their first year.

This year though, they aim to improve on that record.  J.P. Terrasi, the team’s General Manager states, “Even though we are playing some big market teams, we have put together a very solid roster with some well known names from Southwest Florida.  Some of these players made the All Region and All State teams while they were in high school here over the past few years.”

“Now, they have taken their God given soccer talents to some top soccer college programs all over the southeast but they are coming back home this summer to play with us.” 

Terrasi also stated that they will be making their pre-season roster known in the next couple of days and will make the announcement about the formal 26 man NPSL roster very soon.

Head Coach, Joe Zakowicz (Head Coach at Ave Maria) has been training the players three to four times a week over the past few weeks in preparation for this upcoming pre-season and NPSL season.  He is also excited about the possibilities that this newly formed team will bring,  “We are extremely pleased with the incredible turnout we got for our two tryouts.  There are definitely some talented soccer players here in Southwest Florida,” Zakowicz stated.

“It’s going to be exciting to see these players play again.  They were fantastic in high school, went off to college to play for some good programs and now, after we told them of the progress and ambitions of our Hurricanes organization along with the fact that we got into the prestigious NPSL, they’ve agreed to come back home to play with us. It’s going to be a great summer!”

Everyone can see the full schedule on the team website and as J.P. Terrasi claims, “It will be exciting to have these two “Cup” series take place right here in Cape Coral.  Cape Coral High School is going to be ‘soccer central’ this entire summer with all of these high quality games being played here.  We may even need to call it “Soccer City” or “Goal City” by the time we are done!”  refering to the recently popular coined phrase and success that the FGCU basketball team just brought to Southwest Florida.

It all starts though this coming Friday night as the Hurricanes will play the Tampa Marauders in the first leg of the “Gulf Coast Cup” Series at Cape Coral High School starting at 7pm.  

You can check out more about this series and the other games for the Inaugural NPSL Season on the Hurricanes website at www.CapeHurricanes.com and just go to the Schedule page to see the links.

 

You can read the full article online at: http://www.capecoral.com/content/cape-coral-hurricanes-begin-second-season-friday

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Announce Schedule

In their first season, the Hurricanes finished with a 4-3-2 record.

April 3, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

Posted by: Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The Cape Coral Hurricanes have announced their full season schedule that not only highlights the team's Inaugural NPSL (National Premier Soccer League 4th Division of U.S. Soccer) regular season games, but also pre-season and post-season games.

The Hurricanes will play two special soccer series called the "Gulf Coast Cup" Series with the Tampa Marauders and the "Everglades Cup" Series with Miami United both new teams to the NPSL.

The Hurricanes will play a minimum of 11 home games this year at Cape Coral High School, bringing in some major market teams from cities like Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville and Atlanta. The five teams will be playing in the newly formed Sunshine Conference, which will be in the South Region of the NPSL.

The Hurricanes will also have two games against local all-star teams as they did most of last year's exhibition season. The Hurricanes played a full exhibition season in 2012 featuring games against four USL PDL teams as well as local all-star and tournament teams. They ended the season with an impressive 4-3-2 record in their first year.

This year though, they aim to improve on that record.

J.P. Terrasi, the team's general manager said, "Even though we are playing some big market teams, we have put together a very solid roster with some well known names from Southwest Florida. Some of these players made the all region and all state teams while they were in high school here over the past few years."

Head coach Joe Zakowicz (head coach at Ave Maria) has been training the players three to four times a week over the past few weeks in preparation for this upcoming pre-season and NPSL season.

He also excited about the possibilities that this newly formed team will bring.

"We are extremely pleased with the incredible turnout we got for our two tryouts. There are definitely some talented soccer players here in Southwest Florida," Zakowicz stated.

It all starts though this Friday night as the Hurricanes will play the Tampa Marauders in the first leg of the "Gulf Coast Cup" Series at Cape Coral High School starting at 7 p.m. More about this series and other games for the inaugural NPSL season cane be seen on the Hurricanes website at: www.CapeHurricanes.com and just go to the schedule page to see the links.

The Cape Coral Hurricanes 2013 Season Schedule is as follows:

Pre-Season Schedule

Friday, April 5

Saturday, April 13

Friday, April 19

Sunday, April 21

Friday, April 26

Regular Season Schedule

Saturday, May 4

Saturday, May 11

Saturday, May 18

Saturday, May 25

Friday, May 31

Sunday, June 9

Saturday, June 15

Saturday, June 22

Saturday, June 29

Saturday, July 6

For more information about the Cape Coral Hurricane's NPSL team, team tryouts, players, tickets, merchandise, schedule, team history, sponsorships, advertising, the Hurricane's U23 RESERVE team, or any other questions, please see our website at: www.CapeHurricanes.com or contact Terrasi at (239) 677-8752 or email to jp@capehurricanes.com For more information about the NPSL visit www.npslsoccer.net.

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All Eyes on Hurricanes Soccer

Fledgling Cape team takes plunge into pro soccer circuit.

January 25, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

Written by: Rod Clarke - Special to The News-Press

CAPE CORAL, Fla. -  J.P. Terrasi gets so excited talking about the Cape Coral Hurricanes that his words bounce around the room like machine gun bullets in a tile bathroom.

Now the question is whether his enthusiasm for his fledgling professional soccer team will translate into financial success for him and his business partners and an economic and tourism boom for his adopted city.

I’m putting Cape Coral on the soccer world’s map,” he said, “on the sports world’s map!”

Terrasi admits he wasn’t much of a soccer player when he was young. “I played a little and coached in a recreational league, but my interest was other sports, football, baseball,” he said. “But I’ve been a soccer fan for a long time. My wife really got me into it — she’s Colombian.”

    

 

Members of the 2012 Cape Coral Hurricanes soccer team take the field last July for their second game in the Premier Development League. The team joined the National Premier Soccer League for the upcoming season.

    

Members of the 2012 Cape Coral Hurricanes soccer team take the field last July for their second game in the Premier Development League. The team joined the National Premier Soccer League for the upcoming season. / CAPE CORAL HURRICANES/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

So what prompted a marketing and advertising professional to start a soccer team?  Chalk it up to a confluence of circumstances that began when the region’s overheated economy tanked and sent Cape Coral into a tailspin.  “When the recession hit, I asked myself, ‘what can I do to help?’ ” Terrasi said.

Then, in 2010, two things occurred that provided Terrasi with an answer.

First, he had two major operations, including open heart surgery, which forced him to back off his hectic pace running his business, Terrasi Media.

During his six-month forced recuperation, he observed a wave of local enthusiasm that engulfed the city over the World Cup soccer competition.

“We have 26,000 Hispanics and 14,000 Europeans here,” Terrasi said. “So that shouldn’t be a surprise.”  And so the seeds of the Cape Coral Hurricanes were planted.

Terrasi, who moved to the Cape eight years ago after running an ad agency in Detroit and working in sports marketing for the Detroit Tiger organization, put together a business and financial plan and launched the Hurricanes in 2011.

“Before we got into it and spent all the money for the membership and the franchise fees, we wanted to see if there was a market,” he said. “So we put together a full season of exhibition games and fielded a team of mostly local talent to see how we did.”

According to Terrasi, that pilot season exceeded expectations.

Playing teams from the Premier Development League (PDL), the Hurricanes compiled a 4-3-2 record. Even more significant, the team posted an average attendance of 239 people per game, exceeding that of established 4th Division PDL teams.

It was enough to persuade Terrasi, the majority owner and general manager, and his business partners, to take the plunge.

“This year it’s a completely different story,” he said. “We chose the NPSL, the National Premier Soccer League, and we prepaid our full membership fee. We signed a three-year contract, so we’re in it for the long haul.”

Players in the 4th Division, like the Hurricanes, don’t get paid, Terrasi said.

“They’re unpaid; unpaid professionals is technically their name. At the third level of U.S. Soccer, that’s where they start getting paid.”

What has Terrasi excited about the upcoming season and the prospects for benefiting Cape Coral is the big market competition his team will face — teams from Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville and Atlanta, Ga.

“It’s a very big league, it’s a very ambitious league and we’re in a strong conference with major market teams,” he said. “Now we’re going to be able to get the name of Cape Coral out to these major markets and let them know where we are, and more than likely, put some heads in beds, too.”

According to Terrasi, city officials, including the mayor, are firmly behind the Hurricanes, recognizing that having a high profile sports entity could attract not only visitors and new residents, but businesses, as well.

“It could really light up the city,” Cape Coral Mayor John Sullivan said. “It will make more people know that we’re here and want to come here.”

Terrasi said he also started the team to help showcase the talents of local players.

“There’s so much talent down here,” he said.

Terrasi said he has plans that reach far beyond just fielding a soccer team.

“I want us to be a big part of this community,” he said. “We can only do what the community will support.” Part of that, he said, is keeping ticket prices affordable, starting at $4.

The Hurricanes play their home games at Cape Coral High School. Tryouts are scheduled Jan. 25-27 at the Jim Jeffers Soccer Complex in Cape Coral, and in February, and the regular season will run through the spring and summer. The team will carry a roster of 26 players, plus a 14-20 man reserve team.

In December, the Hurricanes named Joe Zaokowicz, head coach at Ave Maria University, as coach for the 2013 inaugural NPSL season.

“It really seems as though everything is falling into place. We have a lot of talent here in Southwest Florida and we’re going to compete at a very high level…” Zaokowicz said.

“I’m extremely excited about the upcoming season and plan to remain with the organization for years to come. We’re intent on building something special here.”

Terrasi said he has developed a variety of sponsorship packages for local businesses, and still has 8 percent of the company available for sale. He said he expects to show a profit by the end of next season, largely because he is saving the team $67,000 by handling marketing and promotions himself.

“If I have to stay up all night to do this, I will,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to get it done and get it done right.”

 

To download the full article, you can Download the PDF - HERE

To read and see the FULL article online visit:  http://www.news-press.com/article/20130125/SPORTS/301250049/All-eyes-Hurricanes-soccer

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The Hurricanes will play their second season in the NPSL's South Region

January 23, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

By CapeCoral.com POSTED Thu, 01/23/2013 - 11:00pm | POSTED BY Press Release - Reported by Jeff Koehn

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - As one of the newest clubs in the NPSL (National Premier Soccer League), the Cape Coral Hurricanes will hold their first tryout session of the season on the weekend of Friday, January 25th – Sunday, January 27th for all eligible players of any age.

This is the first step towards building a team for the upcoming inaugural season in the fourth tier of U.S. Soccer. The premier men’s squad will face high quality competition as it strives toward the league playoffs and to qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Hurricanes are looking for players that hold amateur status; currently play in college or on club teams; play in local leagues; and former college or professional players still looking to compete at a high level. Since the NPSL season primarily takes place during the summer months, local players and college players alike will have the opportunity to get significant exposure while competing at a professional level.

The Hurricanes will play in the NPSL’s South Region in the newly formed Sunshine Conference that features teams from major markets such as: Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa. There will be ten official league games culminating with regional and national playoffs that will result in a national champion. The Hurricanes will have a competitive schedule featuring at least 8-10 home games including special pre-season and promotional games.

Hurricane General Manager, J.P. Terrasi is excited about the new seasn, “as most know, we’ve been working toward this goal for over two years. We had a very successful exhibition season last year and are so proud that we are going to be playing in this growing and nationally renowned league. The NPSL is a perfect fit for our club and we are extremely excited about having major market teams come into town from Atlanta, Miami and Tampa.

We’ve shown that with hard work, perseverance and faith you can accomplish great things. Hiring a high quality and experienced coach like Joe Zakowicz is a huge step for our club. It shows that we have the ambition and determination to be the premier club in Southwest Florida for years to come. We’re proud to be the area’s only NPSL team and we’re very confident that Joe and his staff will develop a highly competitive club that will play an exciting brand of soccer. We’re planning on being highly involved in the community as we’ll be partnering with many businesses, organizations, youth clubs and schools so that we can offer an excellent entertainment value for the whole family. Our organization has a tremendous vision and we’re intent on building something special here!”

Terrasi Media is co-sponsoring this year’s tryouts which resulted in a significant reduction in the tryout fee from last year. Early registration has been discounted from $195 to only $125 and includes three days of trials and competition along with a team jersey, shorts, commemorative t-shirt, lunch, drinks and snacks.
   
For more information about the Cape Coral Hurricane’s NPSL team, team tryouts, players, tickets, merchandise, schedule, team history, sponsorships, advertising, the Hurricane’s reserve team, or any other questions, visit  www.CapeHurricanes.com or contact General Manager, J.P. Terrasi at (239) 677-8752 or email to jp@capehurricanes.com

For more information about the NPSL (National Premier Soccer League), you can see their website at:  www.npslsoccer.net.

Check out the full article online at:  http://www.capecoral.com/content/cape-coral-hurricanes-hold-open-tryouts-weekend

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Coral Hurricanes Hurricanes join National Premier Soccer League

Story Created: Jan 17, 2013

By Nuevos Ecos - Luis Santos-Zinelli - www.nuevosecos.com

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - This year 2013 we have quite a few surprises in the sports part especially with regard to our cape2beloved sport football.  Southwest Florida (SWFL) from many years now has been the need for a more competitive level, another level Many speak of having contacts but socape-1 far we have not seen facts. And this year seems to be that the door to the young people who dream of playing at a level higher to be seen by professional teams It is closer than ever. If they can be selected for the the reserve team. Cape Coral Hurricanes could be it door to young people in the South West the Florida are looking for professionalization in this sport as it is football. Here we bring you a summary that we could pick up after interview to the General Manager and President of the club to the Mr. JP Terrasi.

 

To download the full article, you can Download the PDF - HERE

Check out the full article (in Spanish) online at:  http://www.nuevosecos.com/news/?p=8615 

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Coral Hurricanes Hurricanes join National Premier Soccer League

Story Created: Jan 04, 2013 at 5:57 PM America/New_York

By WINK TV NEWS - Rachael Rafanelli - www.winknews.com

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - A Cape Coral soccer team has reached its goal of becoming nationally known! The Cape Coral Hurricanes will kick off its season this spring.

Many hope this will put Lee County's biggest city in the sports spotlight. But the team wouldn't be here without the perseverance of one soccer fan.

Youth soccer is big in southwest Florida. But JP Terrasi has taken it to the next level, all from an idea he had a few years ago, while watching the World Cup from the hospital.

He launched the Cape Coral Hurricanes, which recently joined the National Premier Soccer League, as a 4th Division Team. "That means there are only three levels, the next level is Pro. That means they are paid professionals, this is the top amateur league in the whole country," Terrasi said. 

The team's official jersey is still a work in progress, and should be ready within the next couple of weeks. 

Terrasi says the team will put Cape Coral on the map, as players kick-off against some big names. "We'll be playing the Atlanta Silverbacks, the Georgia Revolution, which is one of the entries in the US Open Cup this year," he said.

Led by Ave Maria head soccer coach Joe Zakowicz, the team will also battle others in Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa. Cape Coral will host those teams and their fans.  "Our name will be on their promotional material, it will be on their websites, and their posters," Terrasi said. A "goal" for the community, and proof that one man's dream can become a reality.

Their season will run from April to July. The team will be hosting try-outs in a few weeks that are gaining interest internationally.

For more information, visit the team's website at www.CapeHurricanes.com

FIRST 2013 TRY-OUTS:

Cape Coral Hurricanes NPSL Tryouts (Adult Men’s team)

Friday, Saturday & Sunday – January 25th – 27th, 2013

Friday from 6pm-9pm; Saturday from 9am–6pm; Sunday from 9am–2pm

Jim Jeffers Park (2817 SW 3rd Lane, Cape Coral, FL 33991)

$125 if registered BEFORE January 18th at 5pm

$150 AFTER January 18th at 5pm through January 23rd

$175 AFTER January 23rd and up to the start of tryouts

To watch the entire VIDEO online click - http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2013-01-04/Cape-Coral-Hurricanes-join-National-Premier-Soccer-League#.UOhTReRJOAg

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Ave Maria Soccer Coach Takes Reins of CC Hurricanes

January 5, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

Special to the Breeze (breezesports@breezenewspapers.com) , Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The Cape Coral Hurricanes soccer club recently named Joe Zakowicz its new coach. Zakowicz, also the men’s soccer coach.

The Cape Coral Hurricanes have been extremely busy during the offseason. They have added new owners, new business partners and new staff.

The most impressive accomplishment happened on Christmas Eve as they received word that Joe Zakowicz had accepted the position as head coach.

"I couldn't be happier," said Hurricanes general manager J.P. Terrasi. "This was honestly one of the best Christmas gifts I could have asked for. Joe is an exceptional coach with a vast amount of coaching, administration and leadership experience. He knows how to build a team and develop players, but more importantly he has strong Christian values and an unwavering faith that will help build strong character in our players as well."

Zakowicz, who is the men's head coach at Ave Maria University, accepted the Hurricanes' position only a few days after it was offered.

"It just seemed like a perfect match," said Zakowicz. "After I ... had a few days to do some soul searching with my wife, it became clear that this was a great opportunity. They have a solid reputation and I hope that I can help build a team everyone can be very proud of. It really seems as though everything is falling into place. We have a lot of talent here in Southwest Florida and we're going to compete at a very high level. This is what I love to do and I'm committed to impacting our players... physically, mentally and spiritually.

"I'm extremely excited about the upcoming season and plan to remain with the organization for years to come. We're intent on building something special here."

Zakowicz has proven success on both the men's and women's NAIA circuit. He just concluded his second season at Ave Maria where the team knocked off two-time defending conference champion St. Thomas University in a late season clash. He also garnered the respect of his peers with his selection as the conference Coach Of The Year.

Prior to Ave Maria, Zakowicz was the architect at the Mid-Continent University men's soccer program, which he built into a national contender. He led that team to a 142-64-18 record from 2000-09. He has an overall record of 157-84-19 in collegiate men's soccer (12 seasons), and an overall coaching record of 202-123-21 over 17 total seasons coaching both men's and women's soccer.

His teams have won six regular season conference championships, four conference tournament championships, three region championships, and one national championship (NCCAA).

As one of the newest and most ambitious clubs in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the Cape Coral Hurricanes will be making other major announcements over the next few weeks.

The NPSL season runs May through July with regional playoffs leading to a national championship.

The Hurricanes play in the South Region and in the newly formed Sunshine Conference that also features the Atlanta Silverbacks, Georgia Revolution, Miami United, Jacksonville United and Tampa Marauders.

For more information about the Hurricanes contact Terrasi at (239) 677-8752 or email jp@capehurricanes.com.

 

To read the article online click on the link - http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/533266/Ave-Maria-soccer-coach-takes-reins-of-CC-Hurricanes.html?nav=5015

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Soccer Club Names New Coach

January 4, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

By News Press - www.news-press.com

The Cape Coral Hurricanes soccer club recently named Joe Zakowicz its new coach. Zakowicz, also the men’s soccer coach at Ave Maria University, will remain in his position at the college. The Hurricanes, members of the National Professional Soccer League, will begin play in April.

 

To read the article online click on the link - http://fortmyers.fl.newsmemory.com/?token=af2d81cc969a6c6ba66c98c1bb785227&cnum=4424105&fod=1111111STD&selDate=20130105&

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Tryouts Announced for Cape Coral

January 4, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

By International Soccer Network - www.internationalsoccernetwork.com

One of the newest clubs in the NPSL, the Cape Coral Hurricanes will hold their first tryout session of the http://internationalsoccernetwork.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Cape-Coral-Hurricane-small-logo-300x287.jpgseason on the weekend of Friday, January 25th – Sunday, January 27th for all eligible players of any age. This is the first step towards building a team for the upcoming inaugural season in the fourth tier of U.S. Soccer. The premier men’s squad will face high quality competition as it strives toward the league playoffs and to qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Hurricanes are looking for players that currently hold amateur status, that are currently playing in college or are former college or professional players looking to still compete at a high level.  As the NPSL season primarily takes place during the summer months, local players and current college players will have the opportunity to get a significant amount of exposure while competing at a professional level.

The Hurricanes will play in the NPSL’s South Region in the newly formed Sunshine Conference that features teams from major markets such as Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa.  There will be ten official league games culminating with regional and national playoffs that will result in a national champion.  The Hurricanes will have a competitive schedule featuring at least 8-10 home games, including special pre-season and promotional games.

“We’ve been working toward this goal for over two years,” Hurricanes General Manager J.P. Terrasi stated. “We had a very successful exhibition season last year and are so proud that we are going to be playing in this growing and nationally renowned league.  The NPSL is a perfect fit for our club and we are extremely excited about having major market teams come into town from Atlanta, Miami and Tampa.”

Early registration has been discounted from $195 to only $125 and includes at least two days of trials and competition along with a team jersey, shorts, commemorative t-shirt, lunch, drinks and snacks.

Please visit www.CapeHurricanes.com for more information or to register for their upcoming tryouts.

To read the full article online, please visit:  http://internationalsoccernetwork.com/blog/?tag=cape-coral-hurricanes

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Announce NEW Head Coach

The Hurricanes will join the National Premier Soccer League for its second season.

January 3, 2013 - Cape Coral, FL

By CapeCoral.com POSTED Thu, 01/03/2013 - 10:13pm | POSTED BY Press Release - Reported by Jeff Koehn

The Cape Coral Hurricanes have been extremely busy this off season with adding new owners, new business partners and new staff but the most impressive accomplishment to date happened on Christmas Eve as they received word that the head coach that they were hoping and wishing for had accepted the position.  Joe Zakowicz, who is also the men’s head coach for Southwest Florida’s own Ave Maria University, accepted the position after only a few discussions with team management over the past couple weeks. 

“I couldn’t be happier”, stated J.P. Terrasi, the Hurricanes General Manager, “This was honestly one of the best Christmas gifts I could have asked for.  Joe is an exceptional coach with a vast amount of coaching, administration and leadership experience.  He knows how to build a team and develop players but more importantly he has strong Christian values and an unwavering faith that will help build strong character in our players as well.”

Joe Zakowicz has proven success on both the men's and women's NAIA circuit. He just concluded his second season with Ave Maria University where he knocked off two-time defending conference champions, St. Thomas University, in a late season clash and placed two players on the All-Conference team. He accomplished that while also garnishing the respect of his peers with his selection as the conference Coach Of The Year!

“It just seemed like a perfect match,” exclaimed Zakowicz, “I talked with J.P. and Eric and everything seemed to fall into place.  It impressed me that the team was Christian based and how the organization battled through adversity and came out of it with such a successful exhibition season.  They have a solid reputation and I hope that I can help build a team that everyone can be very proud of.  We have a lot of talent here in Southwest Florida and we’re going to compete at a very high level.  But this is what I love to do and I’m committed to impacting our players... physically, mentally and spiritually.  I’m extremely excited about the upcoming season and plan to remain with the organization for years to come.  We’re committed to building something special here.”

Prior to Ave Maria, he was the architect of the Mid-Continent University Men’s Soccer program which he built into a national contender.  He led the team to a 142-64-18 record from 2000-2009. He has an overall record of 157-84-19 coaching collegiate men’s soccer (12 seasons).  He has posted an overall coaching record of 202-123-21 over 17 total seasons coaching both men’s and women’s soccer.

His teams won 6 regular season conference championships, 4 conference tournament championships, 3 region championships, and one national championship (NCCAA).  Zakowicz garnered 4 conference coach of the year awards, 2 NAIA Region Coach of the year awards, 6 NCCAA Region Coach of the Year awards, and 1 NCCAA National Coach of the Year award while serving at Mid-Continent.  His players garnered numerous honors for All-Scholar, All-Conference, All Region, and All-American teams.  His 2001 Team also garnered the 2001 NAIA Team Academic Award.

Zakowicz also had numerous administrative duties over the course of his career including being MCU’s Associate Vice-President for Advancement which included duties in fundraising and grant proposal writing.  Prior to Mid-Continent, Coach Zakowicz was also the architect of the highly successful Bethel University (McKenzie, TN) men’s and women’s soccer programs which won the NAIA National Championship in 2008.
Prior to that, he helped rebuild the Oklahoma Wesleyan University women’s team that enjoyed their first winning seasons in their history and set more than 20 new school records while he was head coach.  Zakowicz began his collegiate coaching career at NCAA III Wesley College in Dover, Delaware where he spent three years.

Zakowicz also currently serves on the tournament board for the NAIA that just concluded its Men’s Soccer Championship last month.  He has served as a KIAC Conference Chair, TSAC Conference Chair, NCCAA Region Chair, NCCAA National Vice Chair, NAIA Region rater, and as NAIA National rater. Prior to coaching, he also enjoyed success as a player at Bartlesville Wesleyan College, now called Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

He prides himself on teaching as well as coaching.  There are currently at least twelve former players and/or assistant coaches serving in the collegiate ranks that started under his tutelage. “One of my greatest treasures throughout my coaching career is seeing all of those former players that have gone into the coaching field as well.  I’ve been blessed by being a coach that has the opportunity to impact so many lives,” said Zakowicz.

Outside of the soccer arena, Zakowicz has worked for the Pennzoil Company for more than eight years, and has also owned and operated his own businesses in the private sector.  He also started a soccer club in the Western Kentucky area.  He is a native of Rochester, NY, and is married to Darla Zakowicz.  They have one daughter, Alisha, and they currently reside in the Ave Maria community.

As one of the newest and most ambitious clubs in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the Cape Coral Hurricanes will be making other big announcements over the next few weeks.  The NPSL season will take place during the summer months of May through July, with regional playoffs that will result in a national champion.  The Hurricanes will play in the South Region and in the newly formed Sunshine Conference that will feature five other teams:  Atlanta Silverbacks, Georgia Revolution, Miami United, Jacksonville United and Tampa Marauders.

For more information about the NPSL, you can see their website at:  www.npslsoccer.net.  For more information about the Cape Coral Hurricane’s NPSL team, team tryouts, player selection, team history, sponsorships, advertising, the Hurricane’s RESERVE team, or any other questions, please contact our General Manager – J.P. Terrasi at (239) 677-8752 or email to jp@capehurricanes.com

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ABOUT CAPE CORAL HURRICANES:  The Cape Coral Hurricanes were established in January, 2012. They played a full schedule of exhibition games during the 2012 season while playing top local teams and four actual USL PDL -4th Division teams.  There were accepted into the NPSL (National Premier Soccer League) on November 24th, 2012.  The Hurricanes will be playing in the newly formed Sunshine Conference against the other five teams: Atlanta Silverbacks, Georgia Revolution, Jacksonville United, Tampa Marauders, and Miami United.

ABOUT THE NPSL:  The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is the successor to the Men’s Premier Soccer League (MPSL), which was formed in 2002.  By 2005 it became necessary for the league to expand to a national format in order to accommodate teams from the Midwest Region.  The NPSL expanded further in 2007 by adding a Northeastern Region.  In 2011, with the addition of a South Region and with the significant growth the region has seen in 2012 and the upcoming 2013, the National Premier Soccer League, and it’s over 60 teams, has truly become a nationwide premier league.

The NPSL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the governing body of soccer in the United States. The NPSL operates and is managed as a team-run league. The structure of the league allows each team to have one vote on the executive committee.  Each team is individually owned and operated, and is responsible for maintaining league minimum standards.  New teams seeking membership into the NPSL are subject to approval from an executive committee comprised of existing team owners.  You can learn more at their website:  www.npslsoccer.net .

To read the full article online at CapeCoral.com click on this link- http://www.capecoral.com/content/cape-coral-hurricanes-announce-new-head-coach

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Coral Hurricanes Hurricanes Announce New Head Coach

Story Created: December 30, 2012

By Snowbird Journal - www.snowbirdjournal.com

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The Cape Coral Hurricanes have been extremely busy this off season with adding new owners, new business partners and new staff but the most impressive accomplishment to date happened on Christmas Eve as they received word that the head coach that they were hoping and wishing for had accepted the position...

To read the full article online at Snowbirdjournal.com click on this link -

http://snowbirdjournal.com/issue/january-2013/article/cape-coral-hurricanes-announce-new-head-coach

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Featured on City of Cape Coral Newsletter

Quarterly newsletter features Hurricanes in Mayor's Message

December 7, 2012 - Cape Coral, FL

By Mayor John Sullivan  - www.capecoral.net

Most of us look forward to this part of the year as it seems to bring a new sense of hope and rejuvenation to the city. Many think it is the holiday season or perhaps the impact of our friends returning from the north. Many residents believe the city is continuously improving, growing and becoming a better place to live.

There are many people in our community who do great things for Cape Coral. We are blessed that these people have the determination and spirit to make our city a better place to live, work and play. We are lucky to live in a city that has so many great community events, initiatives and ideas. Yet many citizens believe that simply having the right attitude is just as important as having the right idea.

One person who has shown what hard work, determination and perseverance can do is JP Terrasi. Terrasi has been working tirelessly to develop a sports team that could have a positive impact on our city. About a year ago, he introduced the Cape Coral Hurricanes premier men’s soccer team to the community. Many people watched and enjoyed the team first exhibition season this year, and Terrasi just informed us that his team has been awarded a franchise in the National Premier Soccer League, which is the 4th Division of U.S. Soccer. This is exciting news!

The Hurricanes will play spring and summer games in 2013 against teams from high-profile markets in Florida: Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville. The amount of positive exposure the team has garnered is tremendous. This team adds another key element to our culturally diverse events.

We now have a semiprofessional sports team to call our own.  We all know that the City of Cape Coral has been going through a positive image change in recent years. With the growth of some of our community and ethnic events, and the addition of national chains to our market, we are poised to build on that image. The Cape Coral Hurricanes not only will provide a great opportunity for local players and be an excellent entertainment value for the whole family, but it could have a direct economic impact as well. If you look at how these teams have impacted similar-sized markets, the social and economic impacts have been significant.

At the very least, we surely can hope they will make Cape Coral a more fun, attractive city to current and future residents.  We have often stated that one of the City’s goals is to provide our residents with the best municipal services at the best value possible. When our community supports this team, we keep Cape Coral moving forward as a thriving and vibrant city. For more information about the team, visit their website at www.CapeHurricanes.com .

Click on the link below to be taken to the City of Cape Coral's website to read the full newsletter online.

http://www.capecoral.net/Portals/0/docs/City Manager/OTM Newsletter/Winter 2012.pdf

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Featured on TWO nationally known podcasts

 

Cape Coral Hurricanes Featured on World Footie Net Podcast

Incredible interview with internationally recognized soccer podcast

November 7, 2012 - Atlanta, GA

By Andre  - www.worldfootie.net

podcast banner for WFN

Thank you to Andre, from World Footie Net for doing this incredible interview! We touched on a lot of things from how the team came about to being a Christian based club. So, THANK YOU again Dre! That link is http://www.worldfootie.net/?p=8278

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Featured on Miami Ultras Podcast

Fort Lauderdale Strikers supporters group - Miami Ultras interview Cape Hurricanes

October 15, 2012 - Miami, FL

By Ed & Pieter  - www.ultrasalive.com

Thank you to Pieter and Ed, from the Miami Ultras for doing this incredible interview! "Tonight we talk to the Cape Coral Hurricanes and learn what theyre all about. Plus well catch up Ralphs Mob Steve Holler.'

 

 

www.blogtalkradio.com/soccersupportersradionetwork/2012/10/16/ultras-alive-70

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Able to Join Expanding NPSL

Year-long effort pays off with entry into the league.

November 6, 2012 - Cape Coral, FL

By Tariq Lee - www.news-press.com

The Cape Coral Hurricanes year-long effort of exhibition games and promotions has paid off with its entry into the National Premier Soccer League.

Cape Coral is a part of an 11 team expansion surge into the NPSL with teams joining the soccer league from as far away as Las Vegas.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Hurricanes general manager J.P. Terrasi said. “We’ve been working on this for 2 1/2 years now, we quickly knew right away after doing some research that a market was here for a team like this.”

Terrasi’s squad will be joining the Sunshine Conference with fellow expansion teams Miami United SC and Tampa Marauders FC. Jacksonville United will be the fourth team in the conference just one year removed from a 2011 NPSL championship.

Jacksonville competed in the East division of the Southeast Conference last season traveling to Georgia and South Carolina for matches and when Terrasi was approached about joining the league Cape Coral was going to have to follow suit.

“At first we were going to have to travel to Atlanta and Myrtle Beach, S.C.,” Terrasi said. “I had to spend a lot of time to create this conference, driving to Miami and Tampa to make this happen. Tampa was luckily far enough down the road and everything fell into place. NPSL is a perfect fit for us.”

The NPSL season runs from April-July and Cape Coral will be composed of local players while the team’s coach is yet to be decided. Cape will also have a reserve league in the Gulf Coast Soccer League with opportunities for players to move up to the NPSL team.

Cape Coral is shooting for March exhibition matches and plans to face the Miami and Tampa clubs. They will continue to hold matches at Cape Coral High.

“It might not be a brand name in Southwest Florida that is going to do everything I can to help NPSL expand its brand and reach down here so everyone can know what kind of high quality it is,” Terrasi said.

CLICK HERE to download the PDF of the article.

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Growth Continues For NPSL

First Round of Expansion Teams Announced for National League

November 2, 2012 - Cape Coral, FL

By National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) - www.npslsoccer.net

The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce the first round of expansion teams for the 2013 season. New members include FC Sparta Michigan and the Las Vegas Stallions. Additional clubs that have already been approved include Zanesville Athletic FC, the Cape Coral Hurricanes, Tampa Marauders FC, Miami United SC, Chesterfield United FC, Rock City Soccer Club, the New Orleans Jesters, Virginia FC, and RVA Football Club.

FC Sparta and Zanesville will be joining the Midwest Great Lakes Conference and will be competing against the likes of AFC Cleveland, Detroit City FC, FC Buffalo, and the Erie Admirals.

Zanesville will play their home matches at Foxfire Field, the former home of Maysville HS. 

“My goal is to build a strong fan base, build some strong regional rivalries, and win the Great Lakes Conference,” Chairman Scott A. White commented.

White hopes the team will be instrumental in growing soccer in Southeast Ohio. 

The Stallions, led by Alfred Hoviss, appear to be one of the most ambitious clubs in recent memory. They have set high expectations for their inaugural season, including the goal of winning their conference and making to the NPSL’s championship round. They also have impressive plans to engage local communities including charitable projects, exhibition matches, and Hispanic outreach programs. 

Las Vegas’s squad will reflect the diversity of their city, a team that will include players from Switzerland, Serbia, Mexico and South America. A model club in the making, the Stallions plan to run their organization in a way that is family-friendly. 

“We want to send the right message,” Hoviss declared. “We want to infuse family values, strength, and discipline.”

Their motto of “Never Run Alone” makes players Stallions for life, an exciting prospect as their players strive to make it to the next level.  

The Cape Coral Hurricanes are one of several new Florida clubs. While having ambitions of getting into the NPSL, they put together a full season of exhibition games and promotions last year. They are poised to make a big splash in the market and help build the league’s brand in SW Florida. They not only plan on fielding a very competitive team, but will be doing many game promotions and events to get everyone in the community involved.

The Hurricanes also plan to be a visible part of their local youth soccer community, which is one of the largest in the state. J.P. Terrasi, the team’s General Manager, will be rolling out an innovative marketing campaign thanks to his 15+ years of experience in the field.

Cape Coral’s squad will be made up primarily of Florida players from local colleges and universities, but some players may also come from amateur leagues in SW Florida as well.

Tampa Marauders FC will bring top-flight soccer to downtown Tampa’s Howard W. Blake HS, a facility that holds over 2,000 fans. 

“The approach of the organization is to provide a professional business that is fan friendly and affordable for all,” Marauders President Kevin Hickling. “Our stadium allows for fans to be up close and personal with the players at the game and to be interactive in various aspects of the game day show.”   

The Marauders will be working closely with local youth soccer leagues, local school districts, foundations, and service organizations to help create a recognizable brand and build a strong fan base. 

Miami United will also be added to the Sunshine Conference along with Cape Coral and Tampa. The team, led by President Roberto Sacca and Head Coach Miguel Mesa, will play in downtown Miami at Curtis Park. The facility will seat up to 7,000 fans. 

Both Sacca and Mesa are former professional players so building relationships with the local soccer community won’t be an issue. The team has plans for several preseason friendlies, some as soon as January. The organization has an ambitious goal of growing into a top-flight professional team within 3 years.      

Chesterfield United, based in Virginia, is expected to be added to the league’s South Atlantic Conference.

“We wanted to create a team made up of the community for the community, and I think we will work hard to make that happen and make it a success,” General Manager Patrick McStay stated. 

Home matches will be played at Williams Stadium located on the Ft. Lee Army Base. The facility has a new turf field and holds close to 10,000 fans. 

“We did not want to put decision-making in the hands of one or two people,” McStay continued. “The club is the ‘owner’ so that we are never to lose sight of what is really important and that is developing the youth in our club.”

 Rock City will be joining the South Central Conference. The team will play home matches at the Little Rock Christian Academy. The stadium features a FIFA-approved turf field, seating and parking for over 1,500 fans, and there are plans to remodel the locker rooms in the near future. 

“Being the only team in the state of Arkansas that is competing at a level as high as the NPSL is really going to provide us with an opportunity to unite the soccer players and fans across the state, an opportunity that we plan to immediately capitalize on,” Jared Keesee stated. 

It is clear that the club has big plans for their first season.

“I want us to be very competitive from the start and to really take some big steps when it comes to building a loyal and involved fan base,” Keesee added. 

New Orleans, Virginia FC, and RVA Football Club round out the league’s new clubs.

Further announcements regarding additional teams will be made at a later date as a number of applicants are still being reviewed.   

http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/home/675627.html

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Cape Coral Florida Attractions - Sports

New to Cape Coral - Our Very Own Soccer Team

September 26, 2012 - Cape Coral, FL

By Come-To-Cape-Coral.com - www.come-to-cape-coral.com

New to Cape Coral is their very own soccer team, the Cape Coral Hurricanes. They have just joined a premier adult men's soccer league in the country and will be making that announcement very soon.  Their season runs from April - July with tryouts in January and February.

Home games are played at Cape Coral High School but tryouts will be in Cape Coral and Fort Myers.  I'm looking forward to going to a game next season!

You can help the team and get involved by becoming a fan, by volunteering or becoming a sponsor, and even a partial team owner.

This year was a success, and 2013 looks to be another great year for the Hurricanes!

Read this entire article online at the CapeCoral.com website at:

http://come-to-cape-coral.com/cape-coral-attractions.html

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Cape Coral Hurricanes to Join USASA and Make U.S. Open Cup Run

After 2013 exhibition schedule, team will start qualifying play.

August 7, 2012 - Cape Coral, FL

By CapeCoral.com - www.CapeCoral.com

The Cape Coral Hurricanes men’s premier soccer team just concluded a season to remember.

With a 4-3-2 winning record in their first exhibition season, they have something to build upon for next year as they will join the USASA (United States Adult Soccer Association), which is the nation’s premier national soccer organization and will allow them a chance to qualify for the prestigious Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup which is the nation’s premier soccer tournament which includes MLS teams and is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States.

After joining the USASA, the team will play in various tournaments and move up their exhibition schedule to the spring to prepare for an end of the season run at the U.S. Open Cup. Qualifying begins in April of 2013 where three teams from each region will win berths into the competition. “We are extremely excited about joining the USASA and anticipate making a solid run at a berth in the U.S. Open Cup,” says J.P. Terrasi, team General Manager. “We’ve been preparing all season for a break like this and this is something we’ve been working hard toward. We had a strong first year and definitely impressed people as we played some very strong teams while two of our three losses and two of our ties came from USL (United Soccer League) PDL (Premier Development League) teams. We also established some key relationships where our players can be scouted and recruited for collegiate, semi-pro and professional opportunities, both here and abroad, while also having the opportunity for a chance to play in the national championship.”

The Hurricanes had also worked toward getting into the PDL but decided that joining the USASA would prove a better fit for the team and the community. “By joining the USASA we will be able to grow the popularity of the sport and work closer with the various leagues and local soccer organizations along the entire gulf coast of Florida. It will also give us the opportunity to do some other things that we’ve been dreaming about and planning for including working toward qualifying for the U.S. Open Cup.”

The new plans will call for the team to continue to prepare in the off season as there are a big state and national tournaments on the horizon that they expect to play in. Their exhibition schedule was held in the late spring and summer this past season but proved to be more difficult than expected with the heat and the weather. By moving the schedule to the spring, they will be able to better market to the clubs, organizations and schools while also playing in more pleasant weather. It also will provide enough time for them to properly prepare for the national qualifying tournament called the USASA Werner Fricker Cup that will start in the spring of 2013. Being Cape Coral’s only sports team has been helpful as it proved to be something that the community can get excited about, rally behind and root for.

The team expects to take a few weeks off from training but will come back in the early fall where they will start their new season expecting yet another successful open tryouts and combine clinic. They will still be very involved in the community though with some off season promotions and will be partnering with some other local charities on fundraising events.

More information about these events and activities will be released soon but you can stay informed with the Cape Coral Hurricanes by going to their website or joining their team newsletter. You can see this season’s game results, their roster, buy team merchandise and learn much more on their website: www.CapeHurricanes.com . You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Read this entire article online at the CapeCoral.com website at:

http://www.capecoral.com/content/cape-coral-hurricanes-join-usasa-and-make-us-open-cup-run

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Cape Coral Hurricanes News & Press Stories

To read all of our news stories from the Inaugural 2012 Season - CLICK HERE

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Cape Coral Hurricanes Press Releases

To read all of our official team Press Releases - CLICK HERE

 

 

  

 

 

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