The Dutch Soccer Academy, under the guidance of Robbie and Tammy Krul, recently returned from their sixth annual European soccer tour. This year’s destination was Italy and the some of the cities they visited included Rome, Florence, Siena, Pisa and other Tuscany villages.
Contributed photo/daveallengraphics
PRESQUE ISLE’S Warren Zubrick and Josh Allen make a run against the Italian Local team, San Giusto Le Bagnese. The Dutch Soccer Italy Tour Team won the match 3-2.
Coach Robbie Krul noted that this year’s teams were the most talented and competitive group he has ever brought abroad. The DSA United boys lost their first game 3-0, but won their second match 2-1. Goals were scored by Warren Zubrick and Russ Mortland, both from Presque Isle. In their final match, the boys tied 3-3 with goals scored by Nate Rossignol of Caribou, Warren Zubrick and Russ Mortland of Presque Isle.
“It was evident that the Italian teams and referees did not want to lose to an American team. The competition was intense and I was very proud of our team’s composer. The boys really understood our formation system and were eager to play hard, despite our grueling schedule. It was rewarding to work with such a talented group of athletes.”
The DSA United girls also faced tough competition and respectfully represented our Country. In their first match, they tied 1-1 with a goal from Morgan Chasse of John Bapst HS. In Game Two, the DSA girls lost 3-2 in an exciting match with goals from Denali Graham of Bangor HS and Chasse of JB. In their last match of the tour, the girls lost 3-1 to Roma, one of the top female teams in Italy. Coach Krul noted that Brittany Doak of Caribou performed brilliantly in goal for the DSA team.
“It was exciting to see the girls come together as a team in such a short time. The girls know each other from our summer camp, but due to the fact that they come from various regions in Maine, it’s difficult to train together prior to the trip. Once we put all their talent together and gave each girl a strategic role, it was remarkable to see how well they played as a team. They rose to the level of competition they faced and played better than I’ve ever seen them play in high school.”
According to DSA tour coordinator, Tammy Krul, this tour was especially enjoyable due in part to the nine chaperones from Caribou and Presque Isle that accompanied them to Italy. “We had members in the community that had never been to Italy before and wanted to join us this year. Traveling to a foreign country in a group is actually easier than traveling alone and it’s quite a unique experience. It is fun to come together at the end of the day for dinner and compare stories. We may see the same sites throughout the day, but we all have different impressions and stories to tell. I love visiting new places and experiencing different cultures, but it’s even nicer when you’re surrounded by people from home.”
Contributed photo/daveallengraphics
WHEN IN ROME – Students from the Dutch Soccer Academy traveled to Rome recently on a soccer tour of Italy. Stopping for a picture outside the Coliseum are, from left, Presque Isle athletes Eric Morris, Russ Mortland, Josh Allen, Warren Zubrick, Lucas Mathers, Caleb Mathers and tour director and coach Robbie Krul.
