Ramstein soccer teams continued their winning streak with the women’s team placing first and the men’s team placing second in the 2004 U. S. Air Forces in Europe Soccer Tournament held June 17 to 23 at Royal Air Force, Alconbury, England.
The Ramstein men’s team went on to place third in the Army and Air Force Championship held June 26 and 27 at RAF Alconbury, England.
In tournament play, Ramstein women beat Aviano Air Base 2-0, RAF Lakenheath/Milden-hall 5-1, and Incirlik Air Base 2-0. They successfully shut out all goals from their opponents.
In the women’s championship game versus Aviano, Tobi Erskine scored a blazing goal in the second half to lead the team to its victory. Erkine along with McKayla Clark, Erica Loechl and Elisabeth Reynolds were named to the USAFE Women’s Soccer All-Star Team.
“We had a 50 percent return from last year’s team and gained some solid talent from the newcomers this year,” said Women’s Coach Chris Aw. “We owe our success to the commensurate teamwork: from the players who have practiced since the snowy winter months, from the intramural and varsity sports teams sharing the soccer fields and the 435th Services Squadron’s staff who orchestrated all logistical support.”
The men’s team was also successful in pool play beating Aviano 3-1, RAF Alconbury 13-0 and RAF Mildenhall 3-0. These results led the Ramstein Rams to the number one seed in their group.
They next faced RAF Lakenheath in the semi-final game and rolled to yet another victory. Unfortunately, their winning streak would end there.
The men faced off against defending champions Spangdahlem in the USAFE championship game and the Rams walked away from the match with a 5-0 defeat. However, revenge was on the horizon.
The top two Air Force teams from the USAFE Tournament advanced to the Army and Air Force championship match where the Rams faced defending champions, Heidelberg. It was a well-played match that was toughly contested until the final whistle. However, the Rams once again walked away with a disappointing 4-3 loss.
The Rams had the opportunity to play Spangdahlem in the third-place match and this time they were victorious, winning the game 1-0 in a shoot-out.
The men’s team played seven games in 10 and endured many injuries. However, they were able to maintain a high level of competition throughout both tournaments, the Ramstein Rams’ Coach Roy Dietzman said. “This was primarily due to their superb level of fitness and preparation, which they had been dedicated to since early February.”
Kevin Schultz and Jermaine Maull were key contributors to the team and were recognized for their performance as they were appointed to the USAFE Tournament All-Star roster. Kevin Schultz and Will Schorg were also named to the Army/Air Force All-Star roster.
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