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Lee University will play for the NAIA National Championship tomorrow night. Lee has seven players from Tennessee: Meghan Guinn, Knox Karns; Jamie Achten, Centennial HS; Jenna Achten, Centennial HS; Chelsea Eisnaugle, Franklin, HS; Lauren Good; Baylor School; Savannah Neely, Bradley County; and Kristen Carbine, David Lipscomb. If you want to read about the game http://www.goladyflames.com/info/news/news...sp?newsid=13532 or to follow tomorrow nights game go to www.naiasoccer.org

Jenna Achten--Centennial (Impact)

Lauren Good--Baylor (Redoubt)

Chelsea Eisnaugle--Franklin (TNFC)

Savannah Neely--Bradley Central (Redoubt)

All playing for the #1 Nationally Ranked Lee University Lady Flames

The Mustangs played inferior competition? Are you including the four college teams they played and went 3-1 against. One of those teams they beat being a finalist in the National Championship game in their Division. Their only lose came against the Univ. of Western GA, a team that is NCAA Div. 2, qualified for the Gulf South Conference, one player was named Gulf South Co-Player of the Year and two players made the All NSCAA Adidas Team. That in itself is a tough schedule and I don't see any other teams, Div.1 or 2 doing that. The teams they played in State League were games they HAD to play or go to the Open Tournament which is lower competition. All any team can do is go to what seems like highly rated tournaments and if the competition doesn't show then it isn't that teams fault. Obviously you are not on top of the soccer scene in Knoxville or you would have known about the Vel. Premier situation and what the real differences between Div.1 and 2 are and one guess...it isn't just talent. The most consistent team of the two, KFC and Impact '92, has been KFC. Even with all that recruited talent at Impact they could not repeat at D1. KFC has developed and maintained even with player loses to injury, moving out of state, even going to Impact for what seemed was greener grass. New players have NOW retooled KFC and that D1 mentality is now the majority on the team. Finally if you want to talk about competition the look at this. Impact '92 has played six teams ranked in the top 100 and won two. Impact has played 12 ranked 101 or worse winning or tying 11. KFC has played four teams ranked in the Top 100 and won three. Played 14 teams ranked 101 or worse and won 13. This is from the Spring 2007 records from Jan. 1. Looks equal to me. Next year will tell the tale. I am now off and out of this subject.

What college team are you referring to that went to their respective National Championship? The finalist (I assume you mean runner-ups) of last year's national championships: NAIA: Azusa Pacific (from California, doubt you played), DII: Grand Valley State (from Michigan, doubt you played), DIII: The College of New Jersey (from you guessed it, New Jersey, again doubt you played). So let's go back a year. NAIA: Lee University (from Tennessee, and most likely opponent, but know for a fact you didn't play), DII Seattle Pacific (again, improbable), DIII, The College of New Jersey (again, improbable). So who exactly was this National Finalist you competed against? And who are the other colleges that you say this team competed against? As for your loss against West Georgia, they are not a very strong college program and went 9-7-1 last year. I know you have said you are off and out about this subject, but try to come up with a substantial statement when trying to substantiate an obviously inferior team.

For what its worth four of six Premier League Champions from Tennessee did not make the final of the State Cup. And the R3PL Central is 10 teams and unless one of the other states does not recommend two teams, then only two TN teams will get in. It will be interesting to see what TN does with this situation. Recommend the teams for this year's success at State Cup, or for past achievements. In my opinion, if they recommend last year's R3PL winners, they diminish the value of their own state tournament.

QUOTE(MBABIGRED11 @ Jun 12 2007 - 07:07 PM) 826474374[/snapback]fyi tnfc was runner up in premier league so they were not the winners

Actually they were the winners. But I cant find anything in the rules that says the premier league winner are automatically in.

Quoting from RPL Rules

"Teams

Each US Youth Soccer National State Association may allow club teams in the following age categories for Boys and Girls; U14, U15, U16, U17, and U18 to apply for acceptance.

The US Youth Soccer National State Association will determine their teams that may apply for acceptance. (Generally it is anticipated that the club teams will be the Winner and Runner-up of the State's most recent Championship tournament, or in the case of an existing competitive league available to all state association teams, the Champion and Runner-up teams based on the teams prior full-year standing.) Participation is open to any properly registered competitive team in good standing with the member of the US Youth Soccer National State Association.

The US Youth Soccer Region III Premier League (R3PL) Sub-Region Committee shall have the authority to accept teams for competition that have approved applications from their US Youth Soccer National State Association. The R3PL Committee shall have the final authority to accept teams and reserves the right to refuse admittance of any team based upon the team’s prior performance in the Premier League (i.e. repeated failure to play matches, failure to comply with league rules, excessive misconduct, etc.)."

Hopefully the State will do the right thing and give the spot to the team that beat the Region Three Premier League Champions in the Semi-Final.