Club News

Team Meetings in February

All Gitch teams should be having a kick-off team meeting by the end of February to meet fellow players and the coaches, identify team managers, discuss the schedule and player expectations, and plan tournaments.

The Club continues to have room for U16 and U17 boys on a second U17 team. There are still 3-4 spots on the U10 boys, U11 boys, U13 boys, and the U15 boys. There are one or two spots on the U10 girls and we can maintain a waiting list for other teams. So if you are interested or know someone that might be, the registration forms and $100 deposit should be submitted (see Registration form here).

Please also scroll down to review the Gitch Timeline below and read the Gitch Handbook here.

Gitchi Timeline

Mid August: Registration for 2012 spring/summer season opens (U9-U12 are first come, first serve)

Mid Sept: Pre-registration for 2012 - session at CSS - 9/17 from 11am to 1pm

October/Nov: Tryouts for U13-U17 and "kickarounds" for U9-U12

December: The team acceptance letters (with coach assignments) and installment billing with attached 2012 Player Fee information mailed. ($75 of the $100 registration fee applies to this player fee.)

January: Remaining coach assignments and $150 installment payment completed.

February: Initial team meetings and fee balance payments completed

March:

• Club registers teams/players with MYSA after 3/1/12, paying team, player, and coach/manager fees
• The first stage of Club skill sessions are offered
• All League teams and most tournament teams have begun team practices
• Team uniform orders are completed, as well as most tournament planning
• Register for Gitchi Gummi Head of the Lakes Tournament (mid June)
• Early Development and Juniors Programs open registrations (held in June/July)

April:

• Tournament team Club skill sessions are offered
• League game schedules are known
• Early tournaments start

May:

• League team season starts early May
• League teams begin to register for playoffs
• Gitch Jamboree early May (internal club scrimmages, team pictures, silent auction)
• Early Development and Juniors Programs registrations close May 31

June:

• League teams complete registration with MYSA for district playoffs
• Club members volunteer for at least 2 hours in the HOLT tournament
• Club's Head of the Lakes tournament mid June
• Early Development and Juniors Program starts mid June and runs 6 weeks

July:

• Last day of League play is around 7/11
• District playoffs mid July and Regionals and State matches follow up through the end of July

Congratulations - Fall High School Soccer

Mike Sengbush, GGSC coach since 1995 and the Director of our Early Development summer camp, was named the 2011 Coach of the Year within MN State Section 7, Class A, for his role as the head coach of the Marshall School varsity boys soccer team, winners of the Lake Superior Conference championship and runners up to conference rivals CEC in Section 7A.

Congratulations to the Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (CEC) boys varsity soccer team (coached by Archie Clark, a longtime Gitch coach) and the Esko/Carlton girls varsity soccer team, for their respective Section 7A championships, and their participation in the state Class A soccer tournament. The CEC boys team included current/former Gitch players: Jarad Weeks, Bryan Johnson, Alex Derocher, Hunter Leon, Jim Peterson, Landen Straub, Tyler Goebel, John Scheuer, and Ben Pietsch. The Esko/Carlton girls team included current/former Gitch players: Kadee Karkkainen, Kailee Katt, Erika Shady, and Elle Emanuel.

Congratulations also to the following current and former Gitchi Gummi players on being selected to the Lake Superior Conference, All-Conference teams: John Fox, Joe Fairbanks, Hunter Leon, Landen Straub, Jarad Weeks, Cal Anderson, John Scheuer, James Foldesi, Sergei Hanka, Sam Johnson, Bryan Wines, Zoe Berlinquette, Ellie Peters, and Megan Coughlin. Doug Lewis, Isak Abukhodair, Nick Early, Fredy Benish, John Scheuer, and Jordan Maciver.

Congratulations to Connor Danielson, Hunter Leon, Isak Abukhodair, and John Fox on their All-State Selections.

Congrats to current and former Gitch players on the Duluth News Tribune all-area team! Hunter Leon, Landen Straub, and Jarad Weeks of C-E-C, Cal Anderson of Denfeld, Connor Danielson of Duluth East, John Fox and Angela Katoski of Marshall School, and Isak Abukhodair of Hermantown.

The boys Senior All Stars (voted on by area HS coaches) currently or formerly from Gitch were:
Area Boys
Coach Archie Clark (CEC and Gitch coach)
G Jared Weeks Cloquet-Esko-Carlton
D Hunter Leon Cloquet-Esko-Carlton
D Nick Early Hermantown
M John Scheuer Cloquet-Esko-Carlton
M Isak Abukhodair Hermantown
F Landen Straub Cloquet-Esko-Carlton

Duluth Boys
Coach Scott Anderson (Duluth Denfeld and Gitch coach)
G Doug Lewis Marshall
G Ben Campbell Duluth Denfeld
D Cal Anderson Duluth Denfeld
D Chris Coffman Marshall
D Sam Johnson Marshall
D Anthony Cotter Marshall
D Bradon Sauve Duluth East
D Domenick Bergeland Duluth East
M John Fox Marshall
M Steven Holappa Duluth East
M Jorgen Munson Duluth East
M Ben Gilbertson Duluth East
F Billy Renier Duluth East
F Connor Danielson Duluth East

For the Girls Seniors All-Star teams, the current or former Gitch players were:
D Jordan Maciver Duluth Denfeld
M Michaela Keener Marshall
M Allyson Gronseth Duluth Denfeld
M Morgan Reckinger Duluth Denfeld
F Angela Katoski Marshall
F Lacy Myrdal Two Harbors
M Ivie Brooks Two Harbors

Volunteers Needed and Volunteer Thank Yous

The Club will be in need of a new Treasurer next July, so if you have an interest in this area, please contact the Cub President, Len Albrecht, at albrecht3@msn.com. An overlapping transition prior to July would be the smoothest way to changeover this position.

Volunteer thank yous go to all those that helped with Tryouts check-in and most especially Julie Spry (children on 3 different teams), our registration coordinator.

The Club has identified the next Head of the Lakes Tournament Director. Her name is Alison Zentz, parent of a U9 boys team player. Alison will be identifying further needs for her committee soon. It is expected that she could use someone to help seek sponsorships and someone to coordinate beverage concessions at the Stebner Park location.

Meet Your GGSC Board

GGSC U15C3 Boys Team - 2011 State Champions!!

The Gitchi Gummi Boys U15C3 team, coached by Eirik Rennan and Gunnar Sengbush, finished the season as undefeated League Champions (12-0-0 overall) and were promoted to C2. The team went on to be the Playoff Champions and then State Champions with a score of 3-2 in overtime off a corner kick!

Coach Rennan credits success to the boys for working very hard on their game during winter/spring indoor practice sessions and the Club Skill Sessions with Barry Chastey. Although only a 15 player team with a number of injuries, due to player dedication, they were never short-handed. Coach Rennan also thanks the entire Club Board and officers for their support, and their team manager Sue Lane.

GGSC U14C2 Boys Team Promoted to C1!!!

The Gitchi Gummi Boys U14C2 team, coached by Kevin Lloyd, Peter Hedstrom, and Corey Hietapelto, finished the season 23-5-4 overall and were promoted to C1. For the regular season they were League Champions (undefeated), Playoff Champions, and Runners Up for the State Championship, losing in PK's after going 0-0 through overtime! They were also the 2011 NSC Cup Champions. For the entire season they were led by their defense, giving up just 13 goals in 32 games; they had an amazing 20 shutouts!

2011 NSC Cup Tournament Achievements

Gitchi Gummi's U17 boys tournament team, coached by Greg Cane and Barry Chastey, repeated as NSC Cup champions for the 2nd year in a row. The game went through a 0-0 double overtime. In the shootout, the goalkeeper Jarad Weeks, of Esko, made 2 diving stops of Euro Football Club's (Rochester, MN) shots, and allowed just one to get past him. Connor Danielson, of Duluth East, Nick Lesneski, of Ashland, and Caleb Burst, of Bayfield, scored their attempts for Gitch to seal the win.

Gitch's U14C2 boys team, coached by Kevin Lloyd, also won their first NSC Cup championship in a 2-0 win over Dakota Alliance of Soiux Falls, SD. Goalkeeper Hugh VanScoy recorded the shut out.

Gitchi Gummi's U16C1 boys, coached by Morgan MacLean, took second in the Cup, losing to Winnipeg, Manitoba 4-1.

Other Team Achievements

Barry Chastey's U9 boys tournament team were undefeated at the Mahtomedi and the USA Cup, as well as the Gitch Festival for U9/U10 teams.

The U14C3 girls team took 1st Place in the Eden Prairie Cup Tournament

The State Champion U15C3 boys also won their division championships at the Dakota Rev it Up Tournament and the Gitch Head of the Lakes Tournament.