ALLEGANY, N.Y — After an incredibly successful inaugural game in 2017, the Corporate Cup Soccer Showcase will be getting even bigger and better this year. And it’s coming to Bradford.

The second annual showcase features the best high school soccer players from New York and Pennsylvania competing against each other. This year’s contests will be played at the University of Pitt-Bradford on May 19.

A girls game was added this year, and with an improved player tryout process, the game will truly be getting the most talented soccer players from each state.

On Sunday, the players, coaches and their families gathered for a media day gathering at the Carter Event Center in Allegany to showcase the upcoming game.

For just about everyone involved in soccer around this region, the creation and evolution of the Corporate Cup is a perfect example of just how much the game has grown in recent years.
“When I moved here 15 years ago from Philadelphia soccer here was so small,” PA boys and Bradford head coach Wes Lohrman “The field that we used to practice on was behind an old school and there were more gopher holes than there were soccer holes.”

Now, soccer is a high-profile sport at area high schools and has players participating year-round in numerous club and AAU teams.

Attendance neared almost 500 fans at last year’s boys game at St. Bonaventure University, but game organizers are hoping to crack over 1,000 fans this go-around. For those that can’t make it to UPB, the game will also be broadcast on Facebook Live.

The boys game gets underway at 1 p.m., with the girls to follow around 4 o’clock.

“When we first came up with this idea a few years back, we continued to be told ‘No’ over and over again. Everyone gave us reasons as to why we couldn’t do the game, and that just drove us even more,” co-founder David Talbot said on Sunday. “Last year was a great start but now we can just continue to grow and improve.”

Making the game even more meaningful for the players is that it won’t just be parents and friends in the crowd.

“Last year we had 14 college coaches show up to the game,” Talbot said. “This year I contacted 62 schools just on the girls side, and another 58 on the boys.”

Three boys who played in the game last year are currently on college rosters.

As for the actual play on the pitch, expect to see another very competitive contest. New York won last year’s matchup, 1-0, and with several scheduled practices over the few weeks, team chemistry will be even higher.

Lohrman, who led Bradford to the District 9 title game this season, will coach a Pennsylvania roster that is loaded with talent — including six of his own players.

Lohrman said the most unique part of the game for him will be coaching some of the best players in the area that he’s had to go up against for years. For example, three DuBois players that were on the team that beat the Owls in that D-9 championship in October were selected on the PA team.

“You see these players for four years, you play against them for four years and you build up game plans on how you are going to defend them, and work against them,” Lohrman said. “Now, we have everyone together in one group. I have players here that I would have given anything to coach and now I have that opportunity. We have to come together and build that chemistry with the mindset that we are on the same side.”

Bradford will also be well-represented on the girls side, as the Owls have seven players on that roster, which gives them a total of 13 on the two teams.

Near the end of Sunday’s festivities, Lohrman had the opportunity to address the players in attendance. His message perfectly encapsulated the theme of the day.

”It’s not that people are playing soccer anymore because they can’t play football or because there is nothing else to do,” he said. “Now, you are playing soccer because you are soccer players.”

Here’s a breakdown of the two Pennsylvania rosters:

PA GIRLS

Coach: Eric Bridges (St. Marys)

Roster: Bradford (6) – Regan Johnson (jr.), Mikayla Bond (jr.), Mackenzie Lucas (fr.), Morgan Shade (sr.), Chloe Shaw (fr.), Madison Sera (sr.), and Sarah Niegowski (sr.)

Elk County Catholic (2) –  Madelyn Sorg (sr.), Olivia Sorg (so.)

Port Allegany (4) –  Shaylee Caulkins (sr.), Lauren Dynda (sr.), Katie Ernst (sr.), Brianna Roys (sr.)

Northern Potter (1) – Rebecca Morgan (sr.)

Smethport (1) – Samantha Tanner (jr.)

Ridgway (1) – Josephine Benninger (sr.)

Kane (2) – Rachael Buhl (fr.), Jessica Buhl (fr.)

St. Marys (4) – Sarah Hart (sr.), Kyla Johnson (fr.), Lauren Eckert (so.), Kaylee Muccio (so.)

PA BOYS

Coach: Wes Lohrman (Bradford)

Roster: Bradford (6) – Jacob Johnson (sr.), Jason French (jr.), Ian Grady (so.), Ayron Hart (so.), Jared Lucas (sr.), Brent Kennedy (sr.)

St. Marys (3) – Isaac Caretti (sr.), Noah Crissman (jr.), C.J. McGowan (jr.)

DuBois (3) – Jack Mohney (sr.), Zachary Farrell (so.), Shadi Hassan (sr.)

Warren (2) – Connor Guiffre (sr.), Seth Harrington (sr.)

Northern Potter (1) –  Foster Kosa (jr.)

Port Allegany (4) – Josh Mealy (sr.), Payton Caden (sr.), Bryce Baker (sr.), Tyler Lashway (sr.)

Elk County Catholic (2) – Erick Mader (sr.), Jacob Koss (so.)