Big Cat Newsletter - Spring 2023

by Neil Thompson

 Introduction 

Oi Oi Big Cats! We are extremely excited to announce the new launch of our Big Cat Newsletter. We will be using this newsletter as a simple, clear way to communicate the accomplishments of some of our Big Cat goalkeepers, relaying important information about upcoming events, and even announcing the launch of new gloves and gear in our store.

As we continue to grow as a community, we hope this newsletter becomes a valuable resource for anyone and everyone looking to enjoy, and we also hope that it grows and evolves in the best ways possible, just like the goalkeeping position does.

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Upcoming Events

With the spring and summer fast approaching, we have our Naperville sessions ready to go and our Camp React camps on the horizon! Click the below links to learn more and sign-up:

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 Pro Spotlight 

We have a lot of catching up to do! There are numerous goalkeepers we want to highlight, but to begin we would like to give a quick update on the progression of some of our legacy Big Cat Goalkeepers who have turned Pro in our Pro Spotlight section.

Brian Schwake: Fighting for Morton

Big Cat signed pro in 2020, Brian Schwake has had a fantastic start to his career in the Scottish football leagues. After a stellar first season, gaining promotion for Edinburgh last year, Schwake is now fighting hard to keep his current club Greenock Morton in the promotion race of the Scottish Championship. Brian currently boasts nine clean sheets as his club sits just five points out of promotion playoffs with six matches remaining. 

Roman Celentano: FC Cincy 2023 Kick-off

Another Big Cat legend, Roman Celentano sets his sights on his second year in the MLS at FC Cincinnati. Drafted #2 overall from Indiana University in 2022, Roman had an immediate opportunity to take the reigns for FC Cincy. In his debut season, he managed 27 appearances, five clean sheets, earning his club two playoff appearances. Keeping his starting position, Roman has already managed three clean sheets in his first four matches of 2023.

With his abilities gaining attention from the top brass, Roman earned himself a call-up to the USMNT camp!

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 Local Legends 

This section will be all about YOU, our Big Cat Family! Each letter we will highlight some of our young keepers' accolades and accomplishments for all to see. We hope to capture as many stories as possible, so feel free to reach out to your local Big Cat coach to mention something you feel deserves to be recognized! We will do our best to get you included - just remember you (or your goalkeeper) have a long journey ahead of them and many more successes to come. What they achieve today is only the beginning.

U-16 USWYNT Selects Molly Vapensky

 

The U-16 United States Women's Youth National Team has selected Molly Vapensky for their April Camp Roster to travel overseas to France for international play. Molly, a long-time Big Cat, has a great reputation around Chicagoland as a top-level youth goalkeeper. We are all proud and excited to watch her journey as she continues on her development path.

"Molly (2007) in my opinion has everything it takes to reach the top level." - Neil Thompson

Duran Ferree signs Pro in USL Championship

Duran Ferree keeps a clean sheet in the USL Championship for the San Diego Loyal! Signed in September of 2022, The 16 year old US National Team Goalkeeper is showing why he is top of the stops.

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 College Cats 

A quick catalogue of some of our current college Big Cats along with some of their accomplishments.

  • Alex Flowers - Oakland University (Mich.)
    • Transferred from Western Illinois University (2022)
    • 32 Matches, 132 Saves, Second Team All-Summit League
  • Caitlin Richards - University of Northern Iowa
    • 40 Matches, 149 Saves, .768 SV%
  • Kate Praetz - St. Catherine Univerisity
    • Rookie of the Year Nominee 2021
    • USC All-Region, MIAC All-Conference 2021
    • 43 Matches, 168 Saves, .71 GAA, .848 SV%, 17 Shutouts
  • Bella Schopp -  Brown University
    • All-Ivy League Honorable Mention 2022
    • Ivy League Conference Champion 2022
    • 11 Matches, 23 Saves, .53 GAA, .821 SV%, 4 Shutouts
  • Trevor Share - Butler University
  • Joey Moore - MSOE
  • Matt Vollmer - UW Whitewater
  • Riley Johnson - North Central College
  • Cabral Carter - Pitt
  • Ian Turnbull - Coastal Carolina

New Commitments:

  • Dawson Yegge - St. Ambrose University
  • Lucas Ortiz - Eastern Illinois University

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Thank you for taking the time to read. As mentioned, this is a new project and we value your feedback! We encourage you to get involved with as many events as possible to get you or your goalkeeper to the level they deserve. We hope everyone has a fantastic spring season and we hope to see you soon! 

"SMASH IT"

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