Champions Will Rise!
It takes a lot to hoist the trophy in this league. You need to place in the top 8 to make it to the championship tournament. Then you need to battle through multiple rounds of games to get to the ‘ship. Then you need to outlast another team who’s equally hungry for hardward.
Indoor 24/25 Indoor Session 1 (25+ division)
DARK HORSE
It was another great session. Twin State was up to their same old tricks again - dominate the regular session, then come up juuuust a bit short in the tourney. (Did I write that? I may have just woken the dragon.) Either way, congrats to the boys in orange for taking top seed in the table and dominating the GD category with +68 points. That’s a criminal stat. Unathletico Madrid outdid all teams in the sportsmanship category with 45 out of 45 points, but the big story may have been the Pearl Street Pounders.
The Pounders came into the tourney with a 7 man squad. No subs in sight. They upset All Black FC in the first round, then took down Twin State in a legendary 10 round PK shoot out in the second round. Meanwhile, in the other bracket Dark Horse topped the Gooners in the first round and took down Switchback in a closely contested second round match to meet the Pounders in the championship. But that’s where the road ended for PSP. Their legendary tourney run came to a finish when the Horsemen topped them 5-2 to hoist the hardware.
Indoor 24/25 Session 1 (18+ division)
CRUSHERS
It’s been exactly 2 years since the Crushers have hoisted the trophy during the indoor season but once again the boys in orange were in top form. Entering the tourney as a two seed, the Crushers bested both FC Beercalona and The Boys Who Lived during pool play of the tourney and then set their sights on the number one seed, Last Resort in the finals.
In a highly contested, end to end battle, the Crushers completed the mission with a 2-0 victory over Last Resort. 8 goals for and 0 against makes it tough for any team to find breathing room against the Crushers when it comes to tourney time.
Outdoor 2024 Fall Session (25+ division)
TWIN STATE FC
History seems to have repeated itself again this session. 9 weeks of very competitive regular session games, followed by one of the greatest weather days we’ve ever seen for the end-of-session tourney. Congrats goes out to United FC for taking top honors in the Consolation Cup.
But it was the boys in orange who showed up and put together a carbon copy performance from last session. Not only did they repeat their run to the ship, but they did it in eerily similar fashion. Switchback stepped into the ring with Twin State and put forth a valiant effort but both teams failed to find the back of the net during regulation time. Once again, the final result was put into the hands of the PK gods. And once again it was Twin State who topped Switchback with 4-2 PK win. Congrats boys!
Outdoor 2024 Summer Session (25+ division)
TWIN STATE FC
This session was a roller coast of evenly matched games and tie breakers. Pearl Street Pounders squeaked out a top seed by one point with a tie in the last game of the session. Switchback, Dark Horse and All Black FC had to break a 3 way tie for second place based on Sportsmanship Points, and to be quite honest, Twin State was not their usual selves. But maybe that’s a good thing.
Twin State regularly finds themselves at the top the table during the regular session but they have a knack for coming up short in the tourney… but this session was different. Finishing as the 5th seed the boys in orange were on a mission. Breezing through the first two rounds they found themselves in a tough spot with a 2-2 draw after regulation in the final match of the tourney. But thanks to a missed Switchback attempt and a clutch save Twin State raised the trophy once again for the first time in 12 sessions, aka 3 years. Congrats boys! Good to see you back on top.
Indoor 23/24 Session 2 (25+ division)
DARK HORSE
Call them Dark Horse, or call them the light pony’s, it don’t matter and it don’t phase them. The boys in blue are always a contender, and this session they checked all the boxes in one of the most tightly contested sessions in recent memory. The “Dark-State Darby” in week 11 proved to be a crucial game. Dark Horse’s W over Twin State sealed their bid as the top seed and closed out the table with the two teams tied for Best GD with 53. Dark Horse also tied Queen City Rangers for most sportsmanship points with 54. But it was the tournament in week 12 where the separation came. Outscoring their opponents 17 - 3 on the night, Dark Horse topped All Black FC 4-0 in the championship match with the boys in blue raising the hardware once again for the first time since the summer of ‘22.
Indoor 23/24 Session 2 (18+ division)
CAPITAL SC
The Capital boys have been balling out together for decades. Literally. This years team was made up of OG elder statesmen, new recruits, and transfers who were once familiar faces from other teams. Could they be considered the soccer version of a super group? Maybe. TBD. But what we do know is they battled through an up and down session placing 4th in the table with a record of 5-2-1, only to take down some of the biggest names in the biz during the 3 week tournament. They squeaked past UVM 2-1, put the hammer down on the Crushers with a 7-2 W, and eventually upset Middlebury 2-1 in the championship. It was a run for the ages for the boys in grey… that we can certainly say!
Indoor 23/24 Session 1 (25+ division)
ALL BLACK FC
After a two session hiatus All Black FC is once again All About The W’s, and found themselves back on top of the pile. The boys in black went undefeated with a 9-0 record during the regular session and kept the train rolling through the tournament. ABFC got the best of TLM in round 1, took down the Gooners in a nail biter semi final that could have gone the other way if a late game PK took a different turn, and then in a true show of power ABFC took down defending two time champion Switchback by a score of 4-2 in the championship. Congrats gents!!!
Indoor 23/24 Session 1 (18+ division)
LAST RESORT
We seem to have a green theme trending the past few sessions. It may have only been a short primer session to kick off the 18+ league this winter but Last Resort wasn’t taking things lightly. An undefeated session with 5 wins and 1 tie lead them to the championship game where they took down the UVM club team by a score of 3-2. The green machine rolled through the session like a classy bunch with a perfect sportsmanship point rating, 40 goals for and only 16 against. Congrats fellas!!!
Fall 2023 Outdoor
SWITCHBACK
Week 11, Week 11, Week 11. One team spent all session talking about Week 11 and the were right. Week 11 proved to be a big one. Battles ensued, the table shifted and teams were geared up for a tournament of epic proportions. But in week 12 Switchback brought their A squad motoring their way through the night. As the 2 seed they ousted Addison Legends, then Twin State FC and finally Dark Horse in the championship 3-1. With relentless firepower the boys in green scored 10 goals and only allowed 2, earning back to back trophies this summer.
Summer 2023 Outdoor
SWITCHBACK
When you go from (almost) worst to first, you have a tendency of gaining some attention. Team Green came in 8th place in goals for, 8th in goal differential, 7th in the table and topped the league in sportsmanship points with 50. Despite being a 7 seed heading into the tourney, Switchback showed up in force in week 12. Knocking off Capital in round 1, The Gooners in round 2 and finally Pearl Street Pounders in the championship, this one was a session ender to remember. Even the trophy put in work. Poor little guy.
Winter 22/23 Indoor Session 2 (Essex 25+ Division)
ALL BLACK FC
Love ‘em or loath ‘em, you can’t deny ‘em. But what we can say is this… All Black FC have raised 6 trophies over the last 8 sessions. Is it a dynasty? Or is it a sham? Has anyone checked the security cameras? Are the boys in black slipping $ Hundos to the refs on their way into the building. Or are they really that good? I don’t know. But what we do know is that they came in second behind the undefeated Gooners during regular session play with a record of 8-1-2. They had the 3rd highest GD, and the second fewest goals against. They benefited in the first round of the tourney with a forfeit win, then surpassed Twin State FC 5-2 in the semis, only to barely squeak past Dark Horse 3-1 after a PK was called against them, which was then retracted with about 9 minutes left in the championship. A call that would have potentially tied the game and created a power shift for the Horsemen. But when all the dust had settled, All Black conceded only 3 goals against in the tourney, and one can argue, goalkeeping and stingy D may have been the game changer for them this year, as they were once again (blah blah blah) crowned - Da Champs. Congrats Fellas!
Winter 22/23 Indoor Session 2 (Shelburne 18+ Division)
MIDD FC
The boys from Middlebury FC have only been in the league for a total of 3 sessions now, and as they say, the third time’s a charm. If you ask them they’ll tell you - they’re a quality side but it took them a bit to learn the indoor game. But as Jedi Yoda would say - “learn quickly they did”. Following a huge regular session victory in week 8 over perennial top contender - The Crushers - Midd FC knew they were about to go on a run. With preliminary round tournament victories over Capital and Last Resort, the Route 7 derby was set. Midd FC and UVM were about to do battle. And this time Midd FC would prove to be the victor with a commanding 8-5 win as they earned a chance to hoist the hardware. Well done boys!
Winter 22/23 Indoor Session 1 (Essex 25+ Division)
ALL BLACK FC
Rinse. Wash. Repeat. It’s been about a year since ABFC have climbed to the top of the hill but here we go again. It was a wild session. Three tie breaking scenarios came into play to determine the 1 and 2 seeds heading into the tourney. Four teams were reseeded based on sportsmanship points, 3 teams shared the honor of most sportsmanship points with 44 out of 45 potential points, 6 other teams shared 42 sports points each, the 6 seed Switchback scored the most goals with 46, but Twin State FC blew the doors off with a goal differential of 31, the top 2 seeds each earned 22 points in the table, the 4 and 5 seeds earned 16 a piece and the 6 and 7 seeds each tallied 15. In a session riddled with ties, one thing was determined on the final night as All Black FC outlasted Twin State FC in the final by a score of 3-1… the boys in black were back.
Winter 22/23 Indoor Session 1 (Shelburne 18+ Division)
CRUSHERS
3 for 3 thus far. The Crushers are like a fine wine… they get better with age. Coming off back to back wins last winter the boys in orange picked up where they left off. This may have been billed as a short primer prelude to the second session but the Crushers took it serious when it matter most. Finishing the regular season with a 2-2-2 record they peaked once again in the playoffs earning the right to reclaim the trophy.
Fall 2022 Outdoor
SWITCHBACK
It’s been a minute since the big green machine, better known as Switchback has hoisted the trophy, but this fall they did it again. With a record of 7-1-2, earning second in the most goals for (48) and with the fewest goals against (16), the regular season 2 seed inched their way through the tournament with two PK shootout wins in the first and second round, only to outdo the top seeded Twinstate FC in the championship with a 1-0 win. Ironically, Switchback’s lone goal in the ‘ship came off a blocked PK that was netted on a follow up.
Summer 2022 Outdoor
DARK HORSE
It’s been a long time coming since a team has dethroned All Black FC in the tournament. After 4 sessions in a row with the boys in black hoisting the hardware it was one of the original Elite 8 teams who rose back to the top. Dark Horse finished the regular session in 3rd place and endured 3 tough battles during tournament play vs Pearl Street Pounders, Switchback and All Black FC to once again hoist their first trophy since the fall of 2019.
Winter 21/22 Session 2 Indoor (Shelburne 18+ Division)
CRUSHERS
The boys in orange let off the throttle a bit this session in the goals for category netting 65 and allowing 36. With a record of 7-1-2 the Crushers earned top seed going into the tournament. When the tourney rolled around the boys earned a bye through the first round, used some extra energy to take down UVM after a 2-2 draw by edging them out in a PK shootout and then went on a tear in the championship game outdoing Capital 9-3.
Winter 21/22Session 2 Indoor (Essex 25+ Division)
ALL BLACK FC
I don’t even know what to say anymore. If there’s anything close to a dynasty in this league I guess its the boys in black.
Another session in the books and another trophy leaves the building underneath the arms of ABFC. With 54 goals for and only 14 against ABFC held a record of 7-0-2 during the session and made their way through the tournament with a bye in the first round and two powerful wins over Twinstate (5-1) in the semis and Switchback (6-0) in the Final match. Boom!
Winter 21/22 session 1 Indoor (Shelburne 18+ Division)
CRUSHERS
This winter the Elite 8 introduced a whole new division to the league. 8 teams kicked kicked off the first ever Elite 8 Shelburne 18+ Division and it was a well know team who took top honors. With 88 goals for and only 37 against the Crusher went on an absolute tear putting up a record of 8-2-0 during the regular session and then put the final nail in the coffin by posting 3 big wins in the tourney, netting 12 goals and only allowing 1.
Winter ‘21/ ‘22 Session 1 Indoor (Essex 25+ Division)
ALL BLACK FC
Third times a charge for ABFC as they have gone back to back to back in hoisting the trophy once again in a nail biting championship match that ended 2-2 in regulation only to be decided in a PK shootout with a score of 3-2. ABFC netted 57 goals over 10 games to claim the most goals for honor and a regular session record of 8-0-2.
Pearl Street Pounders took top honors for best behavior with 49 sportsmanship points and fewest goals against allowing only 9 goals.
Outdoor 2021 Fall
ABFC
Covid ups and downs have become the norm over the past few sessions but we made it through a full outdoor season with no additional shutdowns.
Taking full advantage of the opportunity to play, the boys in black of ABFC went back to back and hoisted the trophy once again netting 49 goals and a record of 10-1-0.
Addison legends took top honors for best behavior with 54 sportsmanship points, Twinstate was a brick wall giving up only 9 goals all session long and earned runner up honors in the Championship match falling to ABFC by a score of 3-0.
Outdoor 2021 Spring / Summer
ABFC
Covid reared its ugly head once again in November of 2020 and shut down the soccer world for the second winter in a row. We played 2 weeks indoor and that was it. After a long 6 month shut down the Elite 8 took the field again to pick up where we left off and continued the winter session outside on grass. And the boys in black were ready for an all out attack.
Netting 59 goals, only allowing 14 and posting an 8-1-2 record ABFC swept most goals, fewest goals, top seed and hoisted the trophy after topping Switchback 2-1 in the tournament. Almost a perfect session, w/ the exception of earning the sportsmanship award. Well done boys!
INDOOR 2021
Another winter season disrupted by COVID.
We made it two weeks in and then got shut down.
Outdoor 2020 Summer / Fall
TWINSTATE FC
After a 4 month hiatus due to COVID-19, the Elite 8 kicked back into high gear on July 1 and so too did Twinstate FC. The boys in orange posted a record of 14-1, netted 74 goals and allowed only 14. Twinstate capped off a solid season with a tournament victory, squeaking past Dark Horse with a semi final win from a PK shoot out and outlasting ABFC in the final match with a 1-0 win.
Top Seed in the league, most goals for, fewest goals allowed and a trophy lifted.
Winter ‘19/ ‘20 Session 2 Indoor
COVID-19 TOOK US DOWN
During week 6 of a 9 week session, the world came to a screeching halt and the Elite 8 was forced to shut down prematurely when the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to Vermont. In complete disbelief the Elite 8 played its last game on Thursday March 12, 2020 and our future was uncertain. Following months of horrible news, staggering impacts from the pandemic and a long down period, league representatives worked in conjunction with the State of Vermont and a statewide committee of sport leaders to eventually craft guidance that allowed players and leagues to returned to play. 4 months later on July 1, 2020 the Elite 8 was the first soccer league in Vermont to start hosting league games once again.
At the time of the shutdown ABFC stood atop the table with 6 wins and 18 points. Followed by Twinstate FC and Dark Horse, each who had 5 wins and 15 points.
The season was never finished.
Winter ‘19/ ‘20 Session 1 Indoor
ABFC
ABFC finished 3rd in the regular session table behind Dark Horse in 2nd and Pearl Street Pounders in 1st. In the championship tournament ABFC went 3-0 to claim the top honors beating Burlington FC, Dark Horse and Pearl Street Pounders in the finals after a 0-0 draw which lead to a 3-2 PK shootout victory for the boys in black.
Dark Horse claimed “most goals for” with 46, while Pearl Street pounders claimed “fewest goals against” with 15 and CA Invito took home the most sportsmanship points award during regular session play.
Fall ‘19 Outdoor
DARK HORSE
With a record of 5 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties Dark Horse won the table to claim top honors. The boys in blue also took most goals for with 30 netted and fewest goals against with only 15 allowed.
It was a tight race to the finish between ABFC and Switchback, all within a point or two of each category. Switchback claimed the most sportsmanship points with 36 out of 40 points. Nice guys!
Spring Summer ‘19 Outdoor
DARK HORSE
Dark Horse placed 3rd during the regular session and went on to win the championship over Switchback with a 2-1 victory in the tourney.
Props go out to The Straight Shooters for taking 1st in the regular session, most goals scored with 42 and fewest against with 16.
ABFC and Dark Horse tied for most sporstmanship points with 46 out of 50.
Winter Spring ‘19 Indoor Session 2
SWITCHBACK
Switchback won the championship tournament beating Dark Horse 3-0 and also earned the “Most Goals For” award with 35 netted.
Tournament Runner Up - Dark Horse took 3rd place in the table and also earned the “Fewest Goals Against” with 14.
Fall Winter ‘19 Indoor Session 1
SWITCHBACK
Switchback won the championship tournament and also earned the “Most Goals For” award with 29 netted.
Tourney Runner Up - Jurgen Get Klopped took first place in the table and also earned the “Fewest Goals Against” with 5.
Fall 2018 Outdoor
DARK HORSE
Taking top honors during the fall table format the boys in (slate) blue were back at it.
Summer 2018 Outdoor
THE STRAIGHT SHOOTERS
Back on top. The boys in yellow beat Dark Horse 2-0 in the championship match to take top honors. Back to back champions.
Spring 2018 Outdoor
THE STRAIGHT SHOOTERS
Team yellow beat Switchback 4-1 in the championship match to take top honors.
Winter Spring 2018 Session 2
FC BOSNIA
The boys in grey beat Dark Horse 4-3 in the championship match as well as earning “Fewest Goals Against” during the regular session.
Fall Winter 2017 Session 1
DARK HORSE
The horsemen beat Pearl Street Pounders 4-2 in the championship match and also earned 1st place in the session, “Most Goals For” and “Fewest Goals Against.
The first team to sweep all 4 categories in one session.
*Dark horse Blue. Pearl Street Pounders Yellow
Fall 2017 Outdoor
Burlington FC
The boys in (royal) blue claimed first Place this session based on Table Format. Fun Fact… Addison United was a no show for the deciding game and BTV took it all w/ a forfeit. Who bails out on the ‘Ship?
Unfortunately the league was in its infancy and no photo was taken of the winning team. Oh wait… the game didn’t happen, so no photo could have been taken anyway.
Summer 2017 Outdoor
MYSTERY MEAT
The meat beat Switchback 2-1 in the championship match to claim top honors in the first ever Elite 8 session.
The league must have misplaced its polaroid photo following the first ever championship match. Lame!!!
