Gloucester Township-Based Youth Soccer Team Wins State Title

The New Jersey Rush 02 Blue 13-and-under girls soccer team, based out of Gloucester Township, captured its fifth overall New Jersey State Cup championship on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Twin Pines Fields in Pennington.

Rush Blue turned aside N.J. Rush 02 Girls Grey, based out of Hamilton Township, 3-2 in the National Championship Series title game to emerge as the champion in the 21-team bracket. The victory also qualifies the team for regional play this summer in West Virginia.

In the most recent GotSoccer.com rankings, the team is ranked No. 1 in the state, the region and the country.

Over the past year, the girls have a record of 46-6-3.

The team won the Eastern Development Program Cup Tournament held at the Tuckahoe Turf Farm in Hammonton over Columbus Day weekend and won the EDP 1st Division South league championship this fall.

In the spring, the team won the EDP 1st Division South league championship and the 2015 Jefferson Cup Girls’ Weekend title in Virginia. It was the team’s second Jefferson Cup title and many of the nation’s top clubs participate.

Prior to earning its most recent state cup championship, the group captured two NJ Youth Soccer State Cup Championships and two U.S. Club Soccer-NJ State Cup Championships while under the Rage FC Premier banner.

All game results for the team can be found here.

In the spring of 2015, Rage FC Premier and N.J. Rush decided on a merger which brought all of the Rage FC Premier teams to New Jersey Rush.

Amanda Attanasi, a resident of Washington Township who plays on the team, has been selected as a regional representative to participate at the U-13 U.S. Soccer Training Center which selects individual players with potential to play on the U.S. National Team.

Harrison Township resident Bill Shute is the head coach, and he was named New Jersey Youth Soccer’s Bob McNulty Coach of the Year for 2013 and was recognized at the NJYS Annual Awards Dinner in January 2014.

Here’s a look at the entire roster:

• Mia Angelucci, of Cherry Hill;
• Amanda Attanasi, of Washington Township;
• Paulina Casper, of Mullica Hill;
• Rebecca Casper, of Mullica Hill;
• MacKenzie Clement, of Mantua;
• Jillian Drumm, of Cherry Hill;
• Emily Eustace, of Gibbsboro;
• Julia Gehring, of Mantua;
• Meghan Guarente, of Washington Township;
• Madison Hardiman, of Egg Harbor City;
• Alyssa Monti, of Washington Township;
• Alexi Murphy, of Woolwich Township;
• Adrianna Pepe, of Washington Township;
• Alyssa Rugeri, of Wilimington, DE;
• Mia Shute, of Mullica Hill;
• Erin Sullenberger, of Collingswood; and
• Brianna Wons, of Cherry Hill.

Bill Shute is the head coach. Dave Sullenberger is an assistant coach, and Cyndi Guarente is an assistant coach/team manager.

The attached image was provided by the team.