DME Boys Soccer Remains Undefeated After Intense Showcase hosted by IMG Academy

DME Academy High School boys’ soccer team arrived in sunny Bradenton, Florida ready to take on their competition at the annual IMG Cup. This year was DME’s first appearance at the showcase and despite being the underdogs, the team was determined to make a splash and prove themselves on the field. 

As the first game approached, the boys were nervous but also excited about the opportunity to showcase their skills. From the opening whistle, it was clear that DME didn’t drive 4 hours for anything less than a win. They fought hard and played with heart, and in the end, they emerged victorious with a 4-1 win over Blau Weiss Gottschee from New York City.

The second game of the tournament was no different, as the DME boys dominated on the field and secured another win, this time against another team from New York, The Smithtown Kickers. They beat the kickers with a score of 3-0. Kol Bennet proved that he was a brick wall in between the pipes for DME, not letting in any goals against them.  The team was starting to gain some momentum and their confidence was growing with each victory.

As the final game of the tournament approached, DME knew that they had a chance to make a statement. They took to the field with fierce determination and never let up.. In the end, their hard work paid off as they secured a 3-0 win over Cedar Stars Academy from South Hackensack, New Jersey. 

“Our final competition of the year couldn’t have finished any better for our first season. We’ve captured a lot of attention over the last five months and have been shown great respect from opponents, supporters, coaches, and peers for our performances. Although our dominant play on the field is exciting to watch, I was most impressed with how the players developed brotherhood. Throughout the season it’s hard not to notice the culture the boys created. Because of this, we’ve become very successful and we were proud to display this at the IMG Cup.” says Todd Eason, Director of Soccer at DME Academy.

Eason goes on to say, “Of course, there were outstanding individual performances but that was consistent throughout the showcase. Many colleges have shown interest in our players and I see it being very competitive for certain players like James, Diomande, Adrian, Mikal, and Ethan.”

With the first half of the DME soccer season wrapped up, they are hopeful to remain undefeated as the second half approaches. 
If you are interested in joining the boys’ soccer team at DME Academy, you can learn more about it here!

DME Boys Soccer Took Its Talent on the Road Competing in Their First Out-Of-State Matches in North Carolina

DME soccer recently competed in its first out-of-state matches. After experiencing a lot of local success, this was an incredible opportunity to challenge the team and take their talent to North Carolina.

On Friday they played against Combine Academy out of Lincolnton, NC, and on Saturday they competed against One7 Soccer Academy from Charlotte, NC. 

With each game, the team faced different sets of challenges and scenarios. The first game was toe-to-toe for the whole match with DME losing a man in the 40th minute. They continued to play through the loss and ended with a 0-0 draw against Combine Academy.

Their second game was played on a beat-up pitch which challenged their technical ability and conditioning compared to the previous game. Although these elements were unexpected, the players embraced this as an opportunity to come together as a team, working alongside one another for a 7-1 win over One7 Soccer Club.

When asked about the results of the two matches, Todd Eason, Director of DME Academy Soccer, said, “Overall this was a great experience that allowed us to further our development and team dynamics. Collectively, all the boys did well.  Each player contributed in positive ways, allowing us to be the more dominant team on the field.”

What’s more, the DME soccer athletes traveled to North Carolina with two DME basketball teams. This gave the athletes across both sports the chance to support one another in their games. All around it was a successful trip for DME soccer and was an opportunity for DME student-athletes to build camaraderie across different sports.

Next week, December 17th – 19th the DME Soccer team will be heading down to Bradenton, FL for the IMG Cup where they will face off against some of the top teams in the world. Blau Weiss Gottschee on Saturday. On Sunday, the boys will play the Smithtown Kickers and on Monday they will wrap it up with a tough match against the Cedar Stars Academy.

Catch some of the upcoming matches and learn more about the DME Academy soccer program!

The DME Academy 2012 girls team showed no signs of slowing down after yet another tournament win, this time in Orlando, Florida at the OC Lake Nona Season Opener.

“What a showing! The girls did a phenomenal job this weekend. They never took their foot off the gas and showed everyone what it means to play for DME. Winning the trophy was great, but the passing and team play impressed me.”- Coach, Jared Antista

The 2012 girls soccer team kicked off their competitive schedule last May and after three tournaments and now two championship trophies, the groundwork is being laid for a successful future. This U11 team dominated the competition at Lake Nona this past weekend (August 21st & 22nd, 2022). The tournament showcased top teams from Florida including two ECNL-R squads, Swan City from Lakeland & Orlando City. A tough FC America team also competed in pool play but none challenged DME this go around.

The girls finished with a perfect record of 4-0, scoring 27 goals and conceding just 1. In the last 8 games, they are undefeated, 7-1-0, scoring 52 goals and conceding only 3. It’s a complete team effort. Offense, defense, Goalie play, and coaching.

“These girls have become true winners this summer. Not by scoring more goals but through their minds. The “play like a champion” mentality may have seemed to appear out of nowhere, but it has been brewing through their dedication, training, and effort.” Coach, Scott Morgenroth, former IMG Academy coach. 

You’re on notice soccer world, DME Academy soccer is on the rise. To stay up to date and to learn more about DME Academy’s rising soccer program, take a look here!

Todd Eason at the Forefront of Creating a Competitive Soccer Program at DME Academy

Todd Eason, Director of Soccer at DME, has been at the forefront of assembling the perfect team to compete at the middle-school level for girls soccer in the upcoming 2022-2023 season. DME is extremely excited to have these amazing athletes representing the Academy on and off the field. This group will up their competition and bring their talent to the national stage, and will be a force to be reckoned with across the country. 

The new DME Academy girls’ team consists of 11 of the top 7th graders in the Florida area. Remember these names because you’ll be hearing about them a lot in the upcoming years. 

• Riley Doran 
• Taelyn Babcock 
• Jordan Theill 
• Sophia Strong 
• Bailey Wilson 
• Makayla Barbel 
• Payton Robinson 
• Madison Byrd 
• Kaia McFarland 
• Gianna Reyes 
• Cora Wingard 

 “DME Academy has been super excited to see our middle school girls’ soccer program evolve over the last year to a full team for the 2022-23 season,” said athletic director Laura Stegall. “Todd has put in countless hours developing this roster and it is exciting to see the program come to fruition. I look forward to watching these ladies compete.”

Some of the girls- Cora Wingard and Payton Robinson to name a few – will be representing DME as full-time student-athletes in the fall of 2022, where they will be able to take classes online and focus on their soccer skills. Riley Doran’s family has also done a lot to help with the recruitment efforts for this upcoming season. 

“I’m pleased to announce and be associated with the first middle school team to represent DME Academy,” said Eason. “Our coaching staff has worked hard on identifying some of the most talented young players in our community. With the combination of our returning players and the seven new additions, I look forward to seeing this group compete at an extremely high level. Our focus on academics, character development and training regiment will bring much deserved attention and opportunities for our young student-athletes.”

If you’re interested in joining our soccer family, improve your game and see why DME is an academy on the rise, click here to learn more about all of our soccer programs.

DME Academy Soccer Continues Their Winning Streak

The DME Academy soccer program is coming at you with yet another win this past weekend with a 3-1-0 (undefeated) record after traveling all the way up the East Coast to Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine. They scored 26 goals for and only let up an impressive 1 against. There were hundreds of teams in the 36th Annual Seacoast United Coastal Summer Challenge beating a good Seacoast United Team 2-0 in the finals. Everyone on the team managed to put up points for DME. The team was playing at a handicap because they were playing with only 7 athletes, which means these kids had no subs all game. 

Being from Florida, they were out of their element in the harsh North-East spring weather, battling 50 degree temperatures and dealing with wind and rain all weekend. Despite the sub-par weather, the kids still managed to come out on top and have a great time. “We’ve never been to Maine, my friends and I loved it minus the cold. We wanted to win the tournament for Fathers Day and were so happy that we did!.” Ceci Antista says after the final game.

This weekend marked the first win for the girls side of the program, and there is no sign of slowing down says Coach, Jared Antista. “The girls deserved this experience and that’s what we’re all about at DME Academy. This group of girls traveled to new states, tried new food (fresh Maine lobster rolls), forged deeper relationships with their peers, developed as players, battled the elements, and put four more games under their belts. The icing on the cake was winning DME their second tournament championship months.”

DME Academy looks forward to spending the rest of their summer building on these wins and taking their talents to new fields. 

If you are interested in DME Academy’s growing Soccer program, click here to learn more!

DME Academy kicked off its competitive soccer program in fashion over the weekend. Three teams (2010 boys, 2010 girls & 2012 girls) competed in various Memorial Day Tournaments & Showcases throughout Florida.

Young athletes represented DME with pride, showing class, poise, and effort under extreme heat and humidity. For weeks, these 9-12-year-old athletes trained hard and prepared to play up a level in the events. The 2012 girls moved up to 9×9 and were playing girls two years older, in some cases. The 2010s moved to 11v11 and did the same.

“It’s always nice to win hardware but development is the real prize. The kids will get so much more from this experience and benefit in the long run”, says Scott Morgenroth, coach and former IMG Academy Staffer. 

The 2012 girls competed in the first-ever game for DME Soccer, winning 2-1 over a 2011 Chargers Soccer Club team that went on to win the division. This win marks the first in DME history and to beat an older and very physical group of young ladies with great passing and team play speaks volumes.

“We wanted to be the first team to get a win at DME and beating older girls is always fun.,” said Cecilia Antista, Co-Captain of the 2012 team.

The 2010 girls faced international competition and held their own throughout their tourney run, with many opposing teams complementing their passing and teamwork, unfortunately, they didn’t advance out of group play. 

The 2010 boys on the other hand were top class all weekend long, going undefeated in group play. With their backs up against the wall, losing one player to illness and another to injury, the bench was light all weekend. With temperatures in the high 90 and on a larger field, they gutted out three impressive results in the older age division, 2-0-1. The finals would be a rematch with a 2009 Treasure Coast team, whom they previously tied, and it wasn’t a game at all. DME jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead on the back of Forward Samuel Colina. With a strong defense, skilled midfield, and speed up front, this group got the lead early and held it until the final whistle – bringing home the first tournament trophy for DME Academy. 

“It’s all about experiences here at DME. I was checking in with our staff all weekend long and was very proud to see the positive results trickling in. We’re just getting started, but with top coaches and dedicated athletes, we’ll be a force within the next few years.”, says Dan Pannagio, CEO & Founder of DME Academy. 

Next up, the kids will get right back to work. Preparation starts for their next tournament experience this summer, which will see the 2012 girls head to Maine on Fathers’ Day Weekend. With training happening locally in Sarasota via our Florida Southwest Program and elite camp experiences on our main campus in Daytona, the soccer program at DME is off to the races. 

Join our soccer family, improve your game and see why DME is an academy on the rise.