Mount Laurel Premiership Wiki

Welcome to the Mount Laurel Premiership Wiki
Mount Laurel Premiership was a prestigious summer soccer league in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, that consisted of a varying amount of teams. The league was formed in 2008 by the Lenape High School friends Dave Forster and Ryan Gray, who served as co-commissioners for the first 4 seasons. In the final 2012 season, Forster shared the commissioner role with Andrew Mantzas, the deputy commissioner from 2009-2011. The teams are named after elementary schools and areas in the Mount Laurel area and some after the teams of the Premier League. 9 teams played at various times Saybrooke FC(2008-2011), Buttsex United (2008-2012), Parkway Wanderers FC (2008-2012), Hartford City FC (2008-2011), Innisfree Regional Bullets (2008-2012), AC Hillside (2009-2011), FC Swag (2011-2012), FC Bende (2011-2012) and Saybrooke-Hartford FC(2012). The teams were operated by their Captains, who generally recruit, organize, and sometimes coach their teams. The teams competed in 10-game seasons, in which the ultimate prize, was the Evans Cup, named after the town's founder, William Evans.

MLP History
Every season ran from early June until mid-August each summer. The league began play in the 2008 season with 5 teams. The first teams that season were Saybrooke FC, led by co-commissioner Ryan Gray, Parkway Wanderers, led by co-commisioner David Forster, Hartford City FC led by Bobby Ross, Innisfree, led by Cody Prettyman, and Buttsex United, led by Cory Sternin. The 2008 season was generally dominated by Hartford City, Parkway, and BSU. The 5 teams originally had their own home field, Trotter Field for Saybrooke, Parkway for Parkway Wanderers, Mill Run for Innisfree, BSU hosted their first home game at Lenape, but moved to Ark Road, and Hartford City were displaced from several venues, but mostly utilized Elbo Lane. The playoff system at the time, pitted the top two teams in the final, at the home field of the top seed. BSU hosted Parkway in the final at Ark Road, which BSU won 8-2, as the league's first champion. BSU goalkeeper Bryan Kershner was named Finals MVP. Parkway Wanderers defender Chris Zurcher took home MVP honors. The 2009 season saw a lot of changes. Parkway goalkeeper Mike Nitti betrayed David Forster after he was replaced as starting keeper by Kyle Jones in the offseason, and formed his own breakaway team, AC Hillside, which was formed with some Parkway players, as well as some new players. Home fields were abolished after the league struck a deal to gain access to Laurel Acres. Teams began to recruit local high school players which saw the league's skill level rise dramatically. BSU fell on hard times, as the 2008 champs struggled to adapt to the changed league, and Parkway also suffered. Innisfree improved through new additions, and Hartford City rode ex-Lenape varsity Captain Brian Eckenhoff to the league's best record that season. Most surprising, though, was AC Hillside, as the new team earned 2nd place and a spot in the final. The 2009 MLP Final, played at Laurel Acres, pitted HCFC against AC Hillside. The match was controversially sent to overtime, after Hillside's Gabi Ghobrial flopped in the box as if he was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. BSU Captain Cory Sternin, who served as the referee, was unsure of the rules, or what he saw (defeating his own purpose). BSU assistant Captain, Andrew Mantzas, working as a linesman, could not see the play very well as darkness fell on Laurel Acres. Sternin and Mantzas described the play to David Forster, who ruled a penalty shot was to be given, which was converted by Brian Einstein. HCFC ended the controversy, however, when assistant Captain Joe Porco scored the decisive goal. Brian Eckenhoff was named Finals MVP, and the league MVP. 2010 saw more change. Cody Prettyman ceded his Captaincy to Massimo Pulcini. Saybrooke would win their first game in the 2010 season, and BSU and Parkway would rebound to turn in respectable seasons. The playoffs were expanded to include a semifinal round, where the Captain of the 1st place team chose his opponent. Massimo Pulcini decided his Innisfree team would play Parkway in the opening round. Innisfree defeated Parkway 4-2, and Hartford City defeated a depleted BSU team with ease, 9-2. Hartford however, finally fell, as Innisfree claimed the 2010 Evans Cup 4-2. Eckenhoff repeated as league MVP, but Innisfree's Brady White took home Finals MVP honors. The 2011 season saw 2 new teams, FC Swag, led by Steven Reitz, and former AC Hillside players, Adam Schwarzschild and Jason Quimby formed Bende FC. Bende ended up joining BSU as the only team to win the Evans Cup in their first season. Original teams Hartford City and Saybrooke folded after the 2011 season, as did AC Hillside. The remnants of Saybrooke and Hartford merged to form Saybrooke-Hartford, led by Gray. Gray however, resigned as co-commissioner and chose Mantzas as his replacement. Bende repeated as Evans Cup champions, winning the 2012 Evans Cup Final at Lenape High School, 3-0 over BSU, in what proved to be the league's final game on August 15, 2012. Shortly after the season, Forster, Mantzas and the league's captains agreed to disband the league. The reasons for the league's demise were mostly the players getting older, and lacking the time to play. Several players also moved out of Mount Laurel and even South Jersey altogether. When the league began, players were mostly in their mid-late teens, but by 2012 most players were in their 20s, and some over 30. Later seasons were marred by several forfeits with some teams failing to field a team for more than half their games. Therefore it would have been very difficult for the league to last into 2013. Nonetheless, the MLP is fondly remembered by all those who played in it, and made a mark on the Mount Laurel soccer landscape that will never be forgotten.