From the coaching staff through the roster, the U23 Maryland Bays have a distinct MIAA flavor, as 12 players and both coaches own degrees from MIAA schools. The group includes a talented contingent of some of the league’s biggest stars from the middle of the decade and they will head to Overland Park, Kansas next month to compete in the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) U23 National Cup Finals. (July 20-25).

Calvert Hall assistant soccer coach Bryan Bugarin is the head coach of this team as well as a 1992 graduate of the Hall. His assistant, Nick Gill, is a 2003 graduate of Calvert Hall and a contemporary of many of the players on the U23 Bays.

The team qualified for the national finals by rolling undefeated through a regional qualifier in Philadelphia, June 19-20. In bracket play they won three games by a combined score of 9-2. They then won their quarterfinal match 5-1 and took a 2-1 decision in the semifinals.

The final of that regional was not completed in Philadelphia, but will be played on July 10 at Calvert Hall (3:00 p.m.) It is for seeding purposes only and both teams will advance to Kansas.

Archbishop Curley has five former players on the team led by BJ Quigley. Quigley, a member of Curley’s class of 2007, scored the only goal in Curley’s 1-0 win over McDonogh in the 2006 MIAA A Conference title game before going on to play at UMBC.

Matt Beale (2004), Matt Ward (2005), Josh Taylor (2005) and Aaron Beale (2010) are also former Friars on the Bays.

Three former Calvert Hall players are also on the squad, including Nino (2005) and Marco Mangione (2007), as well as Mike Gill (2007).

McDonogh is represented by two former players, including Matt Beckman (2005), who played at the University of Maryland and Towson University, and Jon Ports (2006), who was the 2009 NSCAA Men’s Soccer National Player of the Year at York College.

Ports’ older brother Chris, who is a 2004 graduate of John Carroll, is also on the team, along with Archbishop Spalding’s Brian Barry (2005).

One additional former MIAA player is also associated with the team, as Calvert Hall’s Nick Mangione (2003) is serving as the team manager.