MSO

History

The Medford Soccer Organization is a nonprofit organization in South Jersey that offers competitive soccer to men and women ages 18 to 29.

The league was created by Pete Piscopo, Frank Sharples and Bob Miller in 2005 as a college-age league (18-25) for men. That year, there were five teams — three from Marlton, one from Medford and one was a mix of the two towns. All five of these teams still exist within the league today: The Teabags combined with the hybrid team to form The Rumble Bees; Team Dank has remained relatively unchanged and now plays under the moniker of Berzerker; the Indians now play as Oranje; and Team Seiler has split between Berzerker and the Rejects.

Word of the quality product that the MSO offered was out, and it showed in the player turnout. Both 2007 and 2008 brought new teams, new players and new rivalries.

In 2009, the MSO added a sister league to accommodate the growing mass of women looking for the same quality program the men were offered. The WMSO — which runs in tandem with the men’s program — is open to all women, 18-29, regardless of skill or how long it’s been since they’ve last stepped on the field. The inaugural season consisted of five teams: Sangria, the Naturals, Chaos, Moose and the Renegades. With the exception of Moose — made up of mostly Medford/Shamong players — the teams were comprised of a mix of women from all over South Jersey and the Philadelphia-area, forming new friendships and the basis for the WMSO’s sophomore season teams.

In 2010, another three men’s teams and one women’s team were added to bring the league to a total of 18 teams.

The MSO is home to more than 300 players hailing from as far as Bensalem, Swedesboro and — believe it or not — Italy. In 2007, the MSO partnered with the New Jersey Soccer Association in order to provide each player with an insurance policy. As of 2010, the MSO utilizes turf fields at both Marlton’s Memorial Field and Medford’s Bende Park, and employs a stable of refs that include five who work at a national level.

After years of improvement, the core of the MSO stays the same: The administrative crew has grown in proportion to the league, but the founding members are all unchanged; almost 40 of the players from the original five teams still play in the league; and the principles on which the league was founded are exactly the same today as they were on opening day.

The Cup

When the MSO moved its “home” field from Freedom Park to Bob Bende Park, it was considered a significant upgrade. The new turf field held promises of a faster, smoother, truer and [frankly] hotter game. With the playing conditions improving, it was only appropriate for the league to increase the prize for which players were fighting. MSO president Pete Piscopo decided to turn his vision of a Stanley Cup-esque trophy into a reality, and with that, the MSO Cup was born.

In its first year of existence, the Cup went to the year’s table leader, Berzerker. The following year (2008), sophomore squad JV All-Stars emerged as the feel-good story — a group of mid-table soccer-loving friends emerged from a vicious division tournament to take on and defeat newcomers Azzurri in the championship game.

In 2009, with the addition of a women’s league, the MSO crowned two champions. From the WMSO, it was Chaos, who won out over the previously-undefeated juggernaut Renegades during the round-robin tournament to win the WMSO Cup. On the men’s side, it was the Rumble Bees who fought their way to the top after beating league leaders like the Dead Rabbits, Oranje (in shootouts) and Azzurri (in the finals) in an extremely competitive double-loss-elimination tournament.

Each year, the Cup spends its time with its new owner — the reigning champions. Each member of the champion team has his or her name put on a bronze plate that will forever adorn the base sides of the Cup. The Cup stands an imposing 24 inches tall (from base bottom to cup top), 15 inches wide (across the base), and it weighs an astonishing 15 pounds. While it’s impressive to see, there’s no better feeling than bringing it home.