NCFC Youth Alum, Evan Retzlaff, A Part Of History

This past weekend, Johnson and Wales University (JWU) Charlotte Men’s Soccer made history by winning the USCAA National Championship for the first time and NCFC Youth alum, Evan Retzlaff, was a part of it. Evan started playing with CASL/NCFC Youth when he was 5 years old. He started with our Recreation program before he moved up to Classic and then finally the ECNL Regional League. Through NCFC Youth, Evan was able to participate in State Cups and compete in Regionals. Through the years of training and opportunity to compete in meaningful events, Evan felt well prepared to transition to the college game. 

JWU Charlotte Men's Soccer program started in 2015, and Evan joined the team in 2019. He currently is a Junior and serves as a co-captain for the soccer team. 

Evan and his teammates went to Nationals with one goal, which was to bring the cup back to Charlotte. JWU Charlotte competed against Berkeley College (NJ) for the USCAA National Championship. JWU Charlotte scored 2 goals midway through the first half and continued to pressure Berkeley who were very strong in possession. In the 70th minute, JWU Charlotte added a 3rd goal. Soon after, Berkeley scored a penalty kick and quickly followed with a second goal, making the score 3-2. With 5 minutes remaining, JWU Charlotte added a 4th goal, sealing the victory. 

Tommy Retzlaff, Evan’s father, says, “The intensity of the matches at Nationals was through the roof - the guys really stepped and thrived in the event - they were unphased by the excitement and hype of the environment”. 

Evan and teammates were over the moon after his team pulled the victory! He says, “Winning the final was surreal! 

We love seeing our alumni shine and seeing the accomplishments of college programs. Congratulations to Evan, JWU Charlotte, and the JWU Charlotte Soccer program and players! 

Thank you Tommy Retzlaff, Evan's father, for providing us the information and play by play of the game. Tommy is a coach in our Classic (2007 Premier G) and Challenge (2011 NCFC Spirit G) programs and he's also a part of our Coaching Education Cohort.