WESTCHESTER, NY - The Westchester Flames look to start the season off right with a win against the Brooklyn Knights in what will be their first game of the season.

The Flames will host the Knights under the bright lights of City Park Stadium in New Rochelle, New York at 7:30 p.m.

Both teams look to jump back to the top of the standings after less-than-stellar 2011 campaigns this past season.

The Flames finished fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Division a year ago, falling short of expectations. The Flames will try to improve this year with help from returning players striker Jake Keegan and Defender Diego Velazquez.

The Knights will also try to shake the image of last year’s disappointing season and they will do so by unveiling their revamped team with new head coach Andreas Lindberg, formerly of C.W. Post, Stefan Dimitrov who played for the MLS Chicago Fire in 2009 and more players in their first year with the team. 

Make sure to arrive at Skidelsky Field at City Park Stadium early to get your tickets and stock up on all-new Westchester Flames gear and memorabilia.

Written by: Chris Papastefanou

The match will, instead, be played on Wednesday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The postponement of the inaugural game of the season is due to the change of venue for the New Jersey Rangers. The game, which was scheduled to be played at Morris Catholic High School, will now be played at Drew University on May 23rd.

The home opener at City Park Stadium on Saturday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. against the Brooklyn Knights will be the first game of the season. 

Sorry for the inconvenience and we hope to see you on May 12 at City Park Stadium and the rest of the Westchester Flames games this season!

Written by: Chris Papastefanou

The beginning of the season is upon us and the Westchester Flames are primed to take a big step forward in the Premier Development League this year.  

The upcoming season will feature the return of 2011 PDL All-League Player Jake Keegan for his second season with the team. The striker who averaged a goal per game in his rookie year looks to avoid the notorious sophomore slump and lead the Flames to league supremacy.

 Keegan, key players from last season’s team and promising new talent added from the March 25^th tryouts will all begin practicing on Tuesday, April 24^th.

The first game of the season will be on Saturday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. against the Brooklyn Knights. Be sure to get to the stadium early to get your tickets and official Westchester Flames memorabilia. 

Stay hot on the Flames trail this season as they strive to stay atop the standings and continue to provide fans with nothing but the best soccer the PDL has to offer.

Written by: Chris Papastefanou

     On a Wednesday evening, James Hilaire sits on the all-too-familiar train ride home from work talking about his soccer-playing days knowing that a luckier break would have landed him a spot on a professional team’s roster.

     Hilaire, 28, was the 2^nd ranked goalkeeper in the nation during his time playing for the University of New Haven. He attended the school on a partial scholarship after completing a two-year degree at Norwalk Community College. While still playing for UNH in 2008, he joined the Westchester Flames where he assumed the back-up goaltender position. Hilaire provided much needed goal relief on the field. Coach/Part-Owner Gus Skoufis said “James was a good player. The timing, more than anything, was unfortunate for him because we already had a goaltender at the time. He got some playing time with us but he definitely deserved more.”   

     Although he wasn’t the starting goalkeeper he knew that if he continued to show his work ethic and determination it would all pay off some day. “Every practice, I was there. Rain or shine. It wasn’t bothering me at all that I wasn’t starting… I knew that if I kept practicing hard, I would get the chance” he said. This was a chance James never got. 

     Playing in goal for the New Haven Chargers on September 28, 2004, Hilaire left the net and charged a Merrimack player for the ball like he had thousands of times before in his playing career but this attempt proved to be unlike any other. The opposing player’s knee struck Hilaire’s jaw as he dived to grab the ball, breaking it instantly but also bursting a vein in his brain, a fatal injury in most cases.

     Hilaire was airlifted to Boston Medical Center to get him the kind of treatment he desperately needed. Doctors told Head Coach Joshua Krusewski that he would not make it. After surgery for his broken jaw and eight days in a medically-induced coma, James finally regained consciousness. “I was in bad shape when I woke up. I had my wife (Lindsey Fox-Hilaire) right by my side but I needed help and I didn’t care where I got it from. I never would have asked for help before my injury.” James found himself in a fight to save his life, rather than saving a goal.

     Paralyzed on the right side of his body, James was confined to a wheelchair just to get around. After three weeks, he was finally able to start speaking again and was transferred to a rehab center in Connecticut for continued recovery.

     James thanks everybody for being there for him and the support he received. “I thank my doctors, my coach, my family, my wife and most of all God.  Me being alive is a miracle from God and I am so thankful.” 

     His soccer days aren’t over. James plans to play for the U.S. National Soccer Team in the Paralympic Games, a tournament much like the Olympics for people with physical disabilities. “When I got the call, I said ‘Absolutely, I want to do this’. My wife was supportive but my parents think I’m crazy to go play again.” Hilaire already tried out and made the team. In fact, he plans to travel to London in February for it.

     The decision to play soccer again should not surprise anybody. When asked what he would do if he had a chance to go back in time before his injury Hilaire responded that he would not hesitate play soccer again, “not even for a second.”

     These days, Hilaire is pursuing his career in Criminal Justice. James said that he works for Federal Law Enforcement but could not disclose exactly what he does. In addition, he wants to start a scholarship fund for students with disabilities to go back to school like he did a year after his injury and earned his degree with a 3.7 GPA. The name for the fund will be “Big Time Belief”.   

A poem written by Hilaire after his injury reads “My dream was taken away from me in the blink of an eye/ But til this day, I thank God that I did not die.”  His message is simple: “Always be positive, keep pushing and pray every day.”

Starting January of 2012, Westchester Flames has four new additions to it’s "front office."
Maria Markoulis will be doing the Public Relations for the team, while Vicky Skoufis will be the
Events Coordinator. Pablo E. Pinto will be the Director of the Sales and Marketing Department,
and Chris Papastefanou will be the official Westchester Flames Reporter. We wish them success
on their new journey along with us, and hope that together we could accomplish a lot.

Rookie of the Year - Jake Keegan, Westchester Flames

Keegan was a bright spot for the Flames, tallying 16 goals in 16 games to take the league goal-scoring crown.

Keegan accounted for 64 percent of Westchester’s goals in 2011 and also finished third in the league in points with 34.

Starting January of 2012, Westchester Flames has four new additions to it’s "front office."
Maria Markoulis will be doing the Public Relations for the team, while Vicky Skoufis will be the
Events Coordinator. Pablo E. Pinto will be the Director of the Sales and Marketing Department,
and Chris Papastefanou will be the official Westchester Flames Reporter. We wish them success
on their new journey along with us, and hope that together we could accomplish a lot.