Playing at Gillette Stadium a 'dream' opportunity for Soaring Capital Soccer Club team

Lionel Messi recently played to a record crowd at Gillette Stadium. Now it's Luca Capilli's chance to showcase his soccer skills at the nearly 70,000-seat stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Capilli, an Elmira High School sophomore, will join teammates from the Elmira-based Soaring Capital Soccer Club's Venom Red boys 2008 team at the stadium May 25. Venom Red takes on New England Football Club South at 9:35 a.m. as part of the prestigious Needham Memorial Day Tournament.

"I think it's going to be a lot more energy and maybe a better game because we're all going to be so much more excited and ready to play because it's everybody's dream to play on a pro stadium and we get to do that for a weekend," Capilli said.

The invite came as a surprise to Derek Hamilton, the Venom's coach and first-year president of the Soaring Capital Soccer Club. He let a phone call from a Massachusetts number go to voicemail before hearing the good news he shared with parents via email.

"For the parents it’s such a great opportunity for them to tell their own kids because I think that’s a nice moment to share with them," said Hamilton, the only head coach in the history of Elmira High's boys soccer team. "Not only are the kids excited, the parents are excited to share it with them. I have a son on the team myself and it’s great for us to share that moment."

Capilli initially didn't believe it.

"I thought he was just trying to get us ready for the tournament, but then when I found out it was real it felt great to finally have our team be noticed and be able to play in such a big and high-level stadium," Capilli said. "A great opportunity for us."

The tournament brings in teams from Canada, throughout the Northeast and other parts of the United States. Last year's tourney included 530 teams and 90 clubs.

Venom Red wasn't picked randomly. Tourney organizers were looking for two standout teams to play in the top college showcase division at a stadium that is home to the New England Revolution of the MLS and the NFL's New England Patriots. Messi's presence in late April brought in a crowd of 65,612, a record for a Revolution home game..

Venom Red has won four of its last five tournaments while playing in a league that includes teams from larger cities Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester. Venom Red is ranked in the top 15% nationally and top-four in New York. It plays an eight-game league schedule and participates in five to seven tournaments from spring until early July.

Hamilton said it's "a really special crew," with many of the players together with the team since they were 7 years old. He has continued as coach as the team has grown up.

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Opportunity adds to 'great season' for Venom

Venom's Red and Black teams have a pool of 34 players from 16 school districts across New York's Southern Tier and Pennsylvania's Northern Tier. Players come from as far east as Binghamton and as far west as Hornell, led by eight from Elmira.

Six games are scheduled to be played at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, with Revolution home that night to face New York City FC.

Stonehill College is the tournament's primary site. The Venom will play two games Saturday and one Sunday, with the possibility of a championship game Monday.

"We’ve been having a great season," Hamilton said. "Any time you get a chance to put yourself up against teams you haven’t seen and kind of get your name out not only within the state but within the region as well I think that’s an exciting opportunity."

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Soaring Capital Soccer Club's Venom Red to play at Gillette Stadium