Sereno Soccer Club - '96 Golden Eagles (Girls): My Site News

Sereno 96 Girls ECNL would finish as co-champions with the Exiles of Cal South.  Both teams finished with 2 wins and 1 tie in head to head play and the same total in goal differential (+4) and goals allowed (2) for the three games played.  Sereno would play without six players participating in a ID2 camp in Vegas but would get some great support from several players from their U15 ECNL team.  The first game against the Exiles ended up to be a 1 – 1 draw with both teams netting a goal in the first half.  Sereno would go on top after Linsey Martin buried a PK after Tessa Zaccagnio was taken down in the box.  The Exiles would score off a left footed finish into the side netting after getting in behind the defense in the last minutes before the half.  In the afternoon game Sereno would respond with 3 goals in the second half against the Cal Strikers of Cal South after a falling behind 0 – 1 at the half.  Austin Overson and Sebrina Majerczyk would score with well placed shots in and around the eighteen in the second half.  The final game against Desert Elite would finish 2 – 0 Sereno.  Megan Dries would score from a breakaway off a quick counter through ball from Amanda Dodd in the first half.  Tessa would add the final goal off a quick turn and shot past the Elite keeper inside the eighteen.

The girls opened up the Far West Regionals in Boise, ID, facing off against Leahi Premier from Hawaii.  Jorian Baucom would bury a shot far post off a diagonal run about 15 minutes into the game.  Sereno would score again off a header finish off a cross from Nikki down the right wing.  Leahi added a goal in the last minute of the first half with a chip over the keeper to keep it close at the break.  But two second half goals by Gabby and Jorian would finish it off with a 4 -1 win in the opening game.  Sereno would go on to win their next two pool games comfortably scoring 6 goals by committee in each game over Real Colorado and Idaho.  The quarterfinal game against the SoCal Blues started out well with Jorian scoring first off a one touch volley from Gabby off Linseys deep cross in the box. But this was a game of halves and Sereno could not get that second goal with the run of play in the first half.  The Blues made the adjustments and outplayed Sereno in the second half scoring two goals with the game winner coming in the last five minutes.  Blues keeper made the defensive play of the game with a hard charging kick save coming off her line when Jorian got in behind the defense in the final minutes of the game.

Sereno 96 White captured their fifth consecutive Arizona State Championship last weekend at the Casa Grande Sports Complex.  The girls defeated Banat SC by the score of 3 – 0 on the strength of three goals in the first half of play.  Meghan Dries would get the first tally on a beautiful header from nine yards out off Nikki’s cross.  Gabby and Olivia would each score off penetrating runs inside the eighteen before the first half break.  Keeper Meghan Strang would preserve the shut out by covering a loose ball off a Banat corner kick in the final minute.  The girls would finish 5 – 0 in Arizona State Cup play defeating Sereno South, Alliance FC, Gilbert Arsenal, SC Del Sol, and Banat SC, scoring 15 goals and only allowing 1 goal.

Saturdays game against Real Colorado would mark the first game back with a full roster since high school season was completed the previous weekend.  The PDT tournament and ECNL games would have to deal with a bad winter weekend storm that would impact Saturdays games with field closures.  Our 8:30 am start was early enough to avoid the worst weather which would hit later in the day.  Sereno would get on the board at the fifteen minute mark on a quick counter attack assisted on a through ball from Maddie that was collected and finished by Jorian far post.  Gabby would check in late in the first half due to a late arrival from a high fever and the flu.  She would put Sereno up 2 – 0 before the half on a rocket volley from 20 yards out just under the top bar.  Nikki, Olivia, and Jorian would all score goals in the second half.  The game would finish with a 5 – 1 victory for Sereno. 

Sundays game against the Colorado Rush was moved to a turf field at Desert West Park to deal with the weekend rains that hit the valley.   Games were shortened to 70 minutes to get in all the matches that were cancelled Saturday afternoon.  Sereno would get on the board midway through the first half on a score that came off a low ball finish by Jorian from Nikki’s corner kick.  The ball sailed past the far post and was trapped by an unmarked Jorian who slotted a low ball that could not be seen by the Rush keeper in traffic.  Rush came out in the second half controlling possession and pushing numbers up to look for an equalizer.  Sereno defended without giving up corner setpieces or many shots on goal but was under pressure in their end late in the second half.  Rush would get a direct kick awarded off a 50/50 challenge, an indirect kick from a keeper double touch, and a penalty shot all in the final moments.  The girls would hang on with a 1 – 0 win despite a nervous finish.  Keeper Sydney Hardin would nail this one down with a diving stop on a penalty kick awarded to Rush in the last three minutes of the game.

The playoff matchgroup final round kicked off on Saturday November 20 in Temecula, CA.  The girls arrived Friday afternoon without starting forwards Gabby and Jorian who were participating in US Women’s team events in Florida.  Nikki came down with the flu and was unable to make the trip leaving us further short-handed.  Brenna Leftwich would loan with us to give us some help up top.  The weather forecast called for light rain, cool temperatures and windy conditions all weekend.  After a steady rain all night we were met with a deluge of rain and miserable field conditions for Saturdays games.  Playoff round qualifiers were national champs MVLA of Cal North, SoCal Blues and West Coast United of Cal South.  The top seeded qualifiers based on their pool group wins (Sereno and MVLA) would face off in the first game.  MVLA would score ten minutes into the game on a cross from the right corner that skidded by the keeper and was finished inside the six.  This would be the only goal of the first half.  Sereno came out the second half inserting Raquel Angelone at centerback and moving Kelly Peay up top with Brenna to look for an equalizer.   The girls would get the equalizer in the first five minutes of the second half from Brenna who collected the service from Linsey and battled her way through the center of MVLAs defense.  She was disposessed but pressured in the eighteen and won the ball back and sent it in the left side of the net.  Kelly Peay put Sereno up 2 – 1 with about 20 minutes left on a quick turn and shot just under the top bar from about 26 yards out.  MVLA did a good job stretching the field from sideline to sideline to pressure in the final minutes.  Megan made an outstanding save on a rocket shot and did a great job limiting their scoring chances.  But they would find a way in the last five minutes by slotting a diagonal ball in behind the defense that was collected and finished off a hard run.  The game ended in a 2 – 2 draw.

The afternoon game against the SoCal Blues was played in horrible conditions.  Tournament officials made the decision to change fields and we ended up on a pitch that had limited turf and had standing water on most of the surface.  The game looked like a water rugby match with three and four player scrums battling to move the ball five feet in two inches of standing water.  The only way of advancing the ball was collecting it in the air or flipping it with your toe.  Megan made a big save in the opening minutes coming off her line and collecting a splash save in the box.  Sereno had a good scoring chance in the first half by Megan Dries but the Blues Keeper knocked her shot down.  The Blues would have scoring chances in the second half off corner kicks but Sereno found a way to fend them off and the game would end scoreless.  The final match group game on Sunday was cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date.  Sereno will finish second with a victory over West Coast United in the makeup game.  The champion will be the winner of the MVLA and Blues game unless it ends in a tie in which case it would be decided on tie breakers. 

The final weekend of bracket play was completed Nov 13 and 14^th at Westside Soccer Complex in Avondale, AZ last week.  The Sereno 96 Girls White team played Las Vegas Premier in the opening game and won by a score of 5 – 0.  We opened up with some strong combinations and ball movement in the first half and Gabby scored back to back goals in the first half before leaving the game with an injury.  The first goal was assisted by Raquel Angelone on a quick combination.  The Premier defense was stretched in the second half with quick transitions and runs leading to another two goals.  The third goal came from Jorian on a breakaway run and she would assist on the fourth goal with a cross that led to a Megan Dries finish near the far post.  Olivia would later add the final goal by winning a ball near the top of the circle and beating the last defender to score the final goal.  The shutout was preserved with good pressure in the midfield, an organized effort in the back and solid keeper play by Megan, who was playing for an injured Sydney Hardin.

The afternoon game against Beach FC of Cal South was a struggle.  Beach was coming off a 0 – 1 loss to the Eagles in their first game and generally played with more urgency and composure.  Sereno would lose a 2 -1 first half lead by the way of three set piece goals by Beach in the game and would fall 2 - 4.  The girls struggled on possession and could not find a rhythym in the second half.  Beach FC defense was solid and Sereno could not answer with much of a coordinated attack on this day.

Sunday’s final game would decide who would move on to the playoff round in Temecula CA on the following weekend.  Sereno would move through with a win or tie and the Eagles needed a win to move through.  The girls responded to the challenge and came out with a determined effort and solid performance to win by a score of 3 – 1.  Jorian would score the only goal of the first half by getting in behind the Eagles defense and slotting a ball far post.  Gabby would add the next goal off a left footed shot created by dribble penetration off the left wing.  The Eagles would score midway through the second half off a corner kick to draw within one.  Nikki would score the final goal of the game by working her way through the center of the defense and firing a low hard ball far post.

Congrats to Jorian for being selected for the US Girls U-14 National Team.  She was one of 35 girls selected nationally from the player pool camp she was invited to attend in Portland OR last month.  This group of players will attend a weeklong training camp in Carson CA the week of September 18 – 25, 2010, and take part in training and scrimmage matches in the Home Depot Center.  Her Sereno teammates are proud of her and wish her the best.  To read more about player selections and events please click the following link:  http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-14-National-Development-Program/2010/09/U14-GNT-Comes-to-the-HDC-for-Training-Camp.aspx

Jorian Baucom has been selected to attend US Soccer's U-14 National Camp in Portland, OR, July 31st - August 6, 2010.  She has been chosen to be a part of the National Player Pool, which is composed of the best soccer players in the country for the U-14 age group.  At National Camp, players will receive instruction and play matches for a week, while being watched, evaluated and directed by US Soccers's National Staff and Coaches.  Following the conclusion of this camp there will be opportunities for a select number of players to participate in future U-14 events throughout the year. 

Congrats to Jorian and good luck in camp.

The girls competed hard in the Group of Death which included arguably three of the top five teams in the field but were unable to advance.  A disallowed equalizer header goal by Jorian in the final minutes of the Arsenal game left them pointless after the first game of pool play.  The linesman raised the flag despite the game video which shows Jorian was behind the defender when Linsey served the ball back in off a corner kick.  This call ultimately prevented Sereno from moving out of bracket ahead of Arsenal on tiebreakers.  Next up was the Montana state champions who fought hard but were overmatched and fell 5 – 1.  This set up the final pool game against Mustang Fury which was a must win for the girls to move on.  The game was scoreless at halftime with Sereno pressuring in their end winning several corners and  set pieces which could not be capitalized on. Mustang Fury scored midway thru the second half capitalizing off a turnover and quick transition in the Sereno end of the field.  The final 15 minutes of the game included good attacking pressure that produced several good scoring chances but nothing that found the back of the net.  The girls will break or go off to ODP camp before regrouping for FWRL fall league and Blues Cup later this summer.

The Sereno 96 White girls captured the Cerritos Memorial Cup title last weekend by defeating PVSC Exiles of Cal South in the final 3 – 0.  Sereno came out strong in the first half with possession and pressure in the midfield and took a lead into the half.  The games first goal came off a corner which was sharply volleyed by Gabby into the back of the net.  Jorian then countered with a run through the center of the defense and a goal inside the eighteen.  Their competitors were able to mount some pressure in the second half but a key stop by Kelsey inside the box along with a strong effort by the Sereno keepers Sydney and Sami kept them scoreless.  The game was secured when Nikki made a run down the right wing to the endline and centered a beautiful pass to Gabby who one-touched it into the net for the third and final goal of the game.  Hats off to the girls for playing their best soccer in the semis and final.  Congratulations girls and good luck at Regionals in New Mexico next month.

 Congratulations to the 1996 Sereno Girls White team and their coach Paul Lester for their FWRL Spring season Championship achieved April 11, 2010 in San Juan Capistrano CA.  The girls defeated the SoCal Blues and Real SoCal on Saturday.  The Championship was earned on Sunday with a hard fought 2 - 2 draw against Arsenal FC who was ranked number one in the nation.  The girls also had impressive wins against Surf, WCFC United, LaJolla Impact, and Slammers FC in qualifying pool play to earn their sport in the final match group playoff.

Gabby Stoian was outstanding in the playoff round netting four goals leading all final round participants and earning our golden boot award.

With the Far West Regional Spring season looming, it was important that the girls schedule some strong competition in preparation for the California squads coming into town. The Sereno College Showcase brackets begin at U-15 so of course the girls once again played up an age group. 

Our first two matched pitted the girls against two strong AZ teams.   Friday night proved to be the most difficult competition versus an athletic Sereno South squad.  The rivalry that was ignited down in Tuscon a few months back with a PK victory in the final match for the girls came back to town.  It was 0-0 at half with both sides forcing the issue.  Finally, Jorian created a frustration foul in the box resulting in a PK.  Gabby stepped up and buried the ball in the right corner for the only goal of the match. The final was a very well earned 1-0 win.

The next day brought Desert Elite to the opposite sideline.  Though they came in with high expectations, Elite just could not stay up with the girls.  the Golden Eagles were up by 4 goals before Elite found the back of the net.  Though hard fought, the final was 5-1. 

NWU Select from Canada was next in line.  Apparently, their previous match was a very physical one as they lost a number of their key players.  This became very evident as they needed to borrow a few players from various teams in order to fill out their bench.  The final result, 9-0 was certainly a reflection of their numbers issue. 

Our final match, in the rain, was against LOSC Fire from Oregon.  They played very hard, but in the end could not keep up with our speed and attack.  The final was 10-0. 

The next set of games comes the weekend of the 20th when the Far West Regionals come into town.  All games will be at Reach 11 starting on the 20th.  See you on the sidelines.

Sunny skies, mid-70s high and a slight breeze created a very pleasant setting for the tournament. To the teams coming in from far away, snow-covered cities, the surroundings must’ve looked like paradise. And for Sereno ’96 girls, the first day was fruitful. First up, the Tsawwassen team from Canada. It seemed the long trip took its toll and they struggled from the onset. The game ended with a final 6-0 win for Sereno. It was exciting to watch the girls find different ways to get the ball in the back of the net. Jorian put in three and a goal from Alexa sealed the deal. Due to injuries on the core ‘96 team, a few terrific guest players were rotated in and proved to be important contributors throughout the entire weekend.

The day cooled down, but heat remained on the field. Utah came out from minute one playing as if they had something to prove. A very intense, physical game resulted in a 2-0 win for Sereno. Both goals scored off of Nikki’s free kicks. The second, a blazing shot to the upper right corner that would’ve challenged any pro goalie.

Day two started off just as well. Great teamwork was exhibited throughout the game. Ten minutes into the first half Jorian demonstrated incredible patience to set up Nikki for a nice left footed shot to get the first goal. An excellent run and cross from Rachel set-up the second and Gabby displayed her trademark composure in front of the goal, weaving in and out to put in a perfect finesse shot to get the third. Idaho played tough until the last whistle but couldn’t hold off Sereno’s momentum.

The quarterfinal game against Washington proved to be the team’s conundrum. The opposition did a great job holding off Sereno’s offence. Still the girls were up 1-0 at the half, and feeling pretty confident. They had a number of opportunities including a few shots saved by a terrific Washington goalie, but they just could not get another one in. After Washington tied the game the momentum seemed to shift their direction. They put it all together in the clutch and scored in the last 30 seconds of the game. Our Sereno girls had to end the tournament with a bitter 1-2 loss.

The 2010 PDT schedule is posted.  To see the girls schedule, please click on the following link: http://www.gotsport.com/events/schedule.aspx?EventID=6457&Sex=Girls&Age=14

The girls will be defending their 2009 title.  As always, we look forward to a great weekend of soccer.  See you on the sidelines!

The girls had a great showing at this years Sereno Soccer Classic.  For the first time this year, they played in their own age bracket instead of up a year.  When all was said and done the girls played 4 games, scored 20 goals and had 1 goal against. 

They started the tournament against a fiesty Las Cruces Cypress team from New Mexico.  Though they played hard, New Mexico was no match for our speed.  The game ended with a 5-0 victory.  That evening the girls were pitted against a local nemisis, the Hammers.  Unfortunately, it had already been a long day for the Hammers and it showed on the field.  They were just not able to stop our scoring power allowing, in the end, 7 goals.  A solid finish to the first day of contests for the Golden Eagles. 

Day two brought in a very determined Gilbert Arsenal Team.  Though the time of posession and shots on goal were clearly in Sereno's favor, strong defensive play from Gilbert and one well placed shot kept them in the game.  The contest ended with a respectable 2-1 victory. 

The finals on Monday placed the girls against the Alliance, a very athletic side.  Unfortunately for them they had a very tough battle against Gilbert and they clearly ran out of gas early in the match.  The girls ended the tournament with a 6-0 victory and the title of Champions. 

Thank you to all who came out to support the girls.  Next on deck, the PDT next month.  See you on the sidelines!  

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the second half of the Sereno 96 Girls White season.  There are a number of events that you need to be aware of as the girls work their way toward State Cup, Regionals and the icing on the cake...Nationals!!

The Sereno Soccer Classic is first up.  This tournament takes place this coming weekend.  The team will be playing all their games down at the Red Mountain fields.  Beginning on Saturday, their first three bracket games are against Las Cruces Cypress from NM, AZ Hammers and Gilbert Arsenal respectively.  The game times and field locations are posted under the games section on this site.  Good luck!!

Secondly, the team's Far West Regional League schedule for the spring has been posted.  It is as follows.  Our first round takes place here in Phoenix at Reach 11 and the 2nd round the following weekend out in Temecula, CA.

The girls played an outstanding weekend of soccer.  Once again, they found themselves playing in the 95 bracket against larger, more physical teams.  Their first games took place on Friday versus the Blackhawks and CCV Stars respectively.  The Blackhawks came out firing on all cylinders and almost scored on our opening kickoff.  The Blackhawks had a number of opportunities to score but just did not capitalize on them.  The girls scored two very nice goals and that is how it ended, 2-0. 

That evening pitted the girls against the CCV Stars.  Though much larger, we were able to keep them off the ball with some quick, crisp passing.  CCV chased the ball most of the game.  The final score, 3-0, was indicative of how well the girls distributed the balland finished on net. 

Saturday morning the girls found themselves in uncharted waters as they faced Snohomish from Washington for the first time.  It turned into a very physical match, however, Snohomish was just not able to keep pace with the girls.  We found the back of the nest two times before the final whistle.  The match ended with a 2-0 victory.

The semi-finals on Saturday night put us across the ball from the Blackhawks once again.  If nothing else, one can say that this team is consistent as they bested the Blackhawks once again by a score of 2-0. 

This propelled the girls into the finals on Monday versus Snohomish.  Jorian found the back of the net first on a beautiful break away lofting the ball over the keepers head.  Minutes l;ater, Snohomish was able to equalize ending regulation in a 1-1 draw.  Two fifteen minute overtime periods were played with no goals scored...and on to PKs.  We were all even after three, then two misses clinched the game for Snohomish and the girls would have to be happy with a second place finish. 

The Sereno Carnival keeps getting better and this year was no exception.  The weather cooperated with sunny skies and mild temperatures, just right for having whipped cream pies hurled at your face.  The girls were great sports as this was all in the name of fund raising.  The coaches even got involved as both Sandy and Matt took many to the face from players who they probably made run many lines. 

The girls "manned" the booth for two hour shifts starting at 10:00a and ending the day at 4:00p.  Approximately 45 cans of whipped cream were used throughout the day.  In the end, the 96 Girls White Team raised money to be put towards their upcoming tournaments in both California and New Mexico.  Well done...!

Finally, it goes without saying that if it were not for the many parents who volunteered their time and efforts this event for the girls would not have happened.  Thank you everyone for making the booth such a success.

The girls are starting to ramp up for the competitive season that typically begins after Thanksgiving.  The team has had a number of friendly matches vs both Sereno 95 Girls White north & south and as always the Sereno 97 Boys White Team.  In that light, they will be playing against the 95 Girls side this Saturday at Crossed Arrows, kickoff is at noon.  Additionally, they have been playing up a year in the 95 bracket for each tournament in which they have participated. 

The following weekend, November 14-15, brings the Far West Regional teams into town.  The first round was a very successful one out in California where the girls won both matches vs SoCal Blues-Pearson and Real SoCal White 1-0 and 2-0 respectively.  The Golden Eagles will be facing two top ten teams, Mustang Fury and Arsenal FC, in the next round.  They will also face DeAnza Force in Saturday's afternoon game.

The game of the weekend will certainly be on Sunday vs Arsenal where the girls need to come back from their 1-0 loss to them last year at Cerritos.  We hope to see you on the sidelines for this great weekend of soccer.

It's never been an easy weekend of soccer for the girls.  And, once again, the Sereno Pro Classic proved to be a difficult run for the 96 Golden Eagle Girls.  Last years opening game was a loss against Neusport and this year it was MSC United Pinnacle.  The only difference was that the girls were playing up in the 95 age group as apposed to their own 96 group. 

From the opening whistle it was clear that the game was going to be difficult.  MSC came to play, and play hard.  They were able a sneak one in just before half and uncharactaristically, the girls were not able to find the back of the net for the remainder of the match.  They had their chances, but the MSC keeper seemed to always get in the way. 

That afternoon, the girls started to get their groove on versus the Angels from Texas.  That match ended with a 7-1 victory.  The best game of the weekend came the following day versus the Ladybugs who had drawn 0-0 with MSC the day before.  The girls came out strong  and scored one in each half ending the match with a 2-0 win.  Unfortunately that was not enough to move on into the championships and the girls had to settle for 3rd place. 

 Next up will be the Far West Regional matches being played here in Phoenix in mid-November.

We have a guest writer today.  One of our parents who volunteered at the camp wrote about her observations and experiences with the girls. 

"The overall experience of the id2 camp was great for both the girls and the parents. As a team parent I got to interact a lot with all 52 girls attending the camp during meals, hanging out in the hotel and on rides to the fields. Going in I was worried about the level of competitiveness between such an elite group; however they were all such nice girls to both each other and the parents. It was very exciting to see the girls play together and I was amazed at how easily they adjusted to each other. The game play looked like girls that had been playing together for some time, not just two days. The camp also included guest speakers, including the U-14 Girls’ National Development Program head coach (who also ran one of the training sessions),  a player from the 1996 Olympic Women’s team and National Hall of Famer and a current WPS player from the NJ Sky Blue team. At the end of training, each girl received a one-on-one evaluation from the Coaches. The camp was a wonderful experience for me as I’m sure it was for the girls. And we all got some great Nike products too! USClub Soccer will be hosting a  third id2 camp in February for the top identified players born in 1994, 1995 and 1996 for USSF National Team staff to observe. Hopefully our girls make the final cut. "

The ODP Pool selections have been made and the 96 Girls White Team is well represented.  Congratulations to the following girls who will be representing Arizona in both the 95 and 96 pools:

95s - Sydney, Nikki, Maddie, Kellie, Gabby, Kelsey and Olivia  

96s - Q, Alexa, Jorian & Amanda

Well Done!!!!!

Yes, to be honest, some were a bit nervous heading into this first weekend of competition on the left coast.  Afterall, their schedule pitted the girls against two of the top teams in southern California, Real SoCal and the SoCal Blues.  Not to mention the fact that we have never played Real and have yet to beat the Blues head to head. 

Those fears however were put to rest as soon as the girls took the field against Real SoCal.  Though the game started a bit slowly, we soon found our stride and in the 7th minute Nikki found the back of the net on a beautifully struck ball from about 20 yards out.  Gabby then lofted a ball just over the keepers head about 15 minutes later ending the half with a 2-0 lead.  Real SoCal did not have an answer and could not convert in the 2nd half ending the game with a 2-0 victory...a great start!

 Sunday morning, 8a the girls kicked off against the Blues.  Though typically not a morning team, we pressured the ball from minute one through to the 70th minute.  The Blues had a very difficult time finding a flow.  We had an opportunity in the first half with Gabby deflecting a ball off the right post directly back into the keepers hands sending us into the 2nd half in a 0-0 tie.

Though we dominated, the ball did not find the net until the 70th minute.  With just seconds left on the clock, Nikki once again struck a beautiful ball up and over the keepers head for the win...and finally, the Blues go down. 

The girls next FWRL competition will take place here in Phoenix in November.  Stay tuned...

From October 1-4, the top 150 players in the 96 age group will be gathering in New Jersey for the ID2 camp.  Three of our players have been identified and chosen to participate; Gabby, Jorian and Kellie.  They will be there for four days training with some of the top coaches in the country and having some fun as well. 

More importantly, they will be representing Sereno and Arizona at this age level.  This is a tremendous honor, and the soccer community is very proud of these girls.  We wish them the best of luck and a safe journey.

For more information on the camp, please click on the following link:  http://www.usclubsoccer.org/main.aspx?sec_id=16&guid=f264502d-c128-47d4-8cdb-f1426d0023eb

The girls were certainly ready for some competition this weekend as their last major games were last month in California for the Far West Regional bracket play.  Similar to the Patriots Cup last season, the girls were playing up a year in the 95 age group. 

Their noon game on Saturday pitted the team against an enthusiastic San Tan squad.  It didn't take much time before the ice was broken and Gabby netted her first of many goals during the game.  The match ended with an 8-0 victory for the Golden Eagles.  Their most difficult competition lie ahead as the host team, TSA 95 Red, were waiting.  TSA came out quickly and scored within the first seven minutes of the match.  In response, Jorian found the back of the net two times before the end of the half giving the girls a 2-1 lead.  The second half was hard fought, but we were wearing TSA down.  Gabby then fired a ball from the left side into the right netting for a final 3-1 victory. 

The next morning the girls faced Yuma, quickly taking them down 6-0.  As an aside, a number of girls were able to play different positions during this game giving them a feel for playing on anopther part of the pitch...a valuable experience.

This result pushed the team through to the championship game versus our own Sereno South 95 White Team.  The game was very well played and a battle throughout.  Each team had it's scoring opportunities, but did not capitalize.  At the end of regulation, the score stood at 0-0 forcing PKs to decide the match.  In the end, Sammy made "The Save" on a low hard shot to the corner giving the girls another championship medal for their growing collection.