Inferno is the girls U11 soccer team playing for Conejo Valley United. In the 2007-8 season Infero was the girls U10 All-Star soccer team from AYSO Region 4 (Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, and Westlake Village).

In their first tournament outing of the season in their first season playing as CVU Inferno, the U11 girls took home finalist medals from the FC Irvine Showcase Tournament.

In a pool of 5 teams the first match was against Wolfpack. After a tough first half the score was 0:0, but in the second half the Wolfpack came out strong and the final score was 0:4 to the team that would ultimately take home the first place medals. The second game on Saturday was against the Wolves and now CVU started to really bring their game together. Final score 1:0 to CVU. On Sunday morning the girls first met Ladera United and again chalked up a 1:0 win. Going into the final game we knew that we were close to sealing our second place finish. The girls turned up the heat against Summer Heat and finished with a resounding 4:1 victory.

Our game plan was to bring to the tournament fields the lessons that the girls have been working on at the practice field and in this they were hugely successful. With each game played the Inferno looked stronger and stronger.

A great weekend of soccer and a great experience for the team!

On Sunday April 6th Inferno make the trek once more to the Kern County Soccer complex in Bakersfield. This time the occasion was the California State Championships. This tournament was the culmination of many long hours spent on the practice field and weekends spent at tournaments across the Southland. In the immediate run up to the big day Inferno scrimmaged a local club team and one of the best local AYSO all-star teams; the girls were both motivated and prepared, but of course we knew the other teams that made to State would be too.

The first game on Sunday morning was at 9:00am against Pasadena. Pasadena were a fast and talented soccer team. They scored first and had Inferno on their heels for most of the first half which ended with Inferno trailing by 1:3. The second half looked much like the first with both teams playing hard. More goals came for both sides and with a couple of minutes to go the scoreline was 3:4. In the last two minutes the ball was loose in the Pasadena box, shot after shot was blocked and it seemed inevitable that the ball must go in the net but finally Pasadena cleared it. After a last minute breakaway and goal the final score was 3:5. This loss meant that our next game would be for 3rd or 4th place.

Our second game was against Covina. Although the first loss had been a tough one the girls rallied before the game and were set on coming home with at least one win under their belts. Covina however seemed to have the same thought. Although both Pasadena and Covina were both tough opponents their styles of play were very different. Pasadena played a good passing game and used the width of the field well. Covina were tough, played one to one, and shot from far out. The first half was pretty evenly matched although Covina's style of play was clearly impacting Inferno's game; halftime score 1:1. In the second half however our girls got into their groove, scored one more great goal and played strong defense. Final score 2:1 Inferno.

So Inferno took home 3rd place medals from the California State Championship; an outstanding achievement!

The Inferno girls made the long trek to Bakersfield on the first weekend of March to compete against the best teams from AYSO Section 10. Going into this we knew that we would face tough competition but nothing could prepare us for the excitement and thrills that our weekend provided!

Our tournament pool play on Saturday kicked off at 8:00am against a very strong team from Valencia. We knew already that this team must be good as we had previously played other teams from this area who had not made it to the section playoffs. The Valencia team were talented and aggressive and by the half time whistle Inferno were trailing by 0:2. Little did we know that this would be the pattern of our tournament. In the second half Inferno played well but even though we had lots of shots on goal nothing was going in. The turning point in the game was one hard shot on goal, although the Valencia keeper managed to control it she stepped over the goal line with the ball. The AR made a great call and the score was 1:2. From that point on a rejuvinated Inferno never looked back and in the end chalked up a 3:2 win.

Our second game against Paso Robles started off looking just like the one before. Paso Robles scored first but, this time, by the half we had leveled the score to 1:1. Paso Robles came at us again and by the 3rd quarter were were again facing a deficit, now 2:3. In the final quarter Inferno turned up the heat bringing us to 3:3 and then with just seconds to go finished superbly from a corner kick to win by a final score of 4:3. The excitement on the field and on our sideline hit a new high point.

Going into our third pool game against Camarillo we knew that only a win or a tie would take us to the championship round. Camarillo were big and strong but ultimately no match for the Inferno girls on a mission. Final score 2:0.

The skies on the championship morning were blue; some of the Inferno girls were a bit black & blue, but our spirits were high knowing that we were already one of the four best teams in Section 10. On points from the pool round we were seeded 3rd which set us against Canyon Country, this would turn out to be our toughest test of the tournment. The Canyon Country team were in many ways like Inferno; every player on the team was strong and talented, and on the field they played smart, aggressive soccer. Throughout the game Canyon Country excelled in the center of the field winning more loose balls than Inferno. The Inferno defense, though was playing their 'A' game, and our keepers were on form. By the fourth quarter with the score still at 0:0 it was beginnning to look like we were going to face our first ever period of extra time. And then with about 8 minutes on the clock Canyon Country constructed a great play, beating our defense and leaving our keeper with no chance; 0:1, we were trailing again. 3 minutes on the clock, we pulled Katie from defense to forward and our keeper out of goal onto the field. 2 minutes to go and our extra numbers on attack were pressuring the Canyon Country defense, but with our keeper out and our defensive third empty it was make or break. A minute to go and a poor clearance by Canyon Country landed at Katie's feet and then from more than 18 yards out her shot evaded everyone to land in the net; 1:1, the final whistle, and into extra time! Extra time looked much like regular time, the game was fast paced and flowed from one end of the field to the other, this was great soccer. 10 minutes felt like 2, and we went into penalties kicks to decide the game. The tension on the sideline was incredible. 5 kicks each and these two teams still could not be split apart. Each shot was elation or heartbreak. Then on the seventh kick Kaitlin rocketed the ball over the Canyon Country keepers head into the net, it was now all up to Canyon Country. The shot was good on the ground towards the corner, but the pace was lacking and Sarah just got a touch to it and turned the ball outside the post! The team could hardly believe it and the sideline went wild. Inferno was in the final.

In the Championship game Inferno faced Visalia. Contrary to our pattern thus far Inferno scored first. Maybe we didn't need to come from behind in this one? But less than 30 seconds later Inferno was caught with their guard down and the score was level again. Back to work, the girls gritted their teeth and redoubled their efforts. In the end it was tenacity and stamina that won out for Inferno. Final score 4:1 for the Champions of Section 10 and a well desevered place in the California State Championships.

The Inferno cheer says it all... "you've got to want it to win it, but we want it more".