| |
|
 |
MRFC 89 Santos Girls U18 Premier Soccer is based in Sumner, Washington. We proudly represent Mt. Rainier Futbol Club. Bill Crook is our Head Coach & Trainer: Our Assistant Coach is Joe Orr. 2008 WASHINGTON STATE U18 PREMIER LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 CHAMPIONS... MRFC Santos completed its 3rd season in Washington State Premier League, Division I by capturing the 2008 WSPL Division I League Championship in this final year of Youth Soccer--U18. The margin of victory--7 points over Spokane Shadow and defending Champion WPFC, was the largest in this age group's 5 year run. 2008 WASHINGTON STATE U18 CHAMPIONS... By capturing the #1 Seed into the Washington State Youth Championships, Santos received a bye to the Quarterfinals, where we defeated Federal Way Reign, 5-0. In the Semifinals, we faced our friend and nemesis, Fenix Red, ultimately winning a memorable 1-0 match. In the Championship match, we faced two-time defending Champion Spokane Shadow. The game was hard-fought every minute, but Santos prevailed with a goal in the 83rd minute to take a 2-1 victory. REGION IV CHAMPIONSHIPS: HONOLULU,HAWAII... After a month of senior proms, finals and graduation, Santos had one very special trip left...to Hawaii for the 2008 Region IV Championships! SANTOS 2, LEAHI (HI) 2 Bracket play included a first game against homestanding Leahi 90, the 5-time Hawaii State Champions with FIVE players who have already played a year of college (possible if you played "up" at U18 last year). The teams battled and Santos had its (unfortunuately) traditional slow start, spotting Leahi a goal after only three minutes. The rust was apparent as Santos played only its third full game since winning the State Championship on May 4th. Fortunately, Santos did enough to secure a 2-2 draw. SANTOS 3, SLAMMERS FC (CA-SOUTH) 2 In Game 2, Santos faced 2007 Regional Finalist, 2008 Far West Regional League Champion, 2007 Surf Cup Champion and Top-5 Nationally ranked Slammers FC. Most of us had been concerned about this opponent, for obvious reasons, although Santos had faced many State Champions before and had held their own...however, after yielding a goal in the 1ST MINUTE, our anxiety turned to horror. Fortunately, Santos parents don't get to go near the field. Ignoring our lack of confidence, Santos settled into its patient possession game, slowly finding cracks in the Slammers defense and occupying the Slammers machine by forcing it to play defense. The score remained 1-0 Slammers at the half. Santos continued its solid play as the second half ensued and saw several shots go just high and wide. Seeing Slammers players chasing relieved some of our anxiety, and without warning, Santos equalized about midway through the second half. Suddenly, as though a blinding light switched on, the Slammers pounced into attack mode, scoring less than 5 minutes later with an impressive "pass-cross-header" series. Santos responded with a ferocious offensive flurry of its own, attacking and counter-attacking with high energy and precision. Santos' second equalizer came with about 12 minutes remaining, but this time it was Santos who continued to pressure. Around the 85th minute, after several near-misses, Santos scored the winning goal and then hung on as the Slammers, led by its four U18 National Team players (two of whom had already played a year of college soccer at U of Kansas), conducted a final impressive assault. Santos survived, 3-2, and moved to the top spot in Bracket B with 4 points. Slammers had 3, Leahi 2 and Nevada 1 (Leahi & Nevada had drawn). SANTOS 1, FC LAS VEGAS MUNDIAL(NV) 0 Santos' final bracket game against Nevada Champion FC Las Vegas Mundial (formerly Rebels Select Red 90) was an ugly, physical grudge match, with a tiring Santos needing a draw to guarantee advancing to the Quarterfinals and Vegas needing a win (and some help) for any chance to keep playing. The game was scoreless until midway through the second half, when Santos found the net on a beautiful header off a deflected save. For the remaining minutes, the Vegas players' frustration grew to the breaking point, resulting in several bookings. Santos held on to preserve the 1-0 victory and to be one of only three undefeated teams in the 16 team pool to advance to the Quarterfinals. The #2 Slammers were sent to the other side of the bracket to face Utah Avalanche, a team they defeated in the 2007 Regional Semis. QUARTERFINAL: SANTOS 3, ALASKA RUSH 2 (2OT) In Santos' Quarterfinal against a surprising Alaska Rush side, Santos spotted their opponents a goal in the first 3 minutes for the third time--this one a rising rocket from 35 yards out by another National Team player. Santos then settled down, controlling possession and creating numerous shots through the first 45 minutes, but as often happens, the team with the most shots can still lose the game. This one felt like that kind of game. Midway through the second half, Santos finally equalized, but Alaska again slipped ahead on another amazing finish by their superstar, putting Santos' future in peril with less than 10 minutes remaining. Santos put on a furious rush in the remaining time, striking the posts and crossbar several times before a shot finally found the net with less than a minute remaining in regulation to even the score. The two exhausted teams went to overtime as the Colorado Rush Nike team, winners of their Quarterfinal, joined fans to watch Santos grow increasingly tired in the 90 degree Hawaii heat. Santos scored less than halfway through the first overtime, then hung on through the remainder of the required two 15-minute extra periods to secure the 3-2 win. SEMIFINAL: COLORADO RUSH NIKE 2, SANTOS 0 On Saturday, June 21, Santos faced the Colorado Rush Nike team in one Semifinal, while Slammers FC faced Region IV and National Champion Eagles, also of Southern California. (Eagles had defeated Slammers, 2-1 in the 2007 Region IV Championship match.) This time, Slammers had the Eagles' number, laying a 3-0 shocker on them and advancing to the Regional Final. Colorado outshined Santos in the other Semifinal, as the fatigue of five games in six days in the hot Hawaii sun took its toll. Santos could not match Colorado's speed and skill, and Colorado beat Santos at its own game--pretty, relentless possession soccer. Colorado scored around the 30th minute, then broke Santos' spirit on a 47th minute corner (as Santos fans scratched their heads about 'stoppage time' in an uneventful half) scoring on a rebounded shot after a nice save by keeper Jamie Arthurs. After regrouping at half, Santos regained its composure and played the Colorado team straight up the second half, creating several quality shots off the posts and a spirited attack at times, but nothing found the mark and Colorado preserved the shutout and met Slammers FC in the Championship Final. In the Final, Slammers scored in the 12th minute and Colorado equalized in the 65th minute, forcing eventual overtime. Colorado scored in the 10 minute of the first extra period and hung on to win, 2-1 (OT). For Santos, the satisfaction of going 1-1-0 against the two finalists in what is agreeably the toughest Region in the nation and reaching the Semifinals, when few gave them any chance, was satisfying. Enjoying the experience on the beaches of Hawaii and spending another 3 or 4 days in the sun punctuated an incredible final chapter in the Santos fairy tale. THANK YOU's... As individuals and as a team, Santos has always been committed to improving individual skills and team effectiveness, with the goal that every player may one day contribute to a college soccer program in the Fall of 2008. After three years traveling to all corners of the United States to participate in the most competitive Showcase Tournaments (Thank you Parents!) to be evaluated by college coaches and to research college programs, all 19 Santos players have signed/committed to attend colleges and universities this Fall (or in 2009), where their pursuit of academic and athletic goals will continue. Please enjoy the map on this page which details and celebrates many years of dedication and sacrifice. We can never thank Coach Bill Crook enough for his many years of time, love and patience, as he prepared each player to be her best. Assistant Coach Joe Orr has always been there for us, reminding us to, "keep our heads on a swivel," always smiling, and always believing we could be the best.
|
|
Monday, June 30
Sunday, April 6
|
|
SANTOS 2, WASHINGTON PREMIER FC 0 On Sunday, April 6th, MRFC Santos wanted there to be no doubt. Playing a third straight game without key players against an opponent in the League's top four teams, Santos faced a final grudge match against 2nd place Washington Premier FC. This time it didn't matter (for Santos) in the standings or for State Championship seeding--for Santos, it was about finishing the season like they had promised--leaving nothing in the tank. On a rainy, windy grass field miles from civilization (sorry Enumclaw...) these two rivals converged one more time-- When it was over, Santos had posted a 2-0 shutout against a great team on goals from Jenna Samora and Nicole Peterson, who launched a direct kick from the top of the circle that left a permanent mark on the back of the net. It was a fitting exclamation point on a season that saw Santos lose its all-time leading scorer AND its keeper. Such details left parents' legs wobbling, but Coach Bill Crook, Assistant Coach Joe Orr and their remaining players never blinked, never flinched, never really gave it a second thought. Bill would just say, "Every team has injuries--those are things you just can't control. Just do the work and play the games--the rest will take care of itself." In the end, Santos finished the season 7 points (and 3 wins) clear of Spokane Shadow and Washington Premier. It appears that Spokane Shadow claimed 2nd place (and #2 Seed to State Cup) by allowing 7 goals, compared with 8 allowed by Washington Premier. (The two teams drew in both head-to-head games this season.) Santos led the League (with FC Alliance) in "Goals Scored" with 18 and in "Goals Allowed" with 4. SANTOS 1, EMERALD CITY 0 On Sunday, March 30th, Santos overcame missing players and a determined Emerald City side to notch its 6th win and fifth shutout with a 1-0 victory. Santos stands atop the WSPL Division 1 Table with 20 points, 4 points clear of the 2nd place former FC Royals. The win was Santos' sixth straight against Emerald City, which hasn't beaten Santos since early in the U16 season. Santos employed its controlled passing attack and pressured Emerald City throughout, in spite of a random red card around the 65 minute mark that forced Santos to play a man down the final 25 minutes. Emerald City manufactured a handful of dangerous set plays and counter-attacks in the remaining minutes, but the Santos defense stiffened and dismantled every threat, inspired by omnipresent Center Back Haley Olson, who ran down ECFC players from the first minute of the game to the last. Combining with Nicole Peterson, Amber Drumm and Keeper Jamie Arthurs, the Santos defense consistently frustrated a talented and determined Emerald City side and made an early 2nd half goal stand for the final margin. As the game wore on, forward Serena Tomaso wore Emerald City out, twisting its defenders into the turf and creating nifty shots and laying balls back to hungry midfielders without ever breaking a sweat. This time, Serena took matters into her own hands, gathering up a deflection off the keeper in the box and firing it home herself. Playing the entire season without four-time leading scorer and WIAA State 4A MVP Holland Crook and Goalkeeper/Captain Marie Burn, Santos has amassed a league-high 16 goals while allowing only 4 in 9 league contests. Santos will finish the WSPL League season against 2nd place WPFC at 2:00 p.m. at a field to be determined. WPFC leads the all-time series 4-2 with 2 draws. SANTOS 1, SPOKANE SHADOW 0 [FORFEIT] On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Santos was awarded a 1-0 result after the match referee recorded Spokane Shadow as a "no-show." Shadow had advised Santos Friday night or Saturday morning that they would not be traveling to Western Washington for the game. SANTOS 3, FENIX 1 On Sunday, March 16th, Santos rose to 2nd place in the WSPL Division 1 Standings with a 3-1 win over nemesis Fenix Red in another tough contest between two well-matched teams. Fenix took the early lead on a first half corner kick that was perfectly executed and with relentless midfield play, the goal looked as if it might stand up. Santos picked up its intensity and responded with two pretty goals of its own to reclaim the lead midway through the second half. Santos continued pressuring the Fenix defense, earning several corners in succession, the last of which pinballed around the box before being smartly volleyed from a severe angle by Jordan Crook across the goal and into the farpost side net. Fenix was awarded a late PK after a collision between a Fenix player and Santos keeper Jamie Arthurs on a set play but the try found the post and the referee's whistle ended the game. As luck would have it, Santos, which finished in 2nd Place with 14 points, will host all three remaining games: Spokane Shadow (3rd Place, 12 points); and Emerald City (4th Place, 11 points); and Washington Premier (1st Place, 15 points). This is because the WSPL Rules state that no team will travel to play two games against the same opponent. SANTOS 6, BLACKHILLS 0 On Sunday, March 9th, Santos collected its fourth shutout in six games with a 6-0 decision over winless Blackhills. Four different players contributed to the goal total. Santos locks up "top four" spot in League & State Cup Seeding... More importantly, 11 points guarantees that Santos will finish no lower than 4th place in the WSPL, Division 1 this year. Santos also earns a "Top 4" Seed into the Washington State Youth Championships that begin next month. Washington Premier has also locked up one of the top four slots with 12 points in six games. The final two slots could be filled by Spokane Shadow, FC Alliance, Emerald City, Eastside Red or Fenix Red, depending upon the results of this weekend's games. With 4 shutouts in 6 games, Santos' 3 goals allowed are second only to Washington Premier's 2. Santos Keeper Jamie Arthurs has a .50 GAA (Goals Against Avg.). WASHINGTON PREMIER 2, SANTOS 0 On Sunday, March 2nd, Washington Premier did what strong teams do--it made the best of a few scattered shots, notching two goals to shock previously unbeaten Santos 2-0 and vault over Santos into 1st place in the WSPL Division 1 Standings. Loss ends 10-month, 22-game unbeaten streak... The loss was the first for Santos since Memorial Day of 2007, when Santos lost a tough PDA Showcase Final (Sommerset, New Jersey) to Connecticut United FC (CUFC), the 2007 Connecticut State Champion, 1-0 on a PK. In fact, in the 12 months since its bitter loss to Fenix in the State Cup Semifinals, Santos collected 12 wins and 5 draws against the lone defeat. Opponents over this stretch included 7 State Champions, 2 State Finalists and 8 State Semifinalists from across the U.S. Santos continued its winning ways with 2 wins and 2 draws in its first four WSPL games this season. Against WPFC, Santos made it clear that they would not go down without a fight, especially in the second half, when Coach Bill Crook made a number of adjustments that resulted in numerous corners and a fair number of shots; however, each found either the WPFC keeper or a well-placed defender. It was an intense and even game in terms of possession and every ball was aggressively contested. The rematch should be another classic. SANTOS 1, FC ALLIANCE 1 On Sunday, February 23rd, FC Alliance arrived at Sumner HS Stadium 0-2-0, facing a 2-0-1 Santos side and something had to give. Parents hoped that any "giving" didn't involve ligaments or bones. On paper, these were teams moving in opposite directions. From the first whistle, everything changed, and these "opposites" began to attract--but not the 106.9, soft rock, butterfly kiss attraction--no, it was as though this angry invisible dude with powerful 'soccer player' magnets was amusing himself by slamming players together wherever the ball might land. Ninety minutes later, parents opened their eyes in time to see both teams walk away, discouraged over the 1-1 draw. FC Alliance stunned Santos with a nice finish by Midfield substitute Whitney Kiker, putting Santos behind for the first time in 10 months. Santos was clearly not happy, and as the second half wore on, Santos began to turn momentum in its favor, keeping the ball in Alliance's defensive third for most of the remaining time. At about the 70-minute mark, Nicole Peterson launched a long entry ball to Haley Olson, who coolly chested it onto the feet of Alix Michael, who launched it past the keeper without so much as a stutter-step. Invigorated, Santos continued sending balls (and bodies) into the box from both flanks, creating havoc and pressure in the Alliance box. To their credit, Alliance managed the pressure until the final whistle, when the aforementioned discouragement set in. WSPL DIVISION 1 [GAME 8-10] SCHEDULE & RULES Teams in 1st through 4thplaces will play each other a second time to determine final standings for 1st through 4th places. Teams in places 5-8 will play each other a second time to determine final standings for 5th through 8thplaces. A team will not drop lower than 4th place or rise higher than 5th place, respectively.
Final League Standings will also establish seeding for this year’s Washington State Youth Championship Cup. During the second round of games, NO teamwill play a second HOME game against the same opponent. Saturday, March 29, 2008 1st plays 4th 2nd plays 3rd 5th plays 8th 6th plays 7th Sunday, March 30, 2008 1st plays 3rd 2nd plays 4th 5th plays 7th 6th plays 8th Sunday, April 6, 2008 1st plays 2nd 3rd plays 4th 5th plays 6th 7th plays 8th
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, February 21
Sunday, February 17
|
|
| Jamie uses her 5'8" frame to stuff a corner kick.
|
Sunday, May 13
SANTOS POSTS 3 WINS AND A DRAW AT THE 2007 SHOWCASE OF CHAMPIONS
MRFC Santos competed well against the best in the Northwest at the 2007 Showcase of Champions, May 11-13. The facility and organization were outstanding and the weather cooperated as players were evaluated by many of the 65 college coaches in attendance. Santos did not disappoint, scoring 13 goals while yielding only 2.
RESULTS:
Santos 4, Lake Oswego Havoc 0
Santos 1, Boise Capitals 1
Santos 4, Boise Blast 1
Santos 4, Westside Metro Galaxy 0
Saturday, February 23
Tuesday, May 29
SANTOS REACHES CHAMPIONSHIP OF PDA, FALLS 1-0 ON PK
Traveling with only 13 rostered players (and two super guest players from the Northeast), MRFC Santos traveled back east to the prestigious PDA Girls College Showcase over Memorial Weekend. Rated as one of the nation's top 5 showcases, PDA put on a great tournament with beautiful fields at their home complex and at Rutgers University. The weather was "different," with morning games played in temperatures in the low 80's and afternoon games in the low 90's, and always with steam bath-like humidity. A Sunday night thunderstorm guaranteed muggy conditions for Monday's Semis and Finals.
COACHES, COACHES, COACHES!!
The PDA tournament is second only to Disney for College Coach attendance on the East Coast. Over 100 coaches observed Santos's first three games.
GUEST PLAYERS
Santos wants to thank its guest players for joining us this weekend. Both players fit right in with the team, both on the pitch and off.
MARISSA KUZBYT, from Plainsboro, New Jersey, provided solid help in the back and quickly learned her role. She was also lots of fun! Thanks also to her dad, Bob, who was a wealth of local information and who provided Santos with a "Jersey" perspective on the whole experience.
LINDSEY RAYMOND, who traveled south from Acton, Massachusetts with her dad, John, is a solid midfielder and ODP player. She provided smart play in the midfield and nice runs in the attacking third. John provided invaluable assistance handing out team and player profiles and building lists of college coaches who attended each game. The efforts of these fine people and their generous assistance remind us why we all love this game so much.
GAME RECAPS
SANTOS 0, WALL STRIKERS 0
Santos began play with an early Saturday game against the newly crowned New Jersey State Champion Wall Strikers, who had beaten perrenial power PDA Power the previous weekend.
Played on the only field turf pitch on the grounds, Santos won the battle of possession and outshot Wall 8-3, but the game ended 0-0.
SANTOS 5, VINCENT UNITED WILDCATS 1
Santos returned to form in the Saturday afternoon matchup with Pennsylvania East Semifinalist Vincent United Wildcats, yielding a goal in the first minute, then administering a clinic with 5 different players scoring. Each goal was a picture of team soccer, with multiple passes linked and well-placed finishing.
SANTOS 1, HIBERNIAN HEAT 0
Santos began Sunday with a 9:20 contest against New Jersey State Semifinalist Hibernian Heat. This one became a physical struggle with 6 or 7 yellows issued and both teams disrupted by the play of the opposing side. In the end, Santos found a way to score with a nice finish by guest player Lindsey Raymond.
NEW YORK, BABY!
After the Sunday morning game, Santos boarded their rigs for a harrowing drive into midtown Manhattan and a whirlwind tour of the city, organized by Alan Michael (Thanks Alan!). The players took in Broadway, lunched at the classic "Times Deli," then visited Times Square, Grand Central Station, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trump Tower, Central Park and went shopping on 5th Avenue before ending the experience with an exciting trip back to West 42nd Street on the famous New York Subway. Not your typical way to spend "down time" during an important showcase, but who would deny these hard-working girls an opportunity to see the city that never sleeps? After this long day and a nice team dinner, the players turned in to recover for Monday's 8:00 am Semifinal.
(SEMIFINAL) SANTOS 2, ROCKVILLE CENTRE ROYALS 1
After starting slow in all three previous contests, Santos changed it up, scoring only 5 minutes in on a nice finish from Kirsten Fausko. The game settled into an even battle between two well-matched teams. For the most part, Santos kept Rockville's speedy forwards (one already committed to University of Kentucky) in check and counter-attacked effectively to maintain control of the game. In the second half, the possession game again produced multiple shot opportunities and Kirsten's second finish to give Santos a two-goal cushion. Rockville (New York East Semifinalist) never quit, finally breaking through with a goal in the final minute, but Santos was through to the Final.
(FINAL) CUFC 1, SANTOS 0
Santos faced CUFC from Connecticut in the Premier Flight Final. CUFC, which won the Connecticut State Championship the Sunday following PDA, took the field with an attitude. Santos took the field with little left in the tank, but played hard and the game appeared destined for overtime. In the last minute of the first half, CUFC benefitted from a questionable call on the edge of the 18-yard box and converted a PK for what turned out to be the only goal of the match. In the second half, Santos created several promising opportunities and two 1v1's with the CUFC keeper, but none resulted in scores.
Santos finished the tournament with 3 wins, a loss and a draw with 8 goals for and only 3 against. Goalkeeper Marie Burn was incredible in goal, directing her players and making acrobatic saves that caught the eye of many of the 100+ coaches who attended Santos games. Great job, Marie and all of our inspiring players.
Congratulations also to Gabriella Levandowski, who signed with NAIA power Savannah College of Art and Design (2005 National Finalist and 2006 Regional Finalist) on Sunday after the Semifinal game.
Visit our 2007 Showcases page (Menu) to view a complete recap of this tournament.
|
|
Saturday, February 23
Monday, June 4
SANTOS CONTINUES SUCCESS IN TEXAS WITH TWO WINS & A DRAW
MRFC Santos flew from the frying pan into the fire as the second of its two "hell weeks" transported them to Houston's 90-100 degree weather and sweltering humidity for the Texas Shootout, rated by college coaches as one of the nation's five best showcase tournaments.
A late flight Thursday turned ugly as a mechanical problem with the aircraft delayed the team's landing in Houston until 1:00 am, with Santos's first match only nine hours later.
If New Jersey was uncomfortable, Houston was nearly unbearable as referees required one or two water breaks per half to help teams cope with the heat and humidity.
Santos drew games in the worst part of the schedule, playing at 3:00 pm and 3:50 pm on Saturday and Sunday after a 10:45 am match in the high-80's on Friday.
GAME SUMMARIES
SANTOS 2, CLASSICS ELITE 90 (Texas-South Semifinalist) 1
Santos players fought fatigue and heat, and the Classics won many second balls, disrupting the Santos midfield throughout the game. Santos worked hard to find openings, scoring late in the first half and again midway through the second before allowing a goal in the final minute.
SANTOS 3, WESTON FURY PREMIER (Florida State Semifinalist) 0
Saturday's match saw Santos slow down play in the first half to adjust to the heat and at half the teams were deadlocked 0-0. Weston Fury's style of play, athletic and physical, created too many 50/50 balls and disrupted the Santos attack. In the second half, Santos applied some heat of its own, wearing out the Fury defense with relentless runs and counter-attacks, scoring three goals to lock up a second straight win. Keeper Marie Burn had another solid performance.
SANTOS 0, AZFC HAMMERS (Arizona State Finalist) 0
On Sunday, after seeing 50 and 30 college coaches on the sidelines of its first two matches, only six braved the intense heat to return for another look as Santos faced a tough AZFC Hammers side from Phoenix. The Arizona team held a full warm-up before the match, acting as though they enjoyed the heat. Santos joined college coaches and spectators in the shade, watching Fenix drop a close one to D'Feeter's from Dallas, 3-2.
Once the game began, it was clear that the Santos players had decided to leave it all on the pitch, anticipating some well-deserved time off. The only missing piece was finishing, as Santos forwards repeatedly found themselves behind the Hammers defense, but shots failed to find the net. The Santos defense continued its steady play, yielding no goals and only a few shots that were adeptly handled by keepers Danielle Remick and Marie Burn.
GUEST PLAYERS
Traveling once again with only 13 rostered players (including two keepers), Santos wishes to thank another duo of outstanding guest players, who stepped in and provided much-needed support during this difficult tournament.
SARA O'NEAL, from Snohomish United, quickly fit into the Santos defensive scheme, winning balls early and in the air. Although quiet, Sara enjoyed the time away from the pitch, shopping and a late-evening run to Sonic.
MELISSA TRAMMELL, from Yakima and FC Alliance, brought solid play to the Santos midfield and at forward. Another quiet but confident player, Melissa's smart runs and cool head made her a strong teammate.
Santos wants to thanks these players' parents for their incredible efforts in getting these players to the airport and for entrusting them to us for this important tournament. In spite of the heat, the girls had a blast.
Santos finished the weekend with 5 goals for and only 1 against in three games.
|
|
|
|
Saturday, August 4
SANTOS COMPLETES SHOWCASE PLAY AT COLLEGE SEARCH KICKOFF IN IOWA
On August 2-3, 2007, Santos traveled to Muscatine, Iowa for the College Search Kickoff, the premier showcase in the Midwest.
Thursday's matchup was against Indiana State Semifinalist Jr. Irish Crew. Friday games against Iowa State Champion CRSA (Cedar Rapids Soccer Association) and Gladiator Tango, the back-to-back-to-back-to-back State Champions from Nebraska, rounded out the competition in extremely hot and humid conditions.
CSK SCORES:
Santos 4, Jr. Irish Crew 2
Santos 2, CRSA 1
Santos 6, Gladiator Tango 3
Santos spent a long day together exploring Chicago on Saturday before hanging out Sunday and flying home late Sunday night.
Monday, November 26
What do you get when you cross a State Finalist with a State Semifinalist? (Answer: FENTOS)
On Sunday, November 25, 2007, Fenix Red 89 defeated FC Alliance 89 Gold 1-0 to capture the 2007 Starfire Field Turf Cup… What does this have to do with Santos? Eight months earlier, these two rivals had clashed in the Semifinal round of the Washington State Youth Championships. Fenix held a 3-2 advantage in the series with 1 draw. The game was a classic battle between two determined sides, but with the score knotted 1-1, a penalty was awarded after a tangle of legs at the “18.” The resulting penalty kick provided Fenix Red the winning margin and sent MRFC Santos home with its best Championship Cup run ever. Fenix went on to collect its second straight State Finalist trophy. Fast forward to early November, 2007…The Fenix Manager contacted Santos Coach Bill Crook, explaining that Fenix had several injured and unavailable players and wondered if Bill would be willing to loan a halfdozen players for the upcoming tournament. Bill agreed without hesitation, because it has always been his belief that players benefit from exposure to different coaching philosophies and player styles. Bill explains that his job is to prepare his players to play at the next level, and guest playing provides the closest experience to adapting to a college soccer team.Seven Fenix players combined with six Santos players (and one talented player from Roosevelt High School), and having never trained together, this most unlikely “band of sisters” advanced to the Final , posting four clean sheets while notching seven goals in four games against some quality competition. Santos keeper Marie Burn did a masterful job of organizing her players, miraculously calling everyone by name like they had been together for years. Beyond a few minor shorts and socks “wardrobe malfunctions,” spectators found it difficult to tell which players belonged to which team. It was truly a credit to this mature and well-trained group of young women. On Sunday, November 25, 2007, this Fenix/Santos "Alliance" took on the always-tough FC Alliance, a familiar opponent from WSPL, Division 1. The game was fast-paced and well played, and it could have gone either way, but the difference came when a penalty was awarded after a collision between the Alliance keeper and Fenix’s Hannah Modin. The Fenix coaches sent Santos’s Holland Crook to the spot and she responded with an absolute missile into the back of the net for the winning margin. After the match, once the trophy and medals had been presented, the girls lingered to visit and pose for some “team” photos before heading home to that homework that had to be put on hold until Sunday night. But before they left, the players gathered close for a final cheer that (ironically) captured the essence of this inspiring weekend of soccer…”Fen-tos!”…and they meant it.
Thank you, Fenix players, parents, coaches and management, for graciously sharing this experience with our team.
|
|
Sunday, June 10
Jordan Crook Selected as Bezos Aspen Scholar
Click on the article title to read more about this unique and exciting honor. Jordan, we are all so very proud of you!
Wednesday, January 10
Pages for our 2006 Showcase Tournaments are complete. Review our performance against national competition by clicking on the page for each showcase/tournament from the Menu.
We have also added a new page: "All Scores 04-06." This page lists every game played by MRFC Santos back through 2004.
The summer of 2006 included five tournaments for MRFC Santos, beginning with the WSU 7-a-Side in April, in which two 8-player Santos teams challenged small-sided college squads from Washington, Idaho and Montana, as well as older premier teams from Washington State. The girls had an absolute BLAST!
In May, Santos won the Starfire Memorial Cup, finishing with a 4-0-1 record. The team made its first cross-country trip in June to play in the Kalamazoo Invitational Soccer Showcase, winning four straight to take the Championship. An 8-day July marathon began with Santos stranded for 15 hours at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Team officials found a red-eye flight to Tampa, Florida, where the team waited several more hours before finally flying to Charlotte, North Carolina, where vans were waiting for the (comparatively short) 90-minute ride to Greensboro and enough time for a 60-minute nap before Santos played its first of 7 games in 66 hours at the Score at the Shore in Greensboro, North Carolina. To their credit, the girls hung tough against nationally ranked competition from New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Texas and Illinois, racking up 4 wins and 2 draws before losing a scoreless Final on PK's (4-3) to a feisty KUFC Tempest side from Suburban Chicago.
Santos returned home for ONLY one full day, then flew to California to take on Region IV's best at the Pleasanton Rage Showcase, where Santos split four tough matches against Cal North opponents.
In November, Santos traveled to Dallas, Texas on Thanksgiving Day to play in the D'Feeters Thanksgiving Showcase. Our Washington girls impressed their counterparts from the South, winning three matches and earning a draw with 17th ranked D'Feeters, winners of the 2006 Disney Showcase.
Great year, girls. Those of us who know your hard work and commitment are inspired and very proud of all you have accomplished.
Sunday, March 11
SANTOS STATE TITLE QUEST ENDS ON LATE PK, 2-1 TO FENIX IN STATE SEMIFINAL
MRFC Santos, playing before a packed sideline of rabid supporters, fought back from an early score on a Fenix corner to equalize in the final minute of the first half, but suffered a devastating blow from--a referee's decision, as Fenix was awarded a second half PK on a questionable call to provide the winning margin, 2-1, in the Washington State Championship Semifinals.
Santos controlled possession and outshot Fenix, but the relentless "vertical offense" keyed by Fenix's fast outside forwards provided a good number of quality opportunities for the 2005 Champion and 2006 Finalist. Congratulations to Fenix and Spokane for finding their way to a third straight Championship matchup. Santos completes its most successful season ever in this most important year. The entire Santos family is very proud of these inspiring athletes. Enjoy a few days off, ladies, and then it's right back to work as you prepare for Temecula, California and the first of the 2007 showcases.
Sunday, March 4
SANTOS SOARS INTO SEMIFINAL WITH 5-2 WIN OVER EMERALD CITY
After three straight exits from State Championship play in the Quarterfinal Round, MRFC Santos shot to a 4-0 first half lead, then held off a tough Emerald City side for 45 minutes to sprint into next Sunday's State Semifinals against Fenix Red at Starfire with a 5-2 Quarterfinal win.
Five different players contributed goals and Santos nearly doubled its State Cup scoring output. It was also the first game of this year's tournament in which Santos has scored in the first half. The fast start allowed Coach Bill Crook to rest several players who were recovering from ankle injuries suffered last week. Emerald City mounted a ferocious attack in the second half and created several quality chances on set plays and two nice scores, but Santos maintained its intensity and expanded a 4-2 lead to the final 5-2 margin with a final tally at about the 80th minute.
Wednesday, January 10
SANTOS GUARANTEED 3RD IN PREMIER DIVISION 1 WITH 4-1 WIN OVER FW REIGN
Tough defense and a timely hat trick by Holland Crook assured Santos of no lower than 3rd in this season's challenging Division 1 Premier League as Santos delivered a 4-1 lump of coal to Federal Way Reign on Sunday, December 17th.
Alix Michael benefited from a string of perfect balls from the back, taking a perfect pass from Haley Olson on a dead run for the first tally.
Down 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining, Reign put on a surge, scoring one to tighten things. Santos answered with Holland's second score, a laser struck so hard that it appeared to sail over the crossbar, but the referee confirmed that it had actually found a hole in the top net. Santos final goal came on a nifty counter-attack as Reign gambled while playing shorthanded after a send-off. Serena Tomaso took a long ball and quickly slotted Holland, who timed her run perfectly for her only easy shot.
Santos finished the season 8-5-1 for 25 points, good for either 3rd or a potential tie for 2nd, depending upon the outcome of the Washington Premier FC/FC Alliance contest Sunday afternoon.
PARENTS & PLAYERS: PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE!
Please click on the headline above to read this valuable article, displayed on our "Santos News" Page. It is probably the most realistic and informative piece we have seen for providing a mature perspective as players consider a future as a soccer player, beginning in college. It was published originally in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Washington State Current Pass Conditions
If your team is traveling over the passes for competition, be sure to check the pass conditions. Allow plenty of time for safe travel. TRAVEL TIP: Build a list of all team members' cell phone numbers, laminate it, and distribute a copy to everyone. That way, if someone has vehicle trouble, they can check in and possibly get assistance from another team member.
|
|
