CERRITOS MEMORIAL DAY TOURNAMENT
Over this past Memorial Day Weekend (May 25, 26, 27), the Blues had seven teams participating in the first ever Cerritos Memorial Day Tournament. Most of the games were held at the Cerritos Sports Complex, with several of the championship games taking place at the Gahr High School stadium field. Out of the seven Blues teams, the U12's were quarterfinalists, the U16's made it to the semifinals, the U14's were finalists, and the U11's, U13's, and U18's all won the tournament championship. Along with the great championship trophies they received, the three teams are automatically invited to participate in next year's tournament free of charge as part of their first place award. Congratulations to all the teams for a job well done!
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| (Above) Under 12 Blues Memorial Day Champs! (Top L to R) Vanessa Rocha, Daniel Fenning, Tessa Baker, Stacey Lindstrom, Stacey Sinkway, Alison Vislay, Emmy Dukolil, Jamie Ponte, Ron Downer. (Bottom L to R) Joanna Irwin, Kaley Garza, Sheena Jarvis, Brittany Perkowski, Megan Knight, Dana Knowles, Shannon Munoz. |
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| (Above) Under 14 Blues Memorial Day Champs! (Top L to R) Laura Tanchon,
Erin Miller, Whitney Malone, Erica Richey (Middle L to R) Diana Jonas,
Vicki Bloom, Lauren Zilly, Mandi Arquilla, Skip Jarvis (Bottom L to R)
Jenny Anderson, Lindsey Kane, Nicole McCarty, Lindsey Huie, Jennifer Thais,
Lauren Williams. Under 18 Blues were also Memorial Day Champs but it seems their parents weren't so hot with a camera. They blew the shot and it never came out. Sorry girls, you will have to win your next tournament in order to get your team picture included, maybe next year. |
BLUES FINISH UP SUMMER WITH TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS!
The Blues began their sixth year of existence with appearances in three major tournaments prior to opening up Coast Soccer League play. While other clubs were busy training for some time in anticipation of the new season, the Blues' regularly scheduled practices began the week of July 15, with August's tournament play to follow. "It was important for our teams, especially the younger ones, to take a break from soccer", felt Blues Program Director Larry Draluck. "We needed time to regenerate our energy so we could head into the season with a feeling of excitement."
SURF CUP RESULTS
The Nike Surf Tournament was held on July 26, 27, & 28 for U10-U14. The older teams (U15-U18) had the Surf Tournament
August 2, 3, & 4. In only the first tournament of the 1996-97 season the younger Southern
California Blues teams achieved quite respectable results yet left
the San Diego Polo Fields knowing there was a lot of room for improvement.
U10 BLUES BAPTIZED BY FIRE!
The U10's coached by Lisa Busch went 0-2-1 in their first club soccer experience ever as they attempted to familiarize themselves with the 8 vs 8 format for under 10's. Although the girls never made it out of their group they were competitive in all the games but their first. Overall it was obvious the team was lacking in experience and cohesion, something which will only be remedied by more competitive games and a lot more practice. With their early tournament exit, the girls found lots of time to shop in the Nike tent.
DOWNER'S DOLLS SURVIVE, TAKE CHAMPIONSHIP!
The
U11's (defending state champions) coached by Ron Downer found going
a little tougher than they expected. As if they wore targets on their
backs, teams came after them with fury but the girls survived a group
play scare by the Rancho Santa Fe Attack, pulling out a tie with a
second half goal by Kendall Holiday. Things would again get difficult
for the U11's as Mission Viejo held them to a partial score of 0-0
at half time of the semifinal match. Chelsea Card, however, came into
the game in the second half dishing off an assist and scoring two goals
of her own to put the U11 favorites into the finals against upstart
Irvine (click photo to enlarge). Irvine's team started the game on
fire as they pinned the defending state champs in their own end for
most of the first half and after a barrage of shots, took a 1-0 lead
into half time. The Blues came alive in the second half and again it
was Kendall Holiday with the equalizer sending the game into two 5
minute overtime periods. Saving the day for the Blues in the last minute
of the second overtime was Shannon Doersam who banged home a direct
freekick from 20 yards at the top of the penalty area when the referee
made a hand ball call on an Irvine defender.
U12 BLUES FALL SHORT IN FINALS!
The Under 12 girls, winners of last year's Surf Thanksgiving Tournament
battled their way out of group play with 2 wins and 1-1 tie against
1995 U11 defending WAGS champion, Bethesda Dragons. The quarterfinal
match was a tough game the Blues dominated against host team Surf that
ended in a 0-0 draw. In the ensuing penalty kick contest Blues goalkeeper
Staci Sinkway came up big as she saved two PK's and the Blues advanced
to the semifinal against defending state champion, Santa Anita Redhots.The
Redhots dominated much of the semifinal match as the Blues had difficulty
in finding any rhythm. The defensive line for the Blues led by Daniel
Fenning, Stacey Lindstrom, Allison Vislay, and Emmy Dukolil were outstanding
in holding off the Redhots time and time again. With 10 minutes left
in the game, Blues forward Tessa Baker escaped down the left flank
and got taken down in the area for a penalty which was converted by
Sheena Jarvis. The Blues defense made the 1-0 score hold up and the
girls squeaked into the finals. In
the final game against the Upland Celtics the Blues luck seemed to
run out. 10 minutes into the game which was extremely physical, Daniel
Fenning had to leave the game with an ankle injury and the Blues
never seemed to recover from her loss. The Celtics scored their only
goal minutes later which would prove to be the difference. Although
the Blues fought valiantly, they didn't have it in the finals as two
more starters had to leave the game and Upland went on to win 1-0 in
a game the Celtic clearly deserved (click photo to enlarge).
U13 BLUES PLAY WELL BUT NOT ENOUGH!
The U13 Blues Surf experience proved to be one of inconsistency. The team played some of the best Blues soccer of the weekend but still managed to fall short of doing what it takes to win a championship of this caliber. The team started off the weekend with a 2-1 victory over a hungry Jusa Stepsisters team. Then the girls turned around and lost to the Mustang Thunderbirds from Northern California 2-0. In the T-Bird game coach Tad Bobak felt his team played well and it was an even game with the Birds dominating early and the Blues coming on in the second half, but the Thunderbirds scored one goal early and the other late on a counter attack when the Blues were pushed up in the opponents half. This left the U13's with a must win situation in their third game vs another Northern California opponent, the San Juan Spirits. The Blues responded with some of their best soccer putting on a clinic as Courtney Marino struck for two early goals. The team then cruised onto a 4-1 victory and a chance to play the Santa Barbara Legends in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals the Legends proved to be too much and exposed the Blues defense scoring 3 unanswered goals to move onto the semifinals. One Blues player who deserves mention for her outstanding performance over the weekend was goalkeeper Erin Clark.
SURFS UP, U14 BLUES DOWN IN QUARTERS!
Unfortunately for the Blues U14's there exists a team they have never been able to defeat. That team is the Surf U14, winner of the State Championship in their age bracket for the past 4 years. The Blues tournament ended when they ran into the Surf machine in the quarterfinals of their own tournament. Although the Blues result vs the Surf was closer than any of the teams in the tournament, losing 1-0 didn't feel any better than if they had lost by more. The Surf won the tournament going away beating the Las Virgines Blazers 4-0 in the final.
OLDER BLUES FALL SHORT IN SEMIS AND TWO FINALS!
In the top youth soccer tournament in Southern California, the Southern Blues Soccer Club was able to accomplish three important goals. Number one, the high school junior and senior players on the U17 & U18 teams were able to demonstrate their wares to the hordes of college coaches who attend the tournament each season. Two, all three of the older girls teams did very well in terms of results considering they only had four practices under their belts. The U18 reached the semifinals of the U19 Super Group, the U17 and U15 both reached the finals of the prestigious summer time classic. Lastly, Blues coaches were able to better evaluate the performance of their teams and players under pressure conditions in order to see just where they stand in regards to achieving their team and individual goals.
U18 BLUES DROPPED BY SHAMROCKS IN SEMIS!
Oh so close to reaching the finals of the Surf, maybe a matter of inches. The Blues started off group play with an uninspiring 1-1 tie vs HSA Eagles from Seattle as they gave up the tying goal with seconds remaining on the clock. The Blues then picked up steam and seemed to improve with each game as they were able to knock off a strong Dallas Sting team 2-1 with goals by U20 National Pool player Heather Aldama and Jill Pearson, followed by a 2-1 victory over Utah's Devastation. In the quarterfinals the Blues again came away with a 2-1 win, this time over the visiting Music City Lady Sting from Tennessee, getting them into the semifinals vs their long time nemesis, the Mission Viejo Shamrocks. The semifinal match was tension filled as just a few months earlier the Shamrocks had ended the Blues season with a 3-1 semifinal state cup victory. The game started back and forth with both teams getting chances to score. With minutes to go in the first half the Shamrocks struck first on their patented long throw in to take a 1-0 lead as the ball dropped between three Blues defenders. Things heated up in the second half as the Blues applied pressure and went for the equalizer. After several near misses, Blues forward Jill Pearson tied up the game and celebrated with a dance at midfield. The dance may have come too early though, as the defending state champ Shamrocks put a ball into the Blues penalty area that was poorly cleared and Mission Viejo was able to capitalize and hold on for the 2-1 win.
U17 BLUES RUN OUT OF BODIES & GAS IN FINALS!
Except for a loss in the finals of last season's state championship the Blues U17 team has proved over the years it is one of the best teams in Southern California. Picking up where they left off the U17 team won all of it's group games. A 3-0 win over the LWYSA Thunder from Redmond Washington, A 1-0 win over the Wolfpack with a last second Elicia Petre goal, and an inspiring 2-1 win over the team which defeated the girls in the Regional Finals two years ago, the Aftershocks of Northern California. The win over the Aftershocks gave the U17 team first place in their group and the chance to play WOCU Riptide, the team that beat them in the state cup finals a few months earlier. The game turned out to be a physical one with two Blues starters eventually having to leave the game with injuries. After finishing the game 0-0, the game would be decided by penalty kicks. Blues goalkeeper Erin Reagan came up big with two saves and got her hands on two more. Elicia Petre scored the winning kick for the Blues 4-3 PK win. The semifinal game was perhaps the U17 team's best performance of the tournament as the girls defeated the Las Virgenes Blazers 5-0 with the help of two goals from midfielder Michelle Bannister. Defensive pressure in the attacking third was the key to several of the goals. In the final game the Blues would once again match up with the Aftershocks. In what turned out to be an uneventful final the Blues outplayed the Shocks the first half with the help of a strong wind but were unable to capitalize. In the second half the tables were turned, however, as the Aftershocks applied pressure and scored a goal 15 minutes into the half. The Blues fought to the end but were not able to come up with the tying goal as the Aftershocks put in a second goal late in the game for a 2-0 championship win.
U15 BLUES DISPEL RUMORS OF DEMISE!
1996 Surf
Cup Finalists (left)! (Top L to R) Jessica Krause, Whitney Jones, Haley Kuhn, Elizabeth
Link, Ebony Stone, Alex Richey, Rich Manning (Bottom L to R) Laurel Allen,
Nicole Swanson, Nicki Arquilla, Sarah Banks, Ali Halpern, Emily Ernsdorf,
Ashley Clift.
The Under 15 girls had to face the toughest of brackets in the Surf Cup. Having failed to qualify for second round play in last season's state cup, there was talk around Southern California that the team had seen it's best days. The girls sent a message they should not be overlooked this past weekend, as they opened up group play with a 1-1 tie over CSL rival Fram. Then they dispatched the Mustang Fury from Northern California 2-0 and Columbine from Colorado 3-0 for a first place finish in their group. The quarterfinal game was against Rich Manning's favorite rivals the San Juan Spirits, and the U15 girls played an ugly game but managed a 2-0 win to get them into the semifinals vs the Claremont Stars. The Stars, defending state champions in Southern California took an early 1-0 lead in the semifinal before Ebony Stone tied the game on a PK. The Stars went ahead once again in the first half on a corner kick for a 2-1 halftime lead. The second half saw the Blues take over the game after one of the Stars was red carded and Ashley Clift sent the game into overtime with a header off of a corner kick. The winning goal was netted by U14 ODP player Ali Halpern from a quick passing combination sending the Blues into the finals with a 3-2 overtime win. The Blues came up short in the final losing 1-0 to host team Surf. The goal came from a snafu in which Blues goalkeeper was called for handling the ball twice in her area, awarding the Surf an indirect free kick inside the box which they converted for the championship.
BLUES CONTINUE WORKING ON PLAY AT MISSION TOURNEY
After attending the Surf, the entire Blues club participated
in the Mission Viejo Tournament on August 10, 11, 12. Team photos were
taken on Saturday, August 10 at the Lake Field at 7:45 am during the
Mission Tournament (who ever picked the time needs to be carefully
examined). In the second tournament of the season the Southern California Blues Soccer Club were a couple of plays away from having seven of their eight existing teams qualify for championship play at the Mission Viejo Tournament. As it turned out, only five of eight were still alive on championship monday. Starting with the U11, they made it to the final but fell short and lost to Irvine 1-0 after failing to score on what seemed to be sure scoring chances. The U12 team also made it to the final to face the Celtic team that defeated them in the finals of the Surf tournament. This time the game was much more even as it ended in a 0-0 tie. The Blues eventually went down to defeat in the penalty kick contest.
The U13 Blues playing some of their best soccer failed to make the final falling short by one point in group play because of giving up too many goals. The U14 Blues won all of their group games and their quarterfinal only to be stopped by NHB in the semifinal by a score of 2-1. In the semifinal game the Blues had much of the play but gave up a goal a short time after coming back to tie the match.
The Blues team of the weekend was Rich Manning's U15. They came back from their defeat in the finals of the Surf tournament to capture the Mission Viejo Championship 3-0 over the El Cajon Hotspurs. Needing only a tie in their final group game, the U17 team seemed to be in complete control of their last game when with five minutes left in the game, they gave up a goal against the run of play and lost 1-0, knocking them out of the quarterfinals.
Having only 11 players available for most of the first round of the tournament, the U18 team fought fatigue and injury to get to the semifinal against the Las Virgenes Blazers. In the end the Blazers had more left than the Blues as they scored two goals in overtime to clinch a spot in the finals vs the host Shamrocks. Overall the quality of play improved for the club but finishing goal scoring chances was an obvious weakness in all of the games.
PERSISTANCE AT PLEASANTON FRIENDSHIP TOURNAMENT
The summer tournament season ended with a Labor Day weekend trip for
the entire club up to Pleasanton for the Friendship Classic August
31, September 1 & 2. Festivities began with the annual club warm up
for 130 girls and the 350 person Bar BQ the evening of Friday, August
30. No, we didn't Bar B-Q 350 people. In this last tournament of the pre (summer) season, the Southern California
Blues Soccer Club teams demonstrated great progress since they began
the season. While not all of the teams achieved their goal of capturing
the Pleasanton Tournament Championship, most have come a long way with
regards to their level of play and understanding. Five of the eight Blues
teams entered in the Labor Day Invitational were still alive on championship
Monday.
U10'S BREAK THROUGH WITH BIG WINS!
It has been a difficult season so far for the U10's but things are beginning to look up. After the first two tournaments these girls had failed to win a game. Rumor has it that the coaches had made a serious deal with the 8 and 9 year olds prior to the trip up to Pleasanton. The negotiations were demanding but the coaches and players finally agreed to pizza if the girls could come out on the winning side of the ledger. What do you know, with pizza in the balance, the team notched their first two victories of the season. On the serious side, this team shows signs they are beginning to understand the concept of Ball Possession. The girls also made strides towards winning the Blues Dennis Rodman award for most creative hair spray painted lime green.
U11 GOES DOWN TO PK'S IN THE SEMI!
Another Blues team showing signs of improvement in the understanding of the Blues trademark style of play is the U11. They blew out the competition in their first two games then had a stirring come from behind victory in their third game. Losing 2-0 they managed 3 goals in the last 15 minutes to capture a 3-2 win. Advancing to the semifinal they squared off against Cupertino. After a 2-2 tie the game went right into penalty kicks and the Blues came out on the short side. They then responded with a 2-0 victory in the consolation game to take third place in the tournament.
U12 BLUES CAPTURE FIRST MAJOR OF THE SEASON!
Although
the U12 Blues have been extremely successful this season; they have one
tournament championship and two other final appearances, they had yet
to win a championship against top competition. The Labor Day Weekend
put a stop to all that. With determination the girls made it back to
their fourth consecutive final game. Click the photo (left) to enlarge.
It was a rewarding championship in that the girls had been working hard
all month long to improve their level of play. Win or lose the team played
it's best game of the season in the semifinals. An unassisted goal by
Dana Knowles helped knot up the game at 1-1 and after a scoreless second
half, the game was decided by penalty kicks. Goalkeeper Stacey Sinkway
came up big as she saved three out of the five penalties. The final game
was against the defending Northern California State champs and the Blues
knocked them off 4-1.
BOBAK'S BABES CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN!
The
team of the tournament had to be the U13 Blues. Fed a strict diet of
Ball Possession for an entire month, it all unfolded in the Pleasanton
tournament. Highlighting the weekend was a rematch of the Surf tournament,
Blues vs Mustang Thunderbirds where the Blues got beat 2-0. In this game,
however, things seemed to go the Blues way as they converted a high percentage
of chances and won the game. Click the photo (left) to enlarge. In the
final, what do you know, the Blues matched up with the T-Birds for the
third time this season. This game would turn out to be more representative
of the competition as the game could have gone either way. The Blues
took a 1-0 lead and the Birds tied the game up mid way through the second
half. Kim Devine was the difference as she scored what turned out to
be the winning goal in a 3-1 victory and the Blues first tournament championship
of the season.
U14 BLUES SCORE BIG IN CONSOLATION!
Getting to their second straight semifinal of the tournament season, the U14 Blues managed to outshoot their opponent (Pleasanton) 27-3 and lose the game 1-0. This capped off a weekend that saw the Blues play some great soccer yet have difficulty scoring goals. For what is was worth the team did win the consolation game over the Las Virgenes Blazers by a score of 5-0 to capture third place in the tournament. Leading scorers on the team are Diana Jonas with nine, Lindsey Huie with six, followed by Vicki Bloom who has five goals so far this season.
U15 BLUES MUCK IT UP IN SEMI AND THIRD PLACE GAME!
Coming off a championship in the Mission Viejo Tournament two weeks before the Blues were poised to win their second straight tournament of the season. Sorry Charlie it was not to be. With more goal scoring difficulties the Blues played fairly well but ran into the thorn in their foot so far this season. The Surf U15 who beat them in the final of the Surf tournament was again the obstacle the Blues could not overcome losing 3-1 in the semifinal. The consolation was an even worse affair as the Blues played an uninspired game and got rocked 6-2 by the Alcosta Crunch.
U17 BLUES SLIP IN OPENING GAME, NEVER RECOVER!
In a rematch of last season's state cup championship the Blues took on defending State Champion West Orange County United. It was a game neither team could afford to lose if they wanted to advance. The Blues gave up the first goal on a sloppy back pass then tied the game shortly thereafter on a Tracey Winzen header on a corner. Mid way through the second half the Blues gave up their second goal to Riptide on a well designed free kick to make the final score 2-1. The Blues won their last two games but were unable to qualify for the wildcard spot in the semifinals even though they were able to win 7-0 in their last game paced by Michelle Bannister.
U18 BLUES DON'T LOSE OR WIN!
In three matches the Blues U18 scored one goal where they tied in three consecutive games failing to advance to the championship round to defend the championship they won the year before. The girls open up league play with the powerful Mission Viejo Shamrocks!
BLUES
U11 WIN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
After
waiting nearly four weeks to play their last league game, the U11 Blues
were finally able to complete the rain delayed CSL season. The last
game was of major importance to the "Baby
Blues" because the league championship was in the balance. The Blues
needed a tie or a win in their last game to clinch the CSL gold crown.
Fittingly, the last game of league would be against cross town rivals
Mission Viejo. Fresh off a championship in the first ever Blues New Years
Invitational, the U11 Blues appeared to be a bit tight. The would be
spoilers Mission Viejo were able to put a lot of pressure on the Blues
early and nearly opened up the scoring when one of their forwards blocked
a Katie Fitzgerald clearance into her own path to goal for a great scoring
chance. Goalkeeper Shayla Sabin, however, had the play of the day with
an incredible point blank save to knock the ball over the bar. The U11
Blues then seemed to get into rhythm using the 80 yard wide Rancho Capistrano
field to their advantage. As they connected passes, offensive opportunities
began to open up but Mission goalkeeper Katie Wright was equal to the
task as the half ended 0-0. The determined Blues came out strong in
the second half as fullback Kiley Jones intercepted a pass at midfield
then calmly fed a through ball to speedster forward Kendal Holiday who
drove into the area and slotted away the game's only goal. To their credit,
Mission never quit and narrowly missed several chances to tie the game
up. The U11 Blues held on for the 1-0 win thereby taking the CSL Gold Championship.
BLUES
1996-97 CSL STANDINGS
| TEAM | WON | LOST | TIED | CSL | CSL CUP | STATE CUP |
| UNDER 10 U11 YOUNGER |
9 | 3 | 1 | THIRD | GROUP | GROUP |
| UNDER 11 GOLD |
11 | 1 | 2 | QUARTERFINALS | ||
| UNDER 12 GOLD |
10 | 1 | 3 | SECOND | ROUND OF 16 | FINALIST |
| UNDER 13 GOLD |
9 | 1 | 3 | SEMIFINALS | QUARTERFINALS | |
| UNDER 14 GOLD |
10 | 3 | 1 | FINALIST | QUARTERFINALS | |
| UNDER 15 GOLD |
8 | 3 | 3 | SECOND | SEMIFINALS | |
| UNDER 17 PREMIER |
14 | 1 | 0 | FINALIST | ||
| UNDER 18 U19 PREMIER |
10 | 2 | 2 | SECOND | SEMIFINALS |
BLUES GET FIVE OF SEVEN TEAMS TO CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY!
After the first two days of pool play at the prestigious Girls San Diego Surf Cup, the Southern California Blues Soccer Club had won a total of 19 games against only 2 defeats. That meant that 5 out of the 7 Blues teams would be playing in the tournament semifinals on December 1. The Girls Surf Cup is the top tournament for girls in the region during this time period and only the most competitive teams throughout the country participate. For this reason the nation's college coaches flock to San Diego to evaluate the talent pool and make contact for recruiting purposes.
BLUES U11'S GET NIPPED IN THE FINALS
Having won the Surf Cup in August of 1996, the Ron Downer's team figured to be among the favorites for the Thanksgiving version of the Surf Tournament. The girls played well in pool play dispatching their opponents one by one without losing a game. The semifinals were a different story as on a windy day, the Blues had to face the host Surf team. In a see saw battle which favored the team going with the wind, the game ended in a 2-2 tie after two overtime periods. The Blues U11's advanced to the finals on penalty kicks where they would meet their league and state cup rivals, the Lady Renegades from Cerritos. In a hard fought emotional final the Blues came up on the short end of a 1-0 game coach Ron Downer felt either team could have won.
BLUES U12'S CAN'T GET BY CELTIC GIRLS, GO DOWN IN THE FINALS!
In what proved to be a very difficult pool, the defending champions of last season's U11 Girls Surf cup had to battle and scratch for every point in order to get out of group play and qualify for the semifinals. In the most crucial game of the group the U12 Blues played against the El Cajon Hornets, a team that had beaten them earlier in the season at the Mission Viejo tournament. Things started off rough in the game as the Blues went down 1-0 early in the match. In the second half the Blues came back to tie up the game until with 30 seconds remaining forward Tessa Baker came through with a game winning goal as she shot from outside while on a breakaway. The U12's would then face the Celtic Girls to determine who would win the group and in a well played game, the Celtic edged the Blues 2-1 which meant the Blues would advance to the semis as the wildcard. In the semifinal the U12 Blues took on the Cherry Creek Lightning from Colorado and scored the only goal with only 90 seconds remaining to win 1-0. This set up the rematch for the finals versus the Celtic Girls and for the second straight game the Blues were defeated by Celtic, this time by a score of 2-0.
BLUES U13'S HIT A SCORING DROUGHT, DON'T ADVANCE OUT OF GROUP!
Entering with expectation, the high flying U13 Blues were brought down to earth in a humbling performance at the Surf Thanksgiving Cup. While the team played with great rhythm (The Blues Trademark), they had difficulty finding the back of the net and didn't score a goal in any of their three group games. The U13 team tied 0-0, lost 1-0, and tied 0-0 in games they had a good portion of the play in. Nice knowing you. See you next season. The girls while on the right track, still failed to advance.
BLUES U14'S LOOKING AHEAD TO SURF SHOWDOWN, GET TRIPPED UP IN SEMIS!
Looking forward to a possible confrontation with the U14 Southern California State Champion Surf, the U14 Blues had a fairly uneventful first round tournament, the exception being their second game versus the Cherry Creek Lightning. After starting off the game by scoring two goals, the Blues let Cherry Creek back in the game giving up two goals and going into halftime with a 2-2 draw. The Blues then came out strong and scored one goal in a difficult second half to hold onto a 3-2 victory. The Blues advanced to play the semifinal against the San Diego Nomads and found themselves down 1-0 after only the first minute of play. Without hitting the panic button, Lyndsey Huie and Jen Anderson managed to combine with Diana Jonas as she headed in a goal to tie the game before half time. Although the Blues had most of the play in the second half the opposition defense held until the Nomads scored in the first overtime and held on to edge the Blues 2-1. In the final the Surf once again proved they are the best in the age group by defeating the Nomads rather easily.
BLUES U15'S EARN BLUES TEAM OF TOURNAMENT HONORS!
After playing well in the summer tournaments, but coming off what the U15 Blues considered a disappointing season (2nd in CSL), a funny thing happened for the U15's in the Thanksgiving Surf Cup. The team finally got enough of their game together and played up to their potential. The Blues were up against very tough competition in their group and knew they would eventually face defending state champion Claremont Stars in their third group match. This meant they could not slip in their other games and the girls did what they had to do as they came into the Claremont game with the two necessary wins. In what might be considered their best performance of the season the U15 Blues managed to beat the Stars 4-2 to take first place in their group and get to the semifinals. In the semifinals Rich Manning's now confident Blues defeated Southern California coaching legend Alberto Bru's Las Virgenes Blazers in a hard fought 3-2 victory. The Blues jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see the lead slip in the second half. The Mission Viejo Flash would be the Blues final opponent and playing with tremendous energy the Blues jumped into an early lead and never looked back in a game that saw everything go the Blues' way. With the championship in hand the team had a quiet meeting and team member Ali Halpern thanked the team for their support during a very difficult time for her family in which her father Larry is battling cancer.
BLUES U17'S BATTERED BUT NOT BROKEN, BOW OUT IN SEMIS!
With only 12 of their players in uniform due to injury and player commitments to the USYSA Regional Tournament being held in Livermore, California, the U17 Blues played the Surf Cup with great character. Knowing they would have trouble scoring goals, they fought together defensively and played the entire first round without conceding a goal. This performance earned them two wins and a tie as they took first place in their group and got to the semifinals. The scoring difficulties would continue along with the stellar team defensive effort as the semifinal would end in a scoreless tie. With five minutes left in the second overtime, however, JB Marine lofted a harmless ball into the Blues penalty area that somehow got onto the foot of their forward and she sealed the game 1-0 along with the Blues championship hopes.
BLUES U18'S DON'T LOSE, STILL DON'T ADVANCE!
Facing much the situation the U17 Blues did, the U18 girls were also depleted due to injury and the USYSA regional tournament in Livermore. No room for excuses, the remaining girls showed their medal to the college coaches earning two victories and a 0-0 tie against heralded JB Marine from Saint Louis. Unfortunately the Blues were in the wrong bracket at the wrong time and failed to advance on points as JB Marine edged them out. The host Surf U18 went on to win the tournament.
NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR ON THE WEST COAST!
On December 6 and 8, Santa Clara University will host the 1996 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. the two semifinal games will be played on Friday the 6th at 5:00 and 7:30 PM at Buckshaw Stadium. the National Championship Game is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Sunday the 8th and will also be played at Santa Clara's Buckshaw Stadium. the road to the Final Four began on November 16 with the first round of the playoffs. the Blues were well represented in the first round having alumni and adult players on Clemson (1), Dartmouth (1), Notre Dame (1), San Diego (2), Santa Clara (2), and Stanford (5).
| QUARTERFINALS (Nov. 30, Dec. 1) | ||||
| TEAM | SCORE | TEAM | SCORE | |
| North Carolina (22-1) | 9 | VS | Florida (22-2) | 0 |
| Santa Clara (17-3-2) | 1 | VS | Connecticut (22-2) | 0 |
| Portland (18-0-2) | 1 | VS | Nebraska (23-0) | 0 |
| Notre Dame (22-1) | 2 | VS | Maryland (11-8-4) | 0 |
| SEMIFINALS (Dec. 6) | ||||
| Portland | 2 | VS | Notre Dame | 3 |
| Santa Clara | 1 | VS | UNC | 2 |
| FINALS UNC WINS CHAMPIONSHIP 1-0 IN OVERTIME  |
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| UNC | 1 | VS | Notre Dame | 0 |
RICH
MANNING
WINS SECOND STRAIGHT COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS!
For the second consecutive season, Blues Staff Coach Rich Manning successfully guided his Los Alamitos High School Girl's Team to the top of the mountain. The Griffins won back to back CIF championships defeating Hart High School by a score of 3-1.
Blues players who took part in the championship were Los Angeles Times Orange County 1997 player of the year Sommer Hammoud (U18, UCLA), junior forward Brittany Savelkoul (U17), and junior fullback Carrie Hawkins (U17). As evidence of the excellence of the Blues Coaching Staff, Rich Manning was named Coach of the Year by the Los Angeles Times & Orange County Register.
U10 & U11 BLUES ENTER POOL PLAY!
The U10 and U11 Blues began pool play for the State Championship on February 1 & 2 at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The U10's would have to compete at the U11 level and although they were heavy underdogs in the competition, they actually represented the Blues quite well. The U10 Blues started off things with an upset shocker defeating the Valley United Venom 3-2 in their first game. Reality quickly set in as next they faced NHB (CSL U11 Gold) and took 4 first half goals. The girls bounced back in the second half scoring one goal and holding their own before the final whistle blew and the girls had lost 5-1. Sunday the 2nd put an end to the U10's incredible season as the team went down 3-0 to Irvine Strikers before rallying for two late goals to make the score a respectable 3-2. The U10 girls soon to be next season's U11's will take a break and will come back as a team to be reckoned with next season.
U11 BLUES BEGIN DEFENSE OF STATE CROWN!
With targets on their back the U11 Blues won all three of their pool play games over the past weekend. Things started off with a scare as after a scoreless half against SBS Rangers, the rangers took a 1-0 lead against the run of play. After the goal the Blues seemed to wake up scoring 4 unanswered goals for the 4-1 win. The next game was a 4-0 win vs OCU Rush followed by a 2-0 win against the Alta Loma Aztecs. The three wins put the U11 Blues in the round of 16 this weekend, Saturday February 8 at Black Mountain Middle School at 8:00 am vs the SVSC Spirit. If they win, the next day they will take on the winner of the Torrance vs NHB game at the same field at 9:00 am.
U11 BLUES REACH SEMIFINALS!
With coach Larry Draluck attending to his ODP responsibilities in Bakersfield, Blues coach Ron Downer stepped in and guided the U11's to two victories in San Diego. The first game was against Saddleback Spirit, a CSL Gold opponent who has given the Blues a lot of trouble in the past. The score of the game was 4-0 with goals by Lauren Winters, Allie Rivera, Chelsea Card, and Alise Corea. Prior to the next game against Torrance United Storm (another CSL Gold foe), Blues captains Winters, Doersam, Rivera, and Gipe gathered the girls together and rallied the troops. The game started slowly for the Blues with a goal being scored against the Blues in the eighth minute. Two minutes later Lauren Winters tied the game with her head off of a cross. Lauren Winters then became possessed and she scored two more goals before the end of the half to give her the hat trick. The game ended up 3-1 and the Blues qualified for the semifinals against rival Mission Viejo. The other semifinal will be fought between the San Diego Surf and CSL League Cup winners, the Irvine Strikers who knocked off the Cerritos Renegades 1-0.
U11 BLUES GO BACK TO BACK!
Attempting
what no other Blues team has done before in the short six year
existence of the club, the U11 Blues were looking to go Back
to Back by winning their second consecutive CYSA-South State
Championship. The semifinal against Mission Viejo proved to
be one of the Blues most complete games of the tournament.
Kendall Holiday opened up scoring in the 15th minute as she
received a pass from Lauren Winters, knifed through the center
of the defense and poked the ball under the Mission keeper
as she came out to challenge the breakaway. The second score
was an own goal coming off another Lauren Winters cross driven
into the box to make the score 2-0 at halftime. Knowing they
could not be complacent in the second half, the Blues went
for goal time and time again only to be turned away by Mission's
goal keeper Katie Wright. Midway into the half however, forward Chelsea
Card went into a solo run up the middle taking on Mission's sweeper.
The sweeper was able to get a foot on the ball but knocked it back
to an on rushing Blues player who sent a through ball to Kimberly Horn
on the right wing. She drove into the box, cracked a shot which was
saved again by the keeper but the rebound was buried into the net by
Lauren Winters to seal the 3-0 victory. The final would be against
the Irvine Strikers (CSL Cup Champions) who beat the San Diego
Surf 1-0 in the other semifinal. Having played Irvine twice
in tournament play and twice in league, the Blues (CSL League
Champions) understood the nature of the beast with Irvine handing
the Blues one of only four losses during the entire season. The Blues
took control in the first 5 minutes but failed to create any
good scoring chances. From that moment on however, Irvine put
the Blues under siege as they bombarded the penalty area with
crosses and shots from all angles. With fans and coaches screaming
from both side lines, it could have been panic time for the
young Blues. But with some luck, a couple of goal posts, and
tremendous defensive leadership from sweeper Katie Fitzgerald,
stopper Shannon Doersam, and Blues keeper Shayla Sabin, the
Blues kept their composure, locked up their house and got to
halftime at 0-0. At
halftime Blues coach Larry Draluck encouraged his team to continue
fighting hard, to stay in the game mentally and not allow themselves
to be overcome by the emotion of the Irvine contingent. The girls also
took matters into their own hands by having a small meeting to encourage
one another. The second half started with more equality each team taking
runs at the other's penalty area. Midway through the half the
Blues began to push more frequently into opponent territory
with Irvine looking to counter. With five minutes remaining,
Blues forward Lauren Winters crossed the ball but it was deflected
for a corner kick. The Kim Horn corner kick was lofted into
the box in what seemed to be slow motion. With practically
both teams standing in the Irvine penalty area, the ball got
knocked down in the center about 8 yards off the goal line.
As if by design, the ball fell at the feet of Blues midfielder Allie
Rivera who roofed a volley into the Irvine net and was immediately
mobbed by the entire team. The Blues then held on for the 1-0 victory
and the Back to Back State Championship!
U12 & U13 BLUES OPEN UP POOL PLAY!
Way down Indio way (that is close to Palm Springs), CYSA U12 & U13 National Cup will begin. Blues U12 open up with, you guessed it, Mission Viejo. Only one team will advance from each U12 group with only one wildcard so each game is a must win. The U13 Blues will take on CSL Silver League Champions Wolfpack in a battle of league champs. The next day the U12's play the Cal Stars while the U13's take on Claremont. All results will be posted after the weekend games on Monday or Tuesday.
U12 BLUES, SO FAR SO GOOD!
In an emotional first game the Blues were able to survive and win 2-0 against Mission Viejo. With the Blues mostly in charge, Brittany Perkowski scored on a breakaway to give the Blues an early 1-0 lead. Good play by Mission keeper Jessica Fox, however, kept the Mission team within reach and with no time remaining their prayers were answered as they were awarded a penalty kick on a hand ball with no time left in the half. Mission superstar Allison Shane miscalculated on the PK and narrowly missed evening the game up so the half ended 1-0. To make matters worse, in the second half Shannon Munoz was shown her second yellow card on a hard tackle and the Blues would have to protect their 1-0 lead with 30 minutes remaining in the half down one player. The Blues buckled down, each putting in a little extra. With 8 minutes left in the game Blues forward Tessa Baker got a ball at the midline and drove into the box to finish the second goal giving the Blues the hard fought 2-0 victory. The next game saw the Blues blow out the opponent Cal Stars by a score of 9-0 to setting up the confrontation for group winner against CSL rival Santa Anita Red Hots. The winner of the game will go straight to the semifinals in San Diego on March 8.
U12 BLUES WIN THIRD POOL GAME FACE SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWN WITH SURF!
Down 1-0 to the Santa Anita Red Hots in their third pool game, the U12 Blues never lost composure. They continued to play Blues soccer by sharing the ball. Late in the first half down by a goal, the Blues were awarded a direct free kick near the Red Hot goal. Sweeper Stacey Lindstrom stepped up to hit an unbelievable free from about 25 yards across the face of the goal and into to upper corner to tie the game at the half 1-1. The momentum continued midway into the second half when a barrage of attacking chances culminated in a Joanna Irwin shot from the right side of the area and was deflected into the goal by Brittany Perkowski for the second and winning goal. The Blues held on as Santa Anita applied pressure and the game finished in favor of the Blues 2-1 for a spot in the semis at La Jolla vs the home team SD Surf. The other semi will be the same Red Hots vs the Celtics. With the final the next day.
U12 BLUES FALL SHORT IN FINAL!
In an emotional semifinal the U12 Blues hung on to a 2-1 lead late in the game to defeat the powerful San Diego Surf. The first half went the Blues way as winning the ball in midfield, Vanessa Rocha gave a through ball on the right wing to Dayna Knowles who calmly drove into the box and centered the ball to a perfectly positioned Tessa Baker who drove it into the net for a 1-0 lead. The second Blues goal came moments later as one of the Surf players deflected a cross into their own goal to give the Blues a 2-0 halftime lead. Realizing they may be playing their last game of the season, the Surf team responded by putting a lot of pressure on the Blues goal. The Blues defended well and relied mostly on quick counter attacking combinations which nearly gave them a third backbreaking goal. The Surf punched through midway through the half as they executed a perfect corner kick and flicked the driven service into the far post side net. Blues defense stepped up at this point and closed out the game by shutting the door. The Blues would face the Upland Celtic in the final, a team they had faced many times this season. Playing a physical direct style the Celtics kept the ball in the Blues half as the Blues defended and insisted on playing their trademark possession soccer. Difficult as it was under intense pressure, the Blues found rhythm from time to time. 20 minutes into the half a Celtic corner kick was cleared into the center onto the foot of a waiting player who placed a hard first time shot into the far post for a 1-0 halftime lead. The Blues responded in the second half putting pressure on the Celtic goal but had difficulty cracking the tough Celtic defense and goalkeeper. Throwing everything up front to tie the game the Blues gave up a second goal with one minute left in the game to give the Celtic the 2-0 victory and the championship. Congratulations to the Celtic and the Blues for a great and exciting final. The Blues may still have a slim opportunity to attend regionals if they are awarded a wildcard. Blues News will post the outcome when it becomes known.
U13 BLUES SHOCKED BY WOLFPACK FACE MUST WIN SITUATION!
The surprise team of the U13 group play has been the Wolfpack who knocked off the Blues 2-0 in the first game to put the Blues against the wall. The Pack was able to take the Blues out of their game and force them into uncharacteristic mistakes for the victory. The U13 Blues bounced back with a 6-0 win over Claremont getting them to the must win situation vs long time rival California Legends. The Legends were responsible for knocking the Blues out of last year's State Cup and will have to win themselves in order to advance to the quarterfinals the next day.
U13 BLUES ELIMINATED IN THE QUARTERFINALS!
With all credit going to the Irvine Strikers for scoring two goals in the final 5 minutes, the U13 Blues season came to a disappointing end. The day before, the U13 Blues faced elimination and survived with a 1-0 victory against the Cal Legends on a first half Tricia Regan goal in what turned out to be an emotional defensive struggle. The quarterfinal game started off well as the Blues scored an early goal, Irvine fought back and tied the game on a rebound when a ball squirted through the Blues defense for a 1-1 halftime score. In the second half the game was back and forth with the Blues having a bit more of the possession. All for nothing however as Irvine managed to score a second goal and take the lead 2-1. With time winding down the Blues gave it their all and got the equalizer when forward Kim Devine tangled with the Irvine goalkeeper Kate Cumsky, while one of her teammates scored to tie the game 2-2. Moments later sweeper Ashley Swanson crushed a free kick from 30 yards to give the Blues the 3-2 lead and what appeared to be the victory. Irvine never gave up sending everything up front and causing the Blues defense to break down. Ina Kain scored the goal that tied the game when she stripped one of the Blues dribbling out of the back then rocketed her shot into the corner leaving keeper Erin Clark helpless. The winning goal came with seconds left as a lofted ball was poorly cleared and it fell behind the Blues defense as an Irvine player beat the keeper to the ball and poked it into the open net for the last second victory putting them into the semifinal against the SD Surf who knocked off defending state champion Valley United Stars. The other semi will be the surprise Wolfpack vs Mission Viejo. Both games in La Jolla on March 8. Although disappointed, the U13 girls had a relatively successful season. At times they played some of the best soccer in Southern California this season. The team won the Pleasanton tournament as well as the competitive CSL championship. On an individual note, three of the U13 players were named to the ODP U14 team. Coach Tad Bobak feels the team is on the right track in learning how to play the possession game.
U14 & U15 BLUES ENTER POOL PLAY!
Playing pool play games in their back yard U14 and U15 Blues teams got off to a quick start in their pursuit of a state championship. The opening round games for these age groups were held at Capistrano Valley High School and Rancho Capistrano fields over the weekend of April 5 & 6. Last season the U14 Blues were eliminated in the quarterfinals of state cup, losing 3-0 to rival Torrance Tsunami, now NHB. If this year's CSL champions hope to better their finish of last year, they will have to play some of their most courageous soccer of the year and beat everyone's favorite to repeat, the nearly unbeatable SD Surf. In the first game the Blues scored 3 quick goals and then put away a fourth to take care of the FC Bratz (San Diego) 4-0. The second game was more difficult as the U14's squandered many chances in the first half, only to see the South Bay Force goalkeeper give one away for an easy Vicki Bloom goal. Amanda Arquilla then scored moments later as she cut through the middle of the defense for a 2-0 halftime lead. The second half was all Blues as the girls cashed in twice more for another 4-0 result. The two victories have given the Blues a sure quarter final appearance but first place in the group will not be decided until they square off with Fram who beat the Blues 1-0 the last time the two met.
U14 TAKE SECOND IN GROUP, GO DOWN TO SURF IN QUARTERS!
The third pool game for the U14 Blues proved to be their undoing as they got hammered by Fram by a score of 3-1. Things looked promising in the game in the first minutes as Jen Thais took a ball and split the defense with a through ball that found forward Vicki Bloom. With a great individual effort Vicki rode off a tackle on the wing, cut in and sent a pass cross keeper to the far post giving the Blues an early 1-0 lead. Things went downhill from there as Fram sent a pop fly into the Blues penalty area from the wing and it was miss played into the equalizer for a 1-1 score. Fram's second goal came on a counter attack as the forward won a ball, drove to the corner then neatly centered a pass as she drew the defense. The pass found the defense out of balance and an onrushing Fram midfielder pounded a shot into the net. The third goal came in the second half as a Fram player smacked another ball from distance towards the Blues goal which found the side net on the far post. 3-1 Blues take second in group and face State Champion Surf in the quarters. Fram was upset in penalties the next day in the quarters to the Valley United Earthquakes. The Blues quarter final match was an uphill battle to say the least. Knowing the task in front of them in the name of the Surf, the girls gave it everything they had. In the early part of the game the Blues gave up a goal on a corner kick as the cross was driven across the goal mouth to the far post where it was knocked down and driven into the net by an unmarked player. The score remained 1-0 for the rest of the half as the teams traded opportunities, the Surf had the majority of the game. The second half was much the same as the Blues fought hard but were unable to dent the physical Surf defense. Midway through the half they pretty much put the nail in the Blues coffin as they scored a second goal on a poorly cleared ball. The Blues threw everything at the Surf goal the remainder of the game but their goalkeeper made some good saves and the Blues season came to an end 2-0.
U15 BLUES SURVIVE INJURIES AND THE SCHEDULERS!
Rich Manning's U15 Blues were dealt a blow prior to pool play for the 97 state cup. They would have to go without star forward and U16 ODP player Alex Richey who suffered a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament during one of her ODP practices. With a difficult schedule ahead of them the girls seemed to rally together. In their first game the girls scored 3 goals before giving up a late one and defeating the FC Bratz by a score of 3-1. Because of having 5 teams in their group, Sunday the girls had to play 2 games in one day with injuries and a thin bench beginning to take their toll. In an 8 am match the U15's struggled for a 2-0 lead in the second half against a tough Nomads (San Diego) team before giving up a goal on a corner and then put the game away with a late goal to take another 3-1 victory. With a chance to make up for last season's embarrassing finish in state cup where the team failed to get out of group play with 3 consecutive ties and not enough goals, the girls were presented with the opportunity to secure first place in their group and a spot in quarters with a win in the second game of the day. Playing against a game and physical Santa Anita Rebels team in their first and only game of the day, the Blues gave it everything they had in a courageous but tired performance. Amanda Roach, Ebony Stone, Whitney Jones, and Ashley Clift were outstanding several times sacrificing their bodies to eventually give the Blues a 1-0 lead. Although the team fought hard, it was not until Jenelle Hillseth crossed a ball late in the second half to teammate Emo Ernsdorf who ripped a goal from close range, that the girls knew they had the victory and a sure place in the quarter finals. The final pool play game will take place against rival MV Flash on April 12, with the quarters on the next day.
U15 BLUES "STONE" & ROLL TO SEMIS!
The last pool game was a hard fought contest at Rancho Capistrano between two teams that were very familiar with each other due to the fact that they are neighbors. The MV Flash led by Haleigh Roach, Kendal Billingsley, and goalkeeper Lauren Kent were in a must win situation facing elimination from the state cup. The Flash battled and threatened the Blues goal throughout the first half but the score was 0-0 at halftime. The Blues responded in the second half and took over the game scoring two goals and advancing to the quarterfinals as the first place team in their group. In the quarters the Blues took on the LA Force, a difficult team to play because of their defensive style of play. The game was tense and the Blues had some chances in the first half but it was the Force who was controlling the tempo of the game. With the Force content to sit back and counter the Blues fell into the trap getting beat down field and giving up the first goal. Down 1-0 at half time and facing elimination the Blues began the second half with determination and a quiet confidence. Blues coach Rich Manning did a great job of encouraging his team and not allowing them to get frustrated by the time wasting tactics of the opponent. It appeared that try as they might the equalizing goal was not to be as chance after chance was repelled by the Force's stacked defense. Refusing to give up, with only 10 minutes remaining in the Blues season, Allison Halpern sent a cross in that found a seam between defenders where teammate Ebony Stone softly collected the ball then fired a volley into the back of the net from about 16 yards. The team and fans at the game erupted. Moments later the same Ebony Stone took the momentum of the first goal and stuck in a second as she penetrated from the wing for a 2-0 result and a trip to the semifinals.
U15 BLUES BRING HOME CLUB'S 2ND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP OF 97
The
long wait is over for Rich Manning and the U15 Blues. The girls overcame
adversity all season long and proved to the Southern California soccer
community that yes, they are "winners." Funny thing is that the coaches
and players knew it all along and winning the state championship only
changes things in that it allows them to say it out loud. In a difficult
semifinal, the Blues defeated the Santa Anita Sting by a score of 2-1.
Throughout this season the Blues have had trouble with this team, blowing
early leads several times late in the game to suffer losses. To make
matters worse the Blues
endured yet another worry as on the way to the game, star halfback
Emo Ernsdorf and her Mother got in a car accident. Although the paramedics
requested Emo go immediately to the hospital, Emo refused and insisted
she be allowed to play in the semifinals. Luckily for the Blues she
arrived moments before kickoff, she played, won the game, then went
to the hospital for a checkup. Final score, car totaled, Emo and Mom
OK. Next days final would be against defending state champion Claremont
Stars who rolled over their semifinal opponent. Excitement was in the
air as fans from many teams were on the sidelines including a nervous
Blues Director of Coaching, Larry Draluck who has known many of these
girls since they were 10 years old. With a quiet confidence the girls
seemed destined not to allow the emotion of the moment affect the quality
of their play. Early on they stuck to their rhythm game and created
some good chances but the score remained 0-0. With the half nearly
over Ebony Stone got a pass and was pushed in the area to give the
Blues a penalty kick which Ebony promptly converted for a 1-0 halftime
lead. Claremont was not a team to be counted out by any means as they
unleashed a relentless attack at the start of the second half. The
Blues dodged several bullets until play maker Veronica Zepeda finally
broke free and tied the game 1-1 for Claremont on a shot in the upper
corner. After the goal the Stars came on even stronger and it seemed
the Blues were on the ropes. With a strong defensive effort by Blues
goalkeeper Haley Kuhn and the Blues fullbacks Jessica Krause, Sarah
Banks, Nicky Arquilla, Nicole Swanson, and Amanda Roach, the Blues
managed to stay in the game by not giving in to the Stars pressure.
Midway through the half the Blues were again able to regain their rhythm
and little by little the game shifted to the Claremont defensive third.
Jenelle Hillseth nearly gave the Blues the lead when her shot was tipped
over the bar by the Claremont GK, Emo Ernsdorf and midfield partner
Whitney Jones began to push up field and get into the seams of the
Claremont defense. Claremont would counter with precise passing to
their dangerous forwards who were difficult to contain. It was back
and forth two great teams going at each other. With 15 minutes remaining
some how a ball was knocked into the center of the Claremont area where
Whitney Jones entered a pile of players and was able to flick the ball
onto, of all people, Emo Ernsdorf waiting in the center of the goal
box about four yards out. Emo could not believe her luck and she accepted
the gift by toe punching the ball into the open net for the 2-1 lead.
Claremont came back with with a few good chances but it was the Blues'
day as their fans cheered them onto victory and the state championship.
In Blues tradition the team celebrated quietly at a local restaurant.
U17 & U18 START CUP DRIVE AT POLO FIELDS!
Older teams from all over Southern California began State Cup at the San Diego Polo Fields, site of the Nike Surf Cup. The first games were played over the weekend of April 12 & 13 and both Blues teams (U17 & U18) had favorable results. The U17 Blues have clinched a spot in the quarterfinals and will be playing for first place in group against the La Jolla Nomads. The U18 Blues who were shocked by the San Diego Spirit team 2-3 need a win in their final game to earn a spot in the quarters which will take place on April 20th.
U17 & U18 BLUES SURVIVE GROUP PLAY!
When we last spoke, the U18 Blues were facing elimination from state cup in that they needed a win in their last group game vs Torrance, the U17 Blues had to play the Nomads to find out who their quarter final opponent would be. Well all the questions were answered on Saturday April 19th at the San Diego Polo Fields. The U17 girls started off the day with a resounding 3-1 victory over the Nomads who scored first to take a 1-0 lead. The Blues countered with three unanswered goals and never looked back as they took first place in their group and would have to face Irvine Strikers in the quarter finals. Battered and bruised, the U18 Blues had a more difficult time of it as Torrance gave them all they could handle, only a win would see the Blues advance. The Blues took a 1-0 lead only to see Torrance tie the game later in the half. The Blues then took a tenuous 2-1 lead midway through the second half with Torrance only needing a tie to advance. Surviving several near scoring chances by a desperate Torrance, late in the game forward Vanessa Clark escaped to ice the game giving the Blues the 3-1 victory, second place in group, and a quarter final game vs Santa Anita Strikers.
U17 & U18 QUARTERS!
U17 Blues would face Irvine, an opponent they had met during CSL play who proved they could defend and give the Blues a difficult time. The game went as expected with the Blues controlling the tempo and Irvine staying back and defending. The Blues missed an opportunity to take the lead when Brittany Savelkoul was brought down in the box and the Blues misfired on the subsequent penalty kick, the half ended in a nervous 0-0 tie. The second half was more of the same, Irvine content to counter, the Blues unable to score. Midway through the half Kristine Hoback quickly took a free kick from distance and managed to get it over the top of an unsuspecting Irvine back line. Blues forward Jaimi Doddridge timed her run perfectly and beat the goal keeper to the ball poking it into the open net for the game's only goal and the Blues were onto the semis to face the SD Surf. The U18 Blues were up against league rival Santa Anita Strikers, the team that played the role of spoiler as the Blues went for the CSL championship. This time the game was no contest, although fans noted several controversial off sides calls and non calls. The Blues won the game 4-1 and would play another league rival, the Alberto Bru coached Las Virgenes Blazers.
U17 & U18 BLUES BACK IN SEMIS IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY!
The U17 Blues semifinal was against the SD Surf, a team the Blues had faced only once during the season at August's Mission Viejo tournament. The Blues lost that game 1-0 but were determined not to be disrupted en route to this season's state cup finals. The Blues played great defense led by the goalkeeper tandem of Jenni Branam and Erin Regan. The center of the field was owned by Tracey Winzen as she won a majority of loose balls in midfield and neatly distributed them to attacking players. The Blues scored on a set play in the first half and then Jenni Branam came out of her goal to play forward and score the game's second goal in the second half on an assist from Elicia Petre. Tracey Winzen scored a third goal before the Surf countered with a goal on a near post corner kick to make the final score 3-1 in favor of the Blues and a state cup finals rematch with defending champion WOCU Riptide. U18 Blues played the well coached Las Virgenes Blazers in their semifinal match. With experience on their side the Blues played a tough defensive game against the potent Blazer attack, choosing to defend the two Blazer forwards by matching up with tight woman to woman defense. The strategy paid off as Blues fullbacks Corinne Briers and Christine Gluck who both play for the Blues Adult Women's team made life miserable for Blazers forwards. Andrea Warner scored a pair of goals for the Blues and Vanessa Clark scored another as the Blues took the semifinal 3-0 to set up the ultimate classic confrontation vs five time state champion, the MV Shamrocks.
THIRD TIME A CHARM FOR U17 BLUES BLUES ARE CHAMPS, FINALLY!
The U17 Blues had a track record to deal with. Overall they had probably
been the most consistent team in their age group over the past four
years. They had won four league championships, several CSL cup championships,
and had won and lost countless tournament championships over time.
The one championship that had eluded the team was the competitive CYSA-South
state cup. The past two years the team had played in two state cup
finals only to be denied the satisfaction of being called state champion.
In their third consecutive state cup final, this time the Blues were
able to rid themselves of putting too much pressure on themselves and
just played a solid defensive game allowing them to dominate the game
and score the necessary goals to win their first state championship.
The game was a rematch of last year's final against surprise team WOCU
Riptide but roles were completely reversed. This year it was the Blues
who were the hungrier team and the Blues played with confidence. Led
by a determined back line the Blues dominated the game and with about
seven minutes left in the first half, good luck forward Jaimi Doddridge
scored the biggest goal of her career on a through ball from Tracey
Winzen to put the Blues ahead 1-0 at half time. During
the break, Blues coach Larry Draluck urged his troops not to dwell
on the fact they were 45 minutes away from the championship, instead
insisting they manage their anxieties and continue to focus on the
details of playing the game. Although the Blues had a difficult time
scoring another goal in the second half they played an even better
half putting a lot of pressure on the Riptide penalty area. With seven
minutes remaining in the game forward Jaimi Doddridge showed tremendous
character and made a defensive run at a Riptide fullback from the opposite
side of the field pressuring her into an errant pass that was swallowed
up by a supporting Elicia Petre who crossed the ball to an onrushing
Kiley Hamilton who cracked a goal from about 12 yards out to give the
Blues a 2-0 victory and the championship they had long waited for.
SIX YEARS OF FRUSTRATION RELEASED U18 BLUES GET REWARD IN LAST YEAR OF CAREER!
In
a similar story to the U17's, the U18 Blues had been denied the satisfaction
of ever winning a state championship since they started as U12's. Standing
in their way was the top team in their age group over the past five
years, the Mission Viejo Shamrocks. The Blues team had always lived
in the shadow of the Shamrocks having been beaten by the Shamrocks
in a majority of meetings including last year's state cup semis, and
the year before in the finals. The difficult thing was that the Blues
coaching staff always knew the Blues team was good, but in this competitive
environment, only the first place team gets the recognition. So year
after year the Blues team had to deal with the humiliation, pain, and
frustration of seeing their hard work ignored, never getting the ultimate
reward, all the while seeing the deserved accolades "only" going
to the Shamrocks. Over time a mental block had developed with the Blues
team at times accepting they would have to be second best with nothing
to show for it. Blues coach Hugh Donald had a tremendous mental mountain
to overcome but was able to turn the tables on the Shamrocks during
this season's league play. He asked the team to begin preparing for
a level higher than the state or regional, rather the national championship
level. His logic was that in order to beat the Shamrocks who he felt
would ultimately be there in the finals, he would have to prepare at
a level higher than the Shamrocks who were accustomed to being in the
hunt for the national championship. Deeply wanting the recognition
for their work denied them over the years, the Blues girls eagerly
accepted the challenge. The approach paid off as sure enough who was
there in the finals? The Shamrocks! From a fan's stand point, while
the game was exciting because of the drama and emotion, it was not
a well played game. Both teams chose to play conservatively and play
the ball directly up the field. Goal keepers from both teams were definitely
in the spotlight in a tight defensive 0-0 duel. The Shamrocks withstood
the Blues attack that consisted of tough marking in the back and quick
counter attacks. The Blues withstood a barrage of Shamrock attacks
that emphasized getting the ball wide and taking advantage of their
long throw ins and setplays. Neither team blinked and the half ended
0-0. Things continued pretty much the same in the second half with
both teams trading chances and both goalkeepers coming up big until
with about 15 minutes Megan Orach of Mission Viejo collected her second
yellow card and was sent off the field. Several moments later the Blues
were awarded a free kick from the right wing about 35 yards out. The
ball was swung in hard to the penalty spot and redirected to the far
post where Twila Kaufman was positioned to score the only goal of
the game with about eight minutes remaining in the game. It was fitting
that the Blues scored on a set play when in the past it was the Blues
giving up a goal on a set play. The Blues held on for dear life as
the Shamrocks created some good chances and in one instance Christine
Gluck saved the day as she cleared a shot from the line to preserve
the victory and the state cup championship. No one can ever take away
from the impressive record compiled by the Shamrocks over the years
but this day belonged to the Blues!
BLUES
FINISH UP BEST SEASON EVER!
THREE TEAMS HEAD TO FAR WEST REGIONALS!
Younger Blues teams (U10, U11, U12, U13) finished their season with the last state cup competition on March 8 & 9. The older Blues teams (U14, U15, U17, U18) recently completed their regular season on April 26 & 27 but three of those older teams will continue the season with a trip to the far west regional tournament in Utah. Blues State Cup News can be found by hitting the state cup pin button to the left. With out a
doubt, a case can be made that this year has been the club's most successful in the brief six years of existence.
The club posted numerous tournament championships throughout the summer months. All eight Blues teams finished Coast Soccer League play with outstanding records, all finished near the top of the league standings, four teams (U17, U14, U13, U11) won league championships in their respective gold divisions, three took second place, and the U10 "Baby Blues" came in third. In the younger portion of state cup the U11 Blues went back to back winning their second consecutive state championship (see story above), U13 Blues lost an exciting quarterfinal match, and the U12 Blues were finalists.
The U14 Blues lost in quarterfinals to powerhouse SD Surf, and the U15 Blues recently ended a five year dry spell capturing their first state championship (see story above)! Ending an even longer drought in state cup competition, the U17 & U18 Blues teams put the cap on what has so far been an unbelievable season for the Blues (see story above). Both teams won the State Cup Championship giving the Blues 4 out of 8 state championships in what may be the most competitive state championship in the country. Often times the second or third place team in Southern California may be strong enough to do well among the state champions from other states. From June 22-28 the state champions from Southern California (U12 Celtic, U13 Irvine, U14 NHB, U15 Blues, U16 Mirage, U17 Blues, U18 Blues, U19?) will travel to West Jordan, Utah for the 1997 Far West Regional Tournament where they will compete with the state champions from the other Western Regional States to see who will represent our region in the National Competition.
Sunday
the 22nd of June 1997 was a traveling day for four Blues teams, including
the newly formed U19 College Alumni Blues. The final
games were held on Saturday the 28th and that day of competition turned
out to be a bitter sweet one for the the Blues soccer club; as two of
three Blues teams (U15, U17, U19) who had battled their way to the championship
game went down to defeat.
The club was near and yet so far from sending three teams to the National Championship tournament to be held in Arizona during the August 1-3 weekend. As things turned out, the U15 Blues lost a heartbreaking final match in penalty kicks to the Eagles '81 (Washington), the U17 Blues got destroyed 7-1 by Ally Wagner's defending national champion Central Valley Mercury (Nor Cal), the U18 Blues were upset in the semifinals 2-1 by FC Portland (Oregon) giving up a penalty in the 87th minute of play, while the U19 Blues captured the club's first regional championship ever by defeating the San Diego Surf 2-0.
The U19 regional final turned
out to be a rematch of the state final vs Surf who beat the Blues in
the championship when the U19's narrowly missed winning an unprecedented
fifth state title for the Blues, going down in penalty kicks to the U19
Surf. The U19 Blues are made up of former Alumni
Blues who currently attend colleges across the country, along with
three college all stars Jill Stevensen (UC Berkeley), Stephanie Strocco
(UC Berkeley), and Amanda Clemens (Santa Clara) who joined the Blues
this season in the club's quest for their first ever National Championship.
The only bad news was that former Blues superstar Lori Maund (Stanford)
is out of the U19 competition having injured her knee 
at a recent training
session. The team was put together by Mark Wels and Bill Blodgett and
coached by Blues coach of the year Rich Manning.
Blues administrators Bill Blodgett and Ron Swanson did a great deal of work preparing for the trip getting 60 girls and the coaches on flights and in one hotel taking up about 55 rooms. Having four teams at one hotel was a great gift in that it became a Blues celebration with each of the teams able to support the other and following the game to game results, not to mention the parent errr gatherings in evenings. Yes we can call them gatherings! Each team got funding from league and association sources bringing the cost for the girls to a very reasonable amount. Jim Regan of MPV productions designed a special logo for all the state champion teams and all the teams wore the t-shirts when they attended opening ceremonies at the Utah Jazz Delta Center.
U17 REGIONAL FINALISTS!
U15 REGIONAL FINALISTS!
For sure this has been a dream season for the Southern California Blues Soccer Club and much of the credit goes to people behind the scenes along with the awesome coaching staff. Congratulations to the club organization, administration, players, parents, and coaches. Who knows, there is a good possibility we may never wake up from this dream and bring home a regional or national championship.