Girls 16U
De Anza Flash cap most successful season ever
The De Anza Flash finished their most successful season ever Nov. 15 with a 3-1 loss to the MVLA Breakers, the only team that had beaten them this year in the Delgado U16 Girls Soccer League.
The majority of the Flash’s 13 players from Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill have played together for five years. Four of those years were spent in Orchard Valley, initially as the Gators and then as the Flash. This year they played in De Anza. Never had they finished better than .500 before this season’s impressive 15-5-1 record. The Flash finished second in league, second in the Napa Classic and third in District Cup.
On Saturday, due to a knee injury and a wedding, the Flash played with 11. The first half was a sluggish one for the Flash as the Breakers found the net twice. Twice, after changing the ball from the left wing to the right side of the penalty box, the shots were one-touch blasts. The half ended with the Flash down by two.
The first 20 minutes of the second half were uneventful. Then, Flash’s Katie Ramos moved up front. Instead of marking the Breakers’ striker, Ramos now marked their sweeper. The tactic immediately started to pay off with pressure on the Breakers’ goal. Ten minutes later, Ramos scored with a volley from 10 yards out.
From then on, it was war.
In the final nine minutes, both teams attacked. Flash goalie Melanie Regan repeatedly swept up through balls to stop offensive threats. Regan also dove on balls at attackers’ feet to keep them out. With less than a minute left, the Breakers added a penalty shot goal to seal the game.
Girls 10U
OVYSL Toros finish second overall In Class 1
The OVYSL Toros’ U10 Class 1 Girls Soccer team had an awesome tourn-ament at the Disctrict Cup held in Los Gatos Nov. 22-23. Playing teams from as far away as Burlingame, the girls were on their game throughout the competition. With a win and two ties, they finished second in the league, moving up one place from last year.
Despite beating the first-place Gryphons 2-0, the Toros weren’t able to capture the title for the season. Coaches Kevin Dunwoodie and Bill Cambra praised the girls’ efforts, saying, “What an incredible season we’ve had. We gave it our all this season. The girls came ready to play hard, especiallly during the latter part of the season. It was a fabulous season for us and we’re very proud of the Toros.”
The Toros were lead all season offensively by forwards Megan Rauschnot and Jennae Cambra, who both impressed the crowds with some amazing shots. The forwards were supported and assisted by midfielders Katelyn Nebesnick, Kirsten Doting and Sara Sauceda, who were credited with many assists throughtout the season. Whenever a goal could be scored these girls would capitalize. The Toros were rarely scored upon due to the defensive tenacity of defenders Sarina Sandoval, Dani Hemeon, Breanna Rose and Taylor Pencer. The passing and teamwork among these defenders were key in every game played. Lastly, without the nity-gritty goalkeepers, Chelsea Hill and Holly Dunwoodie, the Toros wouldn’t have finished second. Combined, the Toro goalies were credited with over 100 saves this season.
The team now looks forward to a much needed break but will stay active by competing in the Indoor Girls Soccer League in Santa Clara until the spring season starts.
