Orchard Valley soccer team takes 2009 AC title
DANVILLE — The Orchard Valley Toros, a 13-and-under girls soccer team, won the Associated Cup last weekend in Danville, beating 35 other clubs from Northern California.
Orchard Valley came away with a 2-1 victory over the Solano Strikers in the championship game at the Mustang Soccer Complex.
Having been in the same position last year when they lost the 12-and-under title match, the Toros were challenged by coaches Kevin Dunwoodie and Joe Noyes to not be satisfied with getting back to the finals. Orchard Valley played with heart for the entire 70 minutes.
The Toros spent most of the first half at Solano’s end of the field, sending shot after shot on goal. The Strikers scored first, though, off a corner kick just before the break.
The second half fared similarly for Orchard Valley. The Toros finally got rewarded after forward Kelly Smith was taken down in front of the net, prompting a penalty shot. Meghan Noyes took the shot and slotted the ball to the right side, tying the game 1-1. Re-energized, Orchard Valley could smell victory. With roughly eight minutes remaining, the Toros drew a corner kick — also taken by Noyes. The sweeper drove a midlevel cross to oncoming midfielder Sabrina Rice, who headed the ball to Smith who was crashing the net. Smith volleyed the ball in, pushing Orchard Valley ahead for good.
Solano pressed in the final minutes, but could not crack the Toros’ defense.
A day earlier, in the semifinal match, the Toros paired off against their fall league rivals, the Mount Hamilton PAC Inferno. With no substitutes available, the Toros went into overtime but soon scored a goal off a high volley shot from midfielder Shannon Rauschnot. Throughout the Association Cup, the Toros went 5-0-1, allowing only 3 goals while scoring 12. The defense of Brianna Barron, Rebecca Rottenborn, Gina Rodriguez, Paris Keane and Meghan Noyes kept their team in games, while the halfback line of Cailin McCarry, Rice, Rauschnot and Sophia White did an excellent job of playing both offense and defense and setting up many of the goals that were scored during the tournament. Forwards Anita Lopez, Lauren Ginn and Smith also created plenty of problems for the opposing defenses, as they rattled off goal after goal.
The Toros will be moving up to Class 1 and playing in the upcoming Spring league. Tryouts for the team will be on Feb. 7-8 and 14-15 at 1 p.m. at Brownell Middle School in Gilroy and PA Walsh in Morgan Hill. More information can be found by going to the Orchard Valley Youth Soccer League Web-site (www.OVYSL.org) for details.
