After capturing the Mustang Nike Classic tournament championship
last week, the Central Valley Chilipeppers U11 girls soccer
team
– with locals Colby Carson and Samantha Riolo – have vaulted to
the pinnacle of their sport. Following an emotional 2-1 victory
over their NorCal rivals – the Danville Mustang Blast – in the Nike
Classic finale, the girls got a pleasant shock when they earned the
No. 1 ranking in the nation,
according to gotsoccer.com
After capturing the Mustang Nike Classic tournament championship last week, the Central Valley Chilipeppers U11 girls soccer team – with locals Colby Carson and Samantha Riolo – have vaulted to the pinnacle of their sport.
Following an emotional 2-1 victory over their NorCal rivals – the Danville Mustang Blast – in the Nike Classic finale, the girls got a pleasant shock when they earned the No. 1 ranking in the nation, according to gotsoccer.com
In the championship against the previously top-ranked team in NorCal, the Blast, the Peppers pressured right from the onset. Eight minutes in, the Peppers took a corner kick that Celeste Kaashoek put through the box. It was cleared by the Blast, but went right to the feet of the Peppers’ Natalie Royle, who ripped it into the back of the net.
The Blast came back to tie it up a minute later at 1-1.
But with five minutes left in the half, Brittany Squarcia found Carson on a through ball and Carson put the winner home.
The Blast tried furiously to rally in the second half but the Pepper defense of Royle, Lelie Nelson,Gabi Squarcia, Chloe Ainley, and Hannah Vane shut down the Blast forwards.
The Pepper midfield was instrumental in maintaining possession in the final minutes as Riolo, Munoz, Breanna Ross and Chloe Varvel ran out the clock.
The Peppers started off the tourney very sluggish, tying Santa Rosa 2-2, with Carson scored both goals on assists from Zarette Munoz and Riolo.
Carson scored a third goal that was called back due to an offside call.
The Peppers then destroyed one of the top NorCal clubs, the Pleasanton Rage, 6-1. In their third and final pool game, they played San Diego’s Rancho Santa Fe Attack, and Carson and Riolo connected three times in the first half to stake the Peppers to a 4-0 lead en route to a 6-1 win.
That sent the Peppers into a semifinal match against the San Ramon Azzure. Carson and Riolo would again get the Peppers started fast as Riolo took a pass from Hannah Vane turned and crossed the ball to Carson, who blasted it home three minutes in.
The Peppers would not allow San Ramon on their half of the field in the first half, taking a 2-0 lead at half.
The second half turned out to be more of the same as the Peppers went on to an easy 4-0 win and a berth in the finale.
