Current Section
Off to the Semi's in State Cup
Congratulations to Chris Sullivan and the U10 girls who will continue their pursuit of the State Cup on February 20th.
After finishing the first week of the competition with a 2-0-1 record, the team moved on to the Round of 32 this past weekend.
Starting off the weekend, the girls played the Freedom Futbol Club. The team was up for the challenge as they came out fast and furious with a goal scored by Jenna Prince straight up the middle in the opening 10 seconds of the match. The team never looked back! Dominating defense by Maddie White , Kayce Marchak, and Devin Dunlap, as well as consistent and persistent offense spurred by Maizy Serna and Jenna Prince secured a 4-1 victory and a night’s stay in Apple Valley!
Under a cloudless sky, Sunday morning brought cool and blustery weather, as well as the powerful kicking and strong throw-ins of the Celtic Hoops. The girls had to be well aware of the deep ball, especially due to the strong wind. Coach Chris wanted to take quick advantage of the weather and opted to start the game with the wind at their backs. The strategy seemed to pay off as Maizy Serna scored the only first half goal on an excellent rebound put-in. Now with the wind to the Celtic’s backs it seemed that maybe the tides would turn. However, strong midfield play by the strength of Adriana Guillen and Salma Figueroa, and the constant in-your-face pressure of Hannah Woodworth and Skye Oyama, kept the Celtics’ from making a run. NHB Girls pull off a close one: 1-0.
With pressure building, and the semi’s just over the horizon, the girls had just one more win to get themselves into the final four. The only thing standing in their way were the renowned, Laguna Hills Eclipse. With the parents on edge, the girls, led by the quiet-calm of Coach Chris, remained focused and determined.
The match began with each defense controlling the tempo. Offenses on both sides of the field struggled to get anything going. Then a sudden chip in the armor occurred as Megan Haberl was able to send a deep pass to Vivian Lara who knocked it past the Eclipse keeper and in for goal. NHB was up 1-0 at half. Then, early in the second half, NHB caught another break as one of the top defenders of the Eclipse was called for a foul near the edge of the box. Kayce Marchak stepped in for the direct kick and drilled it into the far left corner of the net. NHB: 2-0. The pressure seemed to be off, but the Eclipse weren’t about to give in. After blasting an NHB defender with a powerful kick in the chest, the defense seemed stunned. The Eclipse took advantage and quickly kicked one past NHB’s keeper Rosa Rodriquez, who was looking for her 4th shut-out of the tournament. Not to be outdone, Paige Damron took a loose ball from the center of field and quickly led the defenders around the far side of the field. All eyes watched as Paige dashed toward the goal, but a tremendous defensive play kept the game within one. Now the Eclipse led the charge and with a couple precise passes seemed to have an ideal opportunity to tie the game. Everyone held their breath as NHB’s tough and stingy keeper was viciously knocked to the grass by a seemingly over-zealous Eclipse forward. However, when the dust settled, Rosa reigned victorious and stood with the ball firmly in her grasp with yet another outstanding save and an NHB victory!
Congratulations to all the girls and continue having a great time in the semi’s.
Anyone interested in trying out for the 2011-2012 season should contact the team’s coach Chris Sullivan.
