1997 STATE CUP BLUES NEWS
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 GAMEDown 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 WOLFPACKThe 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 (upper left) 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 Jaimianne 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 SEMISThe 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 Brannam 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 BLUESThe 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
In a similar story to the U17's, the U18 Blues had been denied the satisfaction of ever winning a state championhip 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 shaddow 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 definately 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 barage of Shamrock attacks that emphasised getting the ball wide and taking advantage of their long throw ins and setplays. Niether 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 postitioned 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 imressive record compiled by the Shamrocks over the years but this day belonged to the Blues!
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