MRYSL News

Mad River Youth Soccer League – Weekend Update

2008-05-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in May saw a slew of MRYSL teams on top of their game.

On Saturday, May 3 the U12 Boys came in on top of Rogue Valley’s TNT team at Bloomfield School with a score of 1-0 for their first win of the spring season. The first half saw lots of shots on goal but no one scored until early in the second half when Edgar Martinez was able to slot one in after some great team work by the Mad River boys.

Kaylee, Katerina and Alissa work on their game faces.

Hailey, Alex and Gloriana celebrate a Lightning win.

Korrine and Alex high five another Lightning goal.

The U12 Girls had a pair of shutouts in Oregon, starting Saturday by beating Medford’s Rogue Valley Soccer Club (RVSC) Crush 1-0 with a goal by Brittney Glavich. Sunday the girls again kept their opponents from the scoreboard with a goal apiece for Alissa Thompson-Mooney, Karinne Dadigan and Michaela Schunk. Final score Mad River 3, RVSC Venom 0. Lightning also came out on top in a "friendly" against the Power Strikers, a top ranked U12 Gold level team. The 1-0 match was decided by an under-the-crossbar goal from outside the box by Alissa Thompson-Mooney following a deflected corner kick by Day Robins.

It was a close game for the MRYSL U14 Boys on Sunday, May 4 in Crescent City where Cesar Maldonado and Santiago Reynosa, Jr. had two goals each against a team from Ashland, Oregon. Final score 5-4 Ashland. Meanwhile, the U14 Girls team shut out the RVSC Lightning during a game at Bloomfield School which ended with a score of 1-0 on a goal by Annie Ewald.

The U16 Boys had their second weekend sweep, beating the team from Table Rock Soccer Club (TRSC) on Saturday 3-2 in a tense game that traded goals between TRSC and MRYSL, with Mad River goals by Casey Coelho and Elliott Patzkowsky. Matt Macari got the last Mad River goal to put MRYSL on top. In a driving wind on Sunday at Bloomfield School, MRYSL goalie Jamison Snead kept every RVSC U17 shot from hitting its mark. Late in the second half MRYSL worked some great passes and Patzkowsky put one in the net for MRYSL to end the game 1-0, Mad River.

On Sunday, May 4 at the Rotary field in Eureka, the MRYSL U19 Girls kept the Humboldt Youth Soccer League (HYSL) team from putting any score on the board. Starting with goals by Hannah Garrett and Julia Middlemiss, the Mad River girls were up 2-0 at the half. The second half saw a goal by Aiiya McCarthy and a pair by Mouse Diggins to put the final score at Mad River 5, HYSL 0.

The MRYSL U19 Boys weren’t quite so lucky and reversed the MRYSL/HYSL order in their match against the team from HYSL who won their Sunday game at Rotary field 5-0.

Mad River U17 Girls Soccer Team Travels South to Play Division 1 Soccer

2008-03-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

Alyia McCarthy cares for her injured quad last May and is now playing stellar soccer again

Lynae McCarthy concentrates as she brings the ball up the field

By Anna Bernard

When the Mad River United U17 Girls soccer team travels south to play, they often enjoy warmer and drier weather. This was not the case on their recent trip to the Santa Rosa area. Severe stormy weather accompanied the travelers from their departure to their return to Humboldt County. No matter the weather, these soccer trips are necessary to prepare for the California State Cup tournament which takes place in March.

On Saturday, February 23rd at 8pm, the Mad River U17 Girls soccer team played against the Petaluma Fury U19 team at the Lucchesi turf Fields. Coach Nick Parker noted “It is not uncommon for soccer teams to merge once they get into their late teens. This Petaluma team was the result of an older U19 team merging with a younger U16 team.” The Mad River team is also made up of a mix of Freshman, Sophomore and Juniors. No matter their ages, all the girls arrived ready to play some serious soccer. The rain, wind and cold made the playing conditions difficult but both teams played on. Their defensive efforts were rewarded by a 0-0 score at the end of the first half. Mad River’s Center Midfielder Alyia McCarthy scored the only goal of the game, just seven minutes before the final whistle. “Alyia was working hard and really having a major impact on many of the plays. She honestly deserved her goal.” said Parker. Mad River’s defense and goalie Selina Bernard came away with a shutout. After the game, Coach Parker commented, “The United backline demonstrated their best (and most composed) outlet passing of the entire year, even under atrocious weather conditions. This "transition work" allowed us to take the game to the opposition in the second half of the game.”

On Sunday, February 24th at 12:30, Mad River faced more rain and wind in a game against a Santa Rosa Gold U16 team at the Trione turf fields in Santa Rosa. The first goal was scored only seven minutes into the half when a pass back to the United sweeper was intercepted by a Santa Rosa forward. Ten minutes later, Santa Rosa hit their mark again with a nearly perfect shot beyond the reach of Mad River goalie Keri Lorig. In the second half, with the wind on their backs and Selina Bernard in the United goal, the Mad River defense stepped up the pace and kept the Santa Rosa Gold team from scoring. Coach Nick Parker stated “Lynae McCarthy played well both offensively and defensively. She really made a difference in the outcome of the game.” “Lynae’s sister Alyia was always in the midst of the action and making things happen.” continued Parker. Despite their efforts, Mad River was unable to cash in against Santa Rosa. The final score was 2-0 for Santa Rosa Gold.

The next games for Mad River will be at the Northern California Spring College Showcase Tournament on March 8th and 9th in Redwood City. Mad River will face other Division 1 teams as well as Premier Teams during the 2 day tournament. The Juventus Sports Club is hosting this tournament to enable College Coaches to scout out the talent on the fields. More information about the Spring College Tournament can be found on their website. http://www.juventussportclub.org/

Davis College Showcase – December 15-16, 2007

2008-02-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Mad River United U17 Girls’ Division 1 Soccer team (formerly known as Destiny) traveled to Davis, California to play in the Davis College Showcase Tournament the weekend of December 15, 2007. The challenging Davis tournament, attended by over 20 college coaches scouting for players in U16, U17, and U18 age groups, was the first US Club tournament attended by MR United.

According to Coach Nick Parker, “US Club is a fast growing rival to the California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA). US club is known for its easy registration process, and a free agent mentality that allows players to move around between teams as Guest Players with little bureaucracy, something CYSA has traditionally struggled with. Most Bay area Division 1 and Division 3 teams are registered with both US Club and CYSA. US Club ranks the teams based on prior game results into Divisions A, B or C.”

MR United played their first game on Saturday morning against the hosting Davis Legacy U16 Girls. Both teams controlled the ball during the game with a strong defense for MR United and plenty of shots on goal by Davis Legacy. Although both teams had lots of shots on goal, nothing made it to the back of the net during the first half. In the second half, MR United successfully blocked about ten corner kicks by Davis. The game was scoreless with just a few seconds remaining when a ball found its way out of a scramble in the box into the MR United goal. The final score was Davis 1, MR United 0.

MR United played their second game on Saturday afternoon against a farm team for the Women’s Semi-pro franchise, the FC Rangers U18 team from Sacramento. The FC Rangers launched a high long shot that found its mark just minutes into the game. MR United played a strong defense the remainder of the game keeping everything else out of the box. Unfortunately, MR United was unable to score and the final score remained 1-0 for the FC Rangers.

MR United’s final match-up, against Sacramento United U17 Girls, started Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. Sacramento scored in the first few minutes with a high cross. MR United’s strong defense and goalie Selina Bernard kept the Sacramento team from scoring for the rest of the game. In the second half, MR United’s Sazi Bhakti got past the Sacramento defense to face the goalie one on one. At that point, “stellar efforts were rewarded when Sazi Bhakti bamboozled both two defenders and the Sacramento goal keeper to slip in the tying goal!” The rest of the half saw no score and the games ended with a 1-1 tie.

According to Parker, “We only gave up 3 goals all weekend and that is amazing considering the high level of competition that we faced. We’ve recently suffered the loss of three out of four starting defenders and have had to establish an entirely new defensive line. In the three weeks preceding the Davis tournament, we went from conceding five goals in a practice game, to giving up only three total goals in a top level Division 1 California College Prep Tournament. The team is so much further along than they were this time last year. The High School season has toughened up the girls, and got them into good playing shape. Whereas last year, we played a great defensive game, this year we are stable enough to begin to play some soccer of our own.” Parker continued, "The central defensive partnership of Lynae McCarthy and Carlyn Girard was probably the highlight of the Tourney. Congratulations to Margot Oliver who acquitted herself well in her first taste of this super-level of soccer where everyone is both VERY FAST and PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED! This was truly a team effort and I am very proud of all the girls.”

The MR United team’s participation in the Davis Showcase also resulted in some communications from colleges. Several of the MR United players received recruitment emails from College Coaches expressing interest. Carlyn Girard received a recruitment letter from Jessup University and Selina Bernard received one from Menlo College. This is a very exciting time for the MR United team as they begin to plan for the possibility of playing soccer at the college level.

After the holiday season, the MR United team will resume action in the Petaluma League in the Santa Rosa area where they will face the Santa Rosa and SCA teams.

Mad River United Tackles the Petaluma Winter League

2008-02-11T09:18:00.001-08:00

Coach Nick Parker’s U17 Girl’s soccer team played two games in Santa Rosa the weekend of Saturday, January 12 to open the 2008 Petaluma League Winter Season. After the morning trek from Humboldt County to Santa Rosa, sunshine greeted the players at the Trione turf fields where the first game got underway Saturday afternoon against the Marin Football Club U17 Girl’s team.

Mad River Team mounted a solid defense and Marin was unable to score in the first half. Tara Boynton shot high after being fouled within scoring range at the start of the second half, but Marin was the first to the goal only 2 minutes into the second half. Tara Boynton scored the first Mad River goal to tie it up 1-1. Mad River maintained their strong defense and Marin was locked out for the rest of the game. Final score: tied at 1-1.

Early Sunday morning, Mad River met the Santa Rosa United Blizzard U17 Girls on the field to warm up in the chilly morning prior to their 8 a.m. match. Mad River again displayed their defensive strength, shutting Santa Rosa out of the goal the entire first half. Pressure from Santa Rosa set up a slew of corner kicks against Mad River, but Mad River defenders, including sweeper Carlyn Girard and goalie Selina Bernard, worked together to keep Santa Rosa out of the goal to end the first half 0-0. Mad River stepped up their offensive game in the second half but, though the opportunities were there, couldn’t quite get the ball to the back of the net. The score remained 0-0 until, with two minutes to play, a Santa Rosa guest player dribbled the ball down the field and scored. Final score: 0-1 Santa Rosa.

Mad River came away from the weekend happy to have given up only one goal in each closely matched game against these Bay Area Division 1 teams. As it turned out officially, both the Marin Football Club and the Santa Rosa United teams forfeited the games owing to their use of illegal players.

Mad River United U17 Girls play their next league games at the Trione Fields in Santa Rosa the weekend of Feburary 9 and will play in Humboldt State University’s 6-Versus-6 tournament at Redwood Bowl on February 16.

The Marin Football Club can be found at: http://www.marinfc.com/, Santa Rosa United at http://www.srunited.com/index.html, and Mad River Youth Soccer at http://www.mrysl.com.

Undefeated Lightning Takes First Place in League

2007-11-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

Mad River Lightning U12 Division 3 girls ended their season in first place. Lightning edged out Rohnert Park Storm by one point, earning 30 league points to Storm’s 29. Eel River Rapids placed third with 16 points.

Teams earned 3 points for each league win, 1 for a tie and 0 for a loss. Ending the season undefeated in league play, Lightning racked up 9 wins, 0 losses and 3 ties. The team entered four tournaments this season, taking home two third place and two first place medals, ending their season with an impressive overall record of 18 wins, 2 losses and 4 ties.

Lightning beat second place finisher, Storm, 2-0 in their first head-to-head league match-up. In the last weekend of league play, Lightning tied Storm 1-1. The league champion title came down to Lightning’s final game against Eureka White; Lightning needed a win to hold on to first place.

The game was tied 0-0 at the half. Lightning coach Joe Homem, who also coaches the successful Arcata High School girls, moved goalie Megan Vina out on the field to fire up the Lightning offense. Shots by Kaylee Holland, Day Robins, Brook Coelho, Alissa Mooney and Michaela Schunk came close but missed the net. Midway through the second half, Alex Campbell scored on a breakaway.

Lightning defenders Katerina Heppe and Hailey Ford held off Eureka White for the remainder of the game. Mad River Lightning beat Eureka 1-0 and earned enough league points to finish their season in first place.

Central Marin shutout Steelhead 4-0

2007-10-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

by Pete Shepard

The Central Marin U11B,D1 soccer team blanked the Mad River Steelhead 4-0 last Sunday in a hard fought contest at the Arcata Sports Complex. Although the Marin team dominated play the Steelhead team did have there chances. The Mad River coach praised the play of goalkeeper, Carter Johnson, midfielder Diego Rameriz and forwards Edgar Hernandez and Logan Rooney.

Lightning Strikes Twice: Redwood Classic Champs Win at Eel River

2007-10-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Joe Homem’s U 12 Girls Mad River Lightning took home first place trophies from the Eel River Classic Tournament in Fortuna. As the reigning 2007 Redwood Classic champs, Lightning went to Fortuna confident and came out on top.

Lightning opened the tournament with a 1-1 tie against Eureka Breakers White. Alex Campbell, a.k.a. “Monkey,” scored the first goal for Lightning assisted by a cross from Brooke Coelho. Diving saves by goalie Megan Vina kept the game thrilling and Lightning fans on edge. Eureka White scored the only goal of the tournament against Lightning; Megan Vina and the Lightning defense shut out all other comers.

Lightning took on Napa 96 Saturday afternoon and showed the power of their strong passing game, maintaining possession of the ball most of the game. The first goal was set up by a Day Robins corner kick and knocked off the post and into the goal by Michaela Schunk. Kaylee Holland rocketed a P.K. passed the Napa goalie, ending the game with a 2-0 Lightning win.

☻Lighting Keeper Megan Vina won the Goalie Wars for her age group.☻

To secure a spot in the championship match, Lightning needed to shut-out Eureka Breakers Red Sunday morning and score at least 3 goals to earn 10 tournament points. They met the challenge with a 6-0 early morning win against Eureka Red and headed to the championship match with the highest tournament point total.

Alex “Monkey” Campbell started the Lighting scoring run. Monkey said, “I was happy when I scored one goal because I thought that was going to be my only one, but I was even happier when I scored again and again.”

Forwards Michaela Schunk and Madalyn McCreath added a goal each to Lightning’s total. Allissa Mooney also scored for Lightning, and she accelerated the tempo of the game with her fast-paced aggressive play.

Lightning faced Eureka White Sunday afternoon for the championship. The only goal of the game was scored on a direct kick shot over Eureka’s defense by Katerina Heppe. Katerina, Lightning’s dependable sweeper, was awarded tournament MVP.

The Lightning girls party after their win watching the Women's World Cup!

The Devil Rays Score Success in Sonoma

2007-10-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

The U10 D3 Boys Mad River United Devil Rays added to their strong season with a powerful performance in the Sonoma Harvest Cup Tournament. In league play, the Devil Rays have defeated tough teams from Eureka and Fortuna. The Rays traveled to Sonoma ready for some serious soccer competition.

The team started the Harvest Cup Tournament strong with a 4-0 win against a Bay Area squad called Eureka Stealth. Forward Canyon Robins scored a hat trick and midfielder Wyatt Tucker also got one in the net on a long, hard shot. Keeper Kacey Ford saw a lot of action and still managed to shut out the Stealth’s offense with the help of smart defensive play by Cole Urbany, Mathew Mayer and Nick Black.

The Devil Rays played the Gryphons in their second match. Several Devil Rays’ goals were called offsides, leaving the coaches and players frustrated with the refs. Guest player Adison Prentiss relieved Kacey Ford in goal, freeing up Kacey to score the Devil Rays’ only official goal on a well-placed corner kick.

Sunday morning the Devil Rays faced the Fremont Flyers. Canyon Robins repeated with his second hat trick of the tournament. Kacey Ford fired one in for a total of four Devil Rays’ goals. The Flyers came away with two goals. With two tournament wins the Devil Rays were in the running for a spot in one of the final matches, reserved for only the top four teams. The Devil Rays ended the Harvest Cup in a three-way tie for fourth place and headed home after a weekend full of soccer and fun.

Steelhead Struggle

2007-09-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

by Pete Shepard

The U11B,D1 soccer team (Mad River Steelhead) played Novato Saturday and came away on the short end of a 3-1 score. The first half saw the Novato eleven score first. Just before half time Diego Ramirez drilled a 20 yarder past a diving goal keeper. Early in the second half Novato scored two excellent long shots to win the contest.

On Sunday the Steelhead team came up against a determined Napa team. The first half was all Napa as they scored three unanswered goals. Two minutes into the second half they scored again. Late in the game the Steelhead team came alive with Logan Rooney scoring on a thru pass from Carter Johnson. Rooney scored the last goal on a Penality Kick. Final score 4-2.

CYSA District 5 Standings for Division 1 U11 Boys as of 9/25/2007:

	TEAM	W	L	T	Pts	GD
1	SCA	3	1	0	9	6
2	Central Marin	2	0	3	9	3
3	Novato	2	2	2	8	0
4	Napa	2	0	1	7	3
5	Healdsburg	2	2	0	6	2
6	Mill Valley	0	2	3	3	-4
7	Mad River	0	4	1	1	-10

U11-D1 Boys at the Sonoma County Classic

2007-09-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

by Pete Shepard

The U11B,D1 soccer team the Mad River Steelhead traveled to Petaluma last weekend and played in the US Club sponsored Sonoma County Classic. The Steelhead finished fourth with one win and three loses. On Saturday they beat Sacramento United Barcelona 4-0 and lost to Santa Rosa Aletico 9-1. On Sunday morning the Steelhead lost to the Healdsburg Hounds 6-1. The final match of the day saw the Steelhead team lose 1-0 to the Sonoma County Alliance.

Another Successful MRYSL Soccer Tournament!

2007-08-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

by Midge Brown

The 14th Annual Redwood Classic Tournament, organized by Mad River Youth Soccer League, was held August 18 -19 hosting nearly 50 teams of players between the ages of 10 and 19 from across Northern California. The two-day event filled local hotels to capacity and gave out-of-towners a chance to experience some Humboldt hospitality. Tournament games were played at Hiller Park, McKinleyville High School, and the Arcata Sports Complex which was also the venue Saturday night for the annual Goalie Wars and a barbeque dinner attended by more than 500 soccer enthusiasts.

Sweat shirt sales were brisk on a fog-dripping Sunday for those grateful travelers escaping 90+ degree heat inland. Local teams from Arcata, Eureka and Fortuna fared well against teams from as far away as San Jose and Sacramento.

Final Results for the weekend:

U19 Girls D1
1. Nike 90 White - Sacramento
2. Butte Explosion - Chico
3. MRU Destiny – Humboldt County

U18 Girls D3
1. SSJ Freeze - Morgan Hill
2. Solano Storm - Davis
3. Davis Strikers - Davis

U16 Girls D3
1. Laguna Pibas FC – Santa Rosa
2. Missfit Renegades - Redding
3. Missfits Adrenaline - Redding

U16 Boys D3
1. Kaos Wolfpack - Redding
2. Laguna Cachorros – Santa Rosa
3. Redding Rapids - Redding

U14 Girls D3
1. Eureka Breakers - Eureka
2. Lagunas Pibas – Santa Rosa
3. Mad River United - Arcata

U14 Boys D3
1. Eel River Rapids - Fortuna
2. Surge - Redding
3. Eureka Breakers - Eureka

U12 Girls D3
1. Mad River Lightning - Arcata
2. Eel River Rapids - Fortuna
3. Missfit Destroyers - Redding

U12 Boys D3
1. Redding Arsenal - Redding
2. Butte United Lightning - Chico
3. Assault – Anderson

Under 12 Girls Division 3 team, coached by Joe Homem, who won first place in their division this past weekend

Mad River Youth Soccer Player Places 4th in State Science Fair

2007-06-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Bryar Brandvold, a seventh grade student at Jacoby Creek Charter School, Bayside California recently traveled to Los Angeles, California to compete in the 2007 State Science Fair. His project, “Should Soccer Players Wear Protective Headgear?” was evaluated in the product science division where he placed fourth out of over 50 projects. He qualified for the state science fair by receiving first place honors at the Humboldt County Science Fair in March.

His project evaluated the protection provided by three commercially available soccer headgear products. Concussions are not uncommon in competitive soccer from head to head, head to ground and head to goal post collisions and each year one player in the US dies of a soccer related head injury. He assessed the protection provided against blunt impact to both the front and side of a mannequin model by measuring the compression and deformation. He found that each of the products decreased the effects of impact and two models manufactured by Full 90 were particularly effective against blows to the temporal region. This is especially important because this region of the skull is very thin and susceptible to fracture which can result in life threatening epidural hematomas. He also had junior competitive level players evaluate the headgear for playability and found that one of the models (Full 90 Select) was rated higher than their unprotected heads in comfort and quality of heading. Since his project he has been wearing headgear in spring league games and has not found it to adversely affect his game. It wasn’t that long ago when helmets were a rarity in sports like hockey, skateboarding and bicycling; now not donning a helmet for these endeavors would seem absurd. Bryar’s data would suggest a shift toward more widespread utilization of protective headgear in soccer.

MRYSL Girls Destiny sweeps South Fork 6v6 Soccer Tournament

2007-06-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard

Kendall Martin challenges a Fortuna player in
the 6v6 tournament in Miranda on June 10th, 2007

South Fork High School’s 6v6 Soccer Tournament attracted 8 Girl’s teams and 6 Boy’s teams on Sunday, June 10th, 2007. Athletic Director Ann Constantino organized the annual fundraiser. Destiny Coach Nick Parker regards Ann Constantino as a “local Soccer Hero” because “Ann has almost single-handedly kept Girl’s soccer alive in South Fork for the past 10 years!” With limited opportunities to play college-bound soccer in Humboldt County, Ann’s contribution has been significant and well appreciated. Ann is “somewhat worried about the impact of low enrollment on the soccer program at South Fork High School.” “I’ve been able to keep soccer going as long as I had players, but with fewer students, I’m not sure if we will have enough players to continue.” But, the 6v6 South Fork Tournament was a success despite the possible lack of players in the future.

The MRYSL U16 Girls Destiny soccer players traveled south through the morning drizzle from Trinidad, McKinleyville, Arcata, Eureka, Fortuna and Ferndale. The team arrived at South Fork High School in Miranda, CA at 8:00am on Sunday, June 10th 2007 for check-in. This was a “friendly” tournament and Destiny brought several new players that were trying out for the Division 1 team. The 6 versus 6 games are played on a smaller field and are faster paced than the standard soccer game. All players are engaged, since there are only 6 players on the field, including the goalie. The Destiny checked in, warmed up and was soon ready for action.

The drizzle stopped as the first Destiny game got underway at 9:00am against the hosting South Fork High School team. In the first half of the game, forwards Tara Boynton and Hannah Garrett both scored a goal under those familiar grey skies. The South Fork team was unable to penetrate the tight Destiny midfield or defense and the half ended with a score of 2-0 for Destiny. In the second half, Tara Boynton scored the third Destiny goal and the South Fork team scored one goal for a final score of 3-1 for Destiny.

Some patches of blue sky were visible as the second Destiny game against the Fortuna High School girl’s team began. Bianca Herrera scored the first Destiny goal after a pass from Hannah Garrett. Brianna Averill scored the second Destiny goal. Annika Satter scored the third Destiny goal off a pass from Bailey Davy. Kendall Martin scored the fourth Destiny goal and Hannah Garrett scored the fifth Destiny goal. The Destiny midfield and defense played strong and the score at the end of the half was 5-0 for Destiny. In the second half, the Destiny continued to score. Bianca Herrera scored the sixth Destiny goal followed by Tara Boynton who scored the next two consecutive goals. The ninth Destiny goal was scored by Emily Monahan with a beautiful shot from the center field line. Minutes before the end of the game, the South Fork girls were able to score one goal for a final score of 9-1 for Destiny. Coach Nick Parker commented that “There is a clear difference in the caliber of soccer between the High School level of play and a Division 1 U-16 team that specializes in soccer 8 months of the year and competes against the very best teams in Northern California and Southern Oregon.” Parker continues “We are proud to offer a college prep experience to Humboldt County players.”

The Destiny enjoyed sunshine during their final game against the Clear Lake Varsity team at 3:00pm. The Clear Lake team came out strong and scored the first two goals of the game. The first Destiny goal was scored when a corner kick deflected off a Clear Lake player into their own net. Clear Lake scored their third goal 15 minutes into the game. Coach Parker commented that “Destiny got three big reminders that playing good soccer must include good defense and the ability to stop the other team from playing…thus, there are “two games out there” on any given day.” Tara Boynton scored the next two goals to even out the score at 3-3. Bailey Davy scored the forth Destiny goal putting Destiny in the lead at the end of the half and marking a turning point in the game. In the second half, Tara Boynton scored the 5th Destiny goal on a break away and finished up the scoring with the 6th Destiny goal as well. The final score was 6-4 for Destiny for the Emily Cup Tournament Championship. Coach Nick Parker stated that “in the end, the Destiny’s passing game was too much for the aggressive Clear Lake Varsity team. The Destiny players headed home under sunny skies after 3 wins, for the Championship, at South Fork High School.

U11 Girls Lightning Places Third at Rogue Valley Cup

2007-06-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Joe Homem’s team ended their first day at the Rogue Valley Cup in first place in the U11 girls’ division after winning their games 4 -1 and 2-0. In their first game against Phoenix, Oregon Sparks goals were scored by Day Robins and guest players: Ella Holland, Brittney Glavich and Sariyah Glasper. Brittney and Sariyah each scored again in the afternoon game against Gardnerville, NV Extreme. Lightning fought hard to defeat Extreme in extreme Medford heat. The weather turned much cooler for Sunday’s games, but two losses meant Lightning slipped from first place to end the tournament in third place. A stunning P.K. directly under the crossbar by Kaylee Holland briefly tied the game 1-1 with Grants Pass Quicksilver, but Quicksilver answered with another goal. Guest player goalie Gloriana Moua made impressive saves throughout the tournament. Defender Hailey Ford was awarded Lightning’s Tournament MVP.

2007 Rouge Valley Cup Tournament

2007-06-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

Over memorial weekend several youth soccer teams from Humboldt County competed against teams from Washington, Nevada, Oregon, and California in the 2007 Rouge Valley Cup Tournament. The tournament was held in Medford and Ashland Oregon.

The following Humboldt teams placed in the tournament:

Division	Team	Coach	Place
U10 Boys	Arcata Patriots	Ford	3rd Place
U11 Girls	Mad River Lightning	Homen	3rd Place
U11 Boys	Mad River Steelhead	Shepard	2nd Place
U14 Boys	Mad River Steelhead	Fuller	Sportsmanship
U16 Girls	Mad River Destiny	Parker	2nd Place
U19 Boys	Mad River United	Ewing	3rd Place

MRYSL U16 Destiny takes 2nd Place in Rogue Valley Cup Tournament on Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard

Photo: Destiny's Cassie Kunes advances against Grants Pass Fusion at the 2007 Rogue Valley Cup Tournament in Medford, Oregon. (photo by Kevin O'Neil) Click here for more photos.

Game #1 – Destiny versus Arsenal (Benicia, CA)
The first Destiny game in the 2007 Rogue Valley Cup Tournament got underway at 12:00pm on Saturday, May 26th, 2007. Tara Boynton scored the first goal of the tournament. When Sydney Gellner launched a corner kick in front of the goal, Tara Boynton headed the ball to Hannah Garrett who scored the 2nd goal. The score was 2-0 for Destiny at the end of the half. In the second half, Tara was tacked from behind and the Arsenal drew a yellow card. Emily Monahan took the kick to score a beautiful goal, the third for Destiny. The final score was Destiny 3, Arsenal 0 for the first Destiny win.

Game #2 – Destiny versus United (Grants Pass, OR)
The second Destiny game in the RV Cup started at 6:15pm on Saturday, May 26th, 2007.
Lynae McCarthy passed the ball to Tara Boynton who scored the first goal of the game after 15 minutes of play. The score at the end of the first half was 1 – 0 with Destiny in the lead. With less than 10 minutes left in the game, Grants Pass United scored a goal. The final score was Destiny 1, Grants Pass 1. Destiny and Grants Pass have met 3 times and the score has been tied at 1-1 each time. The Destiny Tournament record was at 1 win and 1 tie.

Game #3 – Destiny versus Fusion (Grants Pass, OR)
The third Destiny game in the RV Cup started at 12 :00pm on Sunday, May 27th 2007. Bailey Davy, Hannah Garrett, Sydney Gellner and Julia Middlemiss each scored a goal in the first half. One more goal was scored in the second half when Hannah Garrett passed to Tara Boynton for a final score of 5 Destiny, 0 Fusion. The Destiny’s tournament record was at 2 wins and 1 tie.

Game #4 – Destiny versus Oregon Rush (a.k.a. Heat) (Bend, OR)
The fourth Destiny game in the RV Cup started at 6:00pm Sunday, May 27th, 2007. There was no score during the first half of the game. Bend scored the first goal of the game minutes into the second half. Julia Middlemiss passed to Hannah Garrett who tied the game with the only Destiny goal with 5 minutes remaining, for a final score of Destiny 1, Rush 1. The Destiny’s tournament record was 2 wins and 2 ties.

Playoff Finals – Destiny versus Oregon Rush (a.k.a. Heat) (Bend, OR)
The playoff game to determine first and second place of the U16 Girls Premier Division started at 10:00am on Monday, May 28th, 2007. The first half ended without any goals scored at 0-0. Bend scored the first point of the game on a corner kick. Destiny player Sydney Gellner was injured minutes before the end of the game. The final score was Destiny 0, Bend 1. Destiny took 2nd place in the U16 Premier Division of the 2007 Rogue Valley Cup Tournament.

U11 Boys take 2nd place at RVC

2007-05-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

by Matt Durham

The Mad River United Steelhead Boys U11 Div 1 finished in second place to Pinole of the Bay Area in this weekend's Rogue Valley Cup soccer tournament in Medford, Oregon. The Steelhead went undefeated in their first 4 games against Medford, Rogue Valley, Truckee, and Lake Tahoe, before going down 1-0 in the hard-fought championship game.

Picture: Mad River United players (in white) Will Taylor, Diego Ramirez, and Cayman Durham-Vance take on Pinole in the finals of this year's Rogue Valley Cup.

MRYSL Girls Destiny win last two games in Southern Oregon League

2007-05-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard

The Destiny approached the weekend under the pressure of being tied for first place with the Grants Pass United team. With a record of 6wins and 2 ties, the Destiny was hoping for an undefeated season. On Saturday, May 19th at 3pm the Destiny played the Basin United Soccer Club (BUSC) at the Steen Sports Park in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Both teams came out strong, but with different styles and different attitudes. The Basin United appeared to be aggressive and energetic while showing off their impressive flip throw-ins. Meanwhile, the Destiny played with thought, speed and precision. Early in the half, the Basin launched a corner kick directly in front of the Destiny goal. Goal keeper Selina Bernard punched the ball away and the Destiny quickly cleared the ball. After 20 minutes of battling up and down the field, the Destiny’s Emily Monahan scored the first goal. When a Basin player was called off sides, her negative reaction caused the referee to reward her with a yellow card. Both teams continued to compete for the ball until the end of the first half with no further goals resulting.

The pressure was on in this close game as the Destiny and Basin pressed on. Another yellow card was delivered to the Basin for rough contact against Sydney Gellner.
Sazi Bhakti complimented Sydney Gellner. “Sydney was so calm during the game and she was unstoppable. No one could get past her. She was a real super woman on the field!” Sazi Bhakti picked up the ball at midfield off a deep punt by Selina Bernard, she dribbled past the defense and shot the ball over the Basin goal keeper’s head into the opposite corner of the net to score the second Destiny goal 20 minutes into the second half. Coach Nick Parker commented on Sazi’s goal, “Well, I have to say that the Basin United game on Saturday was a little “gritty”. But there were some great highlights. Sazi Bhakti scored one of the best goals of the season, which was a turning point in the game.” Both luck and the wind was against the Basin players. When sweeper Carlyn Girard commanded her troops to “hold the line” the Basin was caught off sides and lost control of the ball. Annika Satter complimented Bailey Davey. “Bailey was always hustling and on her toes. She was calm and collected and able to think about what she was going to do next. This allowed her to make some great runs and totally shut down the left side of the field.” While in the Destiny box, sweeper Carlyn Girard took a ball to the head that deflected onto her arm. The ball then hit her foot and she continued the play. The referee called a foul and penalty kick for the Basin, which resulted in their first goal. Parker stated, “The midfield and defense maintained composure under pressure. Goalie Selina Bernard, sweeper Caryln Girard, midfielders Annika Satter and Emily Monahan, and defenders Lynae McCarthy and Sydney Gellner all had cool heads throughout the game. Even when faced with a couple controversial calls, these players maintained a calm attitude and continued to play their game.” The teams played for ten more minutes until the game ended in a 2-1 win for the Destiny

Coach Parker stated, “The team had to manage without many of our usual starters on a very long road trip all the way to Klamath Falls, Oregon. Several players had to play in positions that they were not familiar with and they all came through with flying colors.” Coach Nick Parker continued, “As I watched the team come together on the field, I realized that there was some continuity in the fact that we only had 11 players and no substitutes. When coaching, I try to get everyone onto the field but during this game, I wondered if this was disruptive to the flow and energy of the game.”

On Sunday, May 20th, the Destiny faced the Grants Pass Fusion at Reinhart Park in Grants Pass at 2:00pm. Coach Parker commented, “During the game against the Grants Pass, there were several patches of truly exhilarating soccer. The Fusion had no answer for our consistent barrage of creative dribbling, shooting, crossing and combination plays.” The Fusion and Destiny worked the ball up and down the field with many scoring opportunities. Destiny’s Annika Sattler launched a couple strong shots, one of which hit the Fusion’s top bar but refused to go in. A corner kick and rebound shot by Bailey Davey did not find their mark. Julia Middlemiss dribbled past the Fusion goalie and made a wide shot past the corner of the goal. Finally, with five minutes left in the first half, Hannah Garrett passed to Sydney Gellner who scored the first Destiny goal of the game. Parker said, “Sydney Gellner demonstrated, yet again, what a great soccer player she is by playing a superb defense on Saturday and offense on Sunday. Not only did Sydney score a goal, but her passing provided some great scoring opportunities. There are few players that can achieve this range of play.” A handball in the Destiny box gave the Fusion an opportunity to score their first goal, which tied the game 1-1. The Fusion drew a yellow card before the end of the half when Destiny defender Mouse Diggins and a Fusion player collided and went sprawling to the ground winded and shocked but uninjured. Coach Parker commented, “We faced a controversial penalty kick against us in both games. These shots were among the few really good scoring opportunities that either team could put together against our strong defense.”

Hannah Garrett scored the second Destiny goal minutes into the second half. The Destiny continued to pass, control and shoot the ball at the Fusion net. Many great shots on goal refused to find their mark. When the Fusion goal keeper stepped out of the box on a punt to draw a foul, Hannah Garrett scored the third Destiny goal on this penalty kick. “It is remarkable how these players display positive qualities during difficult circumstances. For example, Hannah Garrett showed strong leadership while under pressure and was still able to score two goals in the Sunday game.” Said Parker. “Our midfielders Lynae McCarthy and Emily Monahan were the unsung heros of the game. They were able to “hold the middle” with their steady pace and consistent talents.” With 10 minutes left in the game, Alyia McCarthy passed to Sydney Gellner who scored the fourth Destiny goal. Coach Nick Parker commented, “Aliya McCarthy showed her eagerness to be back on the field by assisting in a goal, after only a couple minutes. I am glad to see Aliya well on the road to recovery from her injury.” Several more Destiny shots missed the net by mere inches, but no more goals resulted for a final score of 4-1 for Destiny.

Photo: Destiny's defensive core warms up before Saturday's game (Left to Right): Sydney Gellner (top), Annika Satter, Lynae McCarthy, Carlyn Girard, Hanna Garrett, and Emily Monahan. Destiny took 1st place in SOCL U17G Division.

SOCL 2007 Final Standings

2007-05-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

Southern Oregon Classic League - 2007 Final Standings

team	div	coach	won	lost	tied	GF	GA	Place
Mad River Steelhead	U12B	Shepard	3	2	4	8	8	5th
Mad River Wolves	U12B	Laney	4	3	3	12	9	4th
Mad River United	U12G	Parker	1	8	1	8	32	7th
Mad River Steelhead	U14B	Fuller	7	2	1	30	9	2nd
Humboldt Torrent FC	U14GG	Stranahan	4	2	2	13	9	3rd
Mad River Lightning	U16B	Chai	3	4	3	16	21	3rd
Mad River Destiny	U17G	Parker	8	0	2	49	9	1st
FC Humboldt	U19B	Holmes	8	2	0	28	12	2nd
Mad River United FC	U19B	EWing	9	1	1	26	8	1st

Note: SOCL Results are listed on their website (here) but tallies may be inaccurate. It appears that not all game data is present.

Whirlwind Trip to Oregon Leaves Destiny Undefeated and Tied for First Place

2007-05-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

(Article by Anna Bernard - Photos by Kevin O’Neil)

The MRYSL U17 Girls Destiny traveled approximately 150 miles to Grants Pass, Oregon for two Southern Oregon Classic League soccer games on Saturday, May 12th, 2007. The morning drizzle along the road gave way to partially cloudy skies and cool temperatures as the first game got underway at the beautiful Grants Pass High School Mel Ingram Field.

The 1pm game against GP United and Destiny was very fast paced partially due to the quicker playing turf surface. The Destiny displayed accurate passing, fast footwork and speed as they battled the GP team. Destiny’s Keri Carter-Lorig contributed with her strong ability to settle the ball on the turf surface and make strategic passes. Coach Nick Parker commented that “Keri could certainly calm the play and follow up with accurate passing from the fullback position“. The excitement mounted as a Destiny shot hit United’s top bar 35 minutes into the game and the United retaliated with an almost identical shot that hit the Destiny’s top bar. The score remained 0-0 under the gray skies of Grants Pass as the Destiny set up many plays and had several shots on goal without scoring. The Destiny’s mid-fielders and defenders were kept busy with the United’s persistent attacks. Coach Parker commented that “Emi Monahan and Annika Satter both had stellar games in which they were able to control the centre mid field zone from start to finish.” Goalie Selina Bernard and sweeper Carlyn Girard were the final stand that kept the score at 0-0 at the end of the half. Parker stated that “Selina performed some very brave defensive moves and made lightning quick "sweeper-keeper" decisions in the first half”.

The fast paced action continued in the second half as two teams battled head to head. Sydney Gellner displayed her expertise with excellent trapping and ball control. Fifteen minutes into the 2nd half, the Destiny delivered a corner kick to the front of the United net, followed by a scramble and a near miss. Soon after, a Destiny fowl almost resulted in a GP United goal. But, the score remained at 0-0 until Darcy Gordon passed to Tara Boynton who dribbled the ball into the net to score the first goal of the game twenty minutes into the second half. “Darcy Gordon played a strong, fast, defensive game to "nip most GP attacks in the bud.” commented Destiny Coach Parker. “Sazi Bhakti continues to improve her percentages in making creative attacking decisions, in each game played.” stated Parker. The Destiny remained ahead for the next ten minutes until United scored to tie the game at 1-1. The two teams continued to battle and Destiny had a few excellent opportunities including another corner kick, but no more goals resulted for either team. The final score of the game between these two talented and closely matched teams was 1-1, as was the score the first time Destiny and United played earlier in the season. Neither team has been defeated during this season’s play. Coach Parker commented on the game overall “Some months ago, Destiny defeated the Santa Rosa Blue by using a "blanket defense plus counterattack" game plan. During this GP game, the shoe was on the other foot. Destiny “attacked” from start to finish, created some clear chances, and deserved more than the one goal, while GP played a 7-3 formation and relied on speed and some fast counterattacks on their home turf field.”

The second Destiny game was against the Ashland Grizettes at 4:00pm at Reinhart Park in Grants Pass. The grass was somewhat long, causing the field to be significantly slower than the earlier game. The wind was a factor and against the Destiny in the first half. The Destiny had already played another game. All of these factors made this game much slower paced than the first. Yet, both the Grizettes and the Destiny fought hard with excellent passing and several shots on goal. Coach Parker stated that “Cassie Kunes certainly made some well chosen passes from the center midfield that contributed to the strong defense.” He continued, “It was nice to see some players working on combinations especially down the left wing.” Although the Destiny had many opportunities to score, they were unable to cash in as the first half progressed. The Grizettes were the first to score and led the game 1-0 at the half. Early in the second half, the excitement mounted when a Penalty Kick delivered by Baily Davey hit the cross bar. But, the Grizette’s goalie came up with the ball. The first Destiny goal was delivered by Margaret O’Neil off of a well placed corner kick by Baily Davey. “This goal was special” commented Coach Parker “because it was Margaret’s first Division 1 goal of the season.” Tara Boynton made a long shot from the sideline to score the second Destiny goal. Sazi Bhakti scored the third Destiny goal assisted by Baily Davey. The final Destiny goal was dribbled into the net by Julia Middlemiss to end the game at 4-1 in favor of Destiny. This was the eighth Destiny game and it brought their record to 6 wins, 2 ties and 0 losses for the season. The SOCL standings are posted at: http://www.socl.info/frameset.php

Destiny travels to Klamath Falls and Grants Pass on 5/19 and 5/20 where they will play for the league title on the final weekend of the season. On Memorial Day weekend (5/26 to 5/28), Destiny will compete in the Rogue Valley Cup Tournament against some competitive teams. The Rogue Valley Tournament schedule and information is available on their website: http://www.rvcupsoccer.com/.

Steelhead Tie Central Point Chivas

2007-05-13T03:35:00.000-07:00

by Pete Shepard

The Mad River Steelhead U11B soccer team tied the Central Point Chivas 1-1 Saturday, May 12th at the Arcata Sports Complex. The Steelhead scored late in the first half with an excellent solo run by Cayman Durham-Vance. Early in the second half the Chivas came back to get the equalizer. From that point on the Steelhead dominated but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net.

Next Sunday at 11:00am the Steelhead play their last game of the season against local rival the Mad River Wolves at HSU in the Redwood Bowl.

5/6/07 U12B Showdown - Wolves v. Steelhead

2007-05-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

by Scott Davies

The Steelhead took on their closest rivals, the Wolves, in an intense and fast paced match that was well attended, since both teams are local. The beauty of a sunny spring morning in Big Lagoon provided the backdrop, but the drama came courtesy of Humboldt County's best and brightest U-12 boys charging hard for local bragging rights. The younger Steelhead side entered the fray ranked higher, and played with determination to stay there, but it was a well coordinated attack by the Wolves that resulted in the first and only goal of the match.

After the half, the Steelhead side produced more than a half dozen good shots on goal in a concerted effort to equalize, but the pace and strength of a well-oiled Wolves side, along with some very solid goal keeping, was more than enough to leave the score unchanged and the Steelheads frustrated as the match closed 1-0.

But wait! Its not over yet soccer fans. The last match of the season will be a replay of Sunday's match-up as the Wolves and Steelhead have one last go before the long quiet summer build-up to the autumnal return of the beautiful game. To catch the glory in person, report to HSU's Redwood Bowl at 11:00am on Sunday, May 20th. See you there soccer fans!

MRYSL Destiny Defeats GPYSC Fusion at Big Lagoon School on May 6th, 2007 (U17G)

2007-05-07T03:56:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard

The scenic ocean view and majestic redwood forests that surround the soccer field at Big Lagoon School certainly make this a perfect Humboldt County setting. Although high winds were felt along the Pacific Coast on Sunday, the ancient giants shielded the playing field and along with the sunny skies, made this a perfect day for a soccer game. The visiting team, GPYSC Fusion, arrived from Grant’s Pass ready for play, as did the MRYSL Destiny.

Early in the first half of the game Baily Davey sent a perfect pass in front of the net to Tara Boynton who scored the first goal. Tara repeated her performance with a second goal soon afterwards. Next to score was Sydney Gellner when Destiny moved into the Fusion end. The Destiny defenders protected their goal and the Fusion was unable to score during the first half of the game. Lynnae McCarthy, Sazi Bhakti and Annika Satter displayed speed and performance in ball handling skills. The Destiny passing was accurate and they maintained good control of the ball. The score was 3-0 for the Destiny at the half.

The first goal in the second half was scored by Sydney Gellner who made a beautiful long shot into the goal when the Fusion goalie was trying to get back into position. The Fusion retaliated with a one-on-one shot against the Destiny goalie which resulted in the Fusion’s first goal of the game. With the score at 4-1, the Fusion was able to cash in on a Penalty Kick that hit the upper goal bar and went into the net, bringing the score to 4-2. Next to score was Destiny’s Hannah Garrett with an unassisted high shot past the Fusion goalie. Tara got a third goal after some fancy footwork in the box for a hat trick. Hannah scored a second goal bringing the score to 7-2. The last goal by Sydney Gellner was off a corner kick delivered by Baily Davey. Sydney’s hat trick brought the final score to 8-2 for the Destiny.

The Destiny has won 5 games and tied 1 game, for an undefeated season so far. Destiny’s defense has only allowed a total of 4 goals, in the 6 games played in the Southern Oregon Classic Spring 2007 League (www.SOCL.info). In three of these games, the opposition was unable to score a single goal against the Destiny’s solid defense. The 4 remaining Destiny games will be played on the road, in the Medford area, over next three weekends.

Mad River U12 Girls Game Recap (4/28-4/29)

2007-04-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday 4/28:
Mad River United 0 -- RVSC Strikers 3
On Saturday, Mad River United faced the Rouge Valley Soccer Club Strikers at Bloomfield School in Arcata. Alissa Mooney played her first game as a goalkeeper and made numerous saves in an impressive first start. While Mad River created several scoring opportunities, they couldn't quite get the job done. RVSC pressed up hard against Mad River in the second half containing the ball in their half with the end result of three goals in their favor.

Sunday 4/29:
Mad River United 1 -- Grants Pass Quicksilver 2
The evenly matched teams moved the ball up and down the field the first half. Several weak shots from both teams were easily handled by the keepers. Quicksilver missed a penalty shot wide left leaving the score 0 - 0 at mid-game. In the second half, Quicksilver scored on a penalty shot and again on a well placed shot in the upper corner of the net. Mad River’s single goal came from center forward E.J. Watkins from in front of the net after receiving a well placed pass from Brooke Coelho.

MRYSL Destiny U17 Girls Strike Up 4th Consecutive Win

2007-04-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard

The Destiny played a home game at Sunnybrae Middle School soccer field on Saturday April 28th at 3:00pm. The Rogue Valley Soccer Club (RVSC) Mystic arrived from the Medford area for the game. Traveling long distances to play soccer is part of the game in Humboldt County and sometimes these long distance treks have their disadvantages. This was the case for the Mystic who played short two players for the first few minutes of the game until two more players arrived from their long journey. The Destiny was able to score two goals while the Mystic was shorthanded to take an early lead. The first goal of the game was delivered smartly by Baily Davey. Hannah Garrett was able to score the second goal off of a great corner kick from Baily Davey. Tara Boynton picked up a rebound off the post that was shot by Julia Middlemiss to finish the play for the third goal of the game. Julia was knocked down from behind and Hannah Garrett scored the fourth goal on the penalty kick. The Mystic were feeling the pressure of being behind by 4 goals. When Tara was tackled from behind, the referee responded with a yellow card for the Mystic player. Tara scored the fifth and final goal of the first half. The Destiny played great defense and had a strong midfield during the first half of the game. The Mystic was unable to penetrate the defense to and the score was 5-0 at the end of the half.

In the second half of the game, first goal was scored by the Mystic to steal the shutout from the Destiny. Tara Boyton retaliated with two more goals to bring the score to 7-1. The Mystic threatened several times during the second half, but was unable to score any additional goals as the Destiny defense remained strong. The final goal of the game was scored by Sazi Bhakti for a final score of 8-1 for the Destiny.

The Destiny tied their first game and has won four consecutive games. They have no losses to date. This is quite an outstanding performance in the first half of this ten-game season. The Southern Oregon Classic League Schedule and Standings are available at www.SOCL.info. For up to date field information on home games visit the Mad River Youth Soccer League site at www.MRYSL.org.

U11B Tie: Steelheads 0 - TNT 0

2007-04-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Mad River Steelhead U11 Boys soccer team traveled to Grants Pass and tied the league leading TNT team 0-0. Coach Shepard praises the play of Tommy Adams, George Cavinta, Cayman Durham and goalkeeper Kyle Deppe.

U12 Girls drop 2 but come back strong

2007-04-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend (Apr 21-22, 2007), Mad River United U12 Girls lost two games against two skilled and mature Oregon teams:

RVSC Tigers 3 -- MR United 2
Ashland Flame 6 -- MR United 2

Both games started off nearly identically with Oregon taking an early 2-0 lead with United answering with goals from Brooke Coelho and Mariah Smither to close the half 2-2. The larger and older Oregon teams played very good and consistent soccer that eventually wore down the young Mad River team.

Sunday’s game in Ashland was on a huge high school field. The thick ball-deadening grass and wide open range nullified Mad River’s dribblers and forced a passing style game that favored the more experienced Ashland team.

Having faced adversity for the first time, the U12 girls showed their mettle by showing up in force at practice this week with a will to work hard and improve. That’s a sign of a great team.

This weekend, Mad River faces Rouge Valley on Saturday April 28th at 1:00pm and Grants Pass on Sunday April 29th at 11:00am at Bloomfield School in Arcata.

MRYSL’s Destiny Wins both games on First Road Trip to Southern Oregon (U17G)

2007-04-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard

On Saturday April 21st, the Destiny Team and their families packed up their soccer balls, umbrellas and boots and headed north to play in their first road game under the rainy skies of Medford, Oregon against the Rogue Valley Soccer Club’s U17 Girl’s Mystic Team (www.socl.info). But, the Destiny did not let those familiar grey skies dampen their spirits. Young Julia Middlemiss wasted no time in being the first to score a goal only 10 minutes into the game. “Early in the game, Emily Monahan dominated the midfield by neutralizing the Mystic’s attempts to move the ball up the field.” reported Coach Nick Parker. Before the end of the first half, the Destiny passed the ball up the field to shooter Tara Boynton who scored the second Destiny goal. The Destiny’s defense could not be penetrated by the Rogue Valley Mystic during the first half of the game. “Lynae McCarthy handled the ball with finesse and was able to break down the Mystic’s attacks, proving that years of diligent practice pays off big time. Lynae was a thorn in the side of the opposition’s left flank the entire first half.” Stated Coach Parker.

The Destiny’s high level of energy continued into the second half of the game. Each player contributed to the team’s success. Coach Nick Parker noted that “Sazi Bhakti displayed versatility and a willingness to play anywhere on the field with a positive attitude and bright smile.” Tara Boyton scored the next two goals for a “hat trick”! Coach Nick Parker felt that “Darcy Gordon and Cassie Kunes contributed with their excellent passing which continues to improve on a weekly basis.” The fifth Destiny goal was delivered by Hannah Garrett, her first of the SOCL season. But, the Destiny was not done yet. “While playing left fullback, Sydney Gellner had an overlapping assist and she continued to display her awesome experience with flawless trapping and combination skills all over the field.” Said Coach Parker. Although the Mystic had several opportunities to score, the Destiny’s defense remained solid. Stopper Carlyn Girard and goalkeeper Selina Bernard refused to let the ball past them. The Destiny’s team effort payed off one more time with a sixth goal by Sydney Gellner for a final score of 6-0 for Destiny.

On Sunday, the Destiny faced the Ashland Grizettes at North Mountain Park in Ashland, Oregon. The Destiny’s forward Julia Middlemiss was once again the first to score a goal. Her team mates (Hannah Garrett, Sazi Bhakti (2 goals), Emily Monahan, and Baily Davy) all made goals, bringing the score to 6-0 for Destiny before the end of the first half. The Ashland Grizettes were feeling the pressure and tackled Julia Middlemiss during a break away in the goal box. The game referee said, “Technically, the Destiny player was denied a goal scoring opportunity. I hated to give the Grizettes’ player a red card, but I felt that I had to send a clear message to keep the game from becoming rough. I did not want the high score to dictate how the game was called.” Sydney Gellner, Darcy Gordon and Tara Boynton scored to finish the first half. The Destiny’s passing and dribbling combinations were top notch in the second half. Cassie Kunes and Annika Satter scored the last two goals of the game, for a final score of 11-0.

Destiny is looking forward to a weekend on home turf at Sunnybrae Middle School soccer field next weekend.

Mad River in the Rogue Valley (U14 Boys)

2007-04-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

by Midge Brown
Arcata, CA

On a gray Saturday in Oregon, the U14 Boys Mad River United Steelhead won their first game of the April 21/22 weekend 2-1 against the Roseburg Fuego. In the first two minutes of play, Elliott Patzkowsky drew the Fuego goalie out of the box on a breakaway run. The goalie inadvertently diverted the ball out to Steelhead Trevor Elsbree who lobbed the ball over the goalie’s head into the back of the net. The rest of the first half was fairly even play until Bryar Brandvold got fouled from behind on his run to the goal setting up Ruben Smith to put away a penalty kick to set the score at 2-0 at the end of the first half. As the rain pounded the field in the second half, there were plenty of shots on goal by both sides but nothing went home until Fuego booted the ball past the Steelhead goalie amidst a muddy mass of players in front of the goal box. The Steelhead continued to keep the Fuego at bay, and the sopping second half ended with the final score MRU Steelhead 2, Roseburg Fuego 1.

Sunday in Medford started out dryer, but no less intense as Steelhead winger Ian Hunter beautifully booted a corner ball into the middle of the goal where forward Elliott Patzkowsky ducked a bit to head the ball into the net putting the Steelhead up at the start 1-0. Bryar Brandvold drew another foul, this time in the box of the Rogue Valley Twisters, setting PK Master Ruben Smith up for another Mad River point. A footrace to the goal with the Twisters in control led to a foul that set up a free kick for Rogue Valley bringing the score to 2-1 at the end of the first half. The rain picked up in the second half where most of the shots on goal for both teams missed their mark. One wet Twister breakaway ended with the ball hitting the crossbar, being punched by Steelhead goalie Clint Nylander, and coming down, as the referees saw it, inside the Steelhead goal. The rain continued to pour down and the Steelhead players poured it on keeping the Twisters scoreless for the rest of half. The game ended in a soaked and muddy tie, 2-2.

U-11 Steelhead boys win 3-1

2007-04-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Steelhead boys, fresh off a less-than-decisive 1-0 victory in HSU's Redwood Bowl, traveled to Oregon where that magic something clicked and they played an unbeatable 90 minutes of soccer. Though reduced by travel to a core of eleven that had to play a full 90 minutes without subs, the Steelheads nevertheless ran full tilt while producing a steady stream of snappy passes that found the Oregon Chivas side playing catch-up throughout.
The Steelheads were lifted in the 21st min by Tommy Adams who, after handling a sharp through-pass from midfield-newcomer Westleigh Stenborg-Davies, pelted a terrific goal from a shallow angle across the goal mouth to connect for an exciting first point from 20 yds out. Halftime found the steelheads one-up and ebullient but with 45 minutes of hard work left to do.
As the second half got under way, the Steelheads had a handful of good shots at the Chivas goal with no results until the 22cnd minute of the 2cnd half when de-ja-vu-Diego Ramirez (has he scored before?) struck hard from the top of the box with a shot that forced an own-goal from the Chivas defence.
Minutes later, an accidental foul by the Steelheads in their own goal-box forced a penalty kick that brought the Chivas side some late hope in the form of late entry to a game that now stood 2-1.
As pressure mounted and the clock seemed to slow down the Steelheads never backed off their pace and were eventually rewarded by a fine run from Edgar Hernandez who single handedly rolled through the last two Chivas defenders to poke a pretty shot home with the sound of 3-1 no doubt ringing in his ears.
The entire Steelhead side deserves kudos for their performance as this was truly a team effort. However, in addition to the players mentioned above, stand-out performances were recorded by Cayman Durham-Vance, Kylan Maple, and Kyle Deppe with his commanding performance as keeper.

U-11 Steelhead boys win 1-0

2007-04-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

The Steelhead (U-11 boys) won their first match of the season against the Roseburg Braves in front of an enthusiastic crowd with both home and away teams well represented in the stands at HSU's Redwood Bowl. Both sides made solid contributions to this sometimes disorganized game while battling a steady spring rain that made the turf somewhat faster than usual.
Posession changed regularly between the Steelhead and Braves with neither side exhibiting a clear advantage; both teams compressed the field of play into a series of one-on-one battles that kept the pace fast and hard throughout the first half.
It was just before the halftime whistle blew that standout midfielder Diego Ramirez connected at the top of the box and sent a clean shot well above the Roseburg keeper to put the Steelhead side out in front.
The second half saw the Braves trying hard to equalize but falling short against a Steelhead side that gained a bit more coherence and ultimately held their edge to the final whistle and well deserved 1-0 victory.
As long as the Steelhead side can continue to pass well and capitalize on offensive drives, this season looks promising.

U12 Girls Tie: Mad River 1 - Roseburg 1

2007-04-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

by John Saveliff
Arcata, CA

In their first Spring game, a young Mad River United U12 Girls team surged from behind late in the game to tie the Roseburg Revolution 1-1. A perfect pass from center Mariah Smither led striker Brooke Coelho behind Roseburg's defense for an easy score.

At the start, Roseburg won the toss and elected to face a blowing 25mph wind leaving them a considerable advantage for the second half. Mad River failed to capitalize on three penalty kicks due in large part to some remarkable saves by Roseburg's keeper. Mad River turned to face the wind with no score on the board.

Mad River coach Nick Parker was concerned at half-time that Roseburg's strong center players might have an overwhelming advantage with the wind. Mad River countered by stacking the middle with their strongest players in a 4-4-2 formation and sending their strikers out wide. By the end of the game, Parker would become convinced that this formation was a good fit for his team.

Center midfielders Mariah Smither and Kaylee Holland with sweeper Katerina Heppe behind controlled the middle and sent their passes out to winger Day Robbins who moved the ball like precision clockwork. Nine year old fullback Hailey Ford dominated her side of the field against Roseburg's best. Ford refused Roseburg's attackers stealing and turning the ball up field.

United's keeper Kendra Lewis saved several goals in her first game in the net. A respected striker last season, she volunteered this year to fill a sorely needed vacancy as goalkeeper for her team. Her hard work, dedication, and natural ability has allowed her to adapt rapidly to the keeper position.

Mad River United was caught at least five times offside by Roseburg's aggressive offside trap. Brooke Coelho was finally able to make the adjustment and score the tying goal on a beautifully timed breakaway run.

Mad River United U12 girls playes in Oregon this weekend.

Steelhead Soccer Season Begins for U-11 Boys

2007-04-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

by Scott Davies

The Mad River Steelhead U11B, D1 boys soccer team has just returned from their first games of the season, two away matches in Southern Oregon. Saturday's game found the Steelhead playing against an older and more experienced side who pressed their home field advantage to hand the Steelheads a tough and rainy 3-0 defeat.

On Saturday the well rested Steelheads, again battling an older and more experienced team, rallied for a thrilling 2-2 match that the Steelhead side dominated throughout. With regular drives into the home team's six yard box, the Steelhead's first point came in the second half courtesy of left fullback Ben Albright. When the home team cleared the ball out of the penalty box, Albright was perfectly positioned to respond and stroked a long high shot from 30 yd's. out that grazed the keeper's fingers before finding the back of the net. Late in the second half, after a string of creative combinations between the Steelhead's midfield and strikers, midfielder Diego Ramirez got loose after shaking two defenders and found some space to fire quickly past the keeper for an equalizer that thrilled the Steelhead supporters.

Do yourself a favor soccer fans and make some time to see this talented Steelhead side. Spring schedules available @ mrysl.com.

Mad River Steelhead led by coach Pete Shepard is an U-11 team competing in SOCL at the U-12 level.

Hard Work Pays Off with Great Results for Destiny Soccer Team

2007-04-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

by Anna Bernard
Arcata, CA

The Girl’s U17 Destiny Soccer team (MRYSL) went undefeated on the first weekend of play in the 2007 Southern Oregon Classic Spring League. The Saturday April 14^th game against the Grants Pass United team ended in a 1-1 tie. The Sunday April 15^th game against the Basin United U16’s resulted in a 4-0 win for the Destiny!

There are many “behind the scenes” activities that take place prior to soccer games and field preparation is one of them. There was a scramble to prepare the soccer fields for the first weekend of play in the Southern Oregon Classic Spring League. With seven MRYSL teams playing in the 2007 Spring League all possible fields were needed. Coach Joe Homem put forth a great effort to prepare the Big Lagoon School soccer field for the weekend games. The grass was so long that it took several rounds of mowing to get the grass low enough for marking and play. The Destiny’s first game took place at Big Lagoon School on Saturday and thanks to Coach Joe they enjoyed a great playing experience. The Sunnybrae Middle School field was the location of the Destiny’s Sunday game. The school maintenance staff mowed the field just before the rain came at week’s end. The drainage at this field is poor and there were large puddles at both goals and potholes that threaten player’s ankles. So, parent volunteers repaired the worst of the holes by bailing buckets of water from the holes and filing them with soil. A crew of about parent volunteers measured and marked the field for play. Let the games begin.

In the 2006 Southern Oregon Spring League the MRYSL U16 Girls ended the season with 4 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. Coach Nick Parker is looking for even better results in the 2007 season. The home game meant a short trip to Big Lagoon School, for the Destiny players. The Grant’s Pass team had to travel almost 3 hours to the Saturday game in Big Lagoon. Destiny’s forward Tara Boynton scored the Destiny’s only goal of the game. The Grants Pass United team answered with one goal of their own during the first half of the game. The Destiny’s defense and goalie were able to keep the second half of the game scoreless as did the Grants Pass United team. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Coach Nick Parker was disappointed that his team did not come away with a win in the first game of the season.

On Sunday at Sunnybrae Middle School Coach Nick Parker saw his team’s efforts pay off with their first win of the 2007 season. “I was concerned during the first 15 minutes of the game because the team started out slowly, but something magical happened and they picked up the pace and were suddenly in complete control.” Said Parker. “It definitely became “easy” when it became a passing game.” Said Nick Parker. The defenders and mid fielders were able to control the ball well and make accurate passes. This certainly contributed to the successful outcome of the game. The Destiny’s defense and goalie Selina Bernard got their long awaited shut out. “The Destiny’s sweeper, Carlyn Girard led the defensive efforts and was one of the stars of the game” said Coach Parker. The wind was against the team for the entire game but there were some great goal kicks by defender Darcy Gordon. The Basin United U16 team could not break through the Destiny’s defense to score. The Destiny’s mid fielders and forwards passed the ball well and maintained good positioning on the field. This allowed them to set up plays that enabled shooter Tara Boynton to score 4 goals. “Young Julia Middlemiss kept up with the older player and had some shining moments.” Said Coach Nick Parker. The final score of Sunday’s game was a 4-0 win for the Destiny.

The Destiny is looking forward to meeting these teams on their own turf in the Medford, Oregon area over the next few weeks. The first road trip to Oregon will take place on April 21^st and 22^nd when the Destiny will face the RVSC Mystic of Rogue Valley and the Ashland Grizzettes.

2007 Southern Oregon Classic League

2007-04-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

by John Saveliff
Eureka, CA

Sparkling dew and the smell of freshly cut grass signal the arrival of 2007 Spring League soccer. In what is fast becoming an annual event for northern California youth soccer players, seven teams from Mad River Youth Soccer League (MRYSL) and two teams from Humboldt Youth Soccer League (HYSL) will join teams from southern Oregon in this year’s Southern Oregon Classic League (SOCL).

During SOCL's short seven-week schedule, teams will travel between Oregon fields in Roseburg, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, and Klamath Falls, and California fields in Arcata, Big Lagoon, and Yreka. Spring League represents the last hurrah of the 2006/2007 soccer year and provides an opportunity for competitive-level players to gain some additional experience before the regular season kicks in.

Players typically practice three times a week for two hours under the guidance of CYSA professional or licensed coaches and trainers. Older players are also on hand to serve as role models and demonstrate skills. And supplemental training in the form of soccer camps and clinics is also available. Keepers recently completed eight hours of Humboldt State University goalkeeper training with HSU head coach Andy Cumbo.

While densely populated areas in California have large pools of young players to field several teams in each age bracket, MRYSL relies on a mix of skilled players from all corners of Humboldt County to field just one or two teams in each bracket. MRYSL’s U16G has players from Arcata HS, Eureka HS, Fortuna HS, Ferndale HS, Sunny Brae MS, and Northcoast Prep Academy.

Humboldt Teams competing in the 2007 Southern Oregon Classic Spring League:

Division	Team	Coach
U12B	Mad River Steelhead	Pete Shepard
U12B	Mad River Wolves	Tim Laney
U12G	Mad River United	Nick Parker
U14B	Mad River Steelhead	Pete Fuller
U14GG	Humboldt Torrent FC	Pat Stranahan
U16B	Mad River Lightning	Neil Chai
U17G	Mad River Destiny	Nick Parker
U19B	FC Humboldt	Danny Holmes
U19B	Mad River United FC	Jason Ewing

Schedules for Humboldt County teams and home games are available at: http://www.mrysl.com

Soccer tryouts for the 2007/2008 Fall Season (Divisions 1 and 3) are well underway across Humboldt and signups for Recreational Soccer Division 4 will begin in May.Don’t miss out on the fun!

For more information, call MRYSL in Arcata at 822-3333 or check out the league web sites at www.mrysl.com, www.hysl-4kids.com, and www.socl.info.

Destiny Competes in 2007 California State Cup Tournament

2007-04-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

By Anna Bernard
Arcata, CA

The Mad River Youth Soccer League (www.MRYSL.com) U16 Girls Destiny Team competed in the 2007 California State Cup the weekend of March 30th and April 1st 2007. Coach Nick Parker and his Division 1 team traveled to Morgan Hill to compete in one of the toughest Brackets in the tournament. During the tournament, Coach Parker noted: “I kept seeing teams out there that I was convinced we would beat, and I think it fair to say our bracket was tougher than most.”

On Saturday, the Destiny was able to hold the Alpine/Menlo Ole to just 2 goals, but was unable to score against this fast-paced passing team. During Saturday’s second game, the Destiny’s Tara Boynton scored an early goal assisted by both Hannah Garrett and Bailey Davey. The Destiny was able to maintain the 1-0 lead until the last few minutes of the game when the Peninsula Strikers scored to tie the game 1-1. The most challenging game took place on Sunday April 1st against the Pleasanton Rage. Although the Rage scored 5 goals in the first half of the game, the Destiny was able to keep them from scoring in the second half of the game for a final score of 5-0. Coach Nick Parker commented on the Destiny’s defense: “Tactically our defense was stellar, from the high line on back.”

The Destiny played hard throughout the tournament and put forth their best effort at each game. Looking forward, Coach Parker states: “As we move into the Southern Oregon Classic 2007 Spring League, we will be able to focus more on a passing game, and getting numbers forward into attack and creativity.” The Destiny should be proud of their accomplishments in 2007 and are already looking forward to competing at the 2008 California State Cup!

Early morning Destiny check-in for 2007 State Cup
(click on image for more State Cup photos)