Davis College Showcase – December 15-16, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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!