August 2006

PAGE 11

25 WSYSA Teams Compete in Far West Regional Championships

(continued from page 9)

representing our state who have worked so hard to get

added another goal on a free kick from just outside the

to this point. If you ever get a chance to play at

box, and Fénix again countered on a nice feed from

Regionals, be sure and take time to soak up the unique

Bloecker to Chapin who beat the MVLA line and carried

GU-16 - SYSA Woodland SC Fénix 89 Red

atmosphere, all the state flags, the gift exchanges at the

the ball with patience to shoot past the goalie at the last

By Jacques White, Parent

end of the games, and a chance to meet and play

minute. Eight goals and three yellow cards later, Fénix

against players from all around the western U.S.

had passed their first test of these 2006 Regionals with

a 5-3 victory over Mercury.

Hats off to MVLA. They are a beautifully coached

team who space the field and control the ball with

GU-15 - LWYSA Crossfire Premier P. Lombard

grace and authority. It was an honor to play them, and

By Dawn and Cam Pollock, Team Managers

our girls can learn a lot from the way the Mercury plays

soccer. We thought if we were lucky, we might meet

them again later in the week.

On Tuesday Fénix had a good game against the

Montana State Champions, Bozeman Blitzz, winning

4-0. Goals: First Half - Mackenzie Harrison and Megan

Chapin; Second Half - Mackenzie Harrison and Maggie

Bruns. Shut Out: Ashley Engle.

Wednesday's game against Hawaii State Champions

Leahi 90 Premier was another tough match. Leahi need-

T

he Fénix team arrived in Nampa, ID around 7 PM

ed to tie or win to advance out of Bracket, and Fénix

on Saturday night and went straight to the local

had to avoid losing the game by more than 2 goals.

high school for an evening practice to move around

Figuring the best way to advance was to win, Fénix

after the long car ride. Many carloads on the way to

played hard from start to finish. Fénix's plans for going

Idaho were searching for a place to watch the US vs.

deeper into the tournament looked in jeopardy when

Italy World Cup game on TV. The gutsy play of the 9 US

the Hawaiian champs scored first on a loose ball in

players in the second half was inspiring to say the least!

front of the goal about mid-way through the first half.

T

he road to Regionals for Crossfire Lombard was

Sunday was a quiet day around the motel, with the

Fénix countered with a score by Brandee Marone.

truly an amazing journey. It really began in the

girls having another practice at Nampa High and lots of

Fénix put the game away on a corner kick by Megan

spring of 2005, when Crossfire, two-time defending

rest to recover from final exams and the long trip.

Chapin from the right side that cleared the goalie's out-

state champions, lost their quarterfinal state cup match

Having been to Regionals the year before, the players

stretched arms into the upper left corner. The win

in a shootout. The girls made a pact with each other at

were aware that it could be a long week, and that con-

the end of the season that their shared mission was to

guaranteed that Fénix would go through first in their

serving energy and preparing mentally for the games

work as hard as necessary to win back the State Cup in

bracket and play the second place team from Flight D,

ahead were critical for a successful run at the regional

2006.

Spokane Shadow.

title. Coming into the tournament with one player

With a few key additions to the team and a clear

On Thursday, Fénix had to play its old nemesis

injured, the team also knew that everyone would have

vision, the team began the campaign by successfully

Spokane Shadow in the quarterfinals. The game started

to be on their game every game.

defending their Division 1 state league title in the fall.

at 10 AM on a still and sunny morning at the Simplot

Regionals started off with a bang for Fénix as they

They then focused on the state cup tournament, and

Sports Complex. Both teams looked a little tired after

took the field against Cal North Champions MVLA

moved on, undefeated, into the finals. Crossfire domi-

three days of championship soccer, and with the

Mercury. MVLA is highly ranked in national polls,

nated the final match vs. the Royals and came away

thought of having to play a quality team they know so

boasts several National Team players and a coach who

with a 3-0 victory and their 3rd state championship. But

well. The game started off with a lot of play back and

is an assistant at Santa Clara.

the mission wasn't finished.

forth in the midfield, but Spokane seemed to be getting

The game started with Fénix facing a stiff breeze

In their previous trip to Regionals - Spokane in

more looks at the goal than Fénix. Fénix center backs

and a hard shot on frame right out of the gate from

2004 - Crossfire had made it to the semifinals before

Alicia Patten, Ashley Hogan, and Toni Carnovale along

about 45 yards away. MVLA kept the pressure on all

falling 2-1 to the eventual champion, Southern Cal's

with Goalie Ashley Engle did an excellent job keeping

half with solid midfield play and long balls keeping

Surf. This year's goal was to improve on that ­ making

Spokane out of the Fénix goal. After a hard-fought first

Fénix pinned in its own end, facing shot after shot on

it to the finals - and a favorable draw made it look like

half, the score was knotted at 0-0.

or near frame from 20+ yards away. Goalkeeper Ashley

a real possibility. However, a few unlucky circum-

The second half started out where the first half

Engle did a good job collecting balls and sending them

stances made the challenge more formidable. Two play-

ended, with both teams making forays into the others

back to the midline into the wind. The Fénix defenders

ers, including Crossfire's starting center midfielder,

end, but no rewards resulted. About 15 minutes into

also did a good job double-teaming Mercury and

went down to knee injuries that made them unavailable

the second half, one of the Spokane forwards got tan-

cleared many balls to the outside.

to play. A third player decided to leave soccer outright

gled up with some Fénix defenders in the box and

About 12 minutes into the game Fénix countered

in favor of running track. This left the team with only

Shadow was awarded a penalty kick. The kick found

with a ball up the center played out to winger Megan

two field substitutes, playing in the heat against teams

the back of the net and Shadow was up 1-0. Play went

Chapin. Chapin took it down the side and crossed the

with 5-6 players on the bench. The girls, however,

back and forth from there, with Engle making a spec-

ball in front of the goal for Brandee Marone. Her shot

remained confident they had a legitimate chance to

tacular save leaping to her right. The last ten minutes of

was deflected, but forward Maggie Bruns was there to

win.

the game, Fénix pressed incredibly hard, with the team

put it in the net supported by midfielder Maddie Rasch.

The team stayed outside of Boise at Bogus Basin, a

making several threatening runs at the Shadow goal.

Two shots, one goal.

ski resort located at over 7,000 ft. While this resulted in

With about 3 minutes to go, Ashley Hogan went high in

Near the end of the half, MVLA fed a perfect ball to

a long, winding drive to the fields each day, the weath-

the air and sent a header from a corner kick just off the

a breaking midfielder who got behind the Fénix

er was 15 degrees cooler, the scenery was spectacular,

upper left hand side of the crossbar. Extremely exciting

defense and put it in on the ground. The half ended

and the girls bonded together like they were at summer

play, but not quite enough to level the score. The game

with a 1-1 tie and Fénix feeling somewhat fortunate to

camp. The tournament facilities were incredible ­ 22

and the 2005/2006 season officially ended with a 1-0

have escaped the windward onslaught with a draw.

well-groomed fields, tents and flags for every state ­ a

loss to the Shadow.

The second half began with Fénix increasing their

real first-class event.

Spokane is very classy group of players, coaches,

possession and pressuring the ball to midfield, but the

Crossfire dominated their first game vs. the Arizona

and parents and we want to acknowledge their terrific

ball went back and forth with MVLA continuing to fire

Wildcard team, featuring the team's first ever bicycle-

successes this year. While we are sorry they knocked us

away from outside, unable to penetrate for a closer

kick goal to start off a 4-0 victory. Game 2 was the

out of the tournament, we wished them well and

look. Fifteen minutes or so in, defender Alicia Patten

team's toughest challenge in bracket play, as Hawaii

hoped they would bring the Regional Championship

made a terrific feed to Pfeiffer Bloecker cutting up the

held Crossfire to 0-0 at half. Crossfire managed to score

back home to Washington. The competition was fierce

center who then beat the MVLA back line and the

in the second half to secure a 1-0 win. Game 3 against

in the later rounds of the tournament, and players' legs

goalie for Fénix's second goal of the game. Only a few

the Nevada Wildcard team resulted in a 7-0 win and an

were weary from four games in as many days. Fénix

minutes later Merrit Peterson made a similar pass to

opportunity to rest some tired players.

was down to ten healthy players by Thursday, and if

Bloecker who repeated her feat to make the score 3-1

Crossfire matched up against New Mexico in the

they had gotten by Spokane, it would have been a

Fénix.

quarterfinals, and came out gunning, notching two

A foul in the box allowed MVLA to close the gap on

rough road forward from there.

goals in the first half of the 2-0 win. Friday was a much-

a penalty kick, but Fénix countered quickly with Patten

Fénix was honored to be able to represent the State

needed rest day, featuring a light workout, a water-bal-

making a 45+ yard wind-assisted free kick from straight

of Washington as the U16 wild card team at the Far

loon fight with the boy's team, and a lake swim.

on that just bounced over the out stretched finger tips

West Regional Championships. We have a great deal of

(continued on next page)

of the MVLA goalie - to everyone's amazement. MVLA

respect for our opponents and all of the other teams