SBSC's U16 team members are: Jamie Benedetto, Hannah Brisby, Ashley Carney, Annie deBruynKops, Emily Erwin, Hannah Harrah, Shelby Hoffman, Emma Jones, Kayla Klopstein, Annelise Morando, Ava Nania, Leah Parlato, Clarissa Ramirez, Mari Solis, Emma Trumbull, and Ashlen Weddington. (SBSC Photos)
Showing remarkable club strength, both of Santa Barbara Soccer Club’s teams entered into the prestigious 33rd Annual North Huntington Beach Cup came home tournament champions.
On the heels of taking the Santa Barbara Summer Cup title two weekends ago, the SBSC Girls Under 16 Team continued their winning ways, battling through four tough matches to earn the champions’ trophy. Filling in for Coach Dana Weymouth, SBSC Director of Coaching Lloyd Biggs guided the team and noted that the team “played with great heart” in overcoming several challenges including coming back from a 1-3 deficit to draw Central Coast Alliance Black at 3-3 enabling a semi-final berth.
SBSC's U14 team members are: KK Amble, Becca Baxis, Becca Buratto, Seanna Fernandez, Olivia Jones, Megan McQueen, Alison Milam, Malia Morales, Julie Pitney, Hannah Ross, Sydney Tamaki, Erin Williams, Tasha Wood, Lindsey Young, and Sierra Wang. For the weekend the team was augmented with guest players Chloe Hamer, Richelle Knupper, and Karynnah Wells.
In the semi-final match, the SBSC girls outshot the FC Barcelona squad in PK’s after battling to a 3-3 draw in regulation. The championship match, featuring stellar defense and opportunistic offense, was a shutout for the GU16 team as they defeated the FC Blades 2-0. All said, the team led the tourney with 10 goals scored.
Building towards their league season the SBSC Girls Under 14 White Team powered through two shutout victories against tourney host North Huntington Beach and SoCal Infinity, 2-0 and 2-0, before colliding with the #2 team from Arizona, Arsenal Premier.
Anchored by tenacious goal keeping by Allie Milam SBSC fought the game to a 0-0 draw sending them to the finals on the strength of the earlier shutouts. After slugging it out with Sacramento’s San Juan Spirits to a 0-0 draw in regulation and overtime, the matter was decided in SBSC’s favor via penalty kicks that pivoted on two saves by goalie Milam. Describing the final as a very physical, near-trench battle Coach Jens Amlie praised his player’s commitment to persevere through to victory.
Great job girls!