Varsity Championship Tournament Results

JOY IN MUDVILLE -- Cambridge players and fans celebrate boys soccer victory.
Carlos Hugo Vaca, Cambridge

Cooperative, International and Cambridge triumph

Hail to the conquering heroes!

Cooperative won two championships Saturday in the 2009 SCISL Varsity Championship Tournament, one in boys volleyball and the other in girls soccer, but teams from other schools took the trophies in boys soccer and girls volleyball.
The Cambridge boys soccer team made its "Cinderella story" come true with an epic 3-2 win over Cooperative in the climactic final match of the Tournament.
And simultaneously the International girls volleyball team scored a dramatic straight sets victory over Cooperative to take that trophy.
It was as if Cooperative had been playing under a magic spell that somehow expired at noon. (The two championships the Jaguars lost started at 12:30 p.m.
The Cooperative girls soccer team had earlier finished its perfect season by whipping Christian Learning 9-0 in that championship game.
The Cooperative boys volleyball team had been similarly overwhelming in defeating International in straight sets to take that trophy. The Jaguar boys also compiled an unbeaten season.
In the consolation games, International secured third place in boys soccer, while Christian Learning took third place in both boys and girls volleyball.

Boys Soccer: Cambridge's Miracle
It could have been a movie plot. In fact it has been -- Bad News Bears, Rocky, Angels in the Outfield, Hoosiers, and many, many more.
After a regular season in which they won not a single game, the Cambridge boys varsity soccer team fought its way to the championship game against highly favored and undefeated Cooperative, then came from behind to win the trophy 3-2 with a gutsy, all-out effort that had almost everyone -- including even some Jaguar fans -- shaking their heads and saying simply, "What a great game!"
Cambridge was no doubt driven by a wide range of emotions. Revenge for the three defeats Cooperative had pinned on the Knights this year, including an 11-1 opening day thrashing. Redemption, perhaps, for an entire season in which there hasn't been much for Cambridge fans to cheer about.
And some very particular and personal reasons. "It's my birthday today," junior midfielder Matias Martinez told a teacher before the game. "I want to have something to celebrate."
Things did not start well for the Knights, as the Jaguars scored first when about midway through the first period their leading scorer Jose Manuel Vasquez received a pass on the left side of the goal and unleashed a shot that passed untouched into the corner of the net.
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MAN-TO-MAN DEFENSE --
The game was a sequence of duels between individual Knights and Jaguars,
Carlos Hugo Vaca, Cambridge, and Kelly Clark Boldt, Cooperative
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But that concluded the scoring for the half, which was played with intense fury on both sides, with each having its chances to score -- though the Jaguars probably had more.
Cambridge had started with their big star, Junior Sanchez, playing on defense, hoping to get a one-goal advantage as they had against Cooperative Friday and then holding onto it. After Vasquez' goal Sanchez moved to the offensive zone, but Cooperative's rough-and-tumble, double-teaming defense kept him largely in check. Cambridge did draw a half dozen or more free kicks, but the Cooperative defense (aided at times by a gusting crosswind that made precision kicking difficult) was up to the challenges presented.
Shortly into the second half, however, Sanchez was tripped up in the penalty area and made good on the rsulting point-blank penalty kick to knot the score at 1-1.
After several more minutes of rapid action with the ball seeming to ping-pong up and down the field, Cooperative got a corner kick that Jaguar Wilson Salvatierra, who played brilliantly throughout the Tournament, headed into the goal, making the score 2-1 for Cooperative.
At that point the mood in the stands seemed to be "Well, good for Cambridge. They put up a good fight."
Cambridge, however, was not quite through fighting. When, a shorty while later, they got a corner kick, fullback Kevin Pulis snuck up from his defensive position apparently posing as an innocent by-stander, then raced in to kick the ball into the goal and make it a 2-2 ballgame.
This triggered a crisis among the crew of younger boys manning the scoreboard, since they only had one "2." A Cooperative administrator raced over to find out why the score was not being correctly presented. One of the boys tried gamefully to solve the problem by leaning out the "Visitors" opening of the scoreboard and holding up a two-fingered "V" signal to indicate the 2-2 tie. Later the crew tried switching their only "2" back and forth from one side to the other.
Most in the crowd, though, knew very well what the score was, and within a few more minutes Cambridge would solve the scoreboard crew's dilemma by adding its third score on what may have been the most confusing and controversial play of the day.
It began with a long, booming punt by Cambridge goalie Jose Luis Ribera that came bounding down the field with Sanchez and others in hot pursuit. It bounded high, hit the crossbar and bounced directly downward. Jaguar goalie Eduardo Ribera, who had leapt high for it, lost his balance and was now lying in the ground, tried to slap it aside, but Sanchez immediately claimed -- and the referees confirmed, that the ball had broken the plane of the goal to become the third score.
Most of the players and fans could not tell immediately what had happened, but got the picture as the huge Cambridge cheering cheering section, packed into the area right next to the goal, exploded in exultation, and the Cambridge players down near the goal raised their arms in triumph.
Cooperative would get more opportunities, but not that many as Cambridge went into some artful strategies to run out the clock. They shifted into a defensive alignment and repeatedly "iced" the ball with long, high kicks into the Cooperative end.
On two corner kicks the ball was tapped in to Sanchez who dribbled back into the corner and, in effect, defied the Jaguars to take the ball away from him, On one of these occasions he was able to keep the ball bottled up for over 30 seconds as two, three, and then four Jaguar defenders tried to get it away from him. finally forcing him to pass to Martinez, who controlled it a while longer.
When the whistle sounded to end the game the players and fans converged on the field to form a joyous bouncing, hugging, largely shirtless agglomeration of humanity. The final handshake was delayed but finally took place with fitting formality.
While nothing can diminish the dimensions of ther Knights ascension from worst to first, it might be noted at least in passing that the Knight boys are no strangers to championship contests. They won the championship last year and three years ago. Two years ago they were runners-up.
And to conclude: Happy birthday, Matias.

Cambridge line-up: Sanchez, Gonzalo Prudencio, Raul Prudencio, Martinez, Alvaro Lopez, Javier de las Heras, Jose Luis Rivero, Marilon Castillo, Fabricio Subirana, Facundo Rodriguez, Diego Bejar, and Federico Rocco. Coach: Carlos Euler.
For Cooperative: Milan Marinkovic, Alfonso Roca, Wilson Salvatierra, Juan Carlos Laguna, Esteban Sauto, Federico Sauto, Jean Bretel, Jorge Zankis, Jose Manuel Vasquez, Camilo Avila, Santiago Paz, Hyun Kim, Francisco Arioni, Juan Alfredo Abuawad, Jose Mozza, Eduardo Ribera, Jose David Sanchez, Josue Abuawad. Coach: Nicolas Mostert. Assistant coach: Dario Rojas.

DECIDING MOMENT -- The third Cambridge goal came on a confusing play. The ball bounced down from the crossbar (top) and Jaguar goalie Eduardo Ribera, lying on the ground, tried to slap it away while teammate Esteban Sauto pushed back Knight Junior Sanchez (6). Sanchez, having shed Sauto's cross-body block (middle), signals to the Cambridge fans that the ball is in the goal. Exultation quickly spreads (bottom). Jonatan Muñoz, International.

Girls Soccer: Jaguars cruise
The Cooperative girls soccer team finished the season in the championship game Saturday as it had started with an overwhelming shutout victory defeating Christian Learning 9-0 with an impressive show of offensive firepower.
The Jaguars completed the season with a perfect 10-0 record.
The game had looked to be a closer match-up than it proved to be. The Eagles had erased the Jaguars' claim of being "unscored-upon" earlier in the Championship Tournament by scoring twice. Though they lost that game 5-2, the Eagles could certainly claim to have put up a respectable fight.
Moreover, the Eagles had put on their own display of scoring might when they had defeated Cambridge Friday night in the wind and rain 7-0. The field was still soft Saturday morning and there were those in the large crowd who thought the Christian Learning girls might prove to be "good mudders" as is said of horses that run well on a wet track.
However, as the game unfolded it was Cooperative that was hitting on all eight cylinders, while the Eagles seemed to have trouble getting traction. For the Jaguars, the game spotlighted the return to form of Fernanda Vaca Diez, a tenth grader who was out of action last year due to academic eligibility problems, and had not, until the Tournament, played up to the potential she had shown as a high scoring eighth grader two years ago.
Vaca Diez scored four times in the championship. Tania Landivar, who played the opposite wing, added two more goals, demonstrating the "double-barreled" nature of the Cooperative offense. (Both players will be back next year. In fact, they´ll probably be back for the next several years.)
Aldana Roda, Maria Paz Rivero, and Maria Fernanda Antelo also scored for the Jaguars, who led 3-0 at the half.

The line-up for the Jaguars: Tania Landivar, Maria Paz Rivero, Maria Jose Rivero, Florencia Arnera, Ludovica De Rosmini, Tali Rozenman, Carla Limpias, Ana Paola Peredo, Maria Fernanda Antelo, Estefania Sauto, Paola Querejazu, Cecelia Aponte, Camila Adriazola, Fernanda Vaca Diez, Alexia Dabdoiub, Sofia Sotelo, Aldana Roda, Roseleny Kefer.
For Christian Learning: Miranda Hosanna, Abby Philips, Jenny Zimmerman, Jessica Smith, Ae Lin Lim, Mariela Salinas, Rachel Kienzle, Ji Hea Ahn, Erica Kienzle, Kaylynn Lampen, Susan Pedraza, Laura Lindahl, Maryodette Ribeiro, Sandi Wilcke, Rebekah Kienzle, Samia Dajbura, Isabella Diaz, Emily Ordoñez.

POURING IT ON I -- Griffin Beatriz Nallar (3) served for 12 consecutive points in the deciding secon set. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Girls Volleyball: Griffins rise to the top
For sheer excitement that had the fans for both teams standing and screaming, there was no better contest in the Tournament than the first set played between the International and Cooperative girls volleyball teams, which International won 29-27.
For an example of the way the complexion of a volleyball contest can completely change complexion with one team becoming totally dominant, there was no better example than the second set of the same match, which International won 25-8.

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POURING IT ON II -- Griffin coach Eli Vilar gets an ice water shower after Griffin victory. Jonatan Muñoz, International

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And thus did the Griffin girls become the SCISL volleyball champions Saturday morning against a Jaguar team with which they had dueled evenly all season.
The match had seemed a toss-up at the start. Each team had won one of the two regular season games. International had won their first meeting in the Tournament, but it had been a knock-down, drag-out, three-set donnybrook. One of those games where you felt it was too bad that somebody was going to have to lose.
Further clouding the picture was the fact that International had lost to Christian Learning in the Tournament , a team that Cooperative had defeated with relative ease.
In the first set the two teams fought each other point-by-point. International appeared to be in the driver's seat when it fashioned a 23-20 advantage, but Cooperative surged to tie the game at 24-24.
Then things got really intense- The two teams traded points in rallies that saw the ball go back and forth 20 times or more with both sides firing slashing cross-court hits and digging out apparently lost balls.
The cheering sections of the two teams, seated at the two ends of the south stands in the Cooperative gym, took turns standing and exulting as their team made an amazing save or an astonishing hit. Sometimes the outstanding plays came in such rapid succession that both sides were up and screaming simultaneously.
In between points the two sides sat down and screamed to the point where play was delayed because the referees could not communicate with the players. (The noise did not appear to bother the players, who kept signalling to their fans to turn up the volume.)
The final tie was at 27-27, after which International outlasted Cooperative on two intensely contest points to win 29-27. It was the closest contest of the entire year, boys or girls, varsity or junior varsity.
The loss seemed to visibly deflate the Jaguars. Coach Misty Skidmore would say later that she could tell that her team had lost its equilibrium during the first several points.
Several Jaguar players had finished the championship soccer game only fifteen minutes before the start of the volleyball championship game, and the strain now started to really show. Several Griffin players had also, of course, played soccer earlier in the day, but had gotten more of a rest before the volleyball contest.
The rallies continued to be long and well played, but increasingly it was the Griffins who prevailed as they moved out to an 11-6 lead.
At that point Griffin star Beatriz Nallar went to the service line. Her strong and unerringly accurate serves seemed to strengthen her teammates even further, and she took the Griffins all the way to 23-6. The two teams then traded points until the Griffins won 25-8.

The line-up for the Griffins: Ana Laura Gurierrez, Ciara Harriague, Laura Adriazola, Beatriz Nallar, Inez Fernandez De Cordova, Noelia Quinteros, Maria Rita Velasco, Diana Melgar, Maria Victoria Gutierrez, Flavia Nostas, Adriana Ocampo, Maria Paola Acosta. Coach: Eli Vilar.For the Jaguars: Karla Flores, Aldana Roda, Carla Limpias, Ana Paola Peredo, Ana Paola Justiniano, Sofia Sotelo, Luciana Adriazola, Veronica Richter, Tania Landivar, Vivian Froelhe, Ximena Guzman. Coach: Misty Skidmore.

Boys Volleyball: Cooperative rules!
The Cooperative boys volleyball team has dominated its opponents all season long, losing only a single set and no matches, and they continued that dominance in the championship game by beating International 2-0.
The Jaguars led virtually all the way as they took the first set 25-11, and the second 25-10. The Jaguars never gave the Griffins a chance to get rolling, as they had in the round-robin game played Friday night. Cooperative had won that match in straight sets too, but had been pushed hard in the opening set, which the Jaguars won 28-26. The result indicated vast improvement for International, which had been 1-5 during the regular season.
The Jaguar victory represented the first time that a Cooperative boys team has won a championship since 2006, when the boys track team turned the trick.

The line-up for the Jaguars: Juan Alfredo Abuawad, Juan Pablo Roda, Jorge Melgar, Milan Marinkovic, Wilson Salvatierra, Mateus De Carvalho, Josué Abuawad, Eduardo Ribera, Jose Miguel Gutierrez, Sebastian Kyllman, Alejandro Rosas. Coach: Jesus Flores.
For International: Eric Takayama, Juan Sebastian Narvaez, Francisco Gonzalez, Mauricio Nostas, Marco Parada, Johann Voss, Julio Ribeiro, Maycol Villavicencio, Andres Estenssoro, Daniel Roempler, Renato Guzman, Santiago Maldonado. Coach: Eli Vilar.

Knowledge Bowl: Jaguars edge Eagles
In a new competition for the SCISL added this year, Cooperative managed a narrow and exciting 40-38 win over Christian Learning in the finals of "Knowledge Bowl" Friday afternoon in the Cooperative cafeteria. before a large crowd.
In it, five-person teams took turns answering "toss-up" questions on general knowledge about geography, history, science, literature and other fields. If a player knew the answerr he or she pressed a buzzer. The first person to hit the buzzer got the chance to offer an answer. If correct, the team then had a chance to answer a follow-up "bonus" question in the same field.
Cooperative and Christian Learning had won the right to play in the finals in the preliminary round Thursday afternoon, during which the team from International School was eliminated. Cambridge did not field a team.
The big gun f0r Cooperative, and high scorer in the tournament, was tenth grader Sebastian Kyllman, who provided perhaps two-thirds of his team´s correct answers. The others on the Jaguar team were Maria Cristina Espinoza, Jonathan Reichsfeld, Augustina Rodriguez, and Gustavo Vaca Diez.
The Eagle team was comprised of Andrew Burgin, Kiuchi Hiromi, Carlos Sandoval, Sarah Miura, and Steven Hause.
The International School team was Maria Rita Velasco, Jorge Harriague, Andre Estatuti, Marco Parada, and Brenda Lee.

DAY TWO -- Varsity Championship Tournament Results

Match-ups set for championship round

Cooperative qualified all four of its teams for the finals of the SCISL Varsity Championship Tournament, which it will host beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, raising the possibility that the Jaguars could become the first "quadri-champions¨in League history. (For times see schedule at right.)
International can boast that both its boys and girls volleyball teams will be in Saturday's championship contests, and Christian Learning will have its championship hopes hopes pinned to its girls soccer team.
But perhaps the biggest story of the Tournament is the ascension of the Cambridge boys soccer team to the championship game. The Knights, who were winless during the regular season, will have the chance to become the year's "Cinderella team" as they go up against the undefeated Jaguars Saturday.
Were they to win it will be a classic "worst to first" situation, but the odds faced by the Knights are long indeed. They have been beaten three times this year by the Jaguars, starting with an 11-1 humiliation on opening day, and continuing through a 4-1 loss to Cooperative in the opening round of the Tournament.
Still Cambridge displayed a startling new offensive explosiveness by scoring three times in the final five minutes of its game with Christian Learning to come from behind and win 4-2 Thursday night.
They then put on an impressive display of strategic cunning Friday to beat International 1-0. The Knights scored early, then switched all their emphasis to defense to shut down the Griffin offense.
There was plenty of other exciting action on Day Two of the tournament. Here are the scoring summaries:
In boys soccer, Cooperative defeated Christian Learning 6-0, getting three goals from Juan Manuel Vasquez, and single markers from Santiago Paz, Bryan Moore, and Hyum Kim.
In girls volleyball, International defeated Cambridge, and Cooperative won over Christian Learning, both in straight sets.
In girls soccer, Christian Learning won twice. In the afternoon the Eagle girls beat International 2-1, getting two goals from Abby Phillips. Beatriz Nallar scored for International. At night, with rain falling and high winds, the Eagles defeated Cambridge 6-0.
Cooperative also won twice in girls soccer, and by decisive margins. The Jaguars beat Cambridge 7-0, then in the nightcap defeated International 6-0.
In boys volleyball, International won a thrilling three-set contest against Christian Learning, losing the first set 10-25, then rallying to take the next two 25-23 and 15-13.
The Griffins lost an almost equally exciting match to Cooperative. The Griffins lost in straight sets but in the opening set showed for the first time this year that they can play the Jaguars on an even basis, finally succumbing by a score of 28-26. The two teams meet in Saturday's championship game.
Christian Learning got back on a winning track with a straight sets win over Cambridge, who they play in the consolation game Saturday.
The Cambridge boys also lost in straight sets to Cooperative.

DAY ONE -- Championship Tournament

Suspicions confirmed, but surprises too

"It was a fruitful day," noted SCISL Commissioner Alvaro Ludueño in his after-action report on Thursday's thrill-packed first day of activity in the first-ever SCISL Varsity Championship Tournament, which comprised the first half of round robin play.

It was just that some of the fruits came out in unexpected and unusual shapes.

The rest of the round robin competition is slated for today (Friday), weather permitting, with the championship and consolation contests coming Saturday morning. (See schedule in right-hand column.

Girls Volleyball

The marathon, three-set victory by the International girls varsity volleyball team in the final contest of the day, combined with Christian Learning's almost equally as drawn-out three-set victory over International, threw the standings in girls volleyball into a cocked hat.

Any one of the three teams could wind up in the championship game, and, by the same token, any could wind up in the consolation game.

Cambridge had an excellent chance to mess things up even further, and to also be in championship contention, in its match against christian Learning. The Knights won the first set handily, and were up by eight points in the second, before undergoing a mysterious psychological collapse that enabled them to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The scores:
Cooperative d. Cambridge 2-0 (25-19, 25-16)
Christian Learning d. International 2-1 (19-25, 25-21, 15-11
Christian Learning d. Cambridge 2-1 (13-25, 25-23. 15-8)
International d. Cooperative 2-1 (27-25, 22-25, 15-8)

Boys Soccer

The Cooperative boys varsity soccer team steamed on its undefeated way, though it faced a strong challenge from International, and got more than token opposition from Cambridge.

The surprise was that Christian Learning, which finished second in the regular season, lost to both International and Cambridge. The Cambridge game was perhaps the most exciting of the day, with the Knights scoring three times in the last five minutes to win 4-2 in a superbly played match.

To qualify for the championship game the Eagles must defeat the unbeaten Jaguars in their game today, and even that might not be enough.

The match to watch will be International against Cambridge. Cambridge, which hasn't won a game all year (though it tied International once) could make the championship game by winning.

The scores:
International 3, Christian Learning 0
Cooperative 4, Cambridge 1
Cooperative 2, International 1
Cambridge 4, Christian Learning 2

Boys Volleyball

No surprises in the early skirmishing in this division. The unbeaten Cooperative boys volleyball team easily defeated Christian Learning in straight sets.

The International-Cambridge three-set donnybrook was a most entertaining match, with the Griffins rallying nobly to win by the narrowest of margins, but it remains to be seen whether either of these two also-rans (who nonetheless played exceeding well against each other) can give Cooperative any trouble today.

If Christian Learning can beat both of these two opponents they will most likely earn the coveted rematch with Cooperative.

The scores:
Cooperative d. Christian Learning 2-0 (25-13, 25-11)
International d. Cambridge 2-1 (22-25, 25-15, 15-13)

Girls Soccer
The big news in girls soccer is that the Cooperative girls varsity soccer team can no longer claim in its list of sobriquets "unscored-upon." Christian Learning put the ball into the Jaguars heretofore chaste goal twice during their game.

It wasn't enough, however, The Jaguars still prevailed 5-2, and still claim to be "unbeaten and untied."

International defeated Cambridge 1-0 in a defensive battle, the only other content played Thursday.

The scores:

International 1, Cambridge 0
Cooperative 5, Christian Learning 2

DAY ONE -- Photo Album

Let the games begin . . . .

Varsity Tournament Rules

"Regular season" winners have edge in Tourney

Teams that did well during the regular season start the Varsity Championship Tournament with an advantage, according to an explanation of the somewhat complex tournament scoring rules recently put out by the League.
A team that, for instance, finished in first place in the regular season starts the Tournament with points already credited to it equal to the points it would receive for a game won in the tournament. Teams that finished second and third also will start the Tournament with points already on the scoreboard in their favor.
The idea is to reward teams for doing well during the regular season, while at the same time allowing other teams a chance to reach the championship round.
The scoring for soccer and volleyball is slightly different.
To understand how this system works it may help to start with an explanation of how points are awarded in the tournament. In soccer, a team gets three points for winning a game, none for a loss during the opening "round robin" phase on Thursday and Friday during which in which each team plays every other team. The two teams with the best records, including points for the regular season finish, then meet in the championship round on Saturday. The other two teams play the "consolation" game for third place.
Ties are handled the same as during the regular season during the round robin. There is a five-shot penalty shoot-out in the event of a tie. The winner of the shootout gets two points; the loser gets one. If the championship game is a tie at the end of regulation time, a ten-minute sudden death overtime period will be played. If the score is still tied, there will be a penalty shot shootout.
In addition to points garnered for wins in the tournament, the team that finished first during the regular season starts out with three points in its favor in the standings even before the first tournament game is played. The team that finished second has two points, and the team that finished third has one.
The fourth-place finisher has no points to start with, but could still qualify for the finals in the tournament. To do so it would probably have to win all three of its games in the "round robin" phase of the tournament, though because of the way ties are scored the fourth-place team could conceivably also get to the finals and have a chance to win the championship with two wins and a tie, or even two wins and a loss.
In volleyball, two points are awarded in the tournament for a win. and one for a loss. (No points are awarded to a team that forfeits.)
As in soccer, in addition to points earned in the tournament, the team that "won" the regular season starts with two points to its credit, and the team that finished second has one point. The teams that finished third and fourth get no points.
Once again in volleyball, the teams that did well during the regular season are rewarded, but any team can make the finals and win the championship.

JV Boys Soccer Championship

THE AMAZING FLYING AVILA -- Jaguar goalie Camilo Avila making one of his incredible saves against Griffin Lucas de Coulon. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

Jaguars lead Griffins all the way, triumph 3-1

The Cooperative boys junior varsity soccer team claimed the championship with a 3-1 victory over International Thursday on their home field, with a lot of the credit going to their goalie, Camilo Avila.
Avila stopped at least three certain goals with diving saves in the open field, and while International also had its share of defensive heroics, Jaguars Josue Abuawad, Rafael Sakuma, and Jorge Zankiz were able to get the ball into the net. Santiago Rosado scored for the Griffins.

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SETTLING A DIFFERENCE -- Jaguar Rafael Sakuma and Griffin Alejandro Saldaña have divergent ideas as to which way the ball should go. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

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The game opened with the two teams launching reciprocating attacks that took the ball up and down the field with startling speed. The Jaguars broke the deadlock when the Griffin goalie gambled -- and lost -- by trying to come out and snatch the ball from an on-rushing Josue Abuawad. Abuawad evaded him and zipped the ball into the open net.
Avila kept the Jaguars in the lead with the first of his several fabulous saves as he matched strides with Griffin Javier Barron as the two raced across the mouth of the goal, then uncannily snared Barron's shot with a flying leap.
Jaguar captain Rafael Sakuma then moved the score to 2-0. Racing in with the ball from the side of the goal he uncorked a low line drive into the opposite side of the goal.
Avila then made another astonishing save, this time off a hard kick by Jose Eduardo Coloma that seemed to have goal written all over it until Avila grabbed it.
The half ended with the Jaguars ahead 2-0.
The Griffins pulled to within a single goal 2-1 when Rosado made good on a penalty shot. He had been knocked down from behind in the penalty area as he tried to drive along to end line toward the goal.
Rosado had a chance to even the score as he broke free in front of the goal moments later, but Avila almost magically snatched the ball out from under his feet.
The Jaguars got their third goal by completing three long passes that got the ball to Jorge Zankiz close to the goal, who put it in the net.

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HAIL TO THE VICTORS -- Jaguars celebrate their victory.
Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

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The line-up for the champion Jaguars: Avila, Alejandro Rojas, Reinalso Chavez, Leo Landivar, Sakuma, Jorge Zankiz, Jose David Sanchez, Abuawad, Bruno Alvarenga, Jose Mario Salvatierra, Sebastian Zankiz, Ezekiel Chavez, Cho Jang Ho, Stefano de Rosmini, Fernando Antelo, Richard Salvatierra, Gabriel Romero, and Daniel Velasco. The coach is Orlando Taja.
For the Griffins: Joaquin Wray, Claudio Santos, Walter Sandy, Felipe Rios, Santiago Rosado, Alejandro Saldaña, Esteban Justiniano, Lucas de Coulon, Javier Barron, Diego Aramayo, Samir Nostas, Shane Maughan, Javier Garcia, Hans Hartman, Daniel Hanley, Joachim Blasco, Jakob Hlodversson, Jose Eduardo Coloma. The coach is Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva.



SPLASH PARTY -- Happy Jaguars administer ceremonial dunking to Coach Orlando Taja (figure in red, submerged). Jonatan Muñoz, International
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HERE HE COMES -- Winger Jose Ribera scored both goals for the Knights.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative

Knights edge Eagles 2-1 for third place

The Cambridge junior varsity boys soccer team narrowly defeated Christian Learning 2-1 in a consolation game played at Cooperative Thursday that was every bit as thrill-packed as the championship game that followed it.
The victory gave the Knights third place in the League, a spot they have occupied almost all season, but which they nearly lost in this playoff contest against a team that has not won this season.


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YOU GO YOUR WAY, AND ... -- Knight Jose Ribera tries to push past a determined Regan Janzen.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative

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The Little Eagles were on the board first when Gaston Waldman chipped a high shot that the leaping Cambridge goalie, Andres Hurtado, inadvertently slapped into his own goal.
Knight Jose Ribera tied the score when he got loose in front of the Eagle net and fired the ball past Eagle goalie Wesley Ordoñez.
In between the two scores, the two goalies took turns making impressive saves, as both teams had chances to score but failed to capitalize on them.
The half ended with the score still tied at 1-1.
As the second half began the two teams continued to compete on an even basis. Both were moving the ball downfield with facility, but neither could move in for a kill.
Cambridge may have begun to feel snakebit when they missed an open net several minutes into the second stanza, but they got another great chance when a shot from the side of the net spun away from a sprawling Ordoñez and curled across the front of the goal. Ribera found himself in the right place at the right time, and didn't miss.
The Eagles then put on the pressure, first forcing a corner kick, then sending a center pass across the front of the net that no Eagle could get to in time to convert. The action continued to be fast paced, with the ball ping-ponging up and down the field, giving both goalies multiple opportunities to handle the ball, and demonstrate their diving skills. But the game ended with the Knights ahead 2-1.
The line-up for the Knights was Hurtado, Gabriel Alonso, Ribera, Juan Carlos Paniagua, Diego Bejar, Nicolas Dagnoni, Daniel Kirigin, Adrian Gamarra, Ramiro Rodriguez, Samuel Zamora, Samuel Park, David Li Tan, Anthony Salvatierra, Mauricio Soto, and Leonardo Sanchez. The coaches are Carlos Euler and Karla Ross.
For the Eagles: Waldman, Haziel Martinez, Samuel Frith, Regan Janzen, Cesar Flores, Richard Enns, Andres Cruz, Josiah Canaviri, Ordoñez, Manfred Breede, Ryan Henderson, Luke Phillips, Micah Janzen, Hwa Pyung Lim, Jose Mercado, and Jordan Vandergwaag. The coach is Adam Morris.

JV Girls Soccer Championship

WINNING GOAL -- Jaguar Michelle Lederman (14) sends the ball past Eagle goalie Rebekah Kienzle for second Jaguar goal.
Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

Jaguars finally beat Eagles, take cup

The Cooperative girls junior varsity soccer team defeated Christian Learning in the championship game Thursday afternoon on their home field, 3-1.
The win marked the first time that the Jaguars had defeated the Eagles this year. Both of the two previous meetings had ended in ties, and with Christian Learning winning extra-point penalty shootout.
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LOOKING TO PASS -- Jaguar Michelle Lederman (14) tries to find an open teammate. She later scored twice.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative

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Giovanna Varalta opened the scoring for the Jaguars dribbling the ball to the left corner of the penalty box and unleashing a shot that beat Eagle goalie Rebekah Kienzle to the far side of the goal.
Eagle standout Emily Ordoñez had two excellent opportunities to even the score. An just-in-time deflection by Jaguar goalie Fabiana Andrade thwarted the first. The second, right off the kickoff of the second half, hit the goal post.
The Jaguars netted the next goal when Michelle Lederman took the ball at midfield, outran the Eagle defenders, and won a one-on-one confrontation with Kienzle by knocking the ball to the goalie's right, making the score 2-0 for the Jaguars.
Each team had several near misses, and then Ordoñez got another chance, and the fleet-footed redhead was not denied this time. Sailing at full steam into four defenders she let loose a shot that Andrade tried to kick save. The footwork was there, but the timing was off, and the ball scooted under her outstretched leg like a croquet ball going through a wicket to make the score 2-1.
The Jaguars added an insurance goal a short while later. Varalta took charge of a throw-in deep in the Christian Learning end and uleashed a centering pass that Lederman banged into the goal.
Cooperative threatened again, but Kienzle made the necessary saves. The game ended right after the Eagles just missed on a free kick.

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WINNING TEAM -- Jaguars pose with trophy and coaches.
Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

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The line-up for the championship-winning Jaguars was Varalta, Maria Fernanda Flores, Megumi Kamiya, Marcela Netzlaff, Andrea Chavez, Giuliana Varalta, Maureen Harrison, Jessica Maureira, Bianca Marinkovic, Lederman,
Samantha Bennett, Andrade, and Cassandra Morales. The co-coaches are Olivia Mercado and Heath Kondro.
For the runner-up Eagles it was: Sandi Wilcke, Samiua Dajbura, Kienzle, Jessica Suarez, Bright Chin, Tamara Vargas, Ordoñez, Ivana Velarde, Isabela Diaz, Emily Mercado, Veronica Apodaca, Shikenah Miranda, Elizabeth Suarez, and Camila Salgueira, Ester Chun, Roxann Malloy, and Jessica Schroeder. The coach is Keith Wilcke.

JV Boys Soccer Semifinals

OVER THE WALL -- Knight Leonardo Sanchez (19) launches a free kick over the Jaguars' wall, but goalkeeper Camilo Avila fielded it just inside the left goal post (right).

Tony Paulsen, Cooperative

Jaguars beat Knights on late goal 1-0

The Cooperative boys junior varsity soccer team squeezed by Cambridge Thursday afternoon on the strength of a goal by Rafael Sakuma in the closing minutes.
The stage is now set for the championship game Thursday between Cooperative and International, who each won a game in their previous meetings this year. Cambridge will play Christian Learning in the consolation game for third place.
Cooperative had been on the attack through the entire game and had many more shots on goal but until Sakuma scored with about three minutes remaining Cambridge goalie Jose Ribera had met the challenge with intrepid positioning and sure-handed catches. Ribera was playing goal for the first time since the first game of the season, but "has been practicing" according to assistant coach Karla Ross.
His long punts were Cambridge's strongest offensive weapon. Indeed, they were almost too strong. Several times in the second half Cooperative goalkeeper Camilo Avila fielded Ribera punts that no other player had touched.
Cooperative had actually had its two best chances in the first half when two shots spanged off the crossbar, one by Manuel Navarro and the other by Josue Abuawad. Abuawad's shot hit the crossbar after being deflected off the forearms of a diving Ribera.
Cambridge had actually come within inches of scoring the game's first goal when Gabriel Alonso launched a high looping shot that Avila, suspended in mid-air as if preparing to do a back swan dive, slapped over the goal with the fingers of his outstretched right hand.
Sakuma's goal followed a melee in front of the Cambridge goal after a free kick. Ribera came out of the goal to his right to try to make a leaping grab for a bouncing ball, but it squirted off his fingertips. It bounced free and bounced for a long second or two in front of the now undefended net before Sakuma kicked it in.
The line-up for the victorious Jaguars was Avila, Alejandro Rosas, Reinaldo Chavez, Ezequiel Chavez, Leo Landivar, Sakuma, Jose David Sanchez, Abuawad, Jose Marco Salvatierra, Jorge Zaniz, Sebastian Zankiz, Navarro, Rodrigo Adriazola, Bruno Alvarenga, Fernando Antelo, Richard Salvatierra, Gabriel Romero, and Daniel Velasco.
For the Knights it was Rivero, Federico Rocco, Kevin Mendez, David Li Tan, Diego Bejar, Samuel Zamora, Juan Carlos Paniagua, Nicolas Dagnoni. Adrian Gamarra, Alonso, Kevin Pulis, Daniel Kirigin, Simon Moron, Leonardo Sanchez, Samuel Park, Ramiro Rodriguez, and Andres Hurtado.
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Griffins maintain mastery over Mini-Eagles

By Keith Wilcke
Christian Learning
On a balmy afternoon at the International School, the International boys junior varsity socdcer team won their way into the JV boys soccer finals with a 3-0 victory over Christian Learning.
The last time these two teams met, the Griffins slid by with a 1-0 win and the Eagles had hopes of coming away with a victory. Eagle coach Adam Morris even offered to shave his head if his team won, but he'll now get to keep his hair.
The Griffins actually spoiled Coach Morris' possible buzz-cut in the first few minutes when they exploited some Eagle defensive miscues on the flank and fired a nice cross into the middle. One Griffin attacker fanned on the ball as it crossed in front of the Eagle goal, and it appeared for a moment as if the Eagles would dodge the bullet, but Javier Barron followed up his teammate's miss with a nice hard shot that found the net.
The rest of the first half was played on a relatively even basis until just before half time. The Eagle defense failed to clear a bouncing ball after a Griffin corner kick and Santiago Rosado knocked it into the goal.
Samir Nostas put another nail in the Eagle coffin with a long shot immediately following the opening kick off of the second half that eluded Eagle goalkeeper Wesley Ordonez.
As the two teams brought on their younger substitutes in the second half, both squads had several scoring opportunities, but no one else could convert.
The Griffins now go to the championship game against Cooperative Thursday while the Eagles will now have to content themselves with a try for the bronze medal against Cambridge.

JV Girls Soccer Semifinals

Jaguars beat Griffins 2-0 to gain finals

The Cooperative girls junior varsity soccer team defeated International Tuesday on their home field on the strength of two first half goals off the foot of Giovanna Varalta.
The win sets up an interesting championship match Thursday between Cooperative and Christian Learning, two teams who have battled to ties in their two previous meetings this year.
Christian Learning won the post game penalty shootouts in both cases, entitling them to two extra points in the standings, and finished first in the League, giving them a bye into the championship game.
Varalta, who was coming back to action after having been sidelined with a foot injury, did not start the game, but in less than a minute after she entered the action she put Cooperative ahead 1-0 with a booming shot from the center of the field from about 20 meters out.
She added her second goal a short while later when she veered left, then right to avoid Griffin defenders, and as she fell backwards got off a shot that hit the near post and caromed into the goal.
That concluded the scoring for the day, though early in the second half International seemed to be on the comeback trail. First Griffin Sofia Sciaroni went one-on-one with Jaguar goalie Fabiana Andrade, but Andrade won that one.
The Griffins were back in front of the Jaguar goal a short while later as Fabiana Zelada unleashed a near miss.
Next Natalia Johnson uncorked a looper that landed at the base of the right goalpost and bounced back out onto the field.
Then Maria Fernanda Gutierrez bounced a shot off Andrade and immediately collided with the goalkeeper. The Griffin cause might have been better served if Gutierrez had pursued the rebound instead of stopping to be sure Andrade was all right.
At this point, about halfway through the second half, the International attack seemed to lose force and momentum switched back to the Jaguars. Varalta came very close to getting a hat trick, but was thwarted by International goalkeeper Katherin Ceballos, who played well all afternoon.
The Jaguars had another golden opportunity as a ball bounced merrily across the mouth of the momentarily undefended Griffin goal, but no one could get there to kick it in.
The line-up for the winning Jaguars was Samatha Benett, Bianca Marinkovic, Jessica Maureira, Andrade, Michelle Lederman, Maureen Harrison, Cassandra Morales, Marcela Netzlaff, Giuliana Varalta, Giovanna Varalta, Megumi Kamiya, Andrea Chavez, and Maria Fernanda Flores.
For the Griffins: Ceballos, Nicole Sinclair, Micaela Pedraza, Michelle Pedraza, johnson, Angela Gagliardi, Zelada, Pamela Suarez, Gutierrez, Maria Isabel Alexander, Carolina Aguilera, Mariana Roca, Antonia Maggi, Sciaroni, and Carolina Teixeira.

JV Girls Volleyball Championship

FAMILY AFFAIR -- Griffin captain Ciara Harriague and her mother, International coach Eli Vilar, accept championship trophy from League commissioner Alavaro Ludueña.
Jonatan Muñoz, International

Griffins upset favored Jaguars in three sets

The International girls junior varsity volleyball team surprised previously undefeated Cooperative in the championship game played at Cooperative Thursday, as they started and finished strong to take the match two sets to one.
In a match in which both teams seem plagued by bad cases of Big Game Yips, the Griffins were finally the ones who made fewer mistakes.
The Griffins were in command of the match in the opening set moving out to a 16-8 lead, then widening it to 22-11, and, at the end, 25-14.
The second set started out a very even affair, and the teams were tied at 14-14. From that point the Jaguars began to asset themselves, pulling out to a 22-16 lead.
Both teams were plagued by missed serves, and neither seemed to be able to find a steady rhythm. The loud an noisy crowd may have contributed to the players evident nervousness.
International was able to take an early lead in the deciding third set, 8-2. But Cooperative fought back, and egged on by screaming, jumping, hooting fans led by a caped cheerleader wearing a blue Blooming flag, they cut the lead to two at 11-9, and then tied the game at 14-all.
However, the comeback try then foundered on a bad serve and missed reception, and the Griffins won the campionship, taking the final set 16-14.
The line-up for the victorious Griffins was Nicole Sinclair, Irene Vergara, Pamela Suarez, Fabiana Zelada, Katherine Ceballos, Renata Maggi, Ciara Harriague, Carolina Baldivieso, and Ana Laura Gutierrez.
The line-up for the Jaguars was Fabiana Peña, Jessica Maureira, Flavia Cortes, Tamara Paz, Stephanie Knize, Nadia Vaca Diez, Nicole Arias, Celita Guanella, Sofia Vallet, Susana Zankiz, Maria Paula Aguirre, Maria Jose Viacava.

JV Boys Volleyball Championship

VICTORY BLUR -- Chaos reigned after the the Jaguars finally sealed their championship.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative.

Jaguars edge Eagles in Topsy-Turvy Thriller

The Cooperative boys junior varsity volleyball rescued itself from a precipitous collapse and rallied to defeat Christian Learning in three sets in Thursday's championship game played in the Jaguars gym.
The Jaguars´ win enabled them to complete an undefeated 8-0 season, but it wasn't easy. The championship was a terrific match marked by long rallies in which both teams were hitting the ball hard and making dazzling saves. They took turns dominating one another, then went at it hammer and tongs in a deciding set decided by just two points.

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BIG HITTER -- Jaguar Josue Abuawad (1) prepares to pound a ball that Giorgio Rodrigano has just gone down on his knees to retrieve.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative

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The action was accompanied by the loudest crowd noise in recent memory as a determined group of Jaguar students, led by their cheerleaders, actually outshouted a larger (but less concentrated) band of Eagle adherents, which may never have happened before.
Cooperative got off to the faster start in the opening set, jumping off to an 11-6 lead and then hanging onto that margin during furious rallies. The Little Jaguars were consistently able to set the ball up for their big man, Josue Abuawad, who responded by unleashing hard,accurate spikes.
However, the Little Eagles were often capable of handling the hits and firing the ball back as fast as it had come. On one early point Abuawad unleashed five consecutive spikes, which were all returned. The sixth one, though, proved the charm and the Jaguars took the point.
The Jaguars , for their part, were able to handle the hard serves of Gaston Waldman, Felipe Arce and Haziel Martinez, who had overwhelmed many Christian Learning opponents. The Eagle servers also seemed to lack the precision they had shown in earlier games, possibly because they were pumping a little too much adrenalin into their veins for the championship contest.
The second set was a different story altogether. This time it was Christian Learning getting out in front 8-4, aided by some strong serves by Martinez. At that point Arce came to the line and his solid serving, though usually returned by Cooperative, seemed to steady his teammates. Now it was Christian Learning that was methodically setting the ball up for its front men, and Cooperative that was making the errors.
The Eagles took the next 13 points in a row, before allowing the Jaguars another point, then zipped through the final four points to win 25-5, the worst one-set thrashing any volleyball team has inflicted on another this season.
One almost wondered if Cooperative would answer the bell for the third set, but the Jaguars came out and quickly established that they were not going to roll over for the upstart Eagles. The Jaguars returned to their earlier form, and step-by-step built a 10-5 lead.
But at that point the Eagles began a counterattack that brought the score to 14-13 -- and the crowd to its feet -- before the Jaguars got the final point on an Eagle misplay.

The line-up for Christian Learning was Arce, Richard Enns, Cesar Flores, Martinez, Jose Merco, Wesley Ordoñez, Claudio Sandoval and Waldman.
It was a somewhat anticlimactic ending to what had been a glorious match, but the Jaguars were cvlearly willing to take it. Mayhem ensued as screaming Cooperative fans streamed onto the court to embrace the victors Jaguars who leaped and yelled in exultation, several stripping off their jerseys.

The line-up for the victorious Jaguars was Abuawad, Alejandro Rosas, Eduardo Ribera, Luis Peredo, Rodrigo Adriazola, Cho Jang Ho, Mathew DeLozier, Fernando Viacava, Jorge Zankiz, Mateus Belmonte, G. Rodriguez, and Sebastian Zankiz.

Knights rise to third place, beating Griffins

The Cambridge boys junior varsity volleyball team, which had one only one other game this season, came up big against International in the consolation game played Thursday at Cooperatitive, winning in straight sets.
The win gave them third place for the year.
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EXULTATION -- Cambridge players Andres (1) and Santiago Hurtado (3) and Federico Rocco (10)celebrate after nailing final point. Jonatan Muñoz, International

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The Junior Knights jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead in the first set on the stong serving of Andres Hurtado, and held that four-point advantage until they led 10-6, at which point they seemed to improve their consistency.
Their lead grew to 14-6, and then 18-9 and 20-11. International began to come back at that point, but it was too late and Cambridge was able to close out the first set 25-16.
In the second set International seemed to have rallied, and it was the Griffins who held the upper hand by two or three points all the way until the Knights were able to knot the score at 23-all. The Knights then quickly took the next two points to take the set and the match.
The line-up for the Knights was Diego Bejar, Hurtado, Jose Rivero, Santiago Hurtado, Kevin Mendez, and Federico Rocco.
The line-up for International was Claudio Vinicunis, German Ferraris, Alejandro Saldano, Jose Sciaroni, Vitor Santas, Juan Narvaez, Arturo Barrientos, Jorge Ortiz, and Hans Hartmann.

JV Boys Volleyball Semifinals

Eagle JV breezes to win over Griffins

The Christian Learning boys junior varsity volleyball team had little difficulty getting past International in their semifinal playoff game Tuesday in the International gym.
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SERVING WITH HONOR -- Haziel Martinez (7) was one of three Eagle players whose serves dominated the match.
Jonatan Muñoz, International

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The Eagle boys took the first set 25-11, and had even less trouble in the second, winning 25-8.
The Griffins will now face Cooperative, winner of the other semifinal pairing, in Thursday's championship game. International will take on Cambridge in the consolation game.
The Eagles won largely on the strong right arms of Gaston Waldman, Felipe Arce, and Haziel Martinez, whose strong service stints were the key to Christian learning's dominance in the match.
International actually jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first set, getting strong serves from Arturo Barrientos. But then Waldman went to work from the service line and propelled the Eagles into the lead 8-7. The Eagles were never headed after that.
They broke the first set open during the serves of Martinez, who took the Eagles from a 14-10 advantage to 18-10. The string of points was punctuated by a resounding spike from Arce.
Arce's service finished off the set. Artfully changing speeds, his serves seemed to flummox the Griffins as the Eagles took the final six points.
There was more of the same in the second set. The two teams sparred early on, as Christian Learning built a lead. Then at 16-8 Waldman went to the line again, and now apparently fully warmed up unleashed a string of cannon shot serves that were the key factor in the Eagles taking the final nine points of the set to win it and the match.
In addition to Arce, Martinez, and Waldman, the Eagle line-up included, Richard Enns, Cesar Flores, Jose Mercado, Wesley Ordoñez, and Claudio Sandoval.


Jaguars have no problem getting past Knights


The Cooperative boys junior varsity volleyball team polished off Cambridge in straight sets in their semifinal match played at Cooperative Tuesday afternoon.
The Jaguars will now play Christian Learning in the championship game Thursday, and Cambridge will play International in the consolation game.
Cooperative won the first set 25-14, and then took the second set 25-16.
The line-up for the victorious Jaguars was Josue Abuawad, Alejandro Rosas, Eduardo Ribera, Luis Peredo, Rodrigo Adriazola, Jang Ho Cho, Mathew Delozier, Fernando Viacava, Jorge Zankis, Sebastian Zankis, and Giorgio Rodrigano.
The roster for Cambridge was Santiago Hurtado, Kevin Mendez, Diego Bejar, Andres Hurtado, Federico Rocco, and Jose Rivera.

JV Girls Volleyball Semifinals

HIGH HEAT -- Griffin Ciara Harriague leaps up to smash home one of her patented "fast balls." Jonatan Muñoz, International

Griffinettes easy winners over Eaglettes

The International junior varsity girls scored a 2-0 win over Christian Learning in the girls semifinal game played at International Tuesday, but to do it they had to suppress an attempted Eagle comeback in the second set.
The Griffins will now face Cooperative in the championship game Thursday: The Jaguars, who finished first in the regular season, drew a by in the semifinals. Cambridge did not field a team.
The International girls cruised to an easy win in the first set, 25-13. The Griffins jumped out to an early 8-1 lead, largely on the strength of strong serves by Ciara Harriague. The Eagles cut the lead down to 15-10, but Harriague went back to the service line and put the game more or less on ice as she reeled off seven straight points, two of them clean aces.
When she finally hit a serve long International was clearly in command, 21-11, and closed out the victory in short order after that.
The second set was a different story as the two teams battled evenly all the way to 19-19. Many of the points were decided on serves -- better or worse. Both sides hit a number of bad serves, and both sides had trouble keeping the ball in play when the serve was good. There were only a few long rallies.
After the tie at 19 Pamela Suarez fired in three hard serves, one of them an ace, to move the Griffins into the lead, and after the score went to 23-21 another hard-serving Griffin. Maria Fernanda Gutierrez,fired in a pair of fast serves to complete the Griffin victory.
The Griffins also got outstanding play from Nicole Sinclair in receiving the ball and making key saves.
Rebekah Kienzle was the outstanding player for Christian Learning.
The other players on the victorious Griffin team were Carolina Baldivieso, Irene Vergara, Fabiana Zelada, Renati Maggi, Katherin Ceballos, Micaela Pedrazas, and Ana Laura Gutierrez.
Besides Kienzle, the Eagle line-up included Jessica Schroeder, Rebecca Enns, Emily Ordoñez, Michelle Ling, Jessica Suarez, Luara Velarde, Veronica Apodaca, Elizabeth Suarez, and Emily Mercado.

Boys Varsity Soccer

JUMP BALL -- Eagle goalie Mark Salinas, two Jaguars, and an Eagle teammate (apparently in custody) wait for a descending ball. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

Cooperative 3, Christian Learning 2
Jaguars stay unbeaten, but barely

The Cooperative boys varsity soccer team secured first place in the regular season, and preserved its undefeated record, with a 3-2 victory over Christian Learning on their home field Thursday.
The Jaguars scored first when Jose Manuel Vasquez brought the ball down the left side of the field and launched a perfect centering pass that was knocked into the goal by Wilson Salvatierra.

There were numerous near misses by both teams, including a booming shot by Eagle Danny Canaviri that dinged off the goalpost, but there was no more scoring in the first half.

Conway Janzen tied the game with a goal for the Eagles early in the second half. However, the Jaguars struck back with two goals in rapid succession, one by Federico Sauto and and the other by Vasquez, in which Cooperative took the ball right up the middle through the Eagle defense.

Josh Mojica retaliated for the Eagles to make the score 3 to 2, where it would stand at the end, though Luis Doi almost tied it up with a blast that went just wide. On the other hand, Cooperative had two shots in the second half that bounced off the goalposts.

The Eagles finish the season with a 3-3 record, in second place.
More details to come.

Griffins grind out 3-0 win over Knights

By Camilla Johnson
International School

The International boys varsity soccer team decisively defeated Cambridge 3-0 on their home field Thursday.
Johann Voss scored the first goal for International when he finished off a crisply executed series of passes with a well placed shot into the Cambridge goal. That was the only scoring in the first half.
International added two more goals in the second half. The first came when Jorge Harriague opportunistically tapped in a ball that had been fumbled by the Cambridge goalie. Then Voss scored again by heading in a crossing pass.
Both teams had numerous other chances to score as the ball shuttled back and forth across the field, but weren't able to capitalize on them.
The Griffin defense was able to contain Cambridge's main scoring threat, Junior Sanchez, and this was a major factor in changing the outcome from the 3-3 tie that had occurred when they played earlier in the season.
Cambridge finishes the year without a win, and only the tie with International to go with its five losses.
This was a comedown from last year when the Knights were the League champions. However, it is the second year in a row that the defending champion has gone winless in the following season. The winless defending champion last year was International
International finishes in third place with a record of 2-3-1.

JV Boys Soccer

Little Griffins beat Knights, finish first

The International junior varsity boys soccer team defeated Cambridge 4-0 on their home field to take first place in the regular season standings. Cambridge finishes third.
The Little Griffin scored twice in each half. Claudio Santos and Jose Coloma scored the goals in the first half: Santos scored again in the second half, and the fourth goal was added by Santiago Rosado.
International (5-1) will play Christian Learning (0-6) in the first round of the junior varsity playoffs. Cambridge (2-3-1) will meet Cooperative (4-1-1).
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PUSHING THE EDGE -- Jaguar Jose David Sanchez and an (as yet) unidentified Eagle jockey for position. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

Jaguar JV shuts out Eagles 3-0

The Cooperative junior varsity boys soccer team defeated Christian Learning 3-0 on their home field Thursday afternoon.
Jorge Zankiz scored the first of his two goals for the Jaguars thanks to a booming crossing pass from teammate Jose Salvatierra that Zankiz was able to take in stride and pop into the goal.
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THE VIEW FROM ABOVE -- Jaguar Jose Sanchez (10) launches a corner kick. Julia Boldt, Cooperative

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Zankiz scored his second goal when a defender swung and missed in an effort to clear the ball, after which Zankiz headed the ball to himself to get past the goalkeeper.
Jaguar captain Rafael Sakuma added the third goal when he kicked in a rebound following a corner kick.
The win put the Jaguars in second place for the regular season with a 4-1-1 record. Christian Learning finished last with an 0-6 mark.

Varsity Girls Volleyball

RESPONSE TEAM -- Jaguars Ana Paola Peredo (8) and Karla Flores go up together to block a shot. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative

Jaguars get a final test from Eagles, pass

The Cooperative girls varsity volleyball team clinched a first-place finish in the regular season with hard-fought three-set victory over an upset-minded Christian Learning team in the Jaguars gym Thursday.
With the competion of regualr season action yesterday, the Jaguars were atop the League with a 5-1 record. The Eagles finished third with a 2-4 record.
The Lady Eagles looked like theiy were poised to bring down the Jaguars when they took the first set 25-19. The Jaguars had taken the lead 11-4, but the Eagles had clawed back to tie the score at 17-all.
Then largely on the strength of superb serving by Kaylynn Lampen they moved out to a 22-19 lead. When the Eagles won the next point after a long rally featuring amazing rescues on both sides, the Jaguars seemed to deflate, and Christian Learning took the last two points in rapid-fire order.
The Jaguars steadied in the next game, then took command, winning 25-15. They then held onto the momentum in the third and deciding set, winning it rather handily 15-8.

Griffins defeat Knights in straight sets

Ther International girls varsity volleyball team defeated Cambridge 2-0 in their ho0me gym Thursday afternoon.
The Cambridge girls put up a good fight in the first set, which was tied 21-21 before the Griffins were able to put on a closing spurt to win 25-22.
In the second set the Griffins did a better job of exploiting Cambridge's weaker players, and the Griffins won more comfortably, 25-19.
International finishes the season in second place with a 4-2 record. Cambridge ends up last with a 1-5 record.