By Andrea Gutierrez
The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League´s final for JV boys soccer took place Thursday afternoon between Santa Cruz Cooperative School and Santa Cruz International School and proved to be extremely entertaining, as the trophy went to the Griffins who won 2-0 as guests in a close. Hard-fought gamne on the Jaguar´s field.
Both teams were very nervous at the start. The Jaguars had lost against the Griffins in their previous match and feared losing again, while the Griffins wanted to prove that their v ictory inn that previous encounter wasn´t a strike of luck.
It is possible to say that the first half of the game was dominated by the Griffins who had control of the ball most of the time and several opportunities o score. A couple of minutes after the whistle was blown, Simon Morón managed to find a way through the Jaguar’s defense and un leashed a dangerous shot toward the goal, but Jaguar goalie, Luis Esteban Peredo intervened, preventing a goal.
On the other hand, the Jaguars couldn´t attack effectively because of the strong middle field their rivals had. Griffin Mateo Suarez permit Cooperative to take the ball up his side of the field: He was agile and quick, and was able to take the ball away for his team. Shortly, before the second half, Morón aimed for a goal for the second time but this time he succeeded, placing the Griffins on top 1-0.
This didn´t end the first half though, as the Griffins and Jaguars continued battling evenly.
The second half was even more exciting and nerve-racking than the first one. Both Cooperative and International teams tried to score several times so the SCIS goalie, Octavio Limpias, had more action than before, even though with 20 minutes remaining he changed spots with International´s back-up goalie in an apparent effort to put more spark in the Griffin offense
. Meanwhile Griffins Morón and Daniel Hanley seemed to be full of confidence that day because they had several close encounters with the Jaguars’ arc, and even though they missed, they made a second goal for the Griffins look like a distinct possibility. More of a possibility, say, than a Jaguar goal.
But when the Griffin goal finally occurred it was on a high, bounding free kick by Lucas Zerlaya that seemed to confuse goalie Peredo, who placed himself between bounces allowing the ball to over his head and into the goal.
Cooperative didn’t give up. Jose Carlos Paz was quick on the field and a definite threat to the International defense and goalie, but the goals never came true and the game ended with Santa Cruz International School ahead 2-0, and ready to accept their awards as the JV boy soccer Interscholastic League champions.
The Griffins cheered happily jumping up and down in a circle with their arms wrapped around each other. They had brought a big crowd that had supported them throughout the game that was composed of family members, classmates, and teachers; t while the Jaguar fans were far fewer in number (but filled with tons of spirit)
. Afterwards, the Most Valuable Players were announced which included Gabriel Rosas and Enzo Cambruzzi for the Cooperative team, and Mateo Suarez and Daniel Hanley from the International team. Both sides got their medals, and the 2011 champions smiled proudly as pictures were taken of them with the trophy in hand.The team list for the champion Griffins was Octavio Limpias, Suarez, Cristian Magarzu, Lucas Zelaya, Jorge Ortiz, Danny Hanley, Liam Hanley, Jose Ciaroni, Jaimer Barrenechea. Simon Moron, Juan Velazco, German Ferraris, Carlos Nuñez, Leonardo Melgar, Armando Saavedra, Diego Vargas, Juan Pablo Nuñez, and Francisco Montaño.
For the Jaguars: Peredo, Matias Saquairo, Gabrierl Rosas, Enzo Cambruzzi, Claudio Bedoya, Gabriel Romero, Felipe Gasparalli, Richard Salvatierra, Jose Carlos Paz, Tomas Yeatts.
Cambridge Triumphs 1-0 in Consolation Game
By David Boldt
The Cambridge junior varsity boys soccer team defeated Christian Learning 1-0 in the consolation game of the playoffs to gain bragging rights to third place.
The game, played in searing heat, started with Christian Learning seeming to have the better opportunities to score. The Little Eagles got off too close range shots that missed. Cambridge put a couple of shots on goal, but they presented no real challenge for Eagle goalkeeper Jose Luis Escudero.
Cambridge’s passes up the middle of the field misconnected several times, giving the ball to the Eagles in good field position. The Knights problems were compounded by the fact that their usually sure-handed goalie, Sebastian Carrasco, seemed to have a case of the “fumbles” and let the ball get loose around the goal several times.
But Cambridge emerged from these vicissitudes unscathed and Knight captain Mauricio Soto personally took the ball down field and fired an excellent crossing pass, but no one was there to get it. Soto then took a shot himself but missed to the left.
Not long after Cambridge had a big opportunity with Eagle goalie Escudero lying on the ground after diving to make a save, and the ball bouncing around loose, but the Knights weren’t able to capitalize on it.
Finally Knight Daniel Kirigin broke away from a pack and put a shot in the net that would prove to be the only goal of the game. He would get another opportunity of a similar sort a few moments later, but missed narrowly as the half came to a close. .
In the second half the heat seemed to really get to the players, and neither team was able to make a play that would get the crowd cheering. Cambridge seemed to go into defensive mode to protect its lead, keeping Soto back on defense.
A rare moment of excitement occurred when little sixth grader Hernan Virreira of the Eagles beat Soto in a duel in the corner of the field and headed off toward the goal, but was detained from behind. But the action occurred well outside the penalty box and the resulting free kick missed.
During the postgame award ceremony “most valuable player” certificates were given to Soto and Pablo Underraga of the Knights and to Andres Cruz and Luke Phillips of the Eagles.
The Cambridge line-up included Percy Vidal, Santiago Melgar, Percy Justiniano, Carrasco, Soto, Marco Ovando, Kirigin, Leonardo Arges, and Santiago Hurtado.
For Christian Learning: Hwa Pyung Lim. Phillips, Abashai Nutt, Bryan Lara, Escudero, Jose Daniel Gentili, Virreira, Cruz, Santriago Cespedes, Zac Frith, Nicolas Villafan, Leonardo Netzlaff, Jonathan Wry, Luke Hwangbo, Escudero, Samuel Ortiz, and Mauricio Cortez.
