Crushers keep crushing; they remain tied for first

Mike Sciacca

With each passing game in the 2001 Area 11-K playoffs, the Crushers, a

girls’ Under-10 Gold Division All-star team representing AYSO Region 143,

move closer to a possible tournament championship.

The Crushers held steady in a tie for first place in their division

last weekend by winning twice in tournament play at Peterson Elementary

School in Huntington Beach.

They defeated Region 55, 4-2 in their first game, and then came back

to down Region 56, 1-0.

Julia Redmond netted two goals to lead the charge against Region 55.

Amy Nunez and Elise Nordin each posted single goals for the Crushers to

round out the scoring.

Against Region 56, Nunez scored the game’s lone goal on a penalty

kick. The defensive play of Redmond, Kendall Kraiss, Jordan Snyder,

Michelle Lewis, Keely Toma and Allison Howard stifled Region 56, helping

goalie Breann Flynn secure the shutout.

The Crushers will play the next three weekends at Peterson School, if

they win the tournament, they’ll advance to the Sectional Tournament next

month at UC Irvine.

In other girls’ action:

/SH HB Stars finish third

The AYSO Region 143 HB Stars reached the championship bracket of the

2001 Advanced Player Program playoff tournament and came away with a

third place overall finish.

The girls’ Under-14 Division squad reached the championship bracket

after winning its pool by shutting out Laguna Niguel, 2-0, and North

Irvine, 5-0.

The Stars then defeated Rancho Santa Margarita, 3-0, in a quarterfinal

match.

That set up a semifinal rematch last weekend with once-beaten Lake

Forest. The Stars ended Lake Forest’s bid for a perfect regular season

with a win over them earlier in the year. This time, Lake Forest was able

to avenge the past with a 2-0 victory.

Ashley Beanblossom, Heather Bystrom, Nikki Freiborg, Alexandra

Jaspers, Gena Johnson, Loren Kortizija, Ann Ludolph, Caitlin McGinnis,

Lauren Peaslee, Hilary Pohlman, Lindsey Rodgers, Lauren Swensen, Whitney

Thornton and Emily Tims turned in outstanding tournament performances for

the Stars.

They finished the season with an overall record of 17-5-4 including 14

shutouts.