Local women pursue ultimate goal

Steve Virgen

There’s a new game in town. Call it the latest trend in women’s

sports or, better yet, soccer with a twist.

Perhaps as the arena league is to pro football, the Ultimate Soccer

League provides a similar alternative to the traditionally low-scoring

version of its sport.

The Ultimate Soccer League, which is underway throughout Orange County

and features eight local stars, has scores ranging in the 50s and 60s

because a traditional goal is worth seven points and there are also

three-point field goals.

Former Newport Harbor High standouts Janelle Doyle and Cary Morrell,

as well as Corona del Mar High product Lindsey Grubbs, play for the

Mission Viejo Raspberry Roxies in the eight-team league, which is in its

second week of competition. Crystal Fukumoto, who lives in Costa Mesa and

starred at Torrance High, is also on the Raspberry Roxies roster.

Locals Michelle Bradbury and Annie Jacobs are playing for the

Huntington Beach Rip Tide. Bradbury played at Newport Harbor, while

Jacobs is the captain of the Vanguard University soccer team as she

prepares for her senior year.

Also playing for the Rip Tide is former Orange Coast College and

Newport Harbor star Taylor Yurada. Yurada, the OCC record-holder for most

goals in a season (24), scored a goal to help the Rip Tide to a 64-20

victory over the Pasadena Star Gazers June 22 at OCC.

“The game is just fun because it’s a faster pace than normal,” said

Yurada, who will play for Long Beach State in the fall. “The hard thing

is that the teams have girls from different schools and there’s not much

practicing before the game.”

Costa Mesa resident Natalie Franklin, who is originally from Torrance

and also attended Torrance High, plays for the Pasadena Star Gazers.

Doyle, Morrell and Grubbs gave the Raspberry Roxies some scoring power

in their first of six games for the season. The trio scored one goal each

in Mission Viejo’s 65-30 victory over the Manhattan Beach Blue Dolphins.

“I think it’s a fun league to play in during the summer,” said Grubbs,

who plays for the University of Virginia. “It’s nice to get together with

other girls because I usually have to train by myself.”

The Ultimate League Soccer season ends July 28 and a championship

game, the Ultimate Cup, will be played Aug. 3 at Orange Coast pitting the

two teams with the best records.

Like the point-after attempt in football the Ultimate Soccer League’s

field goal occurs after a goal is scored. The three-point field goal can

only be attempted by the goalkeeper, who kicks the ball from midfield,

aiming for the ball to sail between the uprights that are extended from

the soccer goal posts.

There are eight teams in the league and eight players per team on the

field, including the goalkeeper. And to provide even more speed and

scoring, there is no offsides and no throw-ins to put the ball back into

play. Play resumes with a kick-in.

Today, the Raspberry Roxies will take on the Pasadena Star Gazers at

El Camino College at 3 p.m.