Code Red captures tourney title

California Futbol Club’s girls’ 13-and-under team, Code Red, captured

the first-place trophy at the 12th annual Celtic Cup.

The tournament was played in cold and windy conditions in San

Bernardino.

In the tournament final, Code Red and Rancho Bernardo fought to a

scoreless tie through regulation. Each made four of five kicks from

the first shootout period before kicks by Jodi Hwang and Rachel

Pasternak in the second shootout delivered a hard-fought victory for

Code Red.

Brittany Martinez, Alison Hensley, Lauren Hanson and Erika

Longoria each scored in the first overtime for Code Red.

In their first pool play match, Code Red came from behind to earn

a 1-1 tie with the Claremont Stars Red, getting the tying score on a

low, hard shot by Longoria off an assist by Osiris Ceja.

Longoria continued her scoring streak in the second game, as Code

Red posted a 2-0 win over Futbol Club Bayern.

Longoria scored one of her goals off an assist by Martinez. The

defense of Alyssa Strickland, Breanne Justice, Ashley Haprov, Danica

McGuire, George Demes and Erica Cabibbo preserved the shutout.

In their final pool play match, Code Red was a 1-0 winner over the

Crescenta Valley Soccer Club.

The lone score came when forward Kirsten Marony passed to Ali

Budd, who then connected on a shot from 20 yards out.

Goalie Tiffany Van Tress made three saves in the last five minutes

of the game to record Code Red’s second shutout of the tournament.

In semifinal round play, Martinez took a Marony pass and scored

just five minutes into the game, and Code Red went on to a 4-3

victory over Tustin.

After Tustin had tied the score, 1-1, Marony posted three

consecutive goals, the last being on an assist from Rebecca Cruz.

Code Red will competed at the State Cup tournament on Feb. 12 at

Bakersfield.

In AYSO soccer action:

The Hawks, a girls’ Gold All-Star under-10 division team out of

Region 55 in Huntington Beach, defeated three opponents and tied

another in a busy weekend of play.

In their first of two matches played Saturday, the Hawks scored an

impressive, 4-1 victory over Region 517 (Santa Ana).

Kicks by Christina Sanchez’s found their way into the Santa Ana

net on three occasions, and Kayla Wigney added to the final tally.

Saturday afternoon, the Hawks ran into a stiff challenge from

Region 117 (East Huntington Beach), but managed to emerge with a 1-0

victory.

Hawks’ keeper Ashton McKeown got the shutout, and Sanchez’s early

goal off a pass from Katie Gainous turned out to be the only score of

the match.

In their first match played Sunday, the Hawks fought league-leader

Region 177 (Long Beach) to a scoreless tie.

Helping to keep Long Beach off the scoreboard were the strong

defensive efforts of Lauren Armona, Lindsay Archer, Halie Bergeron,

Rachael Distler, Katie Gordon, Dana Rutkin, Alexandra Norton and

Kirsti Stangeland.

The final match of the weekend pitted the Hawks against Region 5

(Fountain Valley). A goal by Sanchez, assisted by Gainous in the

first minute of the match, gave the Hawks a lead they would not

relinquish.

Gainous scored a third-period goal off a feed from Wigney, and the

Hawks, coached by Eddie Sanchez and Pat Archer, went on to record a

2-0 victory.