Strikers win their season opener

The HB Strikers won their opening game of the AYSO fall soccer season Saturday by defeating Blew By U, 6-3, in Region 55 girls’ Under-12 Division action.

Both teams assaulted the nets early in this one, with Strikers goalie Tana Moore turning away three shot attempts. Strikers midfielder Alexa Vellanoweth was first to score in the match, but Blew By U quickly scored the equalizer to make it a 1-1 game.

The scoring heated up late in the first half. A goal by Lauren Delgadillo — the first of her career — gave the Strikers a 2-1 lead. After Blew By U tied the score at 2-2, Vellanoweth scored a pair of goals, one on a breakaway, to put the Strikers in front for good, 4-2.

In the second half, Dana Conlisk scored off a rebound, and Taylor Goodban scored her first career goal as the Strikers increased their lead to 6-2.

Strikers keeper Summer Driessen allowed Blew By U only one goal in the second half. Courtney Carter, Jessica Javer, Kendyl Nowels, Vivian Gay and Hannah Higginson played strong offensive games, and forwards Lauren Anderson, Sara Ioffrida and Kayla Winsatt also aided the offensive attack.

Defender Briana Kutinsky gave a solid defensive performance for Blew By U.

In other AYSO action:

Region 56 Under-12 Division

HB Break Away 3,

Corona del Mar 1

Zoe Zimmerer, Kristin Shklanko and Ashley Ramey scored goals as the HB Break Away won their season opener.

The Break Away received strong ball movement from Hannah Grunbaum, Anna Lindsey, Jessica Malane, Devin McQuown. Solid defensive work by Alison Curtis, Tiana Kiriaki, Amanda Willson and goalies Chloe Kossick and Nikki Fileta only allowed Corona del Mar to score in the final minutes of the match.

Under-13 Division

HB United wins tourney title

HB United captured first-place in its division at the McMillan Tournament in Costa Mesa.

Coached by Paul Shklanko and Kurt Mason, the HB United defense allowed only three goals during the tournament.

The coaches said they were “pleased” with the teams’ well-balanced offensive attack and poise on the defensive end of the field.

Members of HB United are Janan Abdelmuti, Lindsay Bebout, Vanessa Cervantes, Gabrielle Gray, Starla Gordon, Dakota Harpel, Mari Hinton, Amanda Kaae, Katie Koppes, Sara Koppes, Nicolette Lambright, Tara Mason, Emily Peterson, Megan Parker and Lauren Shklanko.

In club soccer action:

Under-11 Division

NHB Black 3, Blast 1

Following a 14-1 summer season, North Huntington Beach Black of the Silver Elite South division, opened up its fall campaign by defeating the San Bernardino Blast in California Youth Soccer Assn. Action.

Goals by Alex Karlowitsch and Kayla Wigney allowed NHB Black to take a 2-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, San Bernardino netted its only goal on a fee kick to narrow the score to 2-1 but Wigney responded with her second goal of the match to make it 3-1.

NHB controlled the ball most of the game and allowed the Blast just four shots on goal.

In youth lacrosse:

Local clinics offered

Youth lacrosse clinics soon will be held in Huntington Beach on upcoming Sunday afternoons leading up to the 2006-07 season.

The clinics are free to boys in fifth through eighth grades and designed for returning players as well as those new to the sport. Huntington Beach will field both a fifth/sixth- and seventh/eighth- grade team for the 2006-07 season, which runs from December through February.

Lacrosse is now a CIF-sanctioned sport and 15 Orange County high schools, including Marina and Huntin- gton Beach, field lacrosse teams.

For more information on the starting date of the clinics, contact Mike Mutrie at m.mutrie@oberthurcs.com or Bert Shepley at ats@socal.rr.com. For additional information regarding Orange County lacrosse, visit the website www.oclax.com.