Youth Scene: HB Crew repeat champs

HB Crew, an Under-19 boys’ soccer team from AYSO Region 143 (Huntington Beach/Westminster), successfully defended its title by winning its division on June 2 at the Mission Viejo Classic Soccer Tournament.

The Crew’s first match was against a feisty team from La Quinta. Keeper Nico Gambino stopped a penalty kick to keep the game scoreless in the early moments. Forwards Dakoda Muta, Brad Odell and Joseph Ayers all found the net in the first half to give the Crew the lead for good in an eventual, 5-0 victory. The work at midfield lead by Nic Hice, Zach Cleveland, Trent Ohishi, Toby Henry and Austin Gearty, created several scoring opportunities throughout the game.

The Crew also won by shutout in its second game. A fast start led by Logan Mooney and Ayers, and a stout defense, secured a 2-0 win against Mission Viejo.

The win over Mission Viejo advanced the Crew into the division final against a Lake Forest that two weeks earlier had defeated the Crew on penalty kicks at the OC Classic. In the rematch, Hice blistered a shot at the five minute mark just under the cross bar and Cleveland added a second goal. Lake Forest battled back to get a goal late in the first half.

Crew midfield players Odell, Hice, Holden Lorenz and Reid Fisher, controlled Lake Forest and Oren Gary made two outstanding saves during the second half. Muta scored the final goal on a great pass from Reid Fisher and Hice, which gave the Crew a 3-1 victory.

The Crew defense, lead by Braxton Keo, Wyatt Marlow, Mason Gambino and Warrick Gorman played outstanding an allowed only one goal in the tournament.

— Reader submission

*

Girls’ Soccer

Team Pepto Bismol repeats as tourney champs

Suggested Title: AYSO Region 143 Girls U16 Repeat Win at OC Classic

Pepto Bismol, a 16U girls’ team from AYSO Region 143 and coached by Scott Larsen, Tim Fisher and Tim McCrory, won its division for the second straight year at the AYSO Area 11Q OC Classic Soccer Tournament in Irvine.

The team opened the tournament with a 7-0 win against Lake Forest with goals scored by Nicole Salazar, Lexie Cleveland and Ofeila Sosa. In the second match against Newport Beach, the team was led by the strong midfield play of Hannah Fisher, Markie Davis, Emily Larsen, Meghan McNamara and Aly Almeida, which helped pave the way to a 6-0 victory.

The play of Hailey Bonillas, Mikala Pittenger and Kassidy Burns in the third game helped Pepto Bismol take an 8-0 win against Santa Monica which earned them a spot in the championship game. In the final against Laguna Hills, Pepto Bismol struck first on a corner kick from Almeida just before the end of the first half. Nicole Conroy, Jackie Stubbs, Jeanna Turner and Alona Ketter led the defense which included two key saves by goalie Kaitlen Esparza, which insured a 1-0 win.

Pepto Bismol won the title in convincing fashion as it outscored the opposition, 21-0.

— Reader submission

*

Gymnastics

Gabrielle Lowenstein of Huntington Beach qualified for the USA National Team in rhythmic gymnastics and competed Saturday at the 2013 USA Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships at Orlando, FL. The 14-year-old was one of 12 to compete in the Junior Elite Division and finished in eighth-place in the All-Around finals.

Lowenstein trains and competes out of the Eurogymnastics gym in Irvine.

— Reader submission