Girls’ 5-6 Gold Division: Kaiser seizes moment in win
When Kaiser Elementary fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ Gold Division co-coach Rob Dodman told his players to take advantage of the moment, he didn’t realize they would take him so literally.
The Knights, however, scored in the final minute of the first half to claim a 1-0 championship-game victory over Harbor Day on Sunday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.
“At the end of the day, our girls embraced the message that we gave them, which is that this really is about having a good time,” Dodman said. “We [coaches] said ‘For you sixth-graders, this is your last Pilot Cup, so don’t miss out on the moment. Take advantage of the moment, play as hard as you can and don’t think about winning and losing.”
Winning became much more likely for the Knights, when Hannah Nye converted an assist from Amanda Sie just before halftime.
The goal was even more crucial having come with Kaiser playing uphill on the slightly sloping field. The goal negated a strategic ploy by Harbor Day coaches to take the downhill side in the first half after winning the coin-flip to give the Seahawks their choice.
“We knew Kaiser was really good, so the thinking was, we wanted to get a lead,” Harbor Day Co-Coach Mike Gomez said. “We figured if we got a lead, we could pack it in in the second half and try to hold on. It was a little unfortunate that they scored basically with 30 seconds left in the first half. If not for that, we go to penalty kicks.”
Instead, it was Kaiser that “held on,” posting a 9-0 shot advantage after halftime to finish with a 15-3 advantage in shots.
The first-half lead was only the second in five games for Kaiser during the community youth soccer tournament.
“We have been a second-half team,” Dodman said before the final. “We’ve had games in which we scored four, three and four goals in the second half [in pool play and the quarterfinals].
“We were a little bit surprised that we were going into the wind in the first half, so the goal for us was to get out of the first half tied,” said Dodman, who shared coaching duties with Ken Coatsworth. “When we got that late goal with about a minute to go, that was a real treat.”
Kaiser handled defending champion Mariners, 2-0, in the semifinals Sunday morning behind goals from Emmie Degen and Gigi Davila.
Degen displayed superior ball control and playmaking skill in the final, while Antonella Russo, Nye, Catherine McCrory, Frankie Garcia and Sie were consistent offensive stalwarts for the Knights.
Sydney Anderson anchored the back line for Kaiser, for which Emma Coatsworth made two saves in the final.
Sophia Stark earned the semifinal shutout in goal for Kaiser, but missed the afternoon final due to a club water polo commitment.
Harbor Day sweeper Rylen Schmid helped diminish Kaiser scoring opportunities, while goalkeepers Claire Eusey (first half) and Madelein Luer (second half) made four and three saves, respectively.
Midfielders Isabel Gomez (both goals in a 2-1 semifinal win over Mariners Christian), Elyse Johnson and Tess Emmel helped the Seahawks hold their own, while forwards Megan Shean (two assists in the semifinal), Christi Francois and Chloe Elliott were additional strong contributors for Harbor Day.
Hannah Hillson, Haley Dodman, Sophie Harlan and Saoirse Walsh also contributed for Kaiser in the final.
Anna Wahlburger and Sophie Roberts, who did not play in the final, were strong defenders throughout the tournament for Kaiser, Rob Dodman said.
Ava Elliott, Hannah Dastgheib, Maggie Dietrick and Elle Piercey also bolstered Harbor Day, for which Steve Johnson was the other co-coach.
“What a fun tournament and what a great game,” Gomez said. “Kaiser played great and deserved to win, but I’m just really, really proud of our girls. They played hard the whole tournament and never gave up. It has been four years with this same group of girls and they really had a great experience. I think they learned about themselves, they came together as a team, they tried hard and they had a blast.”
