Devils Have a Blast at D2 Cup

The Devils capped the 2008 Fall Season with a great showing in the Division 2 Jubilee Tournament. The tournament is hosted at several fields throughout the Bay Area, one of which was the Devils own home field (the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex). The girls were allowed to let down their hair and play a variety of positions throughout the tournament.

The girls also paid tribute to Jonathan Manzo Chaves, the U10 player from Santa Clara Sporting who tragically lost his life earlier this season. All the girls wore green and white striped hair bands in honor of Jonathan during all four games played.

They also showed a little club spirit by cheering for their sister teams, the U10 Blades and U9 Extreme before their final games.

Game 1 Recap (OV Rampage)

In the Devils first game of the tournament, play started at 8:30 in the morning on a frosty complex field against the Orchard Valley Rampage. This was the same team that the Devils defeated 5-1 in their regular season finale.

The Devils took a 1-0 lead when Marlene punched in a deflection from the top of the box at the 20 minute mark. The girls narrowly missed making it a 2-0 lead when Christene pushed a shot just wide from the same spot as Marlene’s goal. The Shot off a deflection turned aside with 10 to play.

Shivani and Ruhi both played up and showed that they can fill any offensive void. Both girls played exceptionally well in given their limited time at the position during the regular season.

The Rampage exacted a little revenge for their regular season loss with a pair of goals in the final 5 minutes of play. The first goal came on a free kick from the top of the box. They took the lead 2 min later on a throw-in that found its way to the box, deflecting off several players before finding the back of the goal.

Game 2 Recap (MP Strikers A)

In the second game of the tournament, the Devils turned in their best performance of the weekend, albeit on a 1-0 loss to the MP Strikers A Team. The Strikers were gifted with lots of team speed, which was in full display on the back line.

Credit their backs for consistently shutting down the Devils by catching every offensive breakaway.

The Strikers would score their lone goal off a corner kick midway through the 2nd half. The ball found its way to the box, then a shot bounced off a both a Devils defender as well as the goaltender.

Game 3 Recap (Burlingame Cyclones)

On Sunday the Devils would suffer a power outage on offense, thanks in part to a Burlingame Cyclones goaltender who stopped 15-20 shots on goal. Sammie unleashed her big left foot on two chances in the first half. Her first opportunity came on a 45-foot shot from center mid that the goaltender had to glove. She then popped a shot from the top of the box that crossed the goal mouth before being cleared by a Cyclones defender.

Marlene would follow those chances up with a golden opportunity on a break from the left side, but her shot just went wide of the right post. Lindsay played one of her best games at mid and forward, consistently moving the ball up the right wing.

Two plays sealed the 0-0 tie. First Karsyn had a direct kick from 30-feet that sailed wide right. Audrey then made the save of the tournament in goal in the games final minute. Pressing on offense, the Cyclones got a solid shot on goal, but the Devils goaltender lept to her left, blocking the shot with her thigh to secure the tie.

Game 4 Recap (MP Strikers B)

In the tournament finale the Devils played to another 0-0 draw, in a fun contest that allowed every player to play in positions that may have been a bit foreign to them.

Jessica also stepped up from a defensive position, and was the best player on the field in terms of attacking loose balls.

Karsyn was given a chance to take corner kicks, and to the coaches surprise, she unleashed a pair of kicks that landed in the center of the small goal box after clearing the heads of several players on the fly.

On one of those chances Courtney almost deflected a chance with a point blank shot.