Girls U8 team wins soccer championship at La Jolla tournament
Ramona’s Division 6 under eight (U8) girls soccer team, coached by Chad Slade and Noah Bauers, won all five games to take the Division 6 U8 championship at he La Jolla All Star Tournament
On Dec. 8, the girls faced the Del Mar Sharks. They held tight and tied the Sharks 0-0 with strong defense shown by Alaina Austin, Claire Cannon and Sierra Cutting, and goalkeepers Charli Simon and Lela Cripps.
During game two, the girls faced Coronado. Zaida Gonzalez showed her speed and dribbling skills, taking shots on goal.
The girls took the lead with two goals shot by Breanna Lutz. Also contributing to the win was Tyler Dart with outstanding defense and strong kicks. Phoebe Slade, who also played a big role, showed great passing and defensive skills.
In game 3 on Dec. 9, the girls faced La Jolla and held strong in the first half with a 0-0 tie. During the second half the girls came out with great offense and a goal made by Divinity Bauers. Ramona walked away with a 1-0 win over La Jolla, which qualified them for a semifinal game.
The semifinals consisted of a 20 minute game with no halftime. In the first 10 minutes of play, Ramona’s girls held strong with defense by Hope Bills and Dalaylah Cruz. The team fell 1-0 as the Del Mar Sharks took the lead in first 10 minutes. The girls came back in the second round and tied it up with a shot from Lutz just outside the goal box.
Ramona held to a tie, which led to a series of penalty kicks. Each team had three shots. First up was Lutz, who shot and scored in the lower right corner of the goal. Del Mar was up next and their first shooter overshot the goal and missed. Next up for Ramona was Gonzalez, who had a solid shot in the lower left corner and scored. The girl for Del Mar shot and went wide, while Ramona’s keeper, Lela Cripps, guessed and dove in the right direction to ensure the ball was out. Ramona won in penalty kicks, 2-0, and advanced to the final game against Mesa.
The Ramona team started off slow and fell 1-0 in the first half. Coach Slade pulled the girls together at half and motivated them to keep fighting.
During the second half the girls made strong defensive plays and offensive drives. Lutz shot two goals in the second half to take the lead 2-1.
With 10 minutes left in play, Ramona girls fought to defend their lead and walked away with a victory.