RAGE U14 Hawks Claim Sonoma Honey Invitational 2nd Place
Pictured front row, Jacqueline Templeman Second Row, Bridget O’Sullivan, Caoilinn Dwyer, Sofia Wreden, Samantha Nimmo, Aly Lee, Natalie McDaniel Third Row, Kristen Greene, Kyra Shah, Colleen Eichhorn, Ashley Frans, Carly Muser, Annecy Rocca, Cindy Zhao, Meena Alexander Coaches, Jeff Wreden, Steve Nimmo, Tom Zhao
The RAGE U14 Hawks flew into Sonoma for the Sonoma Honey Invitational tournament last weekend and walked out with 2nd place trophies!
On the opening day of pool play, The Hawks faced a pair of Sonoma teams in their first test of the tournament. In game 1, The Hawks got off to a fast start with a fast driving goal from Bridget O’Sullivan. The defense, anchored by Colleen Eichhorn frustrated the Sonoma Rush attackers and turned away all advances. The second half became a defensive battle as the Hawks’ Caoilinn Dwyer and Kristen Greene provided plenty of protection for the keeper as the Hawks grabbed a 1-0 victory. In the second game of the day, Carly Muser posted an early lead for the Hawks with a shot from way outside that found the net. The Sonoma Huskies stormed back for 2 goals to grab the half time lead. With time running out in the game, Samantha Nimmo sent a well placed long ball to Carly Muser for the equalizer, and the Hawks ended the game tied.
Day 2 opened with an early match up against the Sonoma Scorpions. The game opened in a tight defensive battle. The Hawks keeper, Jacqueline Templeman, made several outstanding stops with Sofia Wreden and Aly Lee anchoring a strong defense to maintain a 0-0 halftime score. Injured forward, Ashley Frans, saw an opportunity and recommended a offensive adjustment which paid off as Cindy Zhao pushed to ball forward to a waiting Carly Muser and the game winner for a 1-0 finish. The tight battle earned the Hawks a spot in the Championship game!
The wear of the tournament took its toll on the Hawks as they entered the final game with no subs available, but injured teammates remained on the sidelines cheering loudly. Injured Captains, Ashley Frans and Meena Alexander, motivated their team before taking the field. Annecy Rocca got things going for the Hawks with several strong drives up the field. Kyra Shah kept the ball on the offensive side throughout the game. Natalie McDaniel cut off numerous attacks to protect her keeper. In the end, the Hawks fell just short of the championship, but claimed well deserved 2nd place trophies.
After the final whistle, the coaches, Steve Nimmo, Jeff Wreden, and Tom Zhao watched as the Hawks hugged each other and celebrated a successful tournament. The Hawks, with their outstanding team play and support throughout the tournament, earned them the well-deserved 2013 Sonoma Honey Invitational 2nd place finish!
posted 10/1/13
