Glendale Under-16 Teams Sweep Santa Clarita Tournament

Two Glendale AYSO Under 16 tournament teams won first place in the Santa Clarita Showdown Tournament, held April 28-30. The Under 16 Girls team (coaches Chavez, Wallis and Ghermezian) and the Under 16 Boys team (coaches Pinon, Larreynaga, Vera and Duarte) each captured first place on Sunday afternoon, defeating teams from Valencia.

The Under 16 Girls team didn’t allow a goal in four games, winning its first three games against Valencia (1-0), Saugus (3-0) and Simi Valley (4-0). The championship match at the end of pool play saw a rematch with Valencia that ended in a 0-0 tie after two overtime periods and was decided in a “shootout” of penalty kicks that Glendale won 3-2.

The outstanding performance of goalkeeper Ashley Fischer anchored a tenacious defense that included sweeper “JJ” Chavez, defenders Becky Soken, Bridget Hahnlein, “Tia” Khouja, stopper Ebony Lopez, and Claire Harrison, who played every defensive position, as well as right and center midfield during the tournament. Midfielders Dana Murphy, Olivia Trimmis, and Amy Rosales provided both defensive support and a strong transition game, as they controlled the ball through the middle of the field, feeding forwards Bianca Ghermezian, Michelle Deunay and Cindy Gonzales passes while taking opportunistic shots on goal.

The victory over a physical Valencia team in the final match came at the end of a hard fought 0-0 tie after two overtime periods that became a test of endurance for the shorthanded Glendale team that had no substitute players available for most of the game. In the “shootout” that followed, Goalkeeper Fischer blocked 4 of 6 penalty shots. With the tally tied at 2-2, Amy Rosales, shooting sixth, placed her kick just beyond the reach of the Valencia goalkeeper to give Glendale the 3-2 win and victory in the match.

The Under 16 Boys team won 3 of its 4 games, including the final championship game against a strong Valencia team. After winning its first game against Simi Valley (3-1), the Boys team suffered its only loss on Saturday afternoon, losing to Ventura (0-1). Rallying back Sunday morning in a "must win" game, the team defeated the first of two Valencia teams by a score of (2-1) earning enough points at the end of pool play to meet the other Valencia team in the final game for the Championship. Strong defense shut out the Valencia team and teamwork by the offense produced the final 2-0 victory for the Glendale team. Like the Glendale Girls team, the Boys played much of the tournament with only one or two substitute players due to injuries, illnesses and other commitments that left the team shorthanded and tested the endurance and determination of the players.

Goalie Alex Inda and defenders Dylan Montes, Josh Aquino, Sergio Mejia, Carlos Duarte and Danilo Duarte allowed only 3 goals during the tournament. Midfielders Bryson Surratt, Christian Nitu, Walter Larreynaga, Victor Pinon and forwards Tade Mirzain, Menooa Zakarian and Artin Anderesian provided the offense that carried the team to victory and a first place finish.

Congratulations!