Galaxy Wildcats Finalists at OC Kickoff Classic 2009
Irvine, CA, 08.23.09 – As they had done the previous year, the Galaxy Wildcats played hard and fought their way into the Championship Final at the Orange County Kickoff Classic. The Championship game, this year against the Laguna Niguel SC White, was tied 0 – 0 at the end of regulation and was ultimately decided in PKs resulting in a 0 – 1 score with the Wildcats claiming the Finalist medals. This year, however, the Wildcats did not allow any goals to be scored against them during regulation play in any of their four tournament games while scoring just as many goals (9) as they had the previous year. What’s more, the new “balanced attack” from the Wildcats resulted in 7 different Wildcat players scoring goals during the course of the tournament.
In their first game, the Wildcats trounced the City Soccer Gazelles by a score of 6 – 0 while allowing just 1 shot at their own goal. The second game was nearly as lopsided: 3 – 0 against the LAFC Chelsea White team resulting in a 20 point total for the 2 games. On Sunday morning, the Wildcats played hard against a fast and aggressive Greater Long Beach Heat team which ended in a 0 – 0 tie. Because of their point advantage, the Wildcats were able to win their Bracket over Long Beach and head into the Championship final vs. Laguna Niguel. This year’s Wildcat team promises to be a very exciting team to watch with a stable roster of returning players plus some great new additions. In fact, three players new to the Wildcats since last season (Nancy Lopez, Fiona Duerr and Jacquelyn Espinosa) all scored goals during the course of the tournament. Other goal-scorers on the weekend were Ashley Coreas, Betsy Mebane, Siena Landay and Sasha Meyer. With the Wildcats’ aggressive offense combined with a stiffened defense that doesn’t give up goals, the Wildcats are definitely a team on the move this season. The Wildcats have been either Champions or Finalists in all 3 tournaments they have played in 2009.
