Seven Lazers teams kicked off the spring season this weekend at the Augusta Arsenal Shootout.
The ’97 Lazers Academy Girls Pride and Courage and ’96 Lazers Academy Boys Black all reached the finals Sunday afternoon. The ’97 Girls Pride rolled in their final game of their round-robin tournament with a 6-1 win.
The ’96 Lazers Academy Boys White and ’95 Girls Lazers Premier finished as semifinalists, including the ’95 Girls losing a heartbreaker in the game’s eighth round of penalty kicks.
’97 Girls Lazers Pride
The ’97 Girls Lazers Pride jumped out of the gate in their first match on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Sydney Johnson capped off a beautiful example of the game when right back, Claire Williams made a quick restart a midfield to left back, Tarna Zander-Velloso, who connected passes with midfielder, Carly Pressgrove. Pressgrove served a low cross to midfielder Lauren Yoss, who touched the ball to Johnson who made an easy finish into the goal on the left hand side.
Yoss added another goal to make the game 2-0. Augusta ’97s made the score 2-1 late in the second half. Goalkeeping ace, Paige Betsill made a great save to hold the lead and the Lazers finished the game when Johnson scored her second goal of the match with just five minutes remaining for a final score of 3-1.
In their second match of the day, the girls found themselves ahead 1-0 on a goal from Pressgrove. The Lazers looked a little slow in the first half , however in the second half the Lazers played well and had goals scored by Pressgrove and a brilliant right footed volley from midfielder, Taylor Snell, to give the Lazers a 3-0 victory.
On Sunday, the Lazers got off to another slow start and were scoreless at halftime. Early in the second half, a mistake in the defensive third gave Aiken a 1-0 lead and the shot in the arm the ’97 Lazers Pride needed. The Lazers roared back with four goals in the next 15 minutes. Two goals were by left midfield specialist, Martha Trimbach, goals were added by Yoss and Pressgrove, and the defense was anchored down by center back, Emily Perez, Zander-Velloso, Williams, and Betsill.
In their final game of the weekend, the ’97 Lazers Pride took their momentum and carried it through the entire match, playing some of the best soccer they have in the ’07-’08 season. The Lazers won 6-1 with goals scored by midfielder Katie Slattery, Betsill, Pressgrove, Trimbach, and two more by Johnson.
‘97 Girls Lazers Pride (4-0)
Paige Betsill
Sydney Johnson
Emily Perez
Carly Pressgrove
Katie Slattery
Taylor Snell
Martha Trimbach
Claire Williams
Lauren Yoss
Tarna Zander-Velloso
*Coached by Dan Esmond, Eric Snell, and Dan Goldblatt
’97 Girls Lazers Courage
The ’97 Girls Lazers Courage came up just a little short in their run for a championship.
On Saturday, the Lazers Courage gave up their first goal just five minutes into the match, but came back with two of their own within the next eight minutes. Combination play by midfielders Riley Clark, Sarah Mendes, and Johanna Goldblatt, along with target player, Carson Silbert, led to two great finishes by Clark to make the score 2-1 at the half. In the second half, the Lazers had many chances on goal, but couldn’t put the victory away until five minutes left to play, when Brianna File tucked the ball into the right hand corner of the goal for a final score of 3-1.
In the late afternoon, the Lazers started a little slow and were held to a scoreless draw at the half. In the second half, goals from Goldblatt and Clark combined with a great defensive effort from goalkeeper Ashlyn Walloch, and a back line of Sarah McBride, Laura Fincher, and Dylan Patterson led to a 2-0 shutout of the Aiken Blast White.
On Sunday morning, the Lazers played good attractive soccer connecting on a number of passes and combination plays. The back was solid again and won 2-0 on two goals from Clark.
In the final game of the round-robin series, the undefeated Lazers Courage matched up with the undefeated CVYSA Blast. The Lazers were down early and gave up their second goal in 12 minutes. However, in the 14th minute, midfielder and outside back, Lauren Chaphe, scored her first goal in competitive soccer, when she hit a left-footed half volley which beat the CVYSA keeper to make the game 2-1 going into the break.
In the second half with both teams tiring, it was end-to-end soccer for the entire 30 minutes. CVYSA scored twice, and the Lazers girls countered with their own goals within five minutes of each of the CVYSA goals. Goals were scored by Chaphe and Clark to make the score 4-3. The Lazers had a few chances to score, highlighted by Riley Clark’s free kick from 20 yards out that was saved by the fingertips of the CVYSA goalkeeper. The Lazers would come up just a little short by a score of 4-3.
’96 Boys Lazers Black
The U12 Lazers Black team was a finalist at the Augusta Arsenal Shootout Feb 9/10 weekend. The boys cruised in the opening match against CVYSA Blast White from North Carolina with a 5-0 victory.
In the second match the team drew 0-0 with the tournament hosts Augusta Arsenal. Arsenal was the 2007 tournament champion. The Lazers were pounding away at the Arsenal goal but were unable to score and break the deadlock. It was a scrappy game but the tie was enough to see the team through to the semifinal as the top team in group B.
Sunday morning in the semifinal the boys faced off against their teammates in the U12 Lazers White team. Lazers Black kept solid possession of the ball swinging it from one side of the filed to the other. The team strung several passes together which spread the White team out and created goal scoring opportunities. It was a great effort from both teams with the Black team winning and moving on to the final.
In the final, Lazers Black squared off against favorites CVYSA Blast Blue. It was the game of the tournament and produced some great end to end soccer. Both teams had early chances to score but some brilliant goalkeeping kept the score level at zero. In the 15th minute Blast were able to break down the Lazers defense with some superb combination play and make the game 1-0. Christian Slepicka was brilliant in goal making several key saves in the match to keep it close. Ansu Overstreet battled the top striker in the tournament and kept him at bay most of the match but just before halftime the strong and talented striker broke through and made the score 2-0.
The second half produced some more exciting play. Lazers Black showed determination in their play and continued to press on. Branden Collins and Matt Brasselle linked up in the attacking third with some quick combination play to create chances but the Blast keeper was up to the task and kept the Lazers at bay. The Lazers played their hearts out but on this day it was not to be and they were defeated by a talented team. The match was the best for the U12’s this season and we leave Augusta with a great deal of respect for our opponents in the final.
The Lazers Black team members are: Ansu Overstreet, Matt and Trevor Brasselle, Branden Collins, Ryan Verheuvel, Ryan Phillips, Miles Ritchey, Christian Slepicka (U11), Luke Mohney (U11), and Jahmeil Curwen (U11).
