Preliminary games day 1 of 3

A look at how the defending champions faired in day one…

2009 Region IV Champions
U-14 G Sparta 96 Premier (UT) v *West Coast FC (CA-S), 5-3
U-17 G *So Cal Blues (CA-S) v SC Del Sol 93 Maxwell (AZ), 4-1 
U-19 B *WSM Internationals (OR) v Columbia Timbers (WA), 4-2              

2009 Region IV and National Champion

U-17 G *De Anza Force 92G Blue (CA-N) v Leahi 93 Premier (HI), 4-1

2009 National Champion
U-15 G *Mustang Blast (CA-N) v So Cal Blue Draluck (CA-S), 3-0

*Defending champion.

Notes from a few of today's games…

The Under-15 Boys Colorado Rapids made a splash in the first day of the Region IV Championships with a 7-1 win over Utah's Inter FC 95 Premier. Colorado's Isaac Martinez scored in the 38^th minute and Jairo Sanchez followed up with a goal in the 50^th minute. Martinez completed his second of the match in the 54^th minute, then a 63^rd minute own goal set Colorado at 4-0. Inter FC's Ace Phillips had the team's lone goal in the 65^th minute and Colorado finalized the 7-1 win with goals by Cody Van Beek and Jorge Lopez in the 75^th and 79^th minutes.

The California North's Under-15 Boys Mt. Hamilton PAC Tigers took the early lead over New Mexico's Rush Stingers with back-to-back goals by Tanner Thompson in the 8^th and 17^th minutes and another by Lorenzo Vasquez in the 19^th minute. Luke Lawrence put one on the board for Rush in the 47^th minute, but Mt. Hamilton countered with one of their own in the 67^th minute for the 4-1 final.

Cal South's LAFC Chelsea and Oregon's CFC Atlas Under-15 Boys were even through the first half; neither team able to get one past the keeper. LAFC came back with a renewed strategy in the second half and William Raygoza put LAFC up 1-0 in the 56^th minute. Luis Flores finished off the 2-0 LAFC victory with a 78^th minute goal.

Arizona's Sereno South 95 White Under-15 Boys faced a tough opponent in Albion White (CA-S), the 2009-2010 US Youth Soccer National League champion. Sereno stepped out with a 2^nd minute Joshua Greene goal and before the half Sergio Rizo extended the Sereno lead. Albion looked to come back when Ariel Lassiter slotted a 42^nd minute goal, but Sereno's Edgar Gonzalez Plazola countered Lassiter's goal in the 67^th minute for a 3-1 score. Albion jumped out with another goal by Lassiter in the 78^th minute, but after many attempts in the final minutes of play, the 3-2 score remained in Sereno's favor.

Not even three minutes into today's game against De Anza Force Blue 91 (CA-N) Under-18 Girls, Elite FC Titans (NM) put one on the board compliments of Savannah Walker. This set De Anza into action with Chelsea Bruan, Stephanie Bell and Bernadette Fahmy all scoring before the half. The score remained at 4-1 for De Anza's day-one victory.

Sarah Johnson and Julie Johnson had back-to-back goals for Sereno 92 White (AZ) in the 9^th and 10^th minutes as they met Utah's La Roca Premier. Sarah Johnson went on to score again in the 23^rd minute and teammate Danielle De La Vina followed suit in the 36^th minute. Seconds before the half, Madison Lorenzen found the back of the net for Sereno's 5-0 lead. De La Vina brought Sereno into the half with her second in the 47^th minute and Ellen Parker had one of her own in the 56^th minute. La Roca built momentum, with goals from Mindi Beckstrom and Katelin Taylor in the 74^th and 80^th minutes, but it was a little too late and Sereno marked the 7-2 win.

The Under-18 Girls Laguna Hills Eclipse (CA-S) set the pace early in the game against HSC Bulls (HI) when Kim Allard netted one in the 5^th minute follow by two from Kristyn Benavidez in the 8^th and 20^th minutes. Rachel Schulte secured a hat trick with Laguna goals in the 32^nd, 39^th and 60^th minutes. HSC's Christina Tognetti and Kara Yamamoto found back-to-back scoring opportunities in the 60^th and 70^th minutes, but Laguna found it once more in the 88^th minute for the 7-2 advantage.

This year marks Storm Academy Copa's (CO) fourth trip to regionals, and in day one of prelims they marked a 5-1 victory over Rush 92 Nike (HI). Anne Stuller, Kristen Hamilton and Nicholette Digiacomo gave Storm the early 3-0 lead. Rochelle White hit one for Rush in the 53^rd minute, but Storm retaliated with Hamilton's second and Lauren Cinoranelli's first totaling the 5-1 win.