![](../images/for_pdf/0905-04901.jpg) | | Lamorinda United 98 U16 girls will move on to the Far West Regionals June 12-16. | | | | | | Fresh off of beating the No. 1 team in the nation at the Las Vegas Players Showcase, Lamorinda United 98 finished off the California Youth Soccer Association State Cup in a decisive manner. After going undefeated in league, the U16 girls entered the playoffs with confidence.
In the games leading up to the final, they defeated Diablo Futbal Club (DFC) 2-0, Placer Roseville 6-2, Santa Clara Sporting Green 4-0 and El Dorado Fury 10-1 to move to the finals of the State Cup. In the final, Lamorinda met Placer Roseville Impulse again. Lamorinda's possession style soccer kept Impulse busy with several attempts on goal in the first half, but the only goal scored in the first half was by Katharine Larson (#6) who shot up the middle to receive the ball from Emma Nushi (#15) and put it past the goalie.
The second half was played at a much quicker pace as Lamorinda settled down and controlled the game. Lamorinda scored quickly in the second half on a beautiful cross from Cecilia Gee (#7) to Caroline Clark (#1), making it 2-0. Less than three minutes later, it was the same combination of Gee and Clark for the third goal. Gee added in two goals of her own, assisted by Nushi, and Callie Ericksen (#19) added one with an assist from Gee to make the final score 6-0.
Lamorinda's defense allowed only two shots on goal the entire game and played a high line, keeping possession of the ball on the other team's side of the field. Lamorinda will now move to the Far West Regionals in Boise, Idaho June 12-16. A win there will put them in the National Championships in July.
Lamorinda continues to compete at the highest level, having moved to No. 1 in the state, No. 2 in the 11 state region and No. 5 in the nation. They hope to continue their climb as they head to Boise for Regionals.
U17 Lamorinda Girls
U17 Lamorinda girls competed in the top flight for Northern California in a division that included four teams ranked in the top 12 nationally at the NorCal state playoffs. The girls played great throughout the tournament over two weekends against the best competition in NorCal. They made it to the finals against a surging Santa Clara team that has been a tough rival for many years. They came up short in the final losing 2-1 but controlled the ball for 80 percent of the game. They pushed into overtime with a special performance but it just wasn't enough. As a result of which teams they played and which teams they beat to get there, the U17 team is now ranked No. 4 in the country and is in a great position to move up the rankings in the next few weeks. The girls are currently in first place in league play, which includes the same four top teams and they look forward to an exciting finish to the spring season.
U14 Lamorinda Girls
The young U14 Lamorinda girls wrapped up an exciting journey after completing the Cal North State Cup playoffs that consisted of four divisions from throughout Northern California. They played their way into the top flight against the best Cal North had to offer. They came up short in the final game in Elk Grove losing 0-2 to a team ranked No. 2 in NorCal. With over five games in the final round, they were 4-1 with 11 goals scored versus two against. They played well throughout and even controlled much of the final game despite the loss, and should be proud with how fast they are learning Lamorinda's complex possession style. Their success at State Cup has propelled them to a No. 7 ranking in NorCal.
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