The RGSA U12 Gold 1 All-Stars girls soccer team continued its outstanding season by capturing the South District Girls South Association A Cup last Sunday at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey.
After putting together a sparkling 10-1 regular season record, Richmond defeated friendly rival Surrey United Tornadoes 3-1 inthe cup final.
The All-Stars are skillfully led up front by Emilie Sherritt, Lauren Dickson, Elizabeth Kibblewhite, Jennifer Vonas and Jacqueline Tyrer. Outstanding midfield is supported by Ebony Clarke and Dakota Chan, and not a ball gets by the rock solid defense of Kirsten Wilshire, Klara Marsh and Casey Hudson. If a ball should make it down field, Kasey Wright is in goal to lay it all down for the team. The All-Stars are coached by Clive Clarke, Chantelle Donaldson, Angelo de Giorgio and Frantz Simon.
From start to finish, the cup final was non-stop high calibre, physical soccer with both teams determined to bring the trophy home. Down a goal early on in the game, the All-Stars created many brilliant scoring opportunities in the first half, but the cross bar and amazing saves by the Tornadoes' goalie kept them off the scoreboard. After a halftime pep talk from coach Clarke, the girls came out fighting and applied constant pressure on the Tornadoes the entire second half.
The pressure was rewarded about 10 minutes in when winger Kibblewhite let off a powerful cross that found Ebony Clarke at the top of the box who smacked it in to tie the game at 1-1. The go ahead goal came shortly thereafter on a solo effort from Clarke after some fantastic moves to get by the defenders. The Tornadoes applied some pressure of their own when a cross from reached the penalty area and a mad scramble ensued that saw Wright make two heart-stopping saves.
Marsh's calmness saved the day with a great boot to clear the ball down the field. From here on in Sherritt, Dickson, Vonas and Tyrer kept the level of play high - eventually fatiguing the opposing defensive line.
Wilshire and Hudson continued to shutdown any offense mounted by the Tornadoes. The All-Stars fitness, ball possession and long strings of passing were the difference in this hard fought battle.
The victory was solidified when Chan out-manoeuvred several Tornadoes in the midfield to get off a magnificent pass to an unmarked Clarke who let off a clean shot for her third goal of the game. A superb team effort, and sideline support from many members of the RGSA Gold 2 team, got the All-Stars a well-deserved win .
The girls will combine with the Gold 2 team to cap off the season and challenge themselves by playing in the U13 Metro division of this weekend's Surrey Mayor's Tournament.
