Crush wins championship thriller

Petaluma Crush, the girls under-12 United team played three challenging games and made it to the championship game in Walnut Creek Soccer Club’s Octoberfest 2009.

All four games were hard fought, but the championship game was particularly full of suspense, with overtime going in to double rounds of penalty kicks.

The Mustang Extreme team is one that was familiar to the Crush, in that it beat the Crush in overtime by one goal in a tournament earlier in the season.

Both teams brought their best game into the championship match, and battled for the original 60 minutes to a 1-1 tie. Two five-minute overtime halves were scoreless.

The first round of penalty kicks resulted in a 3-3 tie.

As the game went into sudden death penalty kicks, the Crush remained confident, and it paid off in a win and the tournament championship.

Crush goal keeper Emily Corda was outstanding, holding the Mustangs to three hits during the penalty kicks.

The Crush won, 3-0, 2-1, 1-0 in preliminary rounds. Goals were scored by Amy Keen, Ileana Moon, Alyssa Fowler, Lauren Kulasingam and Jannelle Schwartz.

The Crush is coached by Tami Freitas, Janet Kerrigan and trainer Chris Daily. Team members are Alyssa Clark, Corda, Fowler, Nicole Freitas, Anna Hilbert, Keen, Taylor Kerrigan, Kulasingam, Mariah LaGrand, Moon, Madison Parratt, Lilly Reinstein, Renee Rodgers, Schwartz, Kailee Salacci, Sydney Starke and Lynsee Whitham.