Red starts strong

Last month’s rains might have delayed the 2005 State Cup tournament,

but once play began last weekend, California Futbol Club Code Red, a

local girls’ under-13 club soccer team, showed the layoff had little

effect on its play.

Code Red won its first four games -- one by forfeit -- to advance

the squad to this weekend’s round of 32 in Lancaster.

Code Red was awarded a forfeit in its first match, and then

defeated the Blast, 2-1, in its first actual play on the field. The

offense struck early when Erika Longoria put the ball in the net off

a goalie deflection. A short time later, Kirsten Marony added the

second goal for a 2-0 lead.

The Blast scored in the closing minutes to avoid a shutout.

Code Red recorded its third tournament win Sunday by shutting down

Hot Spurs USA, 3-0.

Fullback Jodi Hwang opened up the scoring on a perfectly placed

penalty kick, giving Code Red an early 1-0 lead. The combination of

Alyssa Strickland, Rachel Pasternak, Brittany Martinez, Breanne

Justice, Alison Hensley, Rebecca Cruz, Osiris Ceja and Alli Budd

controlled the midfield, setting up several scoring opportunities for

Code Red.

Near the completion of the first half, Marony put Code Red up,

2-0, with a solo run through a host of defenders.

Longoria added the final goal in the second half, again

capitalizing on a deflected shot. The 3-0 win gave Code Red a

first-place finish in its pool play bracket.

In the round of 64, Code Red and the Rancho Bernardo Renegades

were locked in a scoreless defensive struggle. With a minute left to

play and the prospect of going into overtime, Ceja crossed the ball

in front of the net to Longoria, who scored the goal for a 1-0 Code

Red victory.

Code Red’s backfield team of Erica Cabibbo, George Demes, Lauren

Hanson, Ashley Haprov and Hwang kept the Renegades from mounting much

of an attack, and fended off a final scoring attempt by the Renegades

in the final moments.

Keeper Tiffany Van Tress allowed only a single goal for the entire

weekend.

In youth softball:

Surf City Sluggers roll on

The Surf City Sluggers made the win column again, this time by

defeating the Pink Punks, 5-2, in Huntington Beach Girls’ Softball

action.