Tehachapi News

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The entire season boiled down to Sunday, March 9, for the Tehachapi U14 girls spring select team. Coming off a 3-0 win on Saturday to solidify the number one seed, the team returned to Bakersfield Sunday morning to decidedly win both playoff games and capture first in league for the first time.

The first game of the day was versus the fourth seeded team, Southwest Bakersfield. This game would decide who would play for the championships and who would play in the consolation bracket. Kelsey Young recorded two goals. One was a left footed shot that Coach Josh Perris was proud of.

“We work on using both feet in practice, so it's good to see the girls apply it in the game,” he boasted. “We also work on set plays a lot, since we have girls like Syd (Sydney Castillo), Melanie (Roussel), and Kelsey (Young) who can deliver a great ball consistently.”

The team was able to capitalize on one. Eliana Navarro put away a goal off of a deflected shot from Casey Weisenseel, who found the ball in a mess of girls during a corner kick. Goal Keeper Sonya Dorador made a great diving save in the last seconds of the game to maintain the shutout. Tehachapi won 4-0.

After a break, the team went on to play Northwest Bakersfield for the championships. They did not disappoint.  From the start, the girls showed they were hungry for the first place medal, possessing the ball with conviction. The first goal was off a free kick taken by Sydney Castillo. Melanie Roussel received the ball and then passed to Kelsey Young, who found the back of the net. Young recorded a hat trick. Selena Demus also scored twice and assisted twice.  Coach Perris started her at forward rather than defense, wanting to make a statement to the other team.

“Anywhere you put her (Demus), she will make plays happen,” he said. “With the return of Ashlee Otis and Rachel Evans from high school ball, it gives us even better opportunities to take advantage of the other teams weaknesses.”
By the fourth quarter, with seven goals recorded, the defense were given a chance to play offense. Ashlee Otis scored two more times, both off assists by Sarah Dorador. The team ended the game 9-0.

Before the season began, the girls made a promise to themselves and the coaches, saying they will bring the championship home to Tehachapi.

“I was very impressed with the way the girls took control of the game from the start to finish. It was a pleasure to watch them dominate the championship game. The girls play in a lot of tournaments and face top competition, so for them to win this whole thing is special. We still have a few more months of soccer, so it is going to be fun to watch,” said Coach Perris.

Tehachapi ended their league season with an undefeated record of 7-0-1. They scored 41 goals, while only allowing four. They have four more tournaments scheduled until late June. Their next tournament is in Carpinteria, April 5.