U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : Valley Area Places 7 on U. S. Team in Field Hockey

There is no going back for seven Valley-area field hockey players participating in the U. S. Olympic Festival.

At least not yet.

When the competition ends here after the medal games Friday, they will not be going home. They will be leaving for Ipoh, Malaysia, to play for the U. S. in the 1989 Junior World Cup.

All 16 members of the U. S. junior team are competing in the Festival.

The junior team, which consists of players under 21 years of age, will be coached by Ric Purser of Los Angeles.

The World Cup will be played Aug. 8-19.

Among the players selected were Larry Amar of Camarillo; Eric Von Holtz of Simi Valley; Jeff Horrocks of Newbury Park; John O’Neill of Newbury Park; Matt Robbins of Camarillo; Taylor Trickle of Camarillo; and Tom Vano, a goalkeeper from Simi Valley.

In field hockey action Tuesday, the West team, which has 13 area players on its 15-man roster, dropped a 2-1 decision to the North.

The West was outshot, 10-8, in dropping to 0-1-2. It was the the third consecutive game the West was outshot.

Amar scored the West’s only goal with 3:12 remaining in the first half.

Philip Sykes of Livermore, Calif., scored the game-winner for the North at the 29:57 mark of the second half. The North’s first goal was scored by Qasim Meskienyar of Hayward, Calif., at the 7:40 mark of the first half.

The South, another squad dominated by Valley-area players, dropped a 1-0 decision despite outshooting the East 14-5.

The only goal was scored by Marq Mellor of Mount Vernon, N. Y., at the 9:42 mark of the first half.