Blues Reach Girls’ Under-16 National Final
The Southern California Blues qualified for the girls’ under-16 final at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships with a 2-1 victory Thursday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The Blues beat D’Feeters ‘84, from Richardson, Texas, on a game-winning goal by Kim Devine, a senior at Aliso Niguel High, in the 68th minute. Katie Shields (Dana Hills) made a key second-half save on a breakaway and finished with 10 saves.
Daniella Bosio (Santa Margarita) gave the Blues a 1-0 lead when she headed in a corner kick by Ina Kain (Woodbridge) in the game’s fourth minute. The D’Feeters had tied the score in the 43rd minute.
The Blues, 2-0 in the tournament, continue round-robin play today against the Prince William Sparklers from Woodbridge, Va., in a preview of Sunday’s final.
The Huntington Beach Wolfpack continued its winning ways Thursday, defeating Charlotte (N.C.) SC Blue, 3-0, in a boys’ under-18 match. The Wolfpack (2-0) meets Scott Gallagher from St. Louis today.
Dan Collins (Edison) scored twice and Devin Kato (Edison) added the final goal in the 83rd minute. Wolfpack goalkeeper Joe Balbas (Edison) had to make only one save for the team’s second shutout in a row.
The Wolfpack is virtually assured of a berth in Sunday’s final with six points and a plus-six goal differential. SC Blue and Scott Gallagher are tied with three points each.
* The slumping Orange County Waves will travel to San Diego tonight to meet the first-place San Diego Flash at 7:30. Orange County (9-11-1) was in first place three weeks ago, but three consecutive road losses have dropped the Waves into fourth place in the A-League’s Pacific Division, 10 points behind San Diego (11-6-3).
The Waves are in seventh place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Bay Area. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. Orange County is seven points ahead of ninth-place Vancouver. The Waves will host San Diego at Santa Ana Stadium at 5 p.m. Sunday.
VOLLEYBALL
Esperanza graduate Heather Bown was among 12 players selected to the women’s volleyball team that will compete at the Sydney Olympics in September, U.S. Coach Mick Haley announced Thursday.
Also selected to the team were former Long Beach State standouts Tara Cross Battle and Danielle Scott.
The final selection of the team is pending approval from the United States Olympic Committee.
El Toro High graduate Elaine Youngs and partner Liz Masakayan were among four U.S. teams that went undefeated Thursday at the FIVB women’s beach volleyball tour stop at Espinho, Portugal.
Youngs and Masakayan opened in the main draw with a 16-14 victory over Japan’s Ryoko Tokuno and Chiaki Kusuhara, then advanced to the winners’ bracket quarterfinals with a 15-4 victory over Italy’s Laura Bruschini and Annamaria Solazzi.
Youngs and Masakayan, who are fighting for the final Olympic qualifying spot, will meet top-seeded Adriana Behar and Kelly Shelda of Brazil today in the third round. Other U.S. teams that won two matches Thursday were UC Irvine graduate Ali Wood and partner Danalee Bragado, Linda Arce and Barbra Fontana, and Jenny Johnson Jordan and Annett Buckner Davis.
GOLF
Priscilla Park of Santa Ana won the girls’ division of a junior golf tournament at La Purisima in Lompoc.
Park, The Times’ Orange County girls’ golfer of the year last fall at Villa Park High, shot a four-over 76 to win by one stroke over over Erin Long of Napa and Young Pak of Cerritos. Park shot 231 for the three-day tournament.
In the boys’ competition, Taylor Wood of Laguna Niguel shot a final-round 74 and finished third, six shots behind winner John Poucher of Santa Barbara, who shot 215.
TRACK AND FIELD
Woodbridge High sophomore Michelle Sanford won the intermediate girls’ long jump Thursday at the USATF National Junior Olympics in Buffalo, N.Y.
Sanford, who won a state high school title in the event last month, leaped 19 feet 2 1/2 inches to defeat Kemesha Whitmire (18-7 1/4) of Spartanburg, S.C.
In the young women’s division, Mission Viejo senior Dana Bethel finished 12th in the long jump (17-11 3/4).