‘Shocked’ Rodriguez Wins National Soccer Honor

Amy Rodriguez, a senior forward at Santa Margarita and the newest member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, on Thursday was honored by Gatorade as the 2004 national player of the year.

“I was shocked and surprised,” Rodriguez said. “I was like, ‘Wow, all these people really see something in me.’ I think this just gives me more motivation to live up to all those expectations.”

Rodriguez, who missed the first two weeks of the season while traveling and playing with the under-19 national team that defeated Brazil, 3-0, for the bronze medal in the FIFA World Championships in Thailand in November, was promoted from that team to the U.S. national team last week.

“I’ve dreamt of this my whole life, and all these things are happening for me so fast, it’s just blowing by me,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, a fleet-footed 5-foot-3 striker who has scored 13 goals for Santa Margarita and signed a letter of intent to play at USC, will also miss the end of the Eagles’ season.

Fourth-seeded Santa Margarita routed Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, 7-1, to advance to the Southern Section Division I semifinals, but Rodriguez will miss the game Tuesday because she leaves that day to travel with the national team, which is scheduled to compete in the Algarve Cup, scheduled for March 7-16 in Portugal. The section finals are March 5.

-- Lauren Peterson

Patrice Godwin scored the decisive goal unassisted in the 35th minute to lift sixth-seeded Granada Hills to a 2-1 victory over third-seeded Chatsworth in the quarterfinals of the City Section playoffs.

Gina Keceskes scored in the 12th minute to put the Highlanders (13-8-4) on the board first. Chatsworth (13-6-3) scored eight minutes later to tie the score, 1-1.

Granada Hills was eliminated from the quarterfinals last year by Chatsworth after it defeated the Chancellors twice in West Valley League play. This year, Chatsworth won both league games against the Highlanders.

Rafer Weigel

*

Wrestling

The Southern Section Masters meet begins at noon today at Fountain Valley and resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. The top eight wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes advance to the state tournament, which will be March 4-5 at Centennial Gardens in Bakersfield.