YOUTH SOCCER: A slam dunk

SALT LAKE CITY - The Slammers FC girls 14-and-under soccer team

from Newport Beach will join the best Illinois, Georgia and Maryland has

to offer when the four teams vie for the national championship at the

U.S. Youth National Cup Finals in Bethesda, Md., beginning July 24.

The Slammers qualified for the national championship by defeating the

Arizona State champion, 2-1, in the U.S. Soccer Western Regional

Championship, a week-long competition in Salt Lake City among State Cup

champions from 14 states in the Far West Region.

Coach Walid Khoury’s team began its journey by winning the California

State Championship in May, outscoring its opponents, 23-0.

At the regional championship the Slammers defeated State Cup champions

from Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon.

Khoury also coaches the girls-12-and-under Slammers team that also won

the Western Regional title.Players pictured:

Front row left to right: Britney Scannell, Alexa Orand, Crystal

Wright, Christina Trenton, Krysten Bradshaw.

Middle Row left to right: Vanessa Fallon, Alexis Mielke, Sammy Tiampo,

Diana Signoriello, Kirsten Cummings, Tiffany Harrison.

Back row left to right: Coach Walid Khoury, Brianna Bak, Amy Klippert,

Christi Yount, Jamie Alvis, Tiffany Alvarez, Jessica Mazura, Manager

Terry Mazura.