Flyer’s soccer team wins cup

Don Sheppard’s club soccer team, the Flyers AUSC Cougars, a boys under 12 team, won the Coast League Spring Cup Championship, in the “A” Flight.

The score was 1-1 in regulation play but the Cougars prevailed in the penalty kick shootout. The Cougars’ goalkeeper, Jose Cano, came up with two big saves during the shootout, but when Lyudvig Berberyan’s kick hit the back of the net with the match-winning penalty kick, pandemonium erupted on the field.

The Cougars joyfully celebrated the win on their home field, the new LCHS field, knowing they had just beaten one of the very best teams in Southern California, the South Bay Force. The Force is coached by Paul Krumpe who is a former USA 1990 World Cup player and UCLA star. The Cougars are coached by former LCHS and Duke University star, Josh Henderson, and he was assisted by La Cañadan Louie Bilowitz. The tying goal was scored in the first half by Eric Chavez. The Cougars’ unique zonal defense by players Gio Rollie, Alex Gutierrez, Malone Sheppard, Michael Gates and Brice Gumpel proved to be too difficult for the Force’s offense to penetrate. Peter Chodas, Dillon Short, and Christian Gomez kept the Cougars’ midfield in control in the center of the field.

Under the hard driving leadership of Don Sheppard, the Cougars, a team that is just a year old, has bolted to the top of the pack of club soccer teams in Southern California. The Cougars recently returned from a successful run at the prestigious Dallas Cup Invitational and the team is now in preparation to compete against teams from all over world in the Donasti Cup in San Sebastian, Spain.

The Cougars will spend a week before the tournament training in Madrid at the Real Madrid training facilities with the Real Madrid coaches.