2015 Sports Authority State Cup Governors Division Champion: FC Golden State
FC Golden State GU11 head coach Eric Montoya knows how important it is for a team to never give up on a game. With his Under-11 girls facing a tough Nado side in the Round of 16 in the 2015 Sports Authority State Cup Governors Division in early February, he knew their chances were slim.
“We were down by a goal with a minute left in the game,” recalled Montoya. Suddenly, FC Golden State midfielder Haley Mo’okini was fouled in the box and the referee called a penalty kick. Mo’okini was very slow to get up from the hit, but she still asked to take the PK for the team. Mo’okini made the goal, which sent FC Golden State and Nado into overtime, after which Golden State prevailed 4-1 on penalty kicks to move forward in State Cup.
“She never stops playing her heart out,” said Montoya of his midfielder. “Watching the entire team fight through that game and never giving up was inspiring.”
Propelled by their Round of 16 turnaround, FC Golden State continued with their onslaught of shutouts against their opponents, as their formidable defense led by Giselle Moreno only allowed a single goal throughout the tournament. Soon enough, they found themselves in the GU11 championship final against Oceanside Breakers Black.
“I told the girls how proud I was of them getting to the championship game, and that they were the final two teams out of 70,” said Montoya, whose furthest previous State Cup success was reaching the quarterfinals with the Burbank Red Machine back in 2010. “I told them all of their hard training and dedication was what got them here and regardless of the outcome I was very proud of them.”
In the championship match on Sunday, February 8 at the IE Surf Complex in San Bernardino, Oceanside played FC Golden State to a 0-0 deadlock after overtime and the teams faced off against each other for penalty kicks to declare the winner. After Golden State goalkeeper Arianna Urena blocked a pair of Oceanside PK attempts to give her team a 2-0 edge, Izabella Jaime zeroed in on the goal and put away the game-winning PK for FC Golden State.
“Watching the parents, family, and friends run onto the field after Izabella made the winning PK was an unbelievable feeling!” said Montoya. “[I watched] the parents hugging their children in celebration. Many of the parents and players had tears streaming down their faces.”
The response was a much-deserved one, Montoya adds. “The parents play a crucial role in the team’s support. It is easy to praise the players, but without the parents they would be unable to attend practice, games, and all of the tournaments throughout the year. None of this team’s accomplishments would be possible without the strong support of all of our parents.”
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