2015 Sports Authority State Cup Governors Division Champion: Laguna Niguel GU09
Laguna Niguel GU09 head coach Ryan Ruggerello had found success before as a NCAA Division I soccer player at UC Irvine in the mid-‘90s, so perhaps it is not such a surprise that he should continue that success once he started coaching a youth competitive team.
“This is the first competitive soccer team that coach Sean [Mantucca] and I have coached,” said Ruggerello, now a lawyer in his off-field hours. “Starting from the beginning of this season to the completion of the State Cup championship, our team went 25-1. We won first place in our Signature League, with a 10-0 record, scoring 51 goals for and only two against. We then won the Signature League Championship, and were a finalist in the CPL Awareness Cup. And we ultimately won the State Cup championship.”
Via their success through the season, Coach Ruggerello had learned to trust his team, and carried that trust into the “ladder” rounds of the State Cup competition. “Before we started the tournament, I knew that we had a great group of girls who were excellent athletes, were becoming good soccer players, and had great attitudes. Once we won our quarterfinal game [a 2-1 victory over Pateadores Mission Viejo], and with two games remaining, the championship seemed like it was within reach.”
The first of those games, a semi-final match against Surf Academy Select, ended with Laguna Niguel on top, 4-3, and Ruggerello talked to his team in preparation for their impending finals match on Sunday, February 8 in San Bernardino at the IE Surf Soccer Complex.
“We talked about certain tactical aspects of the game as a team and with individual players. I asked the team as a whole “what do I expect from each of you?” I reminded them that I do not care if we win or lose, but that this is the last game of the tournament and they should strive to play their best.”
“Coach Sean asked the girls if they wanted to be a great team, and to take advantage of the opportunity. He reminded the team that we will be happy as coaches no matter what, their families love them, and that they should go out there and have fun.”
The Laguna Niguel girls did have fun, and they also won, shutting out their opponent, the Attack Green, 3-0 to capture their first State Cup championship title. “The most memorable moment,” recalled Ruggerello, “was when we realized the team had won, because we were able to just sit back and watch the players and families celebrate their success, knowing that all the time and hard work had paid off.
“Our team’s State Cup championship was a complete team effort,” Ruggerello stressed. “The support of our team’s parents, families, friends, and our community was vital to our success. We were a Signature team made up entirely of recreational soccer players from Laguna Niguel, and hope that we have made our community proud.”
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