Pali CaTigers, Rox! Win Cactus Classic

The Pali CaTigers, a local U12 girls AYSO all-star team that won the Area 1-P title, roared to another tournament victory this weekend, taking first place at the Cactus Classic in Phoenix, Arizona. Coached by Corinne Briers (of the Pali Blues) and David Schneiderman, the CaTigers posted 3-0, 5-0 and 2-1 victories in pool play. In the championship game, Lil Seeley scored her third goal of the tournament on a direct free kick from outside the penalty area to tie the game 4-4 and force penalty kicks. Goalie Maddie Oswald kept Pali in the shootout until Sydney Golden made the game-winning kick. Strong defense throughout the tournament by Ashley Volpert and Emily Cooke kept challenges to keepers Seeley and Oswald to a minimum. Goal scorers included Darby Caso, Emily Segal, Lauren Ketterer, Oswald, Golden and Sarah Mitchell with help from Kathryn Johnson, Kayla Javaheri and Seeley. Maya Schneiderman provided statistical analysis and cheering as the CaTigers brought home the first-place medal. Also emerging victorious in Arizona was Pali Rox!, coached by Phil Pecsok. The Rox!, a squad consisting entirely of 11 year olds, won their first match, 6-0, over Mesa Arizona as Taylor Pecsok, Elizabeth Seaman, Izzy Rosenstein and Laila Touran each scored. A 4-0 victory over the Arizona Bulldogs followed, with Kaitlyn Nyman and Emma Seaman scoring and Brooke Reese making a key defensive play to secure the shutout. Next up were the state champion Bandits for first place in pool play. Cassie Jernigan score nine seconds into the game and Seaman added a goal. Hannah De Silva won the game with her goalie heroics as the Rox! Escaped with a 2-1 victory. Rox! played a U12 club team in the finals. Jernigan scored twice and Nyman once for a 3-0 victory. Rox! led all teams in the (boys and girls in U10,12 and 14) tournament, allowing the fewest goals while allowing only one in four games. The defense, led by Izzy Rosenstein, Natalie Messing and Jules Barlow, was so dominant that the Rox! goalie never touched the ball in the second half.