The Paligators, a local U10 boys AYSO all-star team composed primarily of first year players, reached the championship game of the Riverside Locomotion tournament last weekend. Taking the final game against Tulare to penalty kicks, the Paligators ultimately settled for silver. Winners of one game in the tournament season prior to this weekend, the Gators opened with a 3-3 tie against Menifee, which had beaten Pali, 4-1, at the Corona tournament three weeks earlier. Goalkeeper Matt Thomas punted a ball beyond the Menifee defense to Matthew Nyman for one of the Gators’ goals. Against Beverly Hills, Nyman scored three times while Daniel Mosch, Cooper Adams and Miles Guggenheim each added one goal. Defenders Griffin Morris, Cooper Mayer, Aaron Forman, Matt Thomas and Spencer Howard neutralized Beverly Hills’ attack in the Gators’ 6-3 victory. On Sunday morning the Gators truck early against Moreno Valley as Adams scored off a pass from Mosch. Then, with the game tied 1-1, Howard broke through for the game-winner. Last in pool play was Area P counterpart Hollywood Wilshire, which the Gators dispatched 4-1. First up in Monday’s medal round was Palos Verdes, which struck first. In the fourth quarter, Spencer Howard moved up to midfield and the Gators scored four goals in four minutes. Combining with Matthew Nyman, Howard had one goal and three assists, with Nyman completing his second hat trick of the tournament. Now all that stood between Pali and the gold medal was Tulare, which had beaten the Gators the week before in Victorville. Guggenheim scored first but Tulare tied it and regulation ended 1-1. Two overtimes changed nothing and it was on to penalty kicks, where Nyman and Forman connected but the Gators fell short. Despite missing Gabe Wachtel, Cade Christensen, Koorosh Hadavi, Ethan Blaser and George Fair, the Paligators took comfort that the strides they made should continue through the tournament season. U12 Girls Also finishing second in the tournament were the CaTigers, Area P champions and Region 69’s all-star squad. The CaTigers allowed two goals in four games, posting four wins and one tie before falling to Agoura 1-0 in the finals. By defeating Sherman Oaks, Quartz Hill, Thousand Oaks, and battling Santa Monica to a 0-0 tie in pool play, the CaTigers advanced to the semifinals to face Central Torrance. The game was scoreless through regulation and two overtimes before Pali prevailed, 2-1 on penalty kicks. The loss to Agoura in the finals was the CaTigers’ first defeat since January 5. This weekend’s roster included Darby Caso, Emily Cooke, Lauren Gilfenbain, Sydney Golden, Kathryn Johnson, Emma Lesher-Liao, Sarah Mitchell, goalies Madeline Oswald and Maya Schneiderman, Lil Seeley, Emily Segal, Sarah Trenton, Lizzy Thomas, and Evelina Van Norden. The tournament’s U12 girls Super Chief Division, reserved for all-star select teams, included 20 squads from 19 Southern California regions.
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