Thunder Rolls to Another Soccer Title

The Pali Thunder, a local U12 girls AYSO All-Star team coached by Chris Bird and Bill Holbrow, traveled to Glendale, Arizona last weekend for the Cactus Classic and came home with their second consecutive tournament championship. In Saturday’s first game against Gilbert, Arizona, the Thunder dominated from the opening kickoff. The defense of Britt Alphson and Lauren Genender proved too much for Gilbert. Early in the first half, Violet Selznick scored from the top of the penalty area for a 1-0 lead. In the third quarter, Haley Holbrow crossed to Annabel Bird who chested in the game-winner as the Thunder held on for a 2-1 victory. Later that day the Thunder took on the Bullhead City Crushers and scored minutes into the game when Gigi Staubitz fed Hannah Siegel who passed to Kristianne Alphson for the goal. The defense of Nicki Schindler and Grace Ewell kept the Crushers at bay until Sophia Stills scored from 20 yards out to give the Thunder another 2-1 triumph. Rain shortened the tournament but the Thunder took first-place Medals. Rounding out the Thunder squad were Katie Barnes, Julia Speiser, Zoe Davidow, Lochryn Howe and Madison Mensik. Two weeks ago the Thunder won the Long Beach Classic with the help of Kaitlyn Parcell, Danica Masi and Ashley Conte of Pali Storm, a U12 girls squad coached by Scot Vorse. U12 Boys The Pali Breakers, coached by Keith Abrahams, Iqbal Anwar, Rick Entin and Phil Pecsok, also took first place at the Cactus Classic. In the first game, the Breakers tied Las Vegas 1-1 on Drew Entin’s penalty kick goal, the defense of Jared Anwar and Jared Abrahams and the clutch goaltending of Wiatt Winfrey. In the second game against Mesa, Cade Christensen took a Noah Markman pass and scored on a breakaway. Later, Nate Hollander split two defenders to score an insurance goal in a 2-0 win. In a rainy championship game Ryan Pecsok took a Cooper Mayer pass down the line and scored. Claude Baker took a nice pass from Jonah Reimers for a second goal and a 2-0 lead before halftime. Goalies Entin and Winfrey turned back wave after wave of attackers and, with three minutes left, Pecsok tapped the ball to Markman, who passed it to Reimers, who set up Mayer for the final goal.