HB Breakers hot in playoffs

The HB Breakers, an AYSO Extras Under-11 girls’ soccer team, concluded their successful postseason by sweeping the AYSO Section 11 Extra League Cup playoffs Dec. 14-15 in Cypress.

AYSO Section 11 consists of 68 separate regions spanning as far north as East LA and south to the border of Mexico. All of the teams are comprised of selected players chosen to represent their respective area regions. The teams who participate in the League Cup playoffs are invited based on the results of their fall season standings.

The HB Breakers, from AYSO Region 56 (South Huntington Beach), was paired and matched in group play against Los Alamitos, Long Beach, and Lake Forest.

The HB Breakers advanced out of group play by beating Los Alamitos (1-0) and Long Beach (1-0) on the first day of the tournament. They next played and defeated Lake Forest, 2-1, on Dec. 15 which seeded them first for the Championship game. In the three, group play victories, Ella Marcus led the Breakers with two goals and Lindsay Rule and Niki Serrano both scored once. Complimenting the offense was the play of Emilee Carter, Cristina Stewart and Claire Amelotte.

The Breakers had the top defense in group play where it allowed only one goal. The defensive effort was led by goalkeepers Sophia Drake and Casie Carlson, Kennedy Klumker, Natalie Wong, and also contributing was defender Kate Edmonds who helped in the decisive group game against Lake Forest.

The Breakers didn’t have their complete roster available for the championship game against Costa Mesa, the No. 2 seed. The Breakers couldn’t convert on two penalty kick opportunities in regulation, which ended with the teams scoreless. The title game went to two, five-minute extra-time play sessions, where neither team could score. The game then went to a best-of-seven penalty kicks phase to determine the winner. Carlson came up with three saves in the first round of penalty kicks which ended with each team converting four attempts. Converting for the Breakers were Serrano, Carter, Drake and Klumker.

In the sudden-death period, Carlson came up with a big save on a deflection. Wong then stepped up to the penalty kick spot and then scored her first goal in sudden death to seal the win.

The HB Breakers are coached by Courtney Drake, Mark Rule and Keith Carlson. The Breakers are: Sophia Drake, Lindsay Rule, Casie Carlson, Ella Marcus, Niki Serrano, Emilee Carter, Cristina Stewart, Claire Amelotte, Natalie Wong, Kennedy Klumker, Kate Edmonds and Allison Schumann.

— Reader submission