Spring 2010

Hey Everyone! Blast just returned from Vegas and we had a great time. The teams we've played in our ECNL league so far have been fantastic. We were certainly pleased to have sunshine and not snow or rain in Vegas! However that wind we could have done without! 

We are very proud of our continuing record, winning CYSA league and having our first loss since Regionals 2009 be to a very good Dallas Sting team (we'll get ya'll next time... trust us!). We've got a BIG target on our backs and every team we play brings out there "A" game against us! We are gearing up for CalNorth State Cup play and preparing for our next ECNL league play in New Jersey.

All of our girls played High School Soccer and were very happy to be back playing with each other in Vegas.  Kudos go out to our High School players who's teams made it to NCS CIF Finals! Our 6 San Ramon High School players helped their High School team make it to Div. 1 finals (for the 5th year in a row!) and came up as finalists in this years competition. It was a great game, fought hard against a very aggressive Castro Valley High team! WAY TO GO SRV! One of our Blast sisters, Ryan Walker, helped her High School team, Bishop O'dowd, win NCS CIF Div 2 this year! Way to go Ryan and Bishop O'dowd! wooo hoo!

High School Spirit is a great social experience, it was fun playing with our High School team.  We are so happy to be back with our Blast family because playing with our Blast sisters is GREAT! We are looking forward to another fantastic year full of awesome competition!

See you on the pitch!

Congratulations to the following Blast player:

U15 Mustang Blast                All Event Player           Kimberly Low                Defender

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Lancaster, Mass July 21-26 2009 Citizens Bank Fields at Progin Park, Elmer Ehler Cup U14 Girls US Youth Soccer National Championship series,  Champions!

Just returning - what a ride!  We couldn't be more proud of our Blast girls!  They showed real character playing with a shorter than normal roster against three absolutely amazing teams.  Each game was a barn burner with CASL and Mass. Scorpions really testing them.

CASLs center midfielder (#10 Joanna Boyles) was fun to watch.  She had skill and vision and really set up their game offensively - and she wreaked havoc on ours defensively.  The tournament 'official' results showed both teams with 3 shots on goal in our scoreless first game, but it sure seemed like CASL had more than that.  Blast played that day with heart and soul.  We would have loved to start with a win, but playing such a strong team to a draw was a fabulous way to start.

For the game against Eclipse Blast found their best form.  It was a beautiful game of possession and passing, shape and discipline.  Our goal was never seriously threatened, while our two goals could have been joined by many more if not for tenacious last-minute defending by Eclipse.  Eclipse looked to be a fine team but on that day Blast was just at their very best.

Scorpions were skilled, quick and tenacious.  They were aggressive on the 50/50 ball, beating us to them more often than not.  For every ball where our girls bested them they fought hard to win it back on the 2nd and 3rd ball.  They had great touch and played a tight, connected game. It didn't help that we played them at 7:30am (4:30 at home) and in a driving rain/wind storm that might have frightened Noah himself.  Scorpions pretty much had the better of us that day and there were several 'uh-oh' moments when they put very pretty slotted balls through to well timed runs by their forwards.  But our girls fought and scrapped.  It helped that we have the best GK any team could ever want (biased - I know - but its still true - and the tournament staff agreed by awarding her the 'golden glove' award for the best keeper).  Never giving up after being down a goal we found the equalizer late in the game to take a 1-1 draw.

Nothing I could write about the finals would do it justice.  The worst part of that day was the waiting.  And waiting.  And more waiting.  The 4pm start seemed almost cruel.  Warmer and slightly humid after the prior days deluge.  When gametime finally came it was amazing.  The entire hillside walkway leading down to the fields was filled with spectators - locals who were just curious, teams waiting to play the next day, Scorpions and Eclipse players and families.  The energy level on and around the field was electric.   Click here to see the highlights from USYSA web site.  The only part I'd correct is this: the goal was in the 60th minute - and it was the most tense last 10 minutes of soccer I've ever watched my kids play.  Watch carefully to see the double-nutmeg by Stephanie Amack (megs a player, collects it herself, and megs the next defender too).  Amazing.  CASLs #10 Joanna Boyles really was good, but with play like that and 2 key goals Stephanie Amack deserved to win the Golden boot just as much as she did.

Thanks to all of the NorCal soccer community who were pulling for us.  
Thanks to the MA-YSA for hosting a great tournament at a great venue.  Thanks to somebody for giving us perfect soccer weather 3 out of 4 days (Friday's weather could have been a bit kinder...).  When we went into this we were expecting a lifetime memory experience and we weren't disappointed.  What a ride.

GO BLAST!
Mustang Dad