Chili Peppers reach ‘Higher Ground’
Coach Jay Devitt’s under-14 boys soccer team wrapped up another league title with a 9-1 regular season record. On the final Saturday of the season, the boys swept a double header against Simi Valley and Moorpark to clinch the regional title. Keshav Dasu scored a goal on a late corner kick to win the morning game.
The afternoon game proved to be a real character test for the Chili Peppers after star fullback Michael Davis was ejected for an alleged handball while trying to stop a shot by Moorpark. The red card served as a wake up call for the remaining players who scored two shorthanded goals to win, 4-3.
Devitt credited the play of goalkeepers Laurentius Harrer and Patrick Uretz as well as forwards J.J. Saul and Bram Sigman for the wins. Additionally, the aggressive play of midfielders Chance Lawson, Luca Simplicio, Taylor Beall and Danny Devitt sparked the offensive opportunities. Other members of the team include Orrin Whalen, Alec Roth, Sean Frankle, Elijah Ettenger and Jopaul Epp-Maguire.
Devitt and assistant coach Laurentius Harrer will lead the Chili Peppers into the annual Malibu tournament Saturday where they look to avenge their only loss of the season.
Running as fast as she can
Malibu High School product Mimi Hodgins recently led the UC San Diego women’s cross country team to the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship. Hodgins has been UCSD’s top finisher in every race this season and picked up the individual title at the CCAA meet. UCSD will compete at the NCAA Division II West Regional in Chino Hills on Saturday.
The road to state
The Malibu High School boys cross country team recently finished fifth at the CIF preliminaries. Leading the way for the Sharks was Cameron Burrell, who clocked in at 17 minutes, 18 seconds. Teammates Nick Burrell (17:54), Jason Law (17:54), Daniel Nemirovsky (18:31), Chris Peck (19:14) and Darius Visher also competed.
NCAA Tournament sweet for Pepperdine soccer
Two goals by senior forward Megan Woods proved to be the difference for the Pepperdine University women’s soccer team in its second-round NCAA Tournament win over Samford. The victory put the Waves in the Sweet 16 round and followed an opening-round 1-0 win on Friday over Mississippi. In that game, junior forward Lindsey Redlin scored the team’s lone goal.
The Waves will face 17-time national champion and second-ranked North Carolina on Saturday at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C.
New look waves begin men’s basketball season
When Pepperdine University’s men’s basketball head coach Paul Westphal looks down the bench this season, he will see a different team than the one that finished last season 17-14 and tied for fifth in the West Coast Conference. The Waves begin the 2005-06 campaign with a roster full of youth and inexperience. This year’s squad will feature 13 underclassmen, including six freshmen. The entirely new starting line-up will get a big test as the Waves open with the third-ranked Connecticut Huskies on Friday at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Pepperdine’s Milo sets volleyball record
In Friday’s West Coast Conference women’s volleyball match against Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine University junior Sophia Milo recorded five block assists to pass Carrie Romer as the Waves’ all-time leader in block assists with 308. Pepperdine went on to win the match over Marymount, 3-1 (30-23, 12-30, 30-25, 30-27), completing a season-series sweep. With the victory, the Waves remain in a two-way tie for second place in the conference with two matches remaining.
-Brian Foy