A striking performance
The AYSO girls U-14 Malibu Strikers, winners of the Malibu Region 759 GU14 League for the 2005 season, won the recent Area E championships in Moorpark. The tournament featured the season’s best AYSO teams from Newbury Park, Moorpark, Agoura, and Thousand Oaks. The Strikers’ daunting defense refused to give up a goal the entire tournament while their offense scored 11 times. Agoura’s 4A GU14 team, previously unbeaten since August, fell to Malibu, 3-0, in the final.
Next up for the Strikers is the Section 10 playoffs, which will take place in Bakersfield in February.
Winning Warriors
The Warriors, Malibu’s AYSO U-14 Girls A tournament team, won the annual Newbury Park Panther Shootout Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend. On the second day of the tournament, they won easily against Newbury Park, 5-1, and defeated Agoura in the final game, 6-0.
Dakota Gross was injured in the final game and is not pictured with the team.
Pepperdine volleyball title named ‘top sports moment’
The Pepperdine University men’s volleyball team’s five-game victory over UCLA in the NCAA Championship at Pauley Pavilion was named one of Southern California’s top sports moments of 2005 earlier this month at the Greatest Moments in Sports Awards.
The award came in the category of “Other Division I Schools,” which excluded UCLA and USC. The Los Angeles Sports Council determined the award from fan voting on its Web site.
Pepperdine soccer forward named All-American
Soccer Buzz, an online magazine covering women’s collegiate soccer, named Pepperdine University senior forward Megan Woods to its All-American third team. Woods was also placed on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas All-American third team and earned a spot on the Soccer Buzz All-Regional West first team.
Woods had 34 points this season, with 12 goals and 10 assists. She finished her career ranked second all-time for Pepperdine in points, with 85, and goals, with 31.
The Waves’ senior goalkeeper, Anna Picarelli, was named to the Soccer Buzz All-Regional West second team. She finished the season with eight shutouts. Picarelli is ranked first for Pepperdine in career shutouts (32.5) and saves (319).
This season the Waves had their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The team advanced to the Sweet 16 round for just the second time in school history.