Malibu’s American Youth Soccer League (AYSO) U16 boys team came out on top in its championship tournament, which took place earlier this month in Bakersfield.
“They were all evacuated from their homes on Friday [Nov. 9] and us—many of us—parents decided that we might as well continue on with the plan to go to Bakersfield,” Sheri Swist, a team parent, said in an email to The Malibu Times.
The team won its Saturday game, which allowed the boys to compete on Sunday. According to Swist, the team was down, 2-1, until the last play of the match. They brought the score to a tie, forcing two overtime periods and penalty kicks.
The young Malibuites scored during the penalty kicks, putting them ahead and securing a win.