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The Heritage Bears
“graduated” from U10 soccer in style this fall
by playing their
first non-jamboree format tournaments November 18 and 19
in the NorCal Cup at Sonoma State, and December 2 and 3 in
the Copa Del Rey hosted by River City Boca in Sacramento.
In
the NorCal Cup, the boys just couldn’t get a lucky bounce.
The Bears started with a frustrating 2-0 loss to Union FC of Palo Alto—hitting the post three times and dominating
play. The second match saw a fast-paced 3-2 victory over the
Walnut Creek Diablos, followed in the evening under the
lights with a hard-fought last minute 2-0 loss to Sacramento
United. Sunday saw the Bears seeded in the silver bracket
against tough opponent Atletico Santa Rosa. Again, the boys
dominated possession but missed several opportunities, and
ended up losing on a fluky goal from a free kick.
Two weeks
later, the Bears traveled to Sacramento State for the Copa
Del Rey and were clearly ready to prove themselves. Starting
with a dominating 4-2 win over a tough Santa Rosa United
Gold team, the boys looked to be back to their goal scoring
ways. Building momentum, the afternoon saw a convincing 6-1
victory over Eldorado United. Needing a win on Sunday
morning to advance to the final, the Bears played resolutely
in defense and did enough to put out a strong challenge from
Elk Grove and won 2-0. Their first Cup final proved to be
one of their finest matches played all season. The boys were
unlucky to give up the first goal on another free kick
against a fast Davis Legacy team. However, the boys
rebounded with quick passing, sharp finishing, and strong
midfield pressure to go on and win 4-2 and claim their first
tournament trophy. The final match was the team’s 40th of
the season, which saw the team end up with a fantastic 34-6
overall record in tournament and league play.
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