Hollister United Starts Season with a Bang

Saturday, August 26, 2006

By Scott Campbell

Hollister - The Hollister United U-11 girls' soccer team needed little time to prove that it's ready for a higher level of competition. In its first games since moving up an age group, the United finished a strong second in the Soccer by the Bay tournament on Aug. 19-20.

"We went to our first tournament and rocked," head coach Ted Reckas said, "so I think we're going to have a pretty good season."

The United finished first in its group of four with a 2-0-1 record to advance to the championship game. Despite taking the action to the MVLA Hurricanes for long stretches in the title game, the United fell 1-0 to complete its runner-up finish in the 12-team tournament.

Reckas was especially encouraged that his girls posted a 1-0 defeat of the Sunnyvale Roadrunners, a Class I team, in their opening game, proving that the United can compete with higher-rated clubs.

"That's why (the tournament) was so significant," Reckas said.

United went on to blast the San Carlos Heat 4-0 and was cruising to a 1-0 victory over the Alpine Menlo Grizzlies before its opponent scored a injury-aided goal allowing the Grizzlies to tie the game that resulted in the 1-1 final.

In the championship game, a game Reckas called "very hard fought," the Hurricanes scored midway through the first half, a goal that ended up deciding the contest.

"In the second half, basically we dominated them, but we couldn't put the ball in the net," the United's coach said.

The United, which won Watsonville's Soccer Central indoor championship league as a U-10 team earlier this year, now sets its sights on a strong showing in the upcoming CYSA Delgado Soccer League season. The girls begin play by hosting the North Valley Milpitas X-Girls at Veterans Memorial Park on Sep. 9, with a home contest against the MVLA Hurricanes looming on Sep. 16.

*Originally posted in Hollister Freelance