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 By: SIMON SAMANO - Staff Writer SAN DIEGO ---- There are two types of athletes who really impress me, and they are at opposite ends of the athletic spectrum.
The first are young athletes; often as green as the fields they compete on and always trying to improve their skills. Learning is imperative to them and because of this, they know no limits when it comes to effort. They just love to play, which makes them the embodiment of athletes in their purest form.
The second are older athletes, experienced veterans if you will, who don't know the meaning of "quit" even when conventional wisdom says they should hang it up. They have probably lost a step or two and their skills have probably declined over the years, but they keep competing because their hearts are consumed by a passion for the game and that competitive fire still burns deep within their souls.
To find an abundance of these athletes, look no further than the Women's Premier Soccer League, an independent amateur league focused on the development of highly competitive women's soccer teams. It's the highest level of women's amateur soccer in the country. Actually, it's the highest-level league of national women's soccer, period, since the WUSA folded in 2003.
Young players ---- including University High's Emily Wynne, who will play at Pepperdine next season; Henry's Alison Lokanc, who is off to Nebraska; and Michelle Russell of University City, who will play for UC Santa Barbara next fall ---- use the league to prepare for future endeavors. Wynne, Lokanc and Russell, who all played for the Rancho Penasquitos-based PQ Premier club team, are members of the San Diego SeaLions, who just completed their season Saturday in fourth place of the WPSL's West Division.
The WPSL is also loaded with accomplished players formerly of the U.S. women's national team and WUSA, most notably the California Storm's Brandi Chastain and Shannon MacMillan.
This is pretty much the makeup of the league. There is no in between. You're either "climbing the ladder" or "over the hill," but this formula is advantageous for both sides.
"The girls get faster and younger every year," said SeaLions goalkeeper and general manager Lorena Snyder, who played for San Diego State from 1990-93. "They come out here and push us hard. Stuff that these girls can do now, I couldn't do when I was their age."
Added Wynne: "Playing with the older girls has been awesome. They're so helpful and give you advice. They could be like, 'Whatever, you're just a high school kid,' but they're so supportive and treat us with respect. It helps me grow as a player, and hopefully helps them out a little bit."
Wynne certainly has benefited from the experience, and she proved it on July 4 when her primary duty was to cover Chastain, who had just joined the Storm after not being asked to rejoin the U.S. women's national team.
Wynne, who as a 12-year-old looked up to Chastain when the former national team standout scored the game-winning goal against China to capture the 1999 World Cup, did more than just hold her own against the established star. She covered Chastain like a blanket during the first half, causing Chastain to switch sides in the second half.
"I was kind of star-struck at first, but after our first contact together, I just looked at her as if she was just another person I had to play against," Wynne said. "I played hard and it kind of worked out."
Though it's great to see the youngsters develop rapidly, perhaps the most amazing part of this dynamic between the old school and new school is the established players' acceptance of their humble surroundings. It can't be easy performing in front of a few hundred fans at a high school for free ---- the SeaLions call Hoover High home ---- when you used to play on the biggest stage in front of thousands for a paycheck. But they do it because the sport is all they've ever known.
"Those girls that have played at the highest level, even in scrimmages they have that intensity," SeaLions head coach Papo Santos said. "That's the way they're built inside. They want to compete and play, and look good, and feel good. Whether they play in front of crowds or no crowds, they play the same.
"That's the way an athlete should be. Play because you love the sport."
Yes. An athlete in her purest form.
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 Ajax and San Diego both played the last game of the season with small squads. Ajax with just a goalkeeper on the bench and San Diego with 2 players on theirs.
Even though it was hot the game was played at a good pace with Ajax having the majority of the play in the first half. After a number of opportunities in the San Diego penalty area Traci Arkenberg played the ball back to Cami Boswell who hammered the ball home from 20 yards in the 14th. minute. Although keeping up the pressure, it wasn't until the 43rd. minute when April Colen was pulled down from behind with just keeper Lu Snyder to beat, Traci Arkenberg stepped up and slotted home the penalty.
The second half started with San Diego putting higher pressure on the ball and the game evened out. Jessica Edwards put the game out of reach with a goal scored near post in the 61st. minute on a pass from Traci Arkenberg. With Ajax easing up in the last few minutes San Diego scored a good goal that went in off the far post on a shot by Noelle Jouglet assisted by Veronica Castellanos in the 88th. minute.
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 San Diego-- Former Boston Breakers midfielder Sherice Anders (USD) scored 2 goals and assisted another to lead the San Diego WFC SeaLions to a 4-1 victory over the Las Vegas Tabagators on Saturday afternoon.
The SeaLions' goals came in bunches. With the game barely a half-hour old, midfielder Chrissy Sanford (Arizona) twice caught the Las Vegas defense flat and made nifty through-passes to Anders who was streaking towards the goal. The Tabagator defenders were no match for the speedy Anders, and former UNLV goalkeeper Jenna Huff could only watch as Anders collected the passes and drilled them into the netting.
"Today we played up to our potential as a team," said WFC Head Coach Papo Santos. "Despite some difficult losses this season, our girls never stopped believing in themselves and their skills, and today everything came together nicely."
San Diego, which pounded 13 shots, scored again in the 75th and 77th minutes, first when Anders made an unselfish pass across the Tabagator goal to an unmarked Lizzie Coghill (Notre Dame) who scored her second goal of the year, and two minutes later when WPSL MVP-candidate Christie Callier made sure that a missed-shot rebound didn't miss a second time. That goal was Callier's seventh, and ties her for second-place in the WPSL in goals scored.
Las Vegas' Rebecca Patrick (CSU-Fullerton) scored her 4th goal of the season in the 80th minute, while Jenna Huff (UNLV) came up with 12 saves for the Tabagators.
The goals were Anders' 3rd and 4th of the season, to go with 2 assists. The win vaulted San Diego (4-8) past the Tabagators (3-6-2) into 5th place in the WPSL Western Division, and the SeaLions can move up another notch by beating 4th place Elk Grove (4-4-3) in Sunday's 1:00 p.m. match at San Diego's Hoover High School Stadium.
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 San Diego -- For nearly three-quarters of their July 4 grudge match, the San Diego WFC women's soccer team had WPSL arch-rival California Storm on the ropes.
Leading 1-0 on midfielder Christy Caliier's (USC) 6th goal of the season, and with the SeaLions' defense, led by veteran goalkeeper Lorena Snyder (SDSU), having stopped everything the undefeated Storm, and their new captain Brandi Chastain, could muster, San Diego looked certain to hand the Storm its first defeat of 2005.
But, for just two brief moments, the SeaLions forgot about Sissi. And Sissi made them pay.
Sissi, whose forte is usually assists rather than goals, tied the game in the 74th minute with a right-footed shot from 15 yards out that skipped off another player before sneaking inside the lower right post. Eight minutes later, she sent a left-footed beautifully-bent rocket from 30 yards out into the upper left corner of the goal that even Snyder, who would collect 18 saves on the day, couldn't get.
"We made two mistakes, and Sissi capitalized," said SeaLion coach Papo Santos. "That's why she's such an amazing player -- she has so many dimensions to her game, and so many different ways to beat you."
A lively crowd of 325 saw the Storm's high-pressure defense allow WFC (3-7) only 7 shots. The Storm generated 22 shots of its own, mostly off counter-attacks.
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 San Diego -- Frustrated and tired of waiting for someone else to step up,
SeaLion rookie Midfielder Carrie Schmit (Texas) and WPSL veteran
Chrissie Sanford (Arizona) wasted no time taking control of the match,
to lead the San Diego WFC SeaLions to a 6-1 grounding of the San
Francisco Nighthawks. Schmit scored in the 5th minute after 4 minutes
of constant pressure on the Nighthawk defense, and again in the 21st
minute, and Sanford added 3 assists and an exclamation-point 86th minute
goal of her own, as the SeaLions, who have scored a total of 16 goals,
netted 6 goals in one game for the second time this season.
The win was an astounding reversal of San Diego's 0-1 whimper of a loss
in San Francisco one week ago, and gives WFC some much-needed momentum
going into Monday's match against WPSL arch-rival and undefeated
Sacramento Storm, led by confident former US National Team member Brandi
Chastain and the ever-smooth Brazilian star Sissi.
Not to be outdone, speedy forward Sherice Anders (WUSA Boston Breakers)
also scored two goals (10/81) for the SeaLions, and Defender Amanda Lehr
(Duke) added another (53).
"We have been waiting for a game like this," said San Diego coach Papo
Santos. "We won the ball, we used the ball, and we made good runs
without the ball which is a recipe for success every time."
"Every game is precious now, if we're to have any shot at the playoffs," Santos added. "This win is a good start."
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 San Diego -- Former USC standout Christy Callier scored two goals for San Diego, including one in the 90th minute, and the outstanding goalkeeping of Lamorinda-East Bay's Katie Pittman (UC-Berkeley) denied the SeaLions at least 3 more, as San Diego WFC downed the Power 2-0.
"Christy worked very hard for those two goals," said San Diego Coach Papo Santos, "but the entire team created them by making unselfish passes and some nice movement through the entire field."
SeaLions forward Chrissy Sanford (ASU) set-up the first goal with a precise 55th minute pass from near the left sideline across the middle. Callier, slashing forward through the penalty area, didn't have to break stride as she hit the ball inside the right post past a diving Pittman. It spoiled a shutout for the Power goalkeeper who had stopped one-on-one shots from WFC's Sanford, Sherice Anders (WUSA Boston Breakers) and Lizzie Coghill (Notre Dame) in the first half alone.
Meanwhile, the stingy San Diego defense surrendered only 5 shots on goal, for rookie goalkeeper Meredith Loeffler's (Mesa College), and the SeaLions', first shutout of the season. The SeaLions dominated possession and pummeled the East Bay goal with 18 shots and 6 corner kicks, including a corner kick in extra time which ricocheted off several players before the opportunistic Callier poked-in her second goal. Five seconds later, the final whistle blew on San Diego's 2nd win, to go with 4 losses. East Bay drops to 0-7-3.
"Every game is precious now, if we're to have any shot at the playoffs," Santos added. "This win is a good start."
The SeaLions, who have started slowly each of the past 2 seasons before making strong runs to the postseason, travel North next weekend to face San Francisco Nighthawks on Saturday, and long-time arch-rival and undefeated and league-leading California Storm in Sacramento on Sunday.
WFC returns home for the July 4th weekend to face the same two teams: San Francisco on Saturday, July 2 at 3:00pm, and Storm on Monday, July 4 at 1:00 p.m. Both games are at Hoover High School stadium. July 4th is SeaLion Youth League Day -- kids in uniform are admitted free!
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 San Diego ---- Nobody expected the San Diego WFC SeaLions to contain US
National Team stars Shannon Boxx and Abby Wambach for an entire soccer
match, but for 78 minutes the SeaLions did just that, until Wambach
forced her way through a crowd and headed-home a long throw in to give
heavily-favored Southern California Ajax a surprisingly-close 2-1 win
Saturday afternoon.
The SeaLions attacked early, earning several chances until Christy
Callier (USC) put WFC ahead in the 14th minute, scoring off Lizzie
Coghill's (Notre Dame) header that Ajax goalie Karen Comstock parried
but couldn't catch, and for the first 55 minutes San Diego looked the
better team. But in the 56th minute Ajax's Cami Boswell drilled an
18-yard shot into the upper corner of the net, her first goal of the
season, to tie the game.
"We fought a hard, physical match, and my hat's off to Abby," said WFC
Coach Papo Santos. "She was patient, she kept working, and she showed
why she's an international superstar."
Pushing forward on offense while marking Wambach and Boxx was a team
effort for the SeaLions. Goalkeeper Lu Snyder (SDSU) stopped 16 Ajax
shots, several point-blank, including a one-on-one Wambach blast from
about 1 yard away, and defender Amy Sauer (WUSA SD Spirit) stopped two
shots just inside the post.
But Comstock thwarted SeaLion rookie Erin Bevacqua's breakaway run in
the 50th minute, and with Ajax's Brooke O'Hanley intercepting several
SeaLion passes forward during the last 20 minutes, the
physically-drained SeaLions were unable to put together any sustained
assault on the Ajax goal.
The win moves undefeated Ajax (5-0) into a first-place tie with
California Storm in the WPSL (www.wpsl.info) Western Division. San
Diego falls to 1-4.
The SeaLions host Lamorinda East Bay Power next Sunday, June 19th, in
a 1:00 p.m. match at Hoover High School Stadium, before heading back
up north the following week to face the S.F. Nighthawks and
Division-leader California Storm.
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 San Diego ---- It doesn't get any easier at home this weekend for the San Diego WFC soccer team, as the SeaLions square-off Saturday, June 11, at 3:00 p.m. against powerful, and undefeated, Ajax of Southern California and its roster of former WUSA and US National Team stars.
Led by international superstars Shannon Boxx and Abby Wambach, and former S.D. Spirit midfielder Traci Arkenberg, Los Angeles-based Ajax, which won the 2004 National Open Cup, has 4 wins and sits solidly in second place in the WPSL Western Division, 3 points behind California Storm.
The SeaLions, by most accounts, are better than their record of 1-3 but are soon going to have to prove it if they hope to have a chance at a post-season trip to Massachusetts for the WPSL championship in July. San Diego's only win was a 6-2 shellacking of Northern California rival East Bay Power on May 28, and the SeaLions' offense, while unleashing plenty of shots, has yet to find the back of the net in consistent fashion.
"We've had trouble finishing, but we have been good at getting into position to shoot and score," says SeaLions head coach Papo Santos. "We have a lot of talent and we just have to get used to playing together in a new system. Fortunately our defense has been solid."
Indeed, it's been the WFC defense, led by WUSA alum Amy Sauer (SD Spirit) and former SDSU Goalkeeper Lorena Snyder, that has kept the SeaLions in each game for nearly 90 minutes, surrendering only a few, albeit costly, late fluke goals in the 3 losses. Attacking midfielder and all-around SeaLion workhorse Christy Callier (USC) leads San Diego with 2 goals, and hopes to team up with forwards Sherice Anders (USD / WUSA Boston Breakers) and Ronnie Fair (Stanford / SD Spirit) to claim WFC's first home win.
To celebrate the beginning of the summer Youth Soccer season, all kids 14 and under, in uniform, get in FREE to Saturday's match at Hoover High School Stadium. Their uniform also entitles them to come onto the field after the match to meet the players.
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 San Diego ---- Utah's Rochelle Hoover made herself at home yesterday, scoring 2 goals at San Diego's Hoover High School Stadium to lead the Spiders over the SeaLions 2-1.
Hoover's first goal was a lovely volley off a lob-pass from Melanie Wangsgard shortly before the half, leaving SeaLion goalkeeper Lu Snyder (SDSU) no chance. Fifteen minutes later Hoover beat Snyder again, this time on a breakaway following a free kick, catching the San Diego defense too far forward.
"We played too tentatively," said SeaLion Coach Papo Santos. "Utah is a very fundamentally-solid team, and they showed it today with precise passing over the entire field."
San Diego's Alicia Anguiano scored her first big-league goal in the 86th minute to make it close, but the Spiders otherwise withstood a mild barrage of shots during the last 10 minutes to preserve the win.
Utah (1-1) scattered 12 shots while making 7 saves, and had 7 fouls, 3 off-sides, and 4 corner kicks. San Diego (0-2) also had 12 shots and 7 saves, but committed 11 fouls and 4 off-sides while earning 4 corners. Hoover was named Offensive MVP of the match.
Scoring:
Hoover (Utah) 42:00 (Wangsgard); Hoover (Utah) 61:00 (Reinbold); Anguiano (San Diego) 86:00 (Anders).
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 San Diego ---- San Diego WFC women's soccer club opens its 2005 home season this Sunday, May 15 against the deadly Utah Spiders, at 1:00 p.m. at Hoover High School Stadium. The Spiders, WPSL championship tournament semi-finalists last summer, won the WPSL National Championship in 2003. The SeaLions and Spiders last met in 2002, when they battled to a 2-2 draw.
“Although we are playing at a higher level than last year at this time, the other teams are also playing well already,” said SeaLions head coach Eliseo “Papo” Santos, who witnessed his SeaLions lose last weekend's opener in Las Vegas on 2 late second-half goals, after dominating most of the match. “Utah will bring an attacking, confident style of soccer because they believe they can win any game.”
Former University of Utah midfielder Amber Brower, who was 5th in the WPSL in goals and points last season, will provide the Spiders' bite again this year, while goalkeeper and team MVP Melanie Stratford (Weber State) will anchor the defense.
The SeaLions, 2004 WPSL Southern Division Co-Champions, are led by former WUSA Boston Breaker midfielder Sherice Anders (USD); WUSA SD Spirit defender Amy Sauer (Stanford); WUSA SD Spirit midfielder Ronnie Fair (Stanford); 2004 WPSL All-Star Chrissy Sanford (forward/Azusa Pacific); defender and English League veteran Tiff Mears (CSUSB/Doncaster (UK)); and former SDSU Aztecs Lorena Snyder (Goalkeeper) and Michelle Wagner (forward).
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SAN DIEGO – San Diego WFC SeaLions women's soccer club and its equipment sponsor, Score American Soccer Co. Inc., announce their first-ever San Diego County Youth Soccer promotion.
For a one-time contribution of $250 by your Club, every player on every team (Rec and Competitive) in your Youth Soccer Club's programs is entitled to free admission, in uniform, to all 2005 SeaLion home soccer games, and the opportunity to meet the players for autographs and tips afterwards!
Expose your kids to professional-quality women's soccer at a substantial discount off the normal $3 admission charge. Bring your Team or an entire Age Division! And it's easy to take advantage of this Special Promotion -- Simply send your club name and a $250 check payable to "San Diego WFC, Inc.", to the SeaLions at 9606 Aero Drive, Ste. 1000, San Diego, CA 92123. We will fax or email you a confirmation. After that, your players and their teammates need only show up at the games wearing their youth club uniforms!
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SAN DIEGO – After surrendering a goal in the first 45 seconds of the match, the SeaLions awakened and matched the Mexican Women's National Team kick-for-kick in an exciting display of free-flowing "total soccer." By the 80th minute San Diego had pushed the game almost exclusively into Las Tricoloras' half of the field, bringing the crowd of nearly 2000 at Southwestern College's DeVore Stadium to its feet. But despite a barrage of 8 or 9 shots against the Mexicans in the game's waning moments, including an open-goal blast from 17-year old SDWFC forward Aurora Quiroz which missed wide by mere centimeters, San Diego was unable to score, leaving the SeaLions on the short end of the 1-0 heartbreaker. It was San Diego's first match of 2005.
The following week the Mexican WNT departed for Portugal, where it finished the Algarve Cup as the 9th-ranked female national soccer team in the world, surprising everybody except themselves and the SeaLions!
"The SeaLions are a good soccer team," said exhausted Mexico defender Monica Gonzalez after the match, "and they refused to quit." Added San Diego WFC coach Eliseo "Papo" Santos: "We are playing at a higher level much earlier than in the past, and it's reflected in our team's attitude -- we expect to be playing in the league finals in August."
The SeaLions, who first won the WPSL championship in 2000, open their 2005 WPSL campaign on May 8, in Las Vegas, before returning to Hoover High School Stadium for their home opener May 15 at 1:00 p.m.
(More information to follow. Contact Scott Dreher, Operations Director, 619-687-0142)
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SAN DIEGO – The ongoing rains have forced cancellation of the first match tomorrow night (Thursday,Feb. 24th) between San Diego WFC women's soccer team and the Mexican Women's National Team. But the second match in the "international friendly series" will be played as scheduled on Saturday, February 26, 2005 at 7:05 p.m. at DeVore Stadium, Southwestern College, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910.
Ticket prices for the match are $10 for adults and $5 for children (under 12). Admission is free for kids wearing their youth league soccer uniforms. Students, faculty and staff of Southwestern College, which is a co-sponsor of the soccer series, will be admitted free with ID. Clear skies are expected to arrive this evening and last through the weekend.
The SeaLions, 2004 WPSL Southern Division Co-Champions, will be led by former WUSA SD Spirit Defender Amy Sauer; WPSL All-Star Chrissy Sanford; University of Nebraska standout and former Russian First Division midfielder Danica Carey; and SDSU striker Michelle Wagner and fullback Noelle Jouglet. Jouglet was an All-MWC First Team selection for the Aztecs this Fall.
SeaLion Defender Jessica Romero will anchor the defense for the Tricoloras, alongside former Aztec goalkeeper Sophia Perez and WUSA Boston Breaker standout Monica Gonzalez.
Formed in 1988, San Diego WFC is one of the oldest female soccer franchises in the U.S. In 2002 the club became the developmental squad for the WUSA's San Diego Spirit, and WFC goalie Melissa Moore was named goalkeeper coach for the United States U-19 National Team following the 2004 season. The SeaLions won the WPSL National Championship in 2000.
The WPSL (www.wpsl.info) is an independent national soccer league with 16 teams in 11 states, including California, Utah, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas, and Rhode Island. It is an affiliate of FIFA and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
(More information to follow. Contact Scott Dreher, Operations Director, 619-687-0142)
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| RECENT NEWS – |
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| NEWS ARCHIVE – |
| 2004. |
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| (July 26, 2005) VETERANS HELPING YOUNGER PLAYERS DEVELOP IN WPSL |
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| (July 23, 2005) AJAX TAKES FINAL GAME 3-1. |
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| (July 16, 2005) SEALIONS LEAPING LAS VEGAS. |
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| (July 4, 2005) SEALIONS NEARLY STUN STORM WIN. |
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| (July 2, 2005) SEALIONS GROUND THE NIGHTHAWKS WIN. |
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| (June 19, 2005) SEALIONS SHUT-OFF THE POWER WIN. |
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| (June 12, 2005) WAMBACH'S LATE GOAL GIVES AJAX 2-1 WIN. |
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| (June 11, 2005) WUSA REUNION FOR SEALIONS THIS SATURDAY. |
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| (May 15, 2005) SPIDERS' ROCHELLE HOOVER CLEANS-UP. |
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| (May 15, 2005) SEALIONS HOST UTAH SPIDERS SUNDAY IN WPSL SOCCER OPENER! |
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| (May 05, 2005) SAN DIEGO WFC SEALIONS AND SCORE AMERICAN SOCCER CO. TEAM UP FOR FANTASTIC YOUTH SOCCER CLUB PROMOTION! |
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| (Feb. 26, 2005) SeaLions Drop 1-0 Heartbreaker to Mexican WNT. |
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| (Feb. 24, 2005) RAINS FORCE INTERNATIONAL SOCCER DOUBLEHEADER CHANGE TO SINGLE GAME |
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