Shadow youth clubs post big wins

Three teams from the Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club qualified for the U.S. Club Soccer National Cup Championships after winning in their age brackets in last weekend’s Region G Championship Tournament in Boise, Idaho.

The National Cup competition, which is in its third year, hosts the top club teams from the eight Regional Championships around the country. The Spokane Shadow took eight teams to Regionals and placed five teams (U-14, U-15, U-17, U-18 girls and U-17 boys) in championship games. Of the five teams the U-15 girls, U-17 boys and U-18 girls advanced to Nationals.

The U-15 girls, coached by Jeff Robbins, beat the San Juan Soccer Club (Calif.) 1-0 on a goal by Jamie Etten and a shutout by goalkeeper Elizabeth Boyden to qualify for the Nationals in Raleigh, N.C., July 29 through August 1.

The National Tournament for the U-18 girls and U-17 boys will be held the following week in Long Island, N.Y., August 5-8.

The U-18 girls, coached by Kim Calkins, beat Lake Oswego Soccer Club (Ore.) on penalty kicks 6-5 to win their championship game 2-1. Maggie Yates scored the deciding penalty kick after all five shooters had scored for both teams.

The U-17 boys defeated the Cavitt Soccer Academy (Calif.) 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Cody Taff to secure their spot as the Division I Regional Champions and a bid to Nationals. They are coached by Einar Thorarinsson and Stuart Saunders.

Team members and their high schools are:

U-15 Shadow girls — Boyden (Ferris), Aubrey Bot (Lewis and Clark), Etten (Mead), Marisa Poorboy (Gonzaga Prep), Jackie Hakes (Mead), Rachelle Lowe (Richland), Danielle Razakowski (Cheney), Nicole Ervin (Mead), Ceri Palk (Cheney), Katy Sloyer (University), Ali Fenter (Shadle Park), Angie Hughes (Mead), Kaitlyn Whitfield (Cheney), Tiara Pittman (Mt. Spokane), Marissa Mykines (Mead), Chelsea Jones (Mt. Spokane).

U-17 Shadow Boys — Stefan Andersson (Lewis and Clark), Ben Funkhouser (East Valley), Bryce Gary (Post Falls), Jason Gass (Mead), Joe Hatcher (Ferris), Ryan Matern (North Central), Keith Realing (University), Devin Merrill (Cheney), Matt Stockinger (North Central), Adam Olsen (Cheney), Nate Law (North Central), Kyle Wirtz (Shadle Park), Kyle Wilson (Mead), Chris Wyndham (Mead), Taff (Ferris), Jesse Retan (Cheney).

U-18 Shadow Girls — Hillary Boyden (Ferris), Layne Brower (University), Alex Butler (Gonzaga Prep), Lacey Castleberry (Pasco), Tori Crain (Ferris), Eileen Dempsey (University), Cayleih Mackay (Clarkston), Whitney Ramsey (North Central), Tonya Schnibbe (University), Alex Marquard (University), Sara Massey (Medical Lake), Alli Meyer (University), Kayla Miller (University), Ali Spear (Ferris), Annie Virnig (Lewis & Clark), Maggie Yates (Lewis & Clark), Lori Conrad (Richland).

Basketball

The Spokane Stars Blue won six straight games over the weekend to claim the Black Division title and the overall title at the Oregon City End of the Trail girls basketball tournament in Oregon City, Ore.

The Stars won the overall title for the first time in team history, knocking off Colorado 75-65 in the final. Angie Bjorklund, who will be a sophomore at University High this fall, led the Stars with 22 points. Angie’s older sister Jami, a soon-to-be senior at U-Hi, added 16 points, while Riverside’s Angela Hartill pulled down 12 rebounds. Colorado featured a pair of All-Americans in Abby Waner and Emily Fox. Waner, who will reportedly sign with Duke, scored a game-high 38 points. Fox was held to three points. Both players came in averaging over 30 points per game.

The Stars beat Fairfax, Va., 58-43 for the Black Division title. Angie and Jami Bjorklund and Stacey Cox of Ferris combined for 36 points. There were also Blue and Green divisions in the 163-team tourney, with all 50 states represented.

In the semifinals, Spokane snapped the 126-game winning streak of the five-time defending tournament champion California Swish Black. The Stars trailed the whole game until Angie’s 15-foot jumper on an inbounds play found the bottom of the net with five seconds remaining in the game.

The Stars opened the tourney with a 71-38 win over Nebraska and an 86-32 victory over San Jose. Spokane beat Pittsburgh 68-44 in the quarterfinals.

Spokane placed four players on the 10-player all-tournament team. Tournament MVP Briann January, both Bjorklunds and Hartill.

•The Spokane Lady Stars AAU 14 and under team ended spring and summer travel with four wins and a loss last week at the Oregon City End of the Trail tournament, earning the fifth-place trophy.

The team also qualified for AAU Nationals with a second-place finish in the Division I finals held in Yakima and winning the Division II Championships held in Spokane. Their traveling record included 19 wins and four losses.

Team members are—Molly Anderson, Kelsey Baker, Aubrey Bot, Deanna Dotts, Courtney Hatch, Emily Hickman, Kiara January, Brittany Kennedy, Katie Mason, Kandice McArthur, Jennifer McVeigh, Jensen Sayman and Lindsey Snyder.

They are coached by Gerald Kennedy, Jennifer Kennedy and Lew McArthur.

Legion Baseball

The Pullman Patriots and Triple Play Hornets split a double-header on Tuesday at Bailey-Brayton Field. Kyle Hinrichs led the Patriots with two hits and two RBIs. In game two, Hinrichs posted two more hits, including an RBI triple. Teammate Greg Biagi added two hits. Travis Widman went the distance, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking five.

On Wednesday, Jameson Maj tossed a no-hitter as the Patriots beat the Blue Devils 2-0 on the opening day of the Colfax Concrete River Days Tournament. The Patriots scored in the fourth when Maj led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aaron Kromm and scored on an infield single by Chris Roper.

In consolation games at the Colfax Tournament, the Blue Devils and Kalama tied 15-15, the Bandits were defeated 5-3 by Triple Play and Coeur d’Alene beat the Cannons 6-0.

The Patriots finished 5-0 for the tournament, beating Pasco 6-1 in the final game.

•At the Walla Walla Senior American Legion Tournament, the Northstars finished third out of 10 teams. Brandon Cantu was 2 for 2 with a run scored and an RBI. Chris England singled in the third, driving in the winning run as the Northstars beat Federal Way 3-2.