CONGRATS TO OUR 99 Boys White! - our 99
Boys White took home the trophy going 4-0 in a recent tournament.
Wins included: 4-2 win over San Tan; 2-0 shutout victory
over Ahwatukee; A 3-0 trouncing over SC del Sol to advance
to the finals where our 99 Boys White finished off the tournament
with the championship winning 1-0 over SC del Sol.
CONGRATS TO OUR 99 Boys! - our
99 Boys finished out the AZ Fall Classic with a 2-1 win
over Alliance Marx Pros to take 2nd place in the final tournament
standings. They played a great tournament winning 3 games
in two days of hard play. Congrats to the players, coaches
and all those involved adding to another proud moment for
the Banat Soccer Club.
CONGRATS TO KELLI McKRAKEN our 92G
Gold team keeper was chosen for the Regional ODP team --
a huge honor!!!
CONGRATS TO OUR 93 BOYS 3v3 TEAM which first won the tournament in-state
and then won the regionals in SoCal and now head to the national finals.
Click Here for Full Story
CONGRATS TO all the teams that played indoor over the summer...it was a
near sweep of indoor trophies and we're proud of everyone just representing
with pride regardless of results.
THANK YOU....all of you....for making us proud to wear the Banat logo!!!
Lady Aztec soccer goalie prepares for play at next level
by Jennifer Hernandez
Despite finishing with fewer wins than the Lady Aztecs of Copper Canyon would have liked, the varsity girl’s team made drastic improvements with every game and had some great showings in tournaments.
For senior goalie Michelle Hoekstra, who has been playing soccer her entire life, having a tough season was a way for her to improve her skills. Hoekstra was recruited earlier this season by Paradise Valley Community College and signed her letter of intent to play soccer at the next level.
“I can’t wait to play next year,” Hoekstra said. “The game is so fast-paced and as a goalie, someone is always in your face.”
Hoekstra said in a typical game outside of high school, she would have the opportunity to make four or five saves; however, with Copper Canyon, she received continuous action.
“This year, I was able to direct my defense more and become a better keeper with every save,” she said.
A typical misconception Hoekstra said people have about keepers is they are out of shape. She said it is a lot more difficult than people assume.
“You need a different kind of endurance to be a goalie,” she said. “I have to make a lot of six-yard sprints nearly the whole game.”
Ideally Hoekstra said if she had the opportunity to set up her “dream team,” she would play with a deep sweeper who was fast and able to track down balls.
“I would also like to have five players in the middle because that is where games are decided,” she said. “Of course, you will need two up top to put the balls away.”
Hoekstra tried extremely hard this season to make herself, as well as others around her, better. She said she would have loved to have won more games, but having fun and getting better were just as well for her.
As she continues to prepare for soccer at PVCC, she said she will also focus on improving there and possibly getting the opportunity to play beyond community college.
Reach reporter at sports@star-times.com or 623-847-4610.
