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2007 News
 Gauchos Blank Golden West, 2-0
Running left to right in front of the Golden West goal, Saddleback forward Maile Gannon opted not to shoot. Instead, she lay a soft pass behind her to a charging Ashley Novack who had no trouble pulling the trigger and burying the ball into the net to break a scoreless tie just five minutes before the halftime intermission.
Four minutes later, Gannon received a pass at about the 18-yard mark, took one dribble then sent another soft pass toward the left post. Again, a charging Novack was able to collect the ball and push it in as Saddleback took a 2-0 lead into halftime.
That was part of a 13-shot attack the Gauchos (9-8-1) staged in the first half during a 2-0 shutout over Golden West (2-12-1) in an Orange Empire Conference soccer match on Wednesday which was a make-up of last Friday’s match postponed due to poor air quality from the Santiago wild fire.
Saddleback goalkeeper Liana Signorile made five saves to record her ninth shutout of the season. Golden West goalkeeper Elyse Trujillo made nine saves.
Gauchos Strike Quickly In 3-2 Win over Fullerton
Saddleback’s quick-strike offensive attack was the difference in this contest as the Gauchos opened both halves with quick goals and came back to defeat the Hornets, 3-2.
In the opening period, Saddleback ’s first pass across the goal area should have been cleared out by a Fullerton defender. But the ball was misplayed and Saddleback forward Ashley Novack was quick to get to it before the defender could play it a second time, scoring just inside the right post.
That lead didn ’t stand up for long as Fullerton’s Kimmi Walsh took a pass from Amanda Phillips and ran past her defender for an open shot at goal to tie the score at 1-1. Fullerton took a 2-1 lead right before halftime as Walsh picked up a loose ball just outside the penalty area and dribbled past the Saddleback defense for another open shot at goal.
Saddleback ’s quick-strike offense came back to life as Gaucho head coach Brandee Craig was encouraging her team to score within the first 45 seconds of the period. Amie Soares beat that time limit by a few seconds as she took a pass from Novack and drilled it into the upper section of the net to tie the score at 2-2.
The next 20 minutes was a stalemate with Saddleback putting pressure on the Hornet defense but unable to score until Maile Gannon ’s run at the right post beat the defense. As the defenders slid right to stall Gannon, her pass left across the goal box found Novack open for the game winning goal.
Saddleback outshot Fullerton 14-6 in the second half, keeping pressure on Fullerton goalkeeper Briana Magana.
Gauchos Fall To Cypress 1-0 For Second Time This Season
MISSION VIEJO - Cypress outshot Saddleback 25-5 in an Orange Empire Conference women’s soccer match on Tuesday and only scored one goal, but that was enough for the Chargers (12-1-3 overall, 8-1-1 in conference) to edge by the host. Saddleback Gauchos (6-8-1, 4-5-1) by a 1-0 count.
After the teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half, Cypress was awarded a direct free kick just outside the Saddleback penalty box early in the second half. Samantha Jones was credited with the goal on one of 12 shots taken by the Chargers in the second half. Saddleback had a couple of good runs at the Cypress goal in an effort to tie the game but could only get one shot attempt off in the second half.
Saddleback goalkeeper Liana Signorile (San Clemente HS) posted 15 saves for the Gauchos while Cypress goalkeeper Kassandra Imbrogno (Kennedy HS) was credited with three saves and a shutout victory.
Women's Soccer Drops Conference Game To Dons
Saddleback dropped a 3-2 decision to Santa Ana in an Orange Empire Conference women’s soccer game on Tuesday (Oct 2nd) at Rancho Capistrano school.
The Gauchos scored first on a direct free kick by Amie Soares midway through the first half but Santa Ana knotted the score right before halftime on a scramble for the loose ball inside the right post. The ball squirted out of the scrum and slipped just inside the left post.
The Dons added back-to-back goals early in the second half as Daisy Ramos received a pass from Nancy Garcia and beat the Saddleback defense to the net. Ramos then had a second shot slip through the hands of the Saddleback goalkeeper.
Trailing 3-1, Saddleback finally caught a spark near the end of the second half, getting off several shots. When Ashley Novack was knocked down inside the penalty area the Gauchos received a penalty kick which sophomore Taylor Knight was able to score.
Christine Chao was filling in at goalkeeper for Saddleback, making her first appearance in the net in place of Liana Signorile.
 Coach Craig Plays In Women's Soccer Cup
Saddleback College women’s soccer coach Brandee Craig is a member of the Southern California United women’s over 30 soccer team which will be competed in the U.S. Adult Soccer Association’s National Cup Finals tournament August 3-5 at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington.
Craig, a resident of Laguna Niguel, is heading into her seventh season as head coach of the Gauchos after previous coaching stints at Edison, Marina, and Fountain Valley high schools and Orange Coast College. She played at Edison High School, Orange Coast College, and San Francisco State University and hasn ’t had the desire to hang up the cleats. She still competes in adult co-ed, sand soccer, and 7 vs. 7 tournaments in addition to competing in triathlons. It was during a women’s over 30 tournament in Las Vegas she was playing in this spring that she broke her hand. That team, which also featured former national team players Joy Fawcett and Shannon MacMillan, won the tournament but Craig was forced to have hand surgery afterward.
“This was an Over-30 tournament, but we also play in some Open tournaments to play against the 18-year-olds. The competition helps to keep us sharp,” she said.
Her Southern California United team is made up of women throughout Southern California, from San Diego to Long Beach and from Redondo Beach to Corona. Craig is one of the few players from Orange County.
Southern California United won the Region IV tournament in mid-May by defeating Arizona Premier 1-0 and two-time defending national champion Forza of Seattle, WA, by a 3-0 score. Her team will face Region I champion New York Metropolitan Women ’s Soccer League (NYMWSL) in the National Cup semifinals on Friday, August 3, at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the National Cup finals on Sunday, August 5, at 9 a.m. against either Region II champion St. Louis (MO) Soccer Club or Region III champion Houston (TX) Challengers.
The National Cup prides itself as the oldest and most prestigious soccer tournament in the country for anyone playing on a U.S. Soccer Federation or U.S. Amateur Soccer Association team. National competition for men started in 1914 while the women ’s division was added in 1980. There will be eight national champions crowned during the weekend with both men’s and women’s competitions at the Open, Amateur, Over 30, and Under 23 levels. Over 250 teams participate in National Cup qualifying events in these eight divisions.
More information on the National Cup can be found on the US Adult Soccer Association website at: www.usasa.com.
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