11/6/11: Stampede Move On to State Cup Semis

The Stampede are on their way to the Norcal State Cup semi-final round after beating Tri Valley 5-1 last Sunday.  In the first half, Anne Ayotte launched a shot from beyond the 18 on target which, after ricocheting of the opponent, was knocked in by McKenna Lutzker to draw first blood.  However, Tri Valley soon after scored on a PK to even the game.  In the second half, Ayotte played the ball out wide to Yasmeen Dmeiri who in turn powered in a 25-yard blast giving the locals the lead.  Dmeiri later sent in a picture perfect cross from the right side and Lutzker finished beautifully with a header.  Lutzker got the hat trick later after Emily Speakman found her open at the six.  The final goal came from Ayotte on an assist from Alex Hanna.

The Stampede played three additional seeding rounds earlier in the weekend but could not overcome their top ranked opponents GSC Gryphons (1-3), Modesto Ajax United (0-2), and ACC Mavericks (1-1). Stampede goals came from Ayotte and Adeline Umphress.

10/30/11: Stampede Take 3rd at OctoBOOfest Tourney

The Stampede took three of four games over the weekend to win 3rd Place in Sac United's OctoBOOfest tournament.  A second half surge in Game 1 on Saturday gave Davis the shutout over Sonoma County Alliance 3-0.  With the score still 0-0, Lily Byrne picked her way through the defense to score what turned out to be the game winner.  Soon after, Byrne assisted Olivia Smith who buried one from inside the box.  Byrne was later fouled in the penalty area and Anne Ayotte netted the penalty.  Game 2 matched Davis against the very strong and aggressive Pleasanton Rage.  After another scoreless first half, Anne Ayotte passed in a short corner kick and then drove in a hard near post grounder after Smith played it back to her.  The second goal came when Mckenna Lutzker made her way up the left baseline and threaded the ball past two defenders and the Pleasanton keeper for a final score of 2-0 and the day's second shutout.  Sunday morning the Stampede faced the league leading El Dorado United who overcame Davis' early offensive push to win the game 3-0.  The Stampede faced Bay Oaks in the final game for 3rd Place Sunday afternoon.  Late in the first half Yasmeen Dmeiri sent in a cross to Sophia Karperos in front of the goal who in turn powered in a deflection off the Bay Oaks defender for the assist and the game's first goal.  In the second half, Grace Carlson crafted a perfect cross to the wide open Byrne on the right wing who one-touched in the second goal cementing the win and the medal.

10/22/11: Stampede Fall to Elk Grove, 1-0

Despite two first-half shots off the top post by Yasmeen Dmeiri, the Stampede were not able to get by Elk Grove's Inter Rage who bested Davis 1-0..

10/15/11: The Stampede Stomp 'em

The Stampede (also recently referred to as That Red Machine) showed its superior speed, skill and teamwork Saturday as it defeated league opponent Placer United 7-1.  Alex Hanna found herself open with the ball in the box early in the first half and started things off by one-touching a screamer into the upper left-hand corner.  Sophia Karperos followed with two more consecutive close range goals.  Placer United was then able to sneak in a goal, resulting in a score of 3-1 at intermission.  In the second half, Lily Byrne scored on a breakaway and later assisted Skye Shaffer with a through ball over the top which Shaffer finished into the corner.  Shaffer in turn fed Emily Speakman at the six for another close range point.  The last Davis goal came after McKenna Lutzker found Skye Shaffer open in the box.  Shaffer buried it for the seventh and final goal.  Grace Carlson showed great aggressive defense while fighting  the rough and unpredictable playing surface.

10/9/11: Stampede Win Two Over the Weekend

The Stampede won both their matches this weekend as they faced Sacramento United and the San Juan Spirits.  Anne Ayotte got things going Saturday against Sacramento with a quick turn-and-shoot maneuver in the box that surprised the goalie and put the Stampede up 1-0 early.  In the second half, Ayotte drilled in another opportunity at the top of the box to make it 2-0.  Yasmeen Dmieri then took the ball up the left side and netted the team's 3rd goal of the day.  Kaitlyn McElhern bolstered the offense with her quick runs and timely passes.  Sacramento was able to counter with one goal late in the game making the final score 3-1.  Lily Byrne provided solid center defense and ball distribution which was backed up by strong goalkeeping from McKenna Lutzker and Alexandra Hanna.  On Sunday the Stampede dominated the San Juan Spirits, shutting them out 4-0.  The first goal came on a crisp cross from Yasmeen Dmieri which McKenna Lutzer tapped in from a yard out.  Next, Sophia Karperos found room inside the penalty area and lifted the second goal over the the San Juan keeper.  The third goal came as Lily Byrne took the ball up left side and through several San Juan defenders to finish with a drive into the upper right corner.  Finally, after Alexandra Hanna was fouled inside the box, Anne Ayotte placed the penalty shot firmly in the right-hand corner for the day's fourth goal.

10/2/11: Stampede Over Mustang Crunch

The Stampede outplayed the Mustang Crunch of Danville to an impressive 4-0 win last Saturday.  The first two goals came from Sophia Karperos during her energized offensive play early in the first half.  Anne Ayotte then sent in a strong drive from beyond the 18 to make it 3-0.  Yasmeen Dmieri topped it off with a long range direct free kick for the final goal.

9/24/11: The Stampede Win Sonoma Harvest Cup

The Davis Legacy Stampede were crowned U10 girls tournament champions after a dominant performance at the 2011 Sonoma Harvest Cup.  On Saturday, Davis started things off with a 5-0 win over Novato United but came up short against Sonoma County Alliance (SCA), losing 2-3 later that afternoon.  On Sunday, the Stampede came back tough, handily beating Elk Grove Everton 4-0 and then faced Sonoma County Alliance again in the final. This time, however, the Stampede showed they were the true No. 1 team, as they beat SCA 5-2 and brought home the tournament's first place U10 girls trophy.  Great job Stampede!

9/18/11: Union City Over Davis, 2-0

During a rare appearance at the Davis Legacy fields, the physical Union City Premiere overcame the Stampede's tough defense, shutting them out 2-0.

9/17/11: The Stampede beat Mill Valley

In a nail biter, the visiting Stampede eeked by Mill Valley Rockers 1-0.  Lily Byrne scored the game's only goal.

9/10/11: Stampede fall to El Dorado

El Dorado United punished the Stampede 6-0 at Legacy home fields.

8/29/11: Winning Weekend

The Stampede won both games this weekend as the early fall Norcal season continues.  On Saturday, they eked out a 1-0 win from their cross-county rival, the Woodland Fire.  Lily Byrne set up a cross from the right wing to find Yasmeen Dmieri who in turn found Sydney Moore who knocked in the close range winner.  On Sunday Davis beat Elk Grove 4-1.  Yasmeen Dmieri and Alex Hannah netted close range shots in the first half to make it 2-0.  In the second half, Sophia Karperos and Anne Ayotte each drove in longer range shots over goalkeeper's head.  Late in the game Elk Grove caught Davis off guard on a free kick and got on the board making the final score  4-1.

8/20/11: Stampede Over Boca, 4-1

The Stampede were back to their winning ways in the first league game of the fall season last Saturday in Sacramento against Boca.  Four first-half goals sealed the deal although an opposing goal was allowed late in the game for a final score of 4-1. Yasmeen Dmieri, Anne Ayotte, Adeline Umphress and Emily Speakman scored for the team.

8/13-14/11: Stampede Even at Davis Super Clásico Tourney

The Stampede went 1-1-2 at the annual Davis Super Clásico Tourney on August 13-14th, first losing 3-0 to San Juan, beating Elk Grove 1-0, and tying both Odyssey, 1-1, and then Woodland, 2-2.  Anne Ayotte scored the team's four goals, three on set shots.

7/31/11: Stampede take 2 of 4 at the Pleasanton RAGE Jamboree

The Stampede fought hard to break even in Pleasanton this past weekend as they faced four tough teams they had rarely seen in the past.  The Stampede lost the first game to San Ramon on Saturday despite tough defensive play.  Although it remained 0-0 through the first half, San Ramon was able to secure the win after three second-half goals.  Saturday afternoon saw the Stampede bounce back tough as they beat Pleasanton Rage 2-1 in a hard fought match.  In the first half, Anne Ayotte assisted Sydney Moore for the first goal and drove home the second goal on a free kick from the top of the circle.  Pleasanton scored in the second half, but tenacious defensive play led by Grace Carlson shut down any further breaches and the Stampede went on to log the win.  Sunday morning witnessed the Stampede's second win of the tournament as they beat the Mustangs of Danville 1-0.  The only goal came late in the game, after Lily Byrne was fouled just outside the top of the penalty box.  Anne Ayotte capitalized on the opportunity, placing the ball in the upper right-hand corner for the win.  In the final game, The Stampede faced the formidable and highly ranked Modesto Ajax. Despite relentless defensive team play, Modesto was able to remain undefeated on the weekend, beating the Stampede 2-0.

6/5/11: A Win, a Loss and a Tie at Granite Park

It was a mixed bag for the Stampede last Sunday at Norcal Playdate #5 at Granite Park, hosted by the Sacramento United Soccer Club.  In Game 1 they faced the El Dorado United Eclipse Luna, a tough opponent they had tied earlier in the season.  After Anne Ayotte netted a penalty kick to put Davis up 1-0, El Dorado found an equalizer and the game ended in the second tie between the two teams in as many matches.

In Game 2 the Stampede played the Woodland Fire, another familiar rival whom they had defeated in a scrimmage earlier in the season.  This time, however, Woodland came well prepared and their aggressive play was enough to shut out Davis 2-0.  It was the Stampede's first loss of the year.

The Stampede found consolation in Game 3 defeating the Placer United Eclipse 3-0 with goals from Lily Byrne, Anne Ayotte and Sophia Karperos.

5/14/2011: Stampede Best Sac United 3-1

In their final league matchup of the spring season, the Stampede faced Sacramento United, a team they had previously tied 1-1 at Norcal's Playdate #2 in Rohnert Park.  This time, however, the Stampede were able to capitalize on improved team play to defeat Sacramento 3-1 and secure first place in the final standings.

The Stampede started the game with Brazil-style passing combinations that sent Sacramento scrambling.  Before long, Lily Byrne found Anne Ayotte in the goal box, who in turn drove a hard high one making it 1-0 Davis.  The Stampede's offensive attack resulted in several more shots on goal but Sacramento was able to even the score later with a goal from the top of the penalty area.  Sacramento then threatened to take the lead when one of its players took a Ronaldo-like direct free kick from well outside the penalty area.  But as the ball rapidly approached the top of the goal it ricocheted hard off the crossbar as keeper Mckenna Lutzker whirled around to catch it preventing any damage and maintaining the 1-1 tie into intermission.

In the second half, Ayotte sent a cross into the box from the right corner which Byrne collected from the Sacramento defense and netted for Stampede's second goal of the match.  As usual, strong defense led by Yasmeen Dmeiri shut down any further threats from Sacramento.  As the game clock winded down, Ayotte found space outside the penalty area and drove a 20-yarder through the Sacramento keeper's hands for the third and final goal.

Congratulations, Stampede!

5/7/11: Stampede Gallop Past North Bay Elite

Teamwork, defense and superb passing resulted in the Stampede's sixth straight shutout Saturday morning as they handily beat the North Bay Elite FC 7-0 at Solano Community College.  In the first half, Lily Byrne scored on an assist from Sophia Karperos who followed up a few minutes later with a goal herself on quick breakaway.  Yasmeen Dmeiri then scored on a penalty kick and Adeline Umphress finished the half netting a goal from just inside the 18.  North Bay suffered two injuries late in the half, forcing them to play one down for the rest of the game.

In the second half, defender Kaitlyn McElhern found an opening on the left side and brought the ball from midfield all the way into the box, finishing an impressive run with a hard low shot into the net, making it 5-0.  The final two goals both came from Anne Ayotte, with assists from McKenna Lutzker and Grace Carlson.

Emily Speakman and Sydney Moore contributed strong offense and defense in this impressive win.

5/1/11: Stampede Win Three Straight in Manteca

The Stampede won all three games at Norcal's Playdate #3 hosted by Manteca FC, continuing their 2011 undefeated streak.

In Game 1, the Stampede's Lily Byrne sent her team up 1-0 in the first 20 seconds after taking the opening kickoff past several Livermore Fusion SC players to drive in a far post grounder.  In the second half, Anne Ayotte set up Alexandra Hanna with a nice lead pass which Hanna took into the box and placed into the left side of the net for the game's second and final goal.

In Game 2, Davis was able to fend off aggressive and very physical play by the Milan FC Strikers for a 1-0 win.  Sophia Karperos took the ball into the penalty area and scored the game's only goal early in the first half.  Constant offensive pressure from Grace Carlson and big defense from Kaitlyn McElhern, Sydney Moore and Yasmeen Dmeiri helped secure the win.

The day's final game matched the Stampede against the San Juan Soccer Club Spirits. After spending most of the day fighting off shots, Stampede keeper McKenna Lutzker found herself in the field and was able to assist Sophia Karperos who netted the day's final goal, giving Davis the 1-0 win.

Well done, Stampede!

4/30/11: Stampede Blow By Elk Grove 4-0

The Stampede fought fierce north winds Saturday morning to shut out Elk Grove Everton FC at the Davis Legacy Soccer Complex.  Despite facing straight into a 20+mph headwind, the team scored twice in the first half, with Lily Byrne and Sophia Karperos netting close range goals.  In the second half, Anne Ayotte scored twice, once from just outside the goal box and later from beyond the 18. Strong aggressive play by Olivia Smith added to the team's solid performance.

4/23/11: Stampede Defeat Inter Rage Academy 3-0

The Stampede once again showcased their ever improving team skills as they defeated Inter Rage 3-0 last Saturday, April 23rd, at Cosumnes River College.  Striker Sophia Karperos knocked in an early goal to put the Stampede up 1-0.  In the second half, Karperos scored again off a perfect assist from Anne Ayotte.  Finally, Yasmeen Dmeiri skillfully placed a penalty shot into the left side of the net. Goalkeeper McKenna Lutzker defended the goal beautifully with an impressive save late in the game to seal the shutout.

4/17/11: A strong showing by the Stampede at Norcal Playdate #2

On Sunday the Stampede played three more games in Norcal's Play Date #2, a round robin tournament hosted by the Sonoma County Alliance in Rohnert Park.

In game 1 against the Sacramento United Extreme Red, Stampede striker Sophia Karperos put Davis up 1-0 after beating the Sacramento defense to score on a quick breakaway.  Soon after, Sacramento evened the score and the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Strong defense from Kaitlyn McElhern, Yasmeen Dmeiri and Sydney Moore kept Sacramento at bay.

The Stampede dominated game 2 beating the Sonoma County Alliance North 10-1.  Two goals came from aggressive play by McKenna Lutzker, as she powered in the first of the game from the top of the 18 and the other late in the game from inside the goal box. Emily Speakman struck four times, firing in a scorcher from outside the penalty area and the other three at close range, one from a well placed assist by Olivia Smith, to further subdue the weary opponents.  Sydney Moore also got into the act, netting a hard liner after taking the ball from midfield all the way into the penalty box.  Striker Sophia Karperos got through the Sonoma defense to take Yasmeen Dmeiri's assist and put Davis up one more.  Soon after, Yasmeen Dmeiri hammered in a close range goal after a nicely placed throw in from Anne Ayotte cleared the Sonoma defenders.  Dmeiri was able to drive one more ball past the goalie to find Alexandra Hanna, who sent it to the back of the net for the final goal.  Tough defense from Grace Carlson and Dmeiri kept the Sonoma offense quiet with just one goal in the first half.

The Stampede had an equally impressive game 3, beating the formidable Santa Rosa Waves 5-1.   Sophia Karperos scored first off an assist from Lily Byrne.  Byrne then stole the Santa Rosa kick-off, taking the ball past the defense to score Davis' second goal.  Karperos scored again off another nicely placed assist from Anne Ayotte.  Byrne followed up with another hard liner making it 4-0.  Kaitlin McElhern, after shutting down Santa Rosa with her tough defense, then fed left midfielder Adeline Umphress a ball which Umphress drove past the Santa Rosa keeper for the Stampede's 5th goal.

Looking good, Stampede!

4/16/11: Davis vs El Dorado stalemate

The Stampede faced the El Dorado United Eclipse Luna at the Davis Legacy fields for their second spring league game.  Although each team had chances, strong defense on both sides produced a 0-0 tie.

4/2/11: Stampede open spring season with 2-0 shutout

The Davis Legacy Stampede started off the spring season with a 2-0 shutout against the Modesto Ajax Premier last Saturday, April 2.  The Stampede's Anne Ayotte scored both goals.  The first came in the 24th minute from inside the penalty area, a shot too strong for the goalie to hold onto.  In the 35th minute, Ayotte drove in a direct free kick from just outside the right side of the Modesto penalty box for the Stampede's second goal. Strong team defense did the rest secure the Stampede win. Way to go, girls!