The Stampede have firmly established their top-ten ranking in Northern California after reaching the finals in last weekend's Norcal Premier Cross Regional playoffs. The locals got by Diablo FC Saturday afternoon with aggressive offense from Jordan Davis, Lindsay Vernau and Allie Belafsky, who combined for four goals with two assists from Vernau. On Sunday the Stampede were challenged by triple digit temperatures and two very tough teams. The semifinal featured a barn burner against the Mountain View/Los Altos Avalanche. The game's only goal came in overtime when Niya Allen's blast from the left wing was too much for the keeper to handle, allowing striker Jordan Davis to pass in the 1-0 tally, advancing the team to the finals. The Stampede faced Elk Grove for the afternoon final with the mercury reading 105 degrees at kickoff. Falling behind 2-0 in the second half, the locals somehow fought through the extreme heat and fatigue to tie the game 2-2. Forward Sophie Karperos first knocked in Davis' shot off the post and soon after Davis followed her own shot, racing to beat the keeper to tap in the equalizer. But with just minutes left, Elk Grove got one more to seal their victory.
Yasmeen Dmeiri once again led the Stampede defense all weekend long, anticipating attacks and beating the opponents to the ball. Fellow defender Grace Carlson came up big against the opposing strikers while midfielders Vernau and Lily Byrne worked tirelessly to control the ball, rarely getting a break from the baking sun. Leah Eccles, Sydney Moore, Skye Shaffer, Grace Barger, Julyana Lara and Ainsley Carroll bolstered the midfield and defense with solid efforts while keeper McKenna Lutzker fended off shot after shot.
Congrats Stampede!
