The Stampede took second place in last weekend's Santa Clara Sporting Girls Invitational Tournament. The locals advanced to the semi-final after two wins and a tie in the qualifying round. Stampede left winger Niya Allen dominated the 4-1 victory in the first game against the Peninsula AC Odyssey as she powered in a hat trick while midfielder Lily Byrne added a fourth. After a 0-0 draw against the ever persistent Bay Oaks team, Davis would need at least four goals against the Clovis California Odyssey to move on. Anne Ayotte started off the eventual 4-0 victory by rocketing in a laser from 30 yards out. Byrne, Yasmeen Dmeiri and Talyssa Tucker then added three more with assists from Jordan Davis and Byrne.
Ayotte continued to showcase her long range power in the semi-final vs. the top ranked De Anza Force, scoring a hat trick on three set pieces. She bent in the first, Beckham-style, from just outside the 18 to put the locals up 1-0. When the locals found themselves down 1-2 after intermission, Ayotte roped in a corner kick, unassisted, for the equalizer. Keeper McKenna Lutzker kept the locals alive with a tough save late in the game. Then, with only minutes left, Ayotte secured the win and a trip to the finals with a 35 yard blast into the far left corner, just beyond the desperate reach of the opposing keeper.
Despite success in the previous rounds, much of it due to the locals' superb defensive play, the Stampede could not find an equalizer in the championship game after falling behind 0-1 vs. the ACC Mavericks and would have to settle for the silver.
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