Brigade’s season ends with Final Four run

It was a new beginning for the Brigade in 1999, but the boys

Under-13 soccer team played the entire season as though it were a

seasoned unit.

The Brigade’s season came to an end Sunday with a Final Four run in the

1999 League Cup Championship Tournament at the Oaks Polo Fields in

Mission Viejo.

Seventy-six Gold, Silver, and Bronze teams started League Cup postseason

competition three weeks ago with their eye on playing for a division

championship.

The Brigade reached the semifinal round following a dramatic 5-4 victory

over Southern California United in a match decided on penalty kicks.

After goalkeeper Brendon Welch stopped So Cal United on its first kick,

the Brigade could not take advantage of the key save as they failed on

their initial attempt, too. The lead changed hands for eight rounds until

So Cal United missed its ninth penalty kick attempt.

That attempt belonged to Bryce McKendry, who sent a line drive just past

the head of the So Cal United goalie to lift the Brigade to a 5-4

triumph, their first over their rival.

Adam Beavor, David Sias, Nick Rippeto, and Brad Smith also scored penalty

kick points for the Brigade.

The emotional win set up a semifinal date with the Upland Celtics in a

rematch of a scoreless tie the two teams fought to at the Nomads

Thanksgiving Tournament.

Like their first meeting, the two squads fought to another scoreless tie

through regulation play. The Brigade had a Rippeto goal negated on an end

line violation in the first half, and the Celtics squandered away their

lone scoring opportunity in regulation play when a penalty kick sailed

wide.

The Celtics, however, scored on their first penalty kick and led 1-0

after the Brigade missed their initial attempt. Welch managed to stop the

Celtic’s second assault on goal, but the Celtics drilled home their third

attempt. Meanwhile, the Brigade missed their first three kicks, which

gave the Celtics the victory and a ticket to the division final.

The Brigade, comprised of six returning players from last year’s Wolfpack

Under-12 team and 10 new players, also includes David Aguilar, Kevin

Fronk, Jarrid Johnston, Steven Kalogeropoulos, Kareem Khalil, Tomer

Konowieck, Bryan Osuna, Brandon Plummer, Jeremy Small, and JP Smith.

Next up for the team will be a pair of tournaments in the new year: the

Celtic Cup in January, followed by the National State Cup Tournament in

February. The winners from the State Cup tournament will advance to

compete in June at the Regional tournament.