[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE PLEASANTON RAGE UNDER-12 GIRLS SOCCER TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RICHARD W. POMBO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize the accomplishments of a very talented group of young women 
in California's 11th District. The Pleasanton Rage Soccer Team has won 
the 2003 Under 12 Girls Cal-North Snickers State Cup Championship and 
will now advance to the Far West Regional Championship in Hawaii this 
June.
  On the afternoon of Sunday March 2, 2003, the Rage beat the Bay Oak 
Bombers of Alameda 2 to 1 in the final game of the championship at 
Lucchesi Field in Petaluma, California.
  This is the first time in 13 years that an Under-12 girl's soccer 
team from Pleasanton has won this title of State Cup Champions.
  The team of 16 girls has been working extremely hard--training three 
days a week since last July and attending tournaments to prepare them 
for this prestigious title. In January, the team played their first 
round of games for the State Cup Tournament in Morgan Hill, California. 
They played against teams from a pool of 51 in their age group from 
clubs in the Cal North district which stretches as far south as 
Bakersfield and all the way to the Oregon border in the north. Through 
their first six games in the State Cup Tournament, they shut out every 
opponent. They entered the finals with an amazing record of 17 goals 
for and 0 goals against.
  Impressively the only goal they gave up came in the first minutes of 
the Championship game on a penalty shot. After adjusting to the 
artificial grass surface, the Rage came back to seal the win with 2 
consecutive goals for the biggest win of their lives.
  Each player was given a 1st place medal and the team was awarded a 
large trophy for their accomplishment. Parents were on hand to give out 
Hawaiian leis while many fans with blue and white hair and face paint 
were there to show their support of this amazing young Rage team. The 
Pleasanton Rage Girls U-12 team is currently ranked #1 in the State and 
#12 in the Nation.
  They have earned the right to represent California in the Far West 
Regional in Hawaii from June 23-June 28th, 2003. In the week long 
tournament they will compete against teams from Hawaii, Alaska, 
Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado.
  The Championship Rage players are Michelle Avendano, Krista Bormann, 
Sammy Cloutier, Marisa Fraticelli, Tanya Hanson, Stacey Hildebrand, 
Claire Kennedy, Olivia Klei, Ashley Loughmiller, Amanda Luxford, Ashlyn 
Mazur, Rachael McGlinchy, Sophie Metz, Carlee Payne, Katie Voss, and 
Kim Zetterlund. They are coached by Gary Oetman and Paul Ratcliffe and 
trained by Phillipe Blin.
  The team is to be congratulated for their remarkable performance and 
provided with the best wishes of everyone in California's 11th District 
as they continue to compete at the national level.

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