Over the Labor Day weekend, the San Juan Spirits 98 under-12 competitive soccer team, based in Folsom, traveled to Orange County to play in the Blues Cup Tournament.

The team, made up largely of players from Folsom and El Dorado Hills is ranked No. 14 in the nation for their age group, according to www.gotsoccer.com. In Orange County, the Spirits took second in the tournament, defeating a pair of teams ranked in the top-25 in the nation, before dropping the championship game in penalty kicks.

The Spirits completed the first round of the tournament with two wins and a loss, qualifying them for the playoff round. n their quarterfinal game, they defeated the No. 11 nationally ranked team 1-0. In the

semifinals, they defeated the No. 21 ranked tournament hosts, So Cal Blues, on penalty kicks to advance to the final where they would face the top-ranked under-12 team in the nation, the San Diego Surf White squad, on

Labor Day afternoon.

The game was hotly contested. The Spirits went up early 1-0, but let up a goal late in the second half. The score was 1-1 at the end of regulation. Neither team scored in either of the two overtime periods, despite several chances. The championship then went to penalty kicks. The teams traded kick for kick, but unfortunately after six attempts each, the Spirits lost by one penalty kick and they went home with the

second-place trophy.

The Spirits will travel back to Southern California onThanksgiving weekend to seek revenge at the Surf Cup

tournament, hosted by the No. 1 ranked Surf club.

Photo 1 is a team photo taken at the end of the tournament

First row seated (l to r) Ashley Newland (Folsom), Megan Bassanelli

(Fair Oaks), Kayla Arnold (Sacramento), Jessie Barton (Folsom), Abbie

Jones (EDH), Kristina O'Donnell (EDH);

Second row standing (l to r) Nicole Spring (EDH), Vanessa Arzaluz

(Sacramento), Asley Hunter (Folsom), Allie Carmickle (EDH), Macey Moen

(Rocklin), Megan Preist (EDH)

Third row standing (l to r) Nici Lopez (Sacramento), Jazzy Jackmon

(Sacramento), Elle Estes (EDH), Heidi Pullman (EDH)

The game was not without controversy. Photo 2 is a photo of the penalty

kick by Nici Lopez. This kick was called no good by the referee. Had

it been called good, the Spirits would have won the game.