The Solano College Women’s Soccer team and coaches hosted its annual clinic and women’s professional soccer match on May 20 and May 22. The Soccer Match which was held Sunday May 22, Marin FC Wave vs. the Claremont Stars from Southern California a WPSL (Women’s Professional Soccer League) Match. Marin FC Wave won the match 4-1 scoring 3 second half goals after a 1-1 halftime score and giving up the first goal 1-0.

Marin FC Wave players and coaches also put on its annual clinic which was held the Friday before the game. Local youths from all over Solano county participated in the clinic, which also included free admission to the game and a Marin FC free t-shirt.

Solano College’s women’s soccer team had 4 former and current players in the match and are current players for Marin FC Waves team. Current assistant coach Andrea Salvador (former Solano All-American and Fresno State player), former Solano College All-American and San Jose State player Katie Knopp, former Solano College player and current Texas A & M International player Kirsten Jennings and current Solano College player Briana Scholtens.

Also of note and current local player from Vacaville is Marin FC Wave and U-18 US National Team Goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland. Katelyn is a Vacaville Christian High School Senior who is headed to UCLA on a full athletic scholarship this Fall 2011.

For more photos of the game and clinic visit the Solano Women’s Soccer facebook page on our Solano Athletics web site:

Solano College Women’s Soccer

Excerpt from Daily Republic, January 14, 2011 by Mike Corpos

ROCKVILLE -By the end of today, Kirsten Jennings will be a long way from Solano Community College.

Making the journey from Rockville to Laredo, Texas, Jennings is set to join the Texas A&M International women’s soccer team after accepting a scholarship offer from the Dust Devils.

“I e-mailed them and sent them a video, and from there we worked out an opportunity for me to go down there,” said Jennings, who was turned on to A&M International by a friend.

After playing behind the Falcons’ top forwards her freshman year, Jennings made the most of the 2010 season, becoming Solano’s leading scorer with 15 goals and 13 assists for 43 points.

She was named Forward of the Year in the Bay Valley Conference, and earned All-NorCal and All-State honors as well.

“I didn’t get as much playing time last year as I wanted, so I had to work for it this year, and it paid off for sure,” she said.

After a year at Sonoma State, Jennings came to Solano to play soccer and study fire technology.

Now, after two solid seasons for the Falcons, Jennings is headed to Texas a semester early to get oriented and get a head start on preparing for the fall season with the Dust Devils.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to earn my spot,” Jennings said. “I only have two years to play, so hopefully I don’t end up sitting the bench too much.”

Solano coach Jeff Cardinal didn’t think that would be a problem for his star striker.

“She took on the role of team captain this year,” he said. “She did a real great job as team captain. She was our most vocal captain (of three). When the team needed a . . . correction, she was the one to step up and take charge.”

Those traits had several schools interested in Jennings, Cardinal said, but it was A&M International that was her top choice.

Jennings said she’ll put her fire science studies on hold for the chance to play soccer.

Instead, she’ll pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications while in Texas, with plans to return to Solano to finish firefighting school.

Jennings said she got into firefighting after a cousin went into the field.

“I did an internship and I felt like it was the right thing for me,” she said. “But being able to play two more years came up as option, so I’ll get a bachelor’s and go back and finish. . . . I have most of the classes done. I just need my academies and my EMT.”

Jennings, who is from Martinez, said she’s looking forward to some warmer weather — Laredo is on the Mexico border — after the chilly beginning to winter in the Bay Area.

“With warm weather and being able to play, I can’t complain,” she said. “California is awesome. It will be hard to leave.”

After accepting the scholarship, Jennings became the second Falcon to sign and leave for the spring semester. Teammate and fellow captain Natalie Guerrieri is headed for Biola University in Southern California this month as well.

Reach Mike Corpos at 427-6979 or mcorpos@dailyrepublic.net.

Excerpt from Daily Republic, December 16, 2010 by Mike Corpos

ROCKVILLE - Just the last month has been an exciting one for Natalie Guerrieri, never mind her two seasons as a star defender for the Solano Community College soccer team.

Since she joined the Falcons out of Napa High last fall, Guerrieri has earned two spots on the All-Bay Valley Conference first team, and a pair of BVC championships to go with them.

This year, she not only was named all-conference, she was named the conference most valuable player as a defender — an honor that traditionally goes to a high-scoring forward or midfielder. Guerrieri finished the season with seven points total on three goals and an assist.

Since then she was named to the All-Western Region first team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and most recently she accepted an athletic/academic scholarship to play at Biola University in Southern California next fall.

With all the accolades coming her way, Guerrieri said it’s been a bit of a shock to her.

‘(When I was named MVP) I was so excited, I had no idea I was going to get anything this year,’ she said. ‘My team was so good, I can’t imagine they can pick just one person.’

When she learned of the all-region selection, she was even more surprised.

‘That was unbelievable, I was so shocked,’ she said.

Falcons coach Jeff Cardinal said Guerrieri earned the accolades.

‘She’s a great defender and she’s as good as anybody we have offensively in regards to passing, dribbling and even shooting, we can put her anywhere on the field,’ he said. ‘. . . She never misses a day. She was voted by her teammates as a captain this year. She’s a leader and her awards in the classroom and on the field are very well deserved.’

After all that, committing to Biola is the icing on the cake.

‘My brother went to Biola back in the day,’ she said. ‘I visited the campus when I was 12 and I always wanted to go there. It finally just got down to having to pick a college.’

Cardinal said getting Guerrieri into Biola was one of the easiest transfers he’s ever made.

‘She’s pretty much a top-level student,’ Cardinal said. ‘She was looking for that private Christian university when she came to Solano.’

One of the first things Cardinal does with his players is ask them if there’s somewhere they want to go to play soccer, and naturally Guerrieri said she wanted to go to Biola.

‘We contacted Biola last year and told them we have a freshman who’s very interested,’ he said. ‘When we played Cal State East Bay in our offseason game, the (assistant) coach came to see her play.’

After that, the head coach from Biola went to see the Falcons play Mt. San Antonio College in the fall, and that was all he needed to see of Guerrieri.

‘He told me he really wanted me to play there,’ she said.

That was all Guerrieri needed to hear, and now she’s making arrangements to join the Eagles for the spring semester to give her a jump on getting settled in.

‘I’m really excited to go down there and play, I’m getting stuff together,’ she said. ‘I want to start in spring to get to know the girls and the program, and get settled in to the school. I kind of wanted to go there as soon as possible and build a comfort level.’

Looking at her time at Solano, Guerrieri said she’s sad to leave, but that she’s pleased with what the Falcons accomplished the last two seasons.

Reach Mike Corpos at 427-6979 or mcorpos@dailyrepublic.net.

Courtesy: GoBearkats.com, October 27, 2010

By Paul Farmer | Daily Republic | October 13, 2010 21:27

FAIRFIELD – The closest thing to going home again for former Fairfield High and Solano Community College standout Katie Knopp was the San Jose State women’s soccer team’s trip to UC Davis on Sunday.

Knopp, a senior forward, made the drive to Davis a happy one for the Spartans by driving home a rebounded shot in the 89th minute to lift the visitors to a 2-1 victory.

‘It was pretty exciting,’ Knopp said in a phone interview Wednesday. ‘We really wanted to get a win out of Sunday. It was exciting for me personally because my parents were there and (Solano coach Jeff) Cardinal was there. Overall, it was pretty sweet.’

The game was a rough one throughout with numerous yellow cards handed out to both squads.

According to a release by San Jose State, ‘The Spartans responded and scored on a Kelsey Lord rebound, which found Katie Knopp for the go-ahead goal. Knopp’s third goal of the season put the game away with less than two minutes remaining.’

‘We just fight,’ Knopp said. ‘We’re a fighting team, and we just happened to come back and win it.’

The Aggies scored first in the 69th minute, with the Spartans (7-5-1) getting the equalizer 10 minutes later.

‘Davis went up 1-0, but we responded well and we came back,’ Knopp said.

Women’s soccer

Another former Solano Falcon to find the net recently was Jessica Hamister, who had the only goal for Cal State East Bay in a 3-1 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday. It was her first goal of the season to go with two assists in 13 games played.

Also playing for the Pioneers (5-6-2) is Giana Raccanello (Armijo/Solano), a senior defender who’s played in seven games.

Kellie Detweiler (Solano) and the Menlo Lady Oaks have a made a turnaround, upping their record to 3-7-1 after an 0-5-1 start. Detweiler, a senior forward, has 13 shots, seven of which have been on goal, with one goal scored.

One of Menlo’s victories was 2-1 over William Jessup, for which Chelsea Aberson (Vacaville) is a sophomore. The loss on Tuesday snapped a four-game winning streak for the Lady Warriors (6-4-1). Last week Aberson had a goal in a 17-0 mauling of Mills.

Brittany Prieto (Fairfield) has started all 13 games for Southeastern Louisiana, which is 8-2-3 after a 6-0-1 start. Prieto, a senior defender, has two assists and has taken two shots.

Sam Houston State, for which Adriana Vasquez (Solano) is a senior midfielder, has won five of its last six games and is 7-7-1 after opening 0-4-0. Vasquez has played in 12 games with two starts, taking three shots.

Amanda Radich (Wood/Solano) has played four games in goal, starting two, for Kansas Wesleyan. She is 1-1 with a shutout for the Coyotes (5-3-2), making nine saves.

Courtesy: Kansas Wesleyan University News, November 13, 2010

NORTH NEWTON - What a difference a player makes – Corina Villegas to be exact. Villegas made her return to the starting lineup for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes and she scored twice, including the match winner in the 99th minute to life the Coyotes over the Ottawa Braves 3-2 at Thresher Stadium.

“As you saw, she played well,” Kansas Wesleyan coach Mike Dibbini said of Villegas. “But there was a difference in our execution and her setting up our scoring chances that made the difference in the match today.”

Wesleyan also welcomed back defender Brittany Corcoran to the pitch, who had missed the last four games before returning part time in last Saturday’s regular season finale and again on Tuesday against Friends in the KCAC Semifinal in Salina.

“Having Brittany back brought back our confidence and gave us that added security in the back,” Dibbini said.

Wesleyan broke a scoreless tie in the 28th minute as Villegas connected on her first goal of the match. Elba Menjivar sent a ball into the penalty area on a corner, and after the scrum for the ball, Villegas connected from about 12 yards out for the top shelf score past Ottawa’s Lauren Peil.

Two minutes later Ottawa got the equalizer as Amanda Just found Whitney Bowen on a corner kick and Bowen headed it home past Wesleyan keeper Amanda Radich.

The teams would head to the break tied at 1.

Just four minutes into the second half, the Coyotes were on the board again. Hannah Kern broke free at the top of the box, beat a couple defenders and slid one past Peil for the go ahead goal in the 49th minute.

Ottawa again evened things at 2-all in the 86th minute as Bowen connected on a shot from about 12 yards out.

“I was a little disappointed and sad at that point because we didn’t preserve the win and let them back into the game,” Dibbini said. “It goes to show that a couple opportunities that we didn’t convert earlier can come back to haunt you.”

The match then headed to overtime with Ottawa taking three early shots all stopped by Radich, then in the 99th minute, Villegas connected on the match winner. Imaan Issa who was just inside the 18-yard box on the left side dropped a ball into Villegas at the left corner of the six-yard box.

Villegas knocked down the ball and poked the shot with her left foot to the far post. The slow, slow roller snuck just inside the post for the match winner with 1:32 left in overtime.

“She was determined,” Dibbini said of Villegas on the winner. “I wasn’t sure I was even going to start her today, but when I asked her prior to the start of the match she said she was ready. She had a great practice two days ago, where she got her rhythm and she brought that today for us.”

Wesleyan (10-6-2) was led by Villegas with four shots, including three on goal and scoring twice. Amanda Radich picked up the win in goal, allowing two goals and recording ten saves.

Bowen had five of Ottawa’s (15-3-2) 15 shots, scoring both goals for the Braves. Peil took the loss in goal, allowing three goals and tallying three saves.

Wesleyan advances to the NAIA Women’s Soccer Championship Opening Round, which will be played next Saturday at 16 campus sites around the country. The winners of those 16 Opening Round matches will advance to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Decatur, Ala., starting November 29 and running through December 4. Opening Round sites and pairings will be announced by the NAIA on Sunday.

Courtesy: San Jose State Athletics, October 10, 2010
Davis, CA – San Jose State women’s soccer rallied late in the second half to score a pair of goals, en route to a 2-1 win over UC Davis on Sunday afternoon, October 10.  San Jose State (7-5-1, 1-0-1 WAC) extends its unbeaten streak to seven for the year.

In a physical first half, each team had opportunities to get on the board, but neither could find the back of the net.  San Jose State had five shots, including three on goal.

Seconds before the end of the first half featured a scramble after an Aggie corner, but goalkeeper Meghan Maiwald safely collected the ball to keep the score tied 0-0 at the intermission.

After a scoreless first half, the Aggies converted in the 69:30 mark for the first goal.  Lisa Kemp dodged  a couple of Spartan defenders and placed a goal in the upper left corner.  The lead was short lived however, as the Spartans tied the game in the 79th minute from a 25-yard shot by Cheryl Kute.  Kayla Santacruz was credited with the assist.

The physical play continued in the second half, with San Jose State drawing its only yellow card of the game and UC Davis drawing its third yellow card.  The Spartans responded  and scored on a Kelsey Lord rebound, which found Katie Knopp for the go ahead goal.  Knopp’s third goal of the season put the game away with less than two minutes remaining.

“I’m proud of our team today,” stated head coach Jeff Leightman.  They responded well after being down a goal.  UC Davis disrupted our style and we responded well.  The win today gives us character that we can build on.”

Meghan Maiwald stopped seven shots and improved to 7-5-1 overall.

The Spartans return to action with a pair of WAC opponents on the road with Louisiana Tech on October 15 at 4:00 p.m. and New Mexico State on October 17 at 12:00 p.m.

Two Solano college All-Americans, plus current sophomore, return to campus for June 12th match

Katie Knopp and Andrea Salvador both left indelible marks on the Solano College women’s soccer program, leading Solano to conference championships in their final seasons and earning NSCAA Junior College All-American honors before moving on to San Jose State and Fresno State, respectively. Now Knopp and Salvador — together with current Solano sophomore, Natalie Loyola, and a half dozen players who grew up in nearby Napa, Solano or Sonoma counties, are returning to Solano College as part of the North Bay FC Wave, a brand new Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) team from Marin.

The North Bay Wave will play three-time State Cup Champion De Anza Force 91G Blue from Cupertino, CA. on Saturday, June 12 at 2:00 p.m. on the Solano College soccer field, 4000 Suisun Valley Road in Fairfield. The “friendly” is the sendoff for the De Anza Force, which will represent Northern California at the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional championships in New Mexico June 21-27, 2010.

Knopp, now a senior forward at San Jose State, was named a 2008 NSCAA Junior College All-American after leading Solano to an undefeated Bay Valley Conference championship in 2008. She helped kick off WPSL league play for the North Bay Wave last weekend by tallying two goals in the Wave’s 4-0 win over the FC Sacramento Pride. Salvador also was instrumental in helping the Solano Falcons to a conference championship in 2005, and was named the National NSCAA Junior College Player of the Year for her efforts.

“It will be exciting to see these two young ladies back on the field where they wrote themselves into the Solano College record books,” said Solano women’s soccer coach, Jeff Cardinal. “They were not only dynamic players in their two seasons here, but they also are simply outstanding young women who serve as great role models for the area’s youth players.”

Loyola, who will be a sophomore midfielder for Solano College this fall, is from nearby Vintage High School in Napa. Other North Bay Wave players from the Napa/Sonoma area include Zoe Carroll, Christina Chang-Dzegede, Macy Jo Harrison, Tiffany Hurst, Ashley Lowery, and Sarah Peters, who is the starting goalkeeper for UC Davis, right up the road.

The North Bay FC Wave is Marin County’s first WPSL team, featuring a roster consisting of current and former collegiate players, current and former national team players, and elite high school players. Among the colleges represented are 2009 NCAA College Cup finalists North Carolina and Stanford, as well as NCAA quarterfinalist Boston College, UC Davis, USF, San Diego State, and many more. The Wave will play a challenging schedule this summer against the other six members of the WPSL’s Pacific-North division. The next home match is Sunday, June 6th at 4:00 p.m. vs. the California Storm of Sacramento at San Marin High School in Novato. The Storm are defending Pacific-North champions and feature former international superstars such as Brandi Chastain and Sissi among their talent-laden roster.

“The WPSL a national league of more than 50 teams that is the highest level of women’s amateur soccer in the U.S.,” said North Bay Wave head coach Luis Quezada. “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against one of the best WPSL teams in the country. It should be a very exciting and entertaining match.”

Besides the North Bay Wave, California Storm, and FC Sacramento Pride, other teams in the WPSL Pacific-North division include the San Francisco Nighthawks, Clovis Sidekicks, Portland Rain, and Spokane Black Widows.

De Anza Force 91G Blue has won the Cal North State Cup championship in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The team was a Far West Regionals quarterfinalist and Surf Cup finalist in 2008. Nearly 30 De Anza Force 91 girls have played, or will soon play, collegiate soccer. Eighteen members of the current team that will meet the Wave are committed to play at NCAA Division I or Division II schools over the next two years.

About North Bay FC Wave: The primary goal of the North Bay FC Wave is to develop a competitive women’s soccer team to enable players to achieve their dream of playing at the highest level. The Wave maintains close ties with the Marin County community and with local youth soccer organizations, including the North Bay Magic and West Marin YSL. For more information, visit www.northbayfc.com. Marin Auto Glass is the Official Black Diamond Sponsor of the Wave for the Summer 2010 season. Visit their website at www.marinautoglass.com for a complete list of services, from vehicle glass repair or replacement to tinting. Additional sponsorships for the Wave from local businesses or individuals are always welcome.

About the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL): The WPSL is a 50-plus team national league with five conferences starting in 2010 and is the largest women’s soccer league in the world. The league is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The WPSL’s mission is to provide the highest level of soccer in its effort to: bring affordable and quality family entertainment to the community; display positive role models for our youth; while, being a stepping stone for aspiring players to Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).

For more information, visit the WPSL’s official website at www.wpsl.info, phone 1-800-854-0913 or contact the WPSL via email at media@wpslsoccer.com. You can also keep up with the league on WPSL social media networking sites on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter!!

Eurosport & SOCCER.COM is a Proud Partner of the WPSL, who feature a wide selection of top-of-the-line soccer merchandise, serving as an important communication vehicle for organizations including the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Youth Soccer, and many more!

Molten is the Official Championship Ball of the 2010 WPSL Final Four and is also a Proud Partner of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), and is the Official Soccer Ball of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Visit their official website at www.moltenusa.com for more information on their full line of products.

WHAT: Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Match

WHEN: June 12, 2010 at 2:00 pm

WHERE: SCC Soccer Field, Main Campus (Fairfield)

Rachael Johnson from the 2007 and 2008 women’s soccer team will be awarded the Pepsi Scholar-Athlete Award next month at the CCCAA Convention to be held in Ontario, CA. The Pepsi award is the highest academic award that a California Community College student-athlete can receive. Each year it goes to the top male and female student-athletes in California from the previous year. There are over 26,000 student-athletes that participate each year in California Community College Athletics. Rachael maintained a 4.00 GPA while at Solano. Some of the courses she took were the Calculus series, and transfer chemistry and physics. In addition to her academic prowess, Rachael was a two-year starter on the soccer squad and was all-conference 2nd team as a frosh and 1st team as a sophomore. She also won the Wooden Scholarship (named after George Wooden, a long-time SCC coach) which goes to the top student who displays sportsmanship and dedication in recreation or sports.

A resident of Dixon, Rachael currently is at UC Davis where she is majoring in Geology. Rachael is the first Pepsi Scholar-Athlete award winner for Solano Community College. Solano has had two previous Pepsi Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll award winners (finalists for the Pepsi Scholar-Athlete Award): Ana Gallegos, women’s basketball 1997, and Ashley Casassa, women’s soccer 2006.

Soccer coach Jeff Cardinal has played an important role in ensuring that these students receive the honors they have earned. We congratulate the coaching staff and the athletes for their achievement. This is an adaptation of a report from Dean Robert Myers. For info, contact Jeff Cardinal, jeff.cardinal@solano.edu.

GO FALCONS!!

By Mike Corpos | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 23, 2009 23:40

ROCKVILLE – It’s only fitting that the Solano Community College soccer team’s best season yet concludes with one of its biggest honors ever.

Brittney Cooper, the Falcons striker in large part responsible for the team’s No. 9 national ranking and strong playoff run, was named a first-team All-America selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

It’s just the third time a player from the Rockville campus has been accorded the honor. Forward Katie Knopp was a second-team selection after the 2008 season and current Solano assistant coach Andrea Salvador was a first-team selection and National Player of the Year in 2005.

Cooper, who was also named Bay Valley Conference MVP, finished her sophomore year — she spent her freshman season at American River College in Sacramento — with 20 goals and nine assists for 49 points, good for 11th in the state.

But, Falcons coach Jeff Cardinal said, her numbers could have been even better.

‘She sat out some games this year, and she was playing with a bad ankle, which happened about halfway through the season,’ Cardinal said. ‘With her being healthier I think she would have scored a lot more than she did.’

Cardinal also called Cooper, a Fairfield High graduate, a dangerous player who can threaten any team she faces.

‘She’s a true striker, a goal scorer,’ he said. ‘Not everybody can put the ball in the back of the net, and she finds a way to score, not only for herself but also for her teammates.’

The nine assists show that she’s also willing to spread the ball around and it demonstrates Cooper’s ability to recognize chances for her teammates as well, Cardinal said.

Cooper said she was glad her work through the season paid off, even if the season ended before she wanted it to — in a 5-2 third-round playoff loss to eventual state runner-up Cosumnes River College.

‘It feels good, I worked really hard for it,’ Cooper said. ‘All I can say is that I did all I could through the season being injured.’

But being one of the top 11 junior college players in the country came as a surprise to Cooper.

‘It’s unexpected. I had no idea,’ she said. ‘I think of myself as a good player, but I had no idea. Top 11, that’s big. It means a lot.’

Cardinal said the honor reflects not only the season Cooper had, but the team’s success as well.

That was reflected in the fact that along with Cooper, teammates Anna Nisperos (20 goals and eight assists) and team captain Jessica Hamister, a defender, were All-Western Region selections.

That group led the Falcons through an undefeated Bay Valley Conference schedule and into the third round of the playoffs for the first time ever. Solano finished the season ranked ninth in the country among junior college teams, and ended the regular season as the No. 1 team in Northern California, and No. 2 in the state.

Reach Mike Corpos at 427-6979 or mcorpos@dailyrepublic.net.

Jeff Cardinal
Solano College Soccer
707-863-7832
Jeff.Cardinal@solano.edu

Solano Women’s Soccer Homepage