Lazers team makes Final Four

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City's Under 14 Lazers White team has put together a nice win streak. They won the state tournament, which qualified them for the recent Region III tournament in Memphis, Tenn, went 4-0-1 there and will now compete for the national title July 24-29 in Indianapolis, IN.

Region III consists of the entire southeast as well as Texas and Oklahoma. Texas gave the Lazers the most competition in the tournament as they had to face the Dallas Sting, the number one seed twice, once in the opening match and again in the final. The Lazers tied the Sting 0-0 in the first game and defeated them 1-0 in the title game. The winning goal came with 10 minutes remaining in the game. The team's strong defense was also key in the tournament, having only given up one goal in the entire tournament.

"One of the main strengths of the team is the ability to play as one unit," said Coach Kevin Lenze. "The team's fitness is another strength. It is like they get stronger every game."

The other wins came against a team from Alabama, 4-0, a team from Mississippi, 4-1 and Houston, Texas, 2-0. The two goals in the semifinal against Houston came from Monica Hogan, which was assisted by Emily Myers and Jessie Lenze, whose goal was assisted by Katie Schulz. Lenze also scored the winning goal in the final against Dallas after getting a perfect pass from Kari Quinn.

The team will face Chantilly Milan from Va., Kansas City Dynamos, New Mexico Rio Vista Elite in the National Championships. The tournament will be a round robin format and the two teams with the highest point totals will meet in the final. Opening ceremonies will take place in Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, and will feature a special musical guest.

The Lazers have been invited to attend an Olympic Development camp in Montevallo, Ala. in order to help them prepare for the National Championships.

"Now the team must apply the skills they possess," said Coach Lenze. "The team plays very composed in high stakes games and if they play their style of game, they could win the whole thing."

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