Diamonds show more scoring magic in 5-3 win

The Diamonds rolled to their 7th win in eight games after surrendering two opening goals to the Purple Magic on Saturday. An all around team effort helped propel the Diamonds to their second consecutive win. The Diamonds scored five straight goals after the Magic put a little scare into them early.

The offense was clicking with Alyssa and Whitney each scoring two goals and Karsyn adding a single tally. Christene and Samantha also had great scoring chances, capping a great offensive showing.

The Magic goaltender was forced to make several saves from in tight, but she could only stop so many chances.


Melanie and Lauren each played a half in goal, and both kept the Magic’s offense in check with smothering plays anytime the ball breached the box. Lauren setup several great counter attacks by hustling the ball out of her defensive zone after making saves in net.

Melanie gave up a goal, which didn't appear to be a goal, but the official ruled the ball had crossed the goal line. It wasn't a goal.


After the game, Coach Hank received a water balloon bath as part of an agreement he reached with the players. With a win, they were allowed to unload a bucket full of water balloons on him.

Here are more [photos from Game 8]

Diamonds rebound against the AfterShocks

The Diamonds bounced back from their lone defeat this season to win their sixth game of the season on Saturday with a 3-2 win over the Teal AfterSharks. The game was a defensive struggle, with both teams playing outstanding soccer for two halves.

The Diamonds got off to an auspicious start by allowing a goal in the first minute of play. Karsyn started in goal for the first time and had an itchy offensive trigger finger (or foot in this case).

Alyssa tied things up midway through the first half on a nutmeg shot through the AfterShark goaltender’s legs. Jackie would follow that goal up with a tally later in the half.

Christene showed some fancy moves in tight quarters while on offense. Samantha and Melanie were a force at midfield, clamping down on several attacks by the Shocks. Melanie has become the Diamonds corner kick specialist with her heavy shot. One attempt trickled across the front of the Shocks goal.


Nutmeg!
Anna and Lauren shut the door on repeated attempts by the Shocks to tie the game up after Alyssa gave the Diamonds a 3-2 lead in the 2nd half.

The team just seems to get better each week, and rather than letting the affects of the previous week’s loss get them down, the Diamonds stepped up their game to get back into the win column.

Visit the [Game 7 Photo Gallery]

Coach Hank gets dunked for the Alliance

Coach Hank was quite the good sport last Sunday at picture day, as he took a turn in the dunk tank in order to raise money for Sunnyvale Alliance. We all knew that he was all wet, but these photos confirm our suspicions.

Diamonds pull a rabbit out of a hat for 5th win

The Blue Diamonds got a big scare on Saturday from the Yellow Jackets, who led most of the game. The Diamonds rallied late to pull out a 3-2 win at De Anza Park before an estimated crowd of 37 loyal followers.

The Yellow Jackets score two first period goals and held off the Diamonds pressure offense for much of the game, but Whitney and Alyssa scored second half goals late to help pull out the win.

Karsyn and Jackie rotated on offense for much of the game, with Whitney & Alyssa, keeping the offensive pressure on the Jackets. Things heated up in the second half when the Diamonds scored their two unanswered goals to take the lead.

Samantha and Anna were stellar in goal, even though the Jackets cracked the Diamonds defense early. Both players made nice stops on several scoring chances by the opposition. Goaltending has been a strength all season long , but it was put to the test.


Jackie & Whitney advance
Melanie and Lauren back stopped the defense, shutting down the Jackets in the second half. The team was forced to pay special attention to the Jackets offense, which had exceptional ball handling skills. Both players always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, when the Jackets moved the ball over the mid-field line.

Coach Darren substituted for Coach Hank, maintaining his own perfect coaching record (1-0-0). A team spokesman released a statement indicating that “Coach Hank was out on a recruiting trip that took him to soccer hotbeds London, Milan, Buenos Aires, and Milpitas.” He was seen at departing San Francisco International Airport after last weeks game with a suitcase overflowing with cash, apparently scouting the world for new talent to supplement his roster.

Rumors have been circulating that Coach Hank is unhappy with his contract, and his absence was intended to send a message to team management.

An anonymous player was quoted after the game as saying that “…Coach Hank sure missed out on some great treats this week!” Many construe the comment as support for the coach who is revered by fans and players alike. Team management did not respond to the comments.

For more photos of Game 5 [Click Here]

October 8th game time change - Now 9:30am

The game time for the October 8th game has been changed to 9:30am. Please arrive at 9:00am for warm ups.

Diamonds continue to sparkle with another 5-1 win

This week's game recap comes courtesy of Coach Hank...

We had a full squad of nine players for the game. Christene started her first game in goal with Whitney, Karsyn, and Melanie defending. Lauren and Alyssa were our forwards. Our team’s strength was evident right from the beginning with a few goal chances.

From the defensive position, Karsyn had a good goal chance but missed. She did not miss her second chance and scored her second goal of the season. Jackie came in as a forward for Lauren and wasted little time, scoring a nice goal from pretty far out. A few minutes after that, Whitney took a big shot that hit and rattled the goal post.

There was a strange silence on the other team’s side after seeing such a powerful shot. Alyssa was next to score after making a nice run and dribbling past a few opponents. The score at half time was 3-0. The girls played very well and for the most part held their positions despite to desire to keep pushing up and trying to score.

In the second half, I had the other coach play an extra player to help even the game out. Karsyn made her first start in goal and played well. After a few missed chances, Lauren scored her first goal. She was scrapping for the ball in front of the goal and was able to go around the goalie and dribble straight into the goal.

Alyssa was next but had to abide by my half time rules. She found herself in the box and had to adjust to shoot left footed (rule). She succeeded and scored. I took a player out making it 5 on 7. The other team was able to press and finally got off a good shot that Karsyn could not get to.

They had a huge celebration which was nice to see. Our final goal came from Whitney who took a big spinning kick from outside the penalty box (halftime rule). Final score was 6-1.

Overall, a very solid game by the entire team. Great defense from Anna, Melanie, and Sammie. Long dribbles from Christene, Karsyn, and Anna. Great dribbling from Alyssa, and great passing from Lauren, Jackie, Christene, and Whitney. It was great to see five different girls score. It was also great to see such family and friend support. Our fan base continues to grow each week.