Saratoga boys win area soccer title, finish season in section tourney
A loss in the final game of the season could not diminish the accomplishments of the Saratoga AYSO boys under-19 team that won the area title and finished second in the section.
Saratoga dropped a 2-1 nod to San Bruno in the championship game back in November, but still managed a second-place finish in the section. The locals earned their place in the section finals by winning the area crown.
A.J. Weitsman knocked in a goal, but it wasn't enough for Saratoga against San Bruno in the finals.
Weitsman and Tim Chapman each scored goals to lift Saratoga to a 2-1 win over Palo Alto in the semi-final round of the tournament. Weitsman scored on a header off of a crossing pass from Andre Fuentes.
Saratoga had opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over North Monterey, then pulled out a thrilling 1-0 win over San Francisco on a goal by Chapman.
Goalkeeper Marcel Birthelmer held opponents to just four goals in the tournament, and Nolan Gaudreau, Ryan Beaupre and Kevin Nabbefeld also starred defensively.
Saratoga had posted an 8-1 record in the regular season before rolling to a 3-1 mark in the tournament.
Members of the Saratoga squad, coached by Mark Chapman and Dan Gaudreau, include Chapman, Gaudreau, Weitsman, Fuentes, Nabbefeld, Beaupre, Birthelmer, Chris Chapman, Ryan Marinero, Ari Bencuya, Brad Seago, Michael Govearts, Preston Babb, Adam Judelson, Mazzi Hemati, Darryl Rosenberg and Nick Rodoni.
Weitsman leads Falcons
Weitsman knocked in a goal to help the Saratoga High School soccer team to a 3-1 win over Lynbrook before the winter break. Mark Weiner and Alan Sung also scored goals and Anthony Lin and Daniel Vajdic each had assists.
The Falcons, 5-3-1 for the year and 2-0-1 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, return to action this week when they host St. Lawrence Academy on Jan. 8, 3 p.m., and Wilcox on Jan. 10, 3:30 p.m., in a couple of league games. Saratoga visits Monta Vista on Jan. 12, 11 a.m.
Bencuya, Judelson, Chapman, Gaudreau, Seago and Hemati are other members of the championship Saratoga AYSO team now playing for the high school varsity squad.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
