By Dick Sparrer
The soccer season has ended for the boys' and girls' teams at Saratoga.
And the Falcons can hardly wait for the next season to begin.
Why wouldn't Saratoga be anxious for soccer to begin anew, especially after both squads finished the year in such impressive fashion?
Both Saratoga teams finished second in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, and they both did it with super finishes in league play.
The Saratoga boys wrapped up the year with a solid 12-3-3 record overall and finished 8-2-2 in the division, second only to Milpitas. The Falcons, who move up to the De Anza Division next winter, ended the season with wins over Wilcox (5-1), Fremont (3-1), Cupertino (6-1) and Gunn (2-0).
Goalkeeper Peter Fabricius, defenders Doug Avondet and Alex Lux, and midfielder Cole Sternberg were senior stars for the Falcons in the recently completed campaign.
Fabricius was an all-leaguer as a junior, and came back to record 11 shutouts in 18 games in another all-league season this winter. He was also named the goalkeeper of the year in the El Camino Division.
Avondet was picked the defenseman of the year in the division and joined Fabricius on the all-league first team a year.
Sternberg and Lux joined their mates on the all-league first team. Sternberg finished the campaign with 12 goals and six assists in the 18 games, and Lux shut down the opposition on the right side of the field.
Senior forward Eric Fanali and junior midfielder Elliot Jones claimed all-league second team spots and junior forward Takeo Tomine was picked to the honorable mention list.
Saratoga looks for Jones, Tomine and freshman Nobuaki to lead the Falcons into the rugged De Anza Division next season.
The Saratoga girls also finished the 1996-97 strong with wins over Cupertino (3-0) and Lynbrook (1-0) to clinch second in the El Camino Division. The Falcons finished 6-1-5 in league play and 8-5-6 for the year after a tough 1-0 sudden death overtime loss to Santa Cruz in the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs.
Senior Shannon Moore capped the year by winning the division's most valuable player award. Moore led the Falcons with seven goals and an assist.
Sophomore goalkeeper Marissa Moore was named the most valuable goalkeeper in the division.
The Moores (no relation) were joined on the all-league first team by mates Malea Doore and Kathy Aanenson. Earning all-league second team spots were Kristin Fellner and Ashleigh Gaynor.
Saratoga will lose senior co-captains S. Moore and Doore, along with Maren Hanssen, Megan Kirwan, Jessica Reikes, Allison Schraga and Ashlee Zimmer, but return juniors Aanenson, Fellner and Gaynor, soph M. Moore and nine other underclassmen who played for the varsity this winter.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, March 5, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.