Youth soccer teams clash

More than 120 players representing seven teams took to fields here and across southern Idaho as this year's spring soccer season began last week.

The Mountain Home Youth Soccer Association teams fared well despite a limited amount of practice due to the recent winter weather.

The following is a recap of last week's games by age group.

U-10 Girls 3, Nampa 1

Victoria Rosario scored twice while Coveny Sidberry contributed a goal to lead the way as the Under-10 girls thwarted the Nampa High Desert FC during a 3-1 rout.

Madelyn Rosario and Gisselle Radaatz lead an aggressive defense that put strong pressure on the Nampa's forwards. Marking her first game as goalie, Leayssa Murray picked up eight saves for the win.

U-12 Girls 1, Soccer Xpress 12

Facing strong offensive pressure on the field, the Mountain Home Under-12 girls suffered a tough 1-12 loss to Soccer Xpress.

The game marked the first time that a majority of the Mountain Home squad played at the competitive level, said Coach Derek Sidberry. Despite the score, he added that his team played well during their season debut.

Caidyn Rader kicked in the team's sole goal from 22 yards out with the assist by Elizabeth Ryan. Second half goalkeeper Grace Schulte made seven saves for the Mountain Home girls.

Under-14 Girls 4, Co-Pilots 2

Down by one at the half, the Mountain Home Under-14 girls adjusted their offensive strategy to thwart the Glenns Ferry Co-Pilots in a 4-2 win.

The offensive switch allowed Christa Lewis, Hannah Bideganeta, Anna Pedroza and Bianca Wilson to score in the second half.

Andrea Garcia anchored Mountain Home's defensive line with several key stops to thwart the Glenns Ferry assault. Meanwhile, goalkeepers Madison McCloud and Sam Tveidt each made one-on-one stops against the offensive attackers.

Anna Orr led the Co-Pilots on offense with two scores. Maria Villavicencio maintained solid play at the goal with more than 20 stops against Mountain Home.

U-18 Girls 2, Boise Arsenal 3

Despite outshooting their opponents by a 2-to-1 ratio in the second half, the Mountain Home Under-18 Girls were only able to put the ball in the back of the net twice during their 2-3 loss to Boise Arsenal.

Claudia Bermensolo and Hanna Modde each scored with Bermensolo's goal coming off a set corner kick play. Modde made several shots on goal as part of Mountain Home's offensive effort on the field.

On defense, Rubi Martinez and Cara Buckner lead the way for the Mountain Home girls with Buckner making a slide tackle save on an Arsenal breakway that prevented another goal.

"Everyone played well," said Mountain Home Coach Kent Ogaard. Many of the girls were playing new positions that day and needed a few adjustments.

"The team overall had double the amount of shots on goal than our opponents, and the majority of play took place in front of their goal," the coach added. "We'll be working on 'coolness under pressure' this week."

Ninjas 3, Weiser 6

Tied at 3 at the half, the Mountain Home Ninjas were unable to keep up with Weiser's offensive pressure as the Under-12 boys team fell in a 3-6 loss.

Jean Gilliland lead the way for Mountain Home with three goals, with assists coming from Hunter McCluskey, Parker Ford and Anthony DeSantis.

Coach Tom DeSantis felt the midfield play from Ford and DeSantis helped his team control the game's tempo. However, inexperience led to some key breakdowns on the field that allowed Weiser to slip by.

Making his debut as Mountain's Home goalkeeper, Ernesto Salinas cleared the ball by the net while making multiple saves under Weiser's offensive pressure.

U-15 Boys 2, Fury 6

Brandon Bodily and Shaun Holland controlled the midfield and remained pivotal during counter attacks but the team fell short as the Mountain Home Under-15 boys fell to the Meridian Fury FC, 2-6.

Holland scored one of the teams goals while Bryce Darnell made numerous stops during the Fury's offensive counter attacks. Goalie Micah Schaufele made another 20 stops for Mountain Home.

While Coach Michael Murray thought the team played very well, Fury's physical play on the field contributed to their victory.