'No One Comes Close' Against Air Force

by: Spec. Zack Shelby, Fort Eustis, Public Affairs

10/15/2001 - The Women's Armed Forces Soccer Championship ended Saturday afternoon with the Air Force taking first place and the Army second place.

The Air Force lived up to their motto 'no one comes close' during the week long tournament by winning all six of their games by shutout and outscoring the Army, Navy and Marines by a combined 24-0 score.

The Army and Navy each won three games, splitting two head-to-head games. The Army was awarded second place over the Navy because of a better point differential in the two games they played against each other.

Although the Marines went 0-6 in the tournament, Air Force head coach Tech. Sgt. John Flynn, Kunsan, Korea, said the Army and Navy could have taken a page out of the Marines playbook.

"They were great at pressuring the ball against us," Flynn said. "You could take their intensity, heart and desire, sell it to Wallstreet and become a billionaire."

What the Marines lacked in offensive firepower, they were out to make up with intangibles and hustle points. "We may not be as skilled as other teams, but when it comes to heart, perseverance and training, nobody beats us," said forward 1st Lt. Tashanna Garcia, Camp Lejune, N.C. "Every goal our opponents get, they will earn it. No one gets over on the Marines."

This year's championships were a learning experience for the Marines. "I think they all learned how much of a team sport soccer is and what level they will have to play at next year," said Marine head coach Master Sgt. Louis Cisneros, Camp Lejune, N.C. "Hopefully we'll get at least six players back next year. I'm very proud of our team though. I can't complain."

The Air Force and Army didn't have much to complain about after the tournament, as each individual from the Air Force received gold medallions and every Army player, silver medallions.

The Army's two biggest wins came in the very first game of the tournament, a 3-0 blanking of the Navy, which gave them a tiebreaker advantage over the Navy and a 4-0 win over the Marines Friday afternoon to clinch second place. The triumph over the Marines was especially vital because it broke a two-game losing streak for the Army and came on the heels of a 1-0 setback to the Navy Thursday, the closest and arguably most competitive game of the tournament.

"We showed more desire to win the ball today," said Army defender Capt. Jennifer Moeller, Fort Lewis, Wash. "The team rose up to the challenge."

After the loss to Navy, Army head coach Chief Warrant Officer Bill Taylor, Vilseck, Germany, didn't give any big 'speeches.' "There was no mention of the Navy game," Taylor said before Army's game versus the Marines. "We got up for the game today, worked hard and found the back of the net."

There was mention of that game from the victors of that contest as it was a measure of revenge after their loss to Army in the first game of the tournament. "The players were better prepared mentally this game than they were for the first Army game," said Navy head coach Master Chief Walter R. Clavijo.

"We maintained shape on defense and had disciplined marking, but there's always that anxiety when you only lead by one goal." The win was especially gratifying for Navy keeper Ltjg Amy Hakola, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., who said she had wanted to beat Army for years.

"We pulled together and proved to ourselves, that we can play together." Unfortunately for the Navy, the Air Force thwarted Navy's two-game winning streak with a 3-0 win Friday afternoon. The victory clinched the championship, however the Air Force won its game Saturday, 4-0 against Army for good measure.

Everything seemed to fall into place for the champions. "We were fairly confident that this was the best team we had put together in years," said keeper Capt. Stephanie Jardine, Little Rock AFB. "We had an excellent training camp at Pope AFB, N.C."

It didn't hurt that Jardine has played with Capt. Marie Clapmeyer, Lajes Field, Azores, and 1st Lt. Paige Henning, Los Angeles AFB, her two outside defenders for the past six years.
"They are the staple of our team and they were excellent for us," Jardine said.

However, she was especially pleased with the effort of marking back 1st Lt. Alexis Simollardes, Pope AFB. "Lexi gives us 110 percent all day long," Jardine said.

In addition to superior individual play, the Air Force prided itself on the team concept during their championship run.

"We always had a total team effort for 90 minutes," said 2nd Lt. Meghann McNiff, Hanscom AFB, Mass. "We were able to bring anyone off the bench and give the starters a fresh wind."
"There were no weak links on offense or defense," she added.

At the awards ceremony, Col. James D. Sharpe Jr., 8th Brigade commander, spoke about the tournament.

"The spirit, competition and teamwork displayed by the players was truly symbolic of our nation, especially during this tragic time," Sharpe said. "There was some kick-butt soccer out here. This tournament helped bring the country together. Every service represented themselves and their country very well."