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Varsity

JV

Seven Falcons Land All-Star Honors
Seven different players on the 2009 Torrey Pines girls’ field hockey team landed spots on the various post season all-star teams in San Diego. 

Senior forward Chelsea Yogerst: All-CIF First Team, All North County, Division One First Team, San Diego County Senior All Star, Avocado League First Team.

Senior midfielder Stephanie Cowles: All-CIF Second Team, All North County, Division One First Team, San Diego County Senior All Star, Avocado league First Team.

Junior goalkeeper Heather Schlesier: All North County, Division One Second Team, Avocado League Second Team. 

Junior forward Sophie Edelman: Division One Second Team, Avocado League Second Team. 

Junior defender Caitlin Mackey: Avocado League Honorable Mention.

Junior midfielder Lucy Busby: Avocado League Honorable Mention.

Junior forward Caroline Boucher: Avocado League Honorable Mention.

Yogerst and Cowles will receive their All-CIF certificates at a special ceremony in January at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.

Warriors Outlast Falcons in Epic Battle 
     Fallbrook advanced to the CIF championship game today by beating Torrey Pines in strokes after two full overtimes. The games were tied 0-0 after 60 minutes of regulation and two 10 minute overtime periods. And for the second time this year, it came down to strokes between the Warriors and Falcons. Only this time it was Fallbrook that had the sharper strokes. this is new stuff here.
     The Warriors were fast out of the gate, winning the ball in midfield and getting off several good shots in the early going. Sixteen minutes into the game, one of the Fallbrook forwards out-sprinted the Torrey defense on a breakaway, but Heather Schlesier blocked her shot and momentum shifted to the home team. Attacking into the Warriors zone, Sophie Edelman and Chelsea Yogerst both got off shots that just missed. Moments later, Torrey earned its first short corner of the game, but Stephanie Cowles’ slam was blocked. In the wild scramble that followed, the Warrior goalie was cited for covering up the ball. Priya Devasirvatham’s penalty stroke was blocked. That seemed to take the air out of the Falcons feathers, and Fallbrook went on the attack again, collecting three short corners (but no goals) as the clock wound down to intermission.
     That momentum carried over into the second half, with Fallbrook on the attack again. Schlesier swatted away several shots while Torrey defenders Selin Esner and Caitlin Mackey took care of the others. As the half wore on, play got more and more physical, with one of the Warriors drawing a card for rough play. But the rough tactics seem to work, Fallbrook dominating the middle of the half and Torrey bottled up in its own end of the field. The Falcons couldn’t find any traction until the last ten minutes of regulation when Yogerst took the ball deep into the Warrior circle to draw a short corner. Torrey racked up five corners in short order, but none of the subsequent shots found the back of the cage and the game went to overtime. 
     Already exhausted from playing through 60 minutes of tense regulation, seven girls from each team took the field for ten minutes of overtime. Schlesier blocked a couple of great Fallbrook shots and Cowles broke up another Warrior attack as both teams failed to score again. Next up: ten minutes of golden goal overtime, with whoever scored first going away as the winner. Fallbrook got off the first two shots but then seemed to run out of gas. And the weary Falcons somehow found their second wind. A sequence of brilliant passes from Cowles to Yogerst to Caroline Boucher nearly resulted in the winning goal. In the final seconds, Yogerst drew another short corner but Cowles shot was blocked again by the Fallbrook keeper. And it went to strokes. Unlike last month when Torrey prevailed 4-1 on strokes after overtime, it was Warriors this time who proved better shots and suddenly it was Fallbrook going to the CIF final on Saturday. 
     You can also check out two local newspaper reports about the game:
North County Times: “Silence is Golden as Warriors Advance”
San Diego Union Tribune: “Fallbrook Goalkeeper Saves the Day”

Falcons Fly Into CIF Semis
(game photos by Anna S) (game photos by Ricki B)
     Torrey Pines advanced to the CIF division one semifinals this afternoon with a 2-0 victory over a scrappy Westview team. Lucy Busby and Sophie Edelman scored for the Falcons while Heather Schlesier racked up another terrific game in goal. Torrey now faces Fallbrook, a 1-0 winner over Vista in another quarterfinal contest. Game time is 3 PM on Thursday in Falcons Stadium. 
     Living up to their nickname, the No. 10 ranked Wolverines were tenacious on defense, holding the No. 4 Falcons scoreless until the second half. What the visitors lacked in speed and skill they more than made up for with hustle and sheer determination. Torrey had its chances in the first half, including half a dozen short corners. Westview nearly scored just before intermission with a pass to a wide-open player on the back post who couldn’t get a handle on the ball to get off a shot. 
     The Falcons finally scored around three minutes into the second half when Shelby Brown sent a dribble pass to Lucy Busby in the right side. Catching the Westview keeper out of position, Busby slammed it home for a lead the Falcons would not relinquish. 
     Trailing by a goal and the season on the line, the Wolverines were forced to attack rather than hold back on defense. But that produced the sort of wide-open hockey that Torrey loves to play, an entertaining back-and-forth with numerous scoring opportunities for both sides. Edelman’s hard shot off a break away was swatted away by the Wolverine keeper. Chelsea Yogerst sent two long crosses into the goal box that just missed being tipped in. Caroline Boucher had another shot blocked after a wild scramble in front of the Westview goal. With around seven minutes left to play, Edelman put the game away when she slammed a rebound off the keeper’s pads into the back of the cage. The Wolverines earned three short corners in the final minutes, two of them broken up by Schlesier saves.
     Game notes: San Pasqual beat Rancho Bernardo 4-0 and Rancho Buena Vista upset LCC 3-0 (at LCC) to set up the other semifinal showdown. The Eagles will be heavily favored, but RBV has a knack of pulling off upsets . . . Seniors Stephanie Cowles and Chelsea Yogerst have been selected for the 2009 San Diego High School Sports Association’s All-Star Field Hockey Team and will be honored (along with the rest of the all-stars) at a ceremony between the division two and one championship games this Saturday at Scripps Ranch. 
     Latest Playoff Bracket

Falcons Open Playoffs on Tuesday
No. 2 seeded Torrey Pines opens the defense of its CIF division one title with a game on Tuesday afternoon at 3 PM in Falcons Stadium. The Falcons will play the winner of the Westview-Mission Hills first round playoff game. Should they win on Tuesday, the Falcons will advance to the CIF semifinals on Thursday, a home game against whoever emerges from Fallbrook's side of the lower draw. 

CIF Playoff Bracket (Division I)
Here's the playoff bracket for Division I (unofficial, but up-to-date).
The Official CIF bracket will be linked from this page.

Also, see the game photos just linked for Mission Hills, Escondido, and LCC games. (scroll down or go to the photos page)

Avocado League Standings
(at the end of the regular season)

	W	L
San Pasqual	9	1
Torrey Pines	7	3
Fallbrook	6	4
La Costa Canyon	6	4
Mission Hills	2	8
Escondido	0	10

San Diego County Rankings (compiled by North County Times)
   1. Scripps Ranch
   2. San Pasqual
   3. Serra
   4. Torrey Pines
   5. Fallbrook
   6. Rancho Buena Vista
   7. La Costa Canyon
   8. Vista
   9. Cathedral Catholic
   10. Westview
Others: San Dieguito Academy, Hilltop, El Capitan
Compiled by county coaches.

Falcons Flinch In LCC Showdown
     Torrey Pines Lady Falcons went to the limit in a nail biter against arch rival LCC last night. Torrey fell short losing 2-1 in their final Avocado League game played under the lights at Maverick Stadium. Regulation play ended with a 1-1 tie as did the 10 minute overtime. The first round of strokes were even at 2 apiece with Stephanie Cowles and Caitlin Mackey both finding the net. Sudden death strokes went 3 deep with Caitlin again driving it home. Goalie Heather Schlesier made amazing saves throughout the contest particularly several diving left hand blocks during strokes. The first half ended with a 0-0 tie with play dominated by the crisp passing Mavericks and not-so crisp passing by the Falcons. Torrey Pines controlled most of the second half in a see-saw battle where momentum swung often. The Falcons finally broke the tie midway through the 2nd on a penalty stroke awarded after an LCC defender kicked a ball that was clearly on its way into the goal. Priya Devasirvatham was tapped to take the shot and fired it just inside of the right post past the diving goalie. LCC answered a few minutes later from a scrum in front of the net following a short corner. The Falcons had numerous scoring opportunities including a significant advantage in short corners awarded but failed to convert. Torrey dominated the overtime with much of it spent in the LCC half. Selin Esener had a stand out defensive performance and was a major contributor to the many overtime scoring opportunities with attacks up the right side and into the circle. 
     With this loss the Falcons remain in 2nd place in the Avocado League behind San Pasqual. Torrey Pines can expect a bye in the first round of CIF and will play at home at 3pm on Tuesday, November 17th in the quarterfinal round. Semifinals would be on Thursday, Nov 19th played most likely away (a home game would require an upset of SP or Fallbrook) at 3pm and finals will be at 5:30pm at Scripps Ranch on Saturday, Nov 21st. Note these dates are revised from the original schedule.
     Earlier in the evening, JV lost to the JV Mavs 0-1.
(game photos by Anna S) (game photos by Ricki B)

Torrey Tops Cougars
     Torrey Pines beat Escondido four or five to nothing this afternoon on the road in north county. Playing at the same time, San Pasqual topped Falbrook 1-0 to clinch at least a tie for the Avocado League crown. The Falcons can still tie the Eagles for the title, but it will take a Torrey win on the road at LCC combined with a San Pasqual loss to Escondido next week. On the plus side, San Pasqual's victory today helps Torrey Pines secure a higher seed in the upcoming CIF playoffs. More details on today's game to come . . . 
     JV won 1-0, with the goal by Rachael Haase and the assist by Rachel Rankin.
(game photos)

Falcons Claw Past Grizzlies on Senior Night
     Torrey Pines beat Mission Hills 4-0 on Wednesday night under the lights at Falcons Stadium. The win raised the Falcons record to six wins and two losses in Avocado League play and kept them a game behind first place San Pasqual (who beat LCC 3-0 yesterday). Junior forward Caroline Boucher paced the Torrey attack with two goals while the Falcon defense did a stellar job of keeping the Grizzlies at bay.
     Senior Alex Moreno scored what turned out to be the winning goal about ten minutes into the game when she knocked in a rebound off the Grizzlies keeper’s pads on a short corner play. Torrey racked up five more short corners over the rest of the half, but didn’t score again until just before intermission when Boucher chipped a shot into the Mission Hills cage. Boucher scored again early in the second half off a nice dish from Sophie Edelman. Junior midfielder Kimia Rahmati made it 4-0 with around six minutes to play when she scored her first-ever varsity goal off a wild scrum in front of the Grizzlies goal. 
     The game was preceded by the annual Senior Night ceremony during which the Falcons and Head Coach Kari DiGiulio honored Torrey’s five departing seniors: Jessica Brown, Shelby Brown, Stephanie Cowles, Priya Devasirvatham, Alex Moreno and Chelsea Yogerst.
     The JV Falcons started off the evening on a good note, winning their game 3-0.
(game photos)

Senior News Briefs . . .
For those who haven’t already heard, Stephanie Cowles has verbally committed to play her college hockey at Hofstra University starting in the fall of 2010. The Long Island school is having one of its best years ever in field hockey, currently ranked No. 26 in the nation and headed for next week’s NCAA playoffs . . . Chelsea Yogerst was recently chosen for the US Field Hockey Assoc “Future’s Elite” program – 150 girls who represent “the best high school field hockey athletes in the country” according to the USFHA website. Among other San Diegans named to the group are Mallory Albini and Kelsey Harbin of San Pasqual, Kyle Little of Fallbrook, Carly Schoch of Bonita Vista and Andi Earle of Scripps Ranch.

Senior Night (and Mission Hills) at Torrey Pines
Torrey Pines plays Mission Hills tonight at 6 PM under the lights at Falcons Stadium. The Grizzlies are much improved from previous years and getting closer to knocking off one of the top teams in the Avo League. Torrey Senior Night activities start before the game, starting at approx 5:30. The JV teams square off at 4:30. 

Eagles Fly Over Falcons Into First Place
     San Pasqual downed Torrey Pines 2-1 on Friday afternoon in Escondido to grab sole possession of first place in the Avocado League. The Falcons gave it their best, holding the host Eagles scoreless for 40 minutes and then mustering a late rally that fell just short. 
     The Eagles were quick out of the gate, earning three short corners in the opening minutes but failing to get off a good shot each time. The Falcons slowly but surely clawed their way into the game, attacking the tough San Pasqual defense and nearly scoring on two of their own short corners – shots by seniors Stephanie Cowles and Shelby Brown off the goalkeeper’s pads. Torrey had three other scoring chances at the start of the second half, but shots were high, wide or blocked. 
     San Pasqual went into the lead around 10 minutes into the half when forward Alohi Ornellas tipped in a hard shot from the top of the circle off a short corner. A short time later the Eagles made it 2-0 on a short shot by Gabi Jensen that came out of a frantic scrum in front of the Falcons cage. Refusing to give up, the Falcons staged a dramatic rally. Cowles nearly scored on a rocket that went wide right. And then Shelby cut the margin to a single goal when she scored on a short shot with around three minutes left to play. Torrey kept attacking as the clock wound down but with all of the Eagles back in a prevent defense, San Pasqual was able to weather the storm and take the win.
     Game notes: San Pasqual is now alone at the top of the Avocado League standings with six wins and one loss; Torrey Pines is alone in second with five wins and two losses; LCC and Fallbrook are tied for third place . . . in other Avocado League action on Friday Fallbrook down LCC 2-0 and Mission Hills beat last-place Escondido . . . The Falcons went up against San Pasqual without two key elements of their offense – senior forward Chelsea Yogerst and junior midfielder Lucy Busby – who were both injured near the end of Wednesday’s Fallbrook game; both of them are expected to return to action next week . . . San Pasqual head coach Kelli Gannon got her players pumped up for the game by having them rip apart pictures of a limo bus, an obvious reference to last year’s CIF championship game against Torrey, as well as a statement on the alleged socio-economic differences between Escondido and Carmel Valley. 
(game photos by RickiB)
     The JV Falcons had a similar fate at the Eagles' home, losing 0-1.

Falcons Fly Into Eagles' Nest
Torrey Pines travels to Escondido today for a 3:15 game against San Pasqual that pits two teams currently tied for first place in the Avocado League. Both are also ranked amongst the top four teams in SD County. The Falcons beat the Eagles 3-1 earlier this season and topped them by the same score in last year's CIF Final. But this time they face off on San Pasqual's notorious grass field, where visiting teams rarely win (let alone score). If anyone has a home field advantage in San Diego, it's the Eagles. Varsity plays at 3:10 PM; JV squads at 4:30.

Falcons Slay Warriors on Strokes
     Torrey Pines beat Fallbrook in overtime on Wednesday afternoon to maintain a share of the Avocado League lead with San Pasqual. Fallbrook dominated much of the first half and lead 1-0 at intermission, but the Falcons came charging back in the second half to tie the game and send it into overtime and eventually strokes. Torrey out-shot Fallbrook 4-1 at the penalty spot to earn what could be the season's most important win.
     The Falcons started fast, with Stephanie Cowles, Chelsea Yogerst and Caitlin Mackey getting off hard shots in the first few minutes. But then it was all Fallbrook the rest of the half. Playing solid, methodical hockey, the Warriors continually won the ball in the midfield and marched into Torrey territory. It was the last of five straight short corners that finally paid off. Falcon keeper Heather Schlesier blocked the initial shot with her pads, but the rebound went straight back to another Fallbrook player who slammed it into the left side of the cage. 
     But after intermission it was a different story. As surely as the Warriors dominated the first half, the Falcons owned the second. And it didn’t take long for them to tie the score. Around three minutes in, Cowles fired off another rocket shot that Sophie Edelman deflected into the goal, a slow roller that just got past the Fallbrook keeper. The Falcons kept attacking for the rest of the half, running up nine short corners in the process. But for any number of reasons (including some pretty good Warrior defense) they couldn’t punch the ball into the goal. 
     Fallbrook seemed to catch a second breath during the 10-minute overtime, dominating play and getting off several shots to zero for the home team. When playmaker Yogerst went down with a ball to the face, it looked dire for Torrey. But the Falcons managed to turn back two more Fallbrook short corners and send the game to strokes. Torrey was perfect from the penalty spot – Cowles, Mackey, Edelman and Priya Devasirvatham hitting their strokes – while Schlesier was turning away all but one Fallbrook shot. 
     Game notes: In other Avocado League action yesterday, San Pasqual beat Mission Hills 8-0 and LCC beat Escondido 2-0 . . . San Pasqual and Torrey are still tied for the league lead with identical 5-1 records; LCC is one game back, Fallbrook two behind the leaders with four games to play . . . Yogerst got seven stitches above her left eye but is expected to play against San Pasqual tomorrow . . . 
(game photos by RickiB) (game photos by Anna S)
     JV made it a double win, skunking the JV Warriors 2-0. One of the JV Falcons' goals was by Hari Maggs 
with Chandler Baldwin on the assist.

Warriors March Into Torrey
Fallbrook comes to town Wednesday afternoon for a 3:10 PM showdown with Torrey Pines in Falcons Stadium. A victory over the No-3 ranked Falcons would put the No-5 Warriors back into the Avocado League race; a loss would put them two games behind both Torrey and San Pasqual. So this is a critical game for both teams. The Warriors beat the birds 1-0 earlier this month in Fallbrook, one of several games this season in which Torrey has had a crucial goal denied by the ref (rather than the opposing defense). One way or another it will be close, the Falcons fast-break attack trying to split the Warrior’s tough defense. The JV game follows at 4:30 PM.

Torrey Thumps LCC in Afternoon Thriller
     Torrey Pines rallied for a 2-1 win over archrival La Costa Canyon on Thursday afternoon at Falcons Stadium. It didn’t look good in the early going, as the visiting Mavericks grabbed the momentum and a one-goal lead. But the Falcons mustered a huge comeback on goals by Sophie Edelman and Chelsea Yogerst – and solid second half defense – to retain their share of the Avocado League lead. 
     LCC dominated the early going with aggressive midfield play and sharp passing, grabbing the lead about three minutes into the game when a short corner shot deflected off a Torrey defender’s stick and past the outstretched arm of Falcons keeper Heather Schlesier. The Mavs nearly scored again a few moments later on a slow dribbler that just missed on the left side of the cage. Fighting back, Torrey stole the momentum away with around 10 minutes to play till intermission, drawing four short corners in fairly quick succession. It was on the last of those that the Falcons finally hit pay dirt, Priya Devasirvatham running down a lose ball and sending a pinpoint perfect pass to Edelman on the right post for the goal that tied the game. 
     Torrey carried that momentum into the second half. Playing the kind of hockey they love – fast breaks and wide open play – the Falcons started to dominate the game. Stephanie Cowles nearly scored on a blast off a short corner. After LCC counterattacked, Cowles sent a long ball into the Maverick’s zone. And the race was on, a 40-yard, all out sprint between Yogerst and the last LCC defender to see who would get there first. It was Yogerst, who juked the ball around her opponent, quickly dribbled to the edge of the circle and fired off a rocket that beat Mavs keeper Blaire Bender. 
     There were still 20 minutes and an awful lot of hockey to play. The Falcons couldn’t afford to rest and their lead and they didn’t, attacking again and again, and bottling the visitors up in their side of the field. There were a few tense moments in the final minutes – Selin Esner going down with an injury and Schlesier batting away a late shot by the Mavs – Torrey eventually came away with its third straight win over La Costa Canyon.
     Game notes: Torrey Pines earned nine short corners in the game, LCC had six . . . Esner’s injury was a leg cramp; she’ll be ready for the big Fallbrook game next week . . . Among those in the large crowd that watched the game were US National Team players Lauren Powley and Barb Weinberg . . . Several normally unheralded players had big games against LCC including Hannah and Molly Bettencourt . . . In addition to three straight, the Falcons have now beaten the Mavs four out of their last five meetings . . . the Falcons have played every team in the current SD county top ten (see rankings below) – their combined record against these teams is 7 wins, 3 losses and 1 tie. (October 23rd)  (game photos by Ricki B)
     JV also had a nice win, blanking the JV Mavs 1-0 with a goal by Megan Glancy, assisted by Chandler Baldwin.

Avocado League Standings (midway through the league season)
 

	W	L
San Pasqual	4	1
Torrey Pines	4	1
Fallbrook	3	2
La Costa Canyon	3	2
Mission Hills	1	4
Escondido	0	5

San Diego County Rankings
   1. Scripps Ranch
   2. Serra
   3. Torrey Pines
   4. Fallbrook
   5. San Pasqual
   6. Rancho Buena Vista
   7. La Costa Canyon
   8. Vista
   9. San Dieguito Academy
   10. Cathedral 
   Others: Westview, Rancho Bernardo, Hilltop

Mavericks Stampede Into Torrey This Afternoon
La Costa Canyon comes to town this afternoon for a 3:15 game against Torrey Pines, the first of two Avocado League match-ups between the longtime archrivals. Both teams are currently ranked in the San Diego County top ten and both are currently in a three-way tie (with San Pasqual) at the top of the league standings with three wins and one loss each. Much like the Falcons, the Carlsbad-based Mavericks have had a rollercoaster season, losing some games they shouldn’t have and winning others in which they were the definite underdog. Unlike past years when the Mavs were an offensive powerhouse, their trump card this season is defense and goalkeeping. LCC has allowed only four goals in its last seven games. The JV teams square off at 4:30. 

Falcons Cage Visiting Cougars
   Torrey Pines ran up a big lead in the first half and coasted to a 5-1 victory over Escondido this afternoon at Falcons Stadium. The win kept the Falcons in a three-way tie for first place in the Avocado League and upped the ante on Friday’s showdown with traditional rival LCC. 
   The Falcons jumped out to an early lead when Caroline Boucher scored off a pass from Lucy Busby. But the Cougars drew even just minutes later when they scored on an oddball blooper shot. Stephanie Cowles put Torrey in the lead for good when she scored twice in rapid succession, the first on her own blooper over the Escondido keeper’s head and the second on a rocket from the top of the circle. The Falcons made it four to one at intermission when Shelby Brown chipped in a Chelsea Yogerst shot off a short corner. The only score of the second half (by either team) was a goal by Boucher off another Torrey short corner. 
   Game Notes:  In other Avocado League action yesterday, San Pasqual beat Fallbrook 2-0 and LCC topped Mission Hills 3-0. TP, SP and LCC are now tied for the league lead with three wins and one loss each; Fallbrook is half a game behind with three wins and two losses . . . Stephanie Cowles took a hard elbow to the chin in the second half and was sidelined the rest of the game, but will play vs. LCC tomorrow. 
(game photos by Anna S) (game photos by Ricki B)
     JV made it a double with a solid 6-0 shutout over the visiting JV Cougars.

Frosh Tie La Jolla JV
[Oct 20] After a long break, the Frosh Team came back strong against an experienced JV squad from La Jolla High School.  The Lady Falcons kept the score at 1-1 with the assist provided by Michelle Perkins and scoring shot from Jaclyn Bailey.

Falcons Take Care of Business at Mission Hills
  The Lady Falcons shut out the Grizzlies 2-0 on Friday, Oct 16th, for their second win in the Avocado League this season. Torrey Pines controlled the entire game, but looked a bit sluggish in the 100 degree temps on the field. Stephanie Cowles scored the first goal rocketing one in from the point. Alex Moreno scored her first goal of the season finishing from the far post on a nice crossing pass to put the Falcons up by 2. The defense was solid and kept goalie, Heather Schlesier, lonely in goal. The entire team saw playing time and created many scoring opportunities, but finishes were off frame. The win puts them in the hunt for Avocado League title at 2-1. Next up the Falcons open a 3-game home stand against Escondido on Wed, Oct 21st.
  JV also did well in the warm afternoon heat in San Marcos, racking up a 5-0 final score. Goals were by Rachel Rankin (two goals), Kiernan Panish, and frosh players Megan Glancy and Julia Petrey-Juarez with one goal each. (game photos by Ricki B)

Falcons Show Their Stuff Against San Pasqual
  The Falcons looked to redeem their hopes for an Avocado league title when they took the field at TPHS against a talented and highly ranked San Pasqual team. In a reprise of the Scripps game, they scored on their first offensive attack of the game. Lucy Busby earned a penalty after driving into the right side of the circle. Stephanie Cowles slammed home a perfectly executed short corner and the Falcons took control of the game in the first 90 seconds. San Pasqual played the rest of the game with a hint of panic and made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes. Torrey Pines struck gold again scoring on a fast break later in the half. Sophie Edelman was all alone in the San Pasqual half when she received a pass from midfield and sped toward the rushing keeper and nutmegged her for Torrey's 2nd goal. San Pasqual pulled within one near the end of the half finishing from a scrum in front of the goal after goalie, Heather Schlesier, was pulled well out to the left to defend an attacking run.  The Lady Falcons proved that speed does indeed kill and put the game on ice late in the second half when Caroline Boucher raced away from the San Pasqual defense up the left side and scored just inside left post to give the Falcons a 3-1 lead.  The Torrey Pines defense played an outstanding game frustrating San Pasqual's offensive attacks. Heather had some amazing saves in goal and Priya Devasirvatham, Caitlin Mackey, Selin Esner, Molly Bettencourt, and Jessica Brown all had a great games. The win sets up a competitive title chase and an important and exciting rematch on the Eagles’ turf on Oct 30th. (game photos by RickiB) (game photos by Anna S)
  We also recommend the article on nctimes.com by John Maffei.
  The JV Falcons and Eagles had a competitive game that ended scoreless at the end of regular time.  The teams unofficially resolved the tie in strokes afterward (which apparently didn't count in the official score). Torrey scored more points in strokes, with our goal keeper Erica doing an amazing job.

Frosh Play in JV Tourney Semifinals
  Congratulations to the Frosh Falcons for making it all the way to the semi-finals in a JV tournament at Helix High School this weekend!  A big shout-out to Paulina Klemm and Natalie Taylor for holding it down as goalies in our penalty strokes.  Riley Driscoll scored 2 separate sudden victory strokes resulting in a huge win against Bishops and then El Capitan and Jaclyn Bailey scored an amazing short corner against Patrick Henry.
  Earlier in the week, the Frosh Lady Falcons held Bishops to a 1-1 tie with Jaclyn Bailey scoring our single goal.

Falcons Fall to Fallbrook
  In their first Avocado league contest, the Falcons lost a heated game away to a tough Fallbrook squad. Fallbrook came out strong controlling most of the first half and scoring early. The Falcons took control of the second half, but failed to get the equalizer. They had a number of scoring opportunities, but could not convert. It appeared that the Falcons had pulled even on a short corner when Stephanie Cowles slammed one home, but after a hesitation the ref waived it off as a high ball. It was an even contest and the girls looked strong, but a disappointing loss nonetheless. The Falcons get another swing against Fallbrook at home on Oct 28th. link to game photos
  JV tied the Warriors 0-0.

Westview
  The Varsity Falcons beat Westview 2-1 on Wednesday, Oct 7th.   The Falcons dominated the first twenty minutes of the game playing most of the time in Wolverine's end of the field.  The Torrey domination was evident in the short corner stats, where TPHS had 17 and Westview had 9. 
  The Falcons depended on number eleven Stephanie Cowles to take things into her own hands to get them on the boards with a strong powerful shot from just inside the circle. The laser like pin-pointedness of Cowles’s shot gave Torrey Pines their first goal. 
  With the score tied at one, Torrey seemed as if they were getting ready to score with the ball free in front of the net and Sophie Edelman getting ready to knock it in; when play was stopped by the ref and a stroke was awarded to Falcon Chelsea Yogerst.  Yogerst took the stroke, driving it into the lower left corner of the goal to put Torrey up 2-1.  The win gave the Falcons and Head Coach Kari Digiulio a victory over Westview as they prepared to enter league play. 
  Later in the afternoon, JV lost to Westview 0-1.
  link to game photos

Frosh Tie Bishops
The Freshmen tied Bishops School 1-1 at TPHS on Thursday, Oct 8th. More detals to follow soon.

Game Photos for Serra Tourney, SDA, Scripps
   Varsity at Serra Tournament, playoff games, Oct 3, 2009 by Ricki Betterncourt
   Varsity vs San Dieguito Academy, Sept 30, 2009 by Ricki Betterncourt
   Varsity vs Scripps Ranch, Sept 23, 2009 by Ricki Betterncourt

Falcons Frustrated at Serra Tourney
   The Lady Falcons dominated the game, but fell short in their quarter final match against Westview losing 2-1. They had 18 short corners but were unable to convert on 17 of them. Contributing to their frustration was the poor field which gave unpredictable bounces and did more to defend their short corner attempts than the Westview defense. Stephanie Cowles scored the lone goal by taking matters into her own hands. She dribbled through 5 Westview defenders from the top of the circle and pounded it home. Westview had 3 short corners and converted on 2 for their goals. Most of the match was played in the Westview half and the Falcons had many scoring opportunities; narrowly missing many times.
   The loss put the Falcons in a consolation game with Vista for a 5th place tie. The Falcons won the game, but not until the 3rd round of strokes following an exciting 2-2 tie during regulation play. The Falcons scored first on a pass from Cowles to Chelsea Yogerst who hammered it in. Vista answered. Lucy Busby scored the go-ahead goal on a far post finish of a short corner that went Busby to Yogerst to Cowles to Busby. Vista tied it back up and put it into strokes. Pria Deva, Sophie Edelman scored in the first round. The second round was a wash with no scores. In the 3rd round, Pria scored and it came down to the final stroke. Chelsea stepped up and shot it in goal to win the game. The hero was Heather Schlesier, who was outstanding in goal stopping some great shots by Vista and holding them to 3 strokes in 15 tries. 
   Scripps Ranch won the tourney by defeating Fallbrook on a late goal to win 1-0. Fallbrook had beat host Serra on strokes in the semi-final. Props to Stephanie Cowles and Chelsea Yogerst for being named to the All-Tournament team. 
   The Avocado League is shaping up to be very competitive with San Pasqual, Fallbrook and LCC all having strong teams. The Falcons get their chance for revenge on Wednesday when they play Westview away but back on familiar turf surface. Friday will bring a big showdown at Fallbrook with the winner looking like the early favorite for the Avocado League title.
   Serra Tournament playoff photos

Frosh First Loss
The Frosh Lady Falcons suffered their first loss of the season Friday, Oct 2, against Serra High School.  Despite a strong showing from the Falcons, the Conquistadors won with a final score of 2-0.

Frosh Skunk Cougars
The Frosh Dymanic Duo paired up again to deliver a 1-0 victory over Escondido High School this past Tuesday (September 29th).  Once again Jaclyn Bailey scored with a brilliant assist provided by Maritza Enriquez on a hot summer day in North County.  The Frosh Lady Falcons remain undefeated!  Let's go Falcons! 

Falcons Corral the Mustangs
  The Falcons avenged last year's loss and racked up a solid victory over San Dieguito Academy in Falcon Stadium this Wednesday afternoon.  Stephanie Cowles had a hat-trick today scoring three of the teams five goals in the 5-1 win over the Mustangs.  Stephanie scored the first goal on a short corner as she slammed the ball in on the left side of the goal to make the score one zero.  Sophie Edelman knocked in the second goal off of a shot by Lucy Busby; making the score 2-0.  Pria scored the third goal on a penalty stroke making the score 3-0.  Next was perhaps the most beautiful and skillful goal of the game. Stephanie Cowles dribbled the ball from mid-field, through at what seemed like the entire SDA defense, shooting the ball past the goalie to make the score 4-0.  The final goal was scored by Cowles again off a short corner whereby Cowles fired in a waist high goal into the middle of the upper net making the final score 5-1.  A decisive win by the Falcons and Head Coach Digulio. link to game photos
  JV was not to be out-done, and shut out the JV mustangs 1-0.  The only goal of the game was scored by Rachel Rankin.

Falcons Hot in Serra Pool Play

Proving they can play well in the heat as well as the coastal cool -- and on grass rather than their familiar turf -- the Falcons went undefeated and won their pool in the first round of the Serra Tournament today. But it wasn't easy. Challenge number one was weathering three games in five hours in 97 degree heat. Challenge number two was playing in the tournament's toughest pool. 

Torrey opened the day with a late morning game versus Cathedral that was really more a dust bowl (playing in the Serra football stadium) than an exhibition of great hockey. Much of the game was played between the 30 yard lines. And both teams had their scoring chances. But truth be told, the patchy grass and potholes made any sort of offense (other than dumb luck) almost a moot point. 

The Falcon attack looked much better on the upper field, where they beat a very talented Vista team 2-1 on a goal in the closing minutes. Three weeks ago, Panther keeper Chelsee Brown frustrated the Falcons again and again. But this time they figured out a way to beat her. Torrey's first score started with a dead ball around the 40 yard line that Stephanie Cowles sent to Chelsea Yogerst near the top of the circle. Yogerst dashed past two Vista defenders and got off a hard shot that Brown blocked with her pads . . . right into the path of Sophie Edelman, who slammed it into the right side of the cage before Brown could slide back into position. Torrey racked up seven corners through the middle part of the game without scoring -- although Cowles came very close on a rocket that went over the Panther cage. With less then five minutes to play, a Vista offense that had been dormant for most of the game suddenly came to life, tying the game off a short corner. But like they did against RBV the week before last, the Falcons came charging right back down the field with a chance to win the game with the clock running down. The winning goal came on a short corner sequence from Lucy Busby to Yogerst to Cowles. Rather than shooting head-on against the Vista keeper, Cowles dished back to Busby on the far post, who tapped the ball gently over the line for the winning goal.

All Torrey had to do was beat Mira Mesa in the last game to win the pool and go through, but the Marauders were no pushovers. They couldn't muster much at the offensive end of the field, but their scrappy defense kept the Falcons from scoring until around 20 minutes into the game. Leading a Torrey fast break, Shelby Brown got off a wicked shot that the Mira Mesa keeper somehow blocked. But Caroline Boucher scooped up the rebound and slammed it home. Four minutes later, Busby scored off another short corner (she's getting good at those) to give the Falcons a two-goal margin going into the half. Torrey added an insurance goal after intermission as Stephanie Sabraw scored off an assist from Yogerst. (Sept 26th)

Junior Varsity Beats Del Norte

Torrey's junior varsity ran up their biggest points total of the season so far, beating Del Norte 7-0 earlier this week in a game that wasn't on our scheduled because the contest only came together last week. FYI -- Del Norte is the brand new high school in 4S ranch between Carmel Valley and Rancho Bernardo.
Goal 1.  Short corner: Natalie Cathcart
        2.  Short corner: Natalie Cathcart
        3.  Kristen Buchanan
        4.  Natalie Cathcart
        5.  Kristen Buchanan
        6.  Caroline Paulson 
        7.  Lauren Howe 

Frosh Falcons Tie LCC

Playing hard against their traditional arch rivals, the Frosh Falcons held La Costa Canyon to a 1-1 tie on 9/24.  Jaclyn Bailey scored Torrey's single goal with a great assist provided by Maritza Enriquez. The team played well and demonstrated they can hold their own against a skilled team. 

Scoring Correction!!!
 Apologies from the webmaster -- it was actually Lucy Busby who scored the first goal against Scripps Ranch last Wednesday, on the short corner in the first minute. Sorry about that Lucy. Great goal!

Falcons Upset Top Ranked Scripps

Torrey Pines pulled the biggest upset of the season so far by defeating top-ranked and previously undefeated Scripps Ranch 2-1 in a epic game at Falcons Stadium this afternoon. Playing in hundred degree heat and Santa Ana conditions, the Falcons ran up an early two-goal lead and then held on for dear life, beating a team that many observers think is the best in the state of California. 

The Falcons played ten minutes of almost perfect hockey to start the game, a combination of aggression and skill that seemed to take the visitors by surprise. Torrey took the opening tip-off and marched straight down the middle of the field to earn a short corner inside before one minute had even ticked off the clock. Lucy Busby sent the push to Chelsea Yogerst, who stopped for Stephanie Cowles on the initial shot. The Scripps keeper blocked the ball towards the back post, where an opportunistic Busby flicked it into the back of the cage for a shocking early lead. Nine minutes later Torrey struck again, this time on a fastbreak that pitted Yogerst, Edelman and Caroline Boucher against three Scripps defenders. And Edelman struck again, this time on a nifty backhand shot from right in front of the goalie.

Down by two goals, Scripps called a timeout and tried to regroup. A few minutes later they earned the first of 17 short corners. But as Torrey has discovered in several games this season, running up the corners doesn't guarantee goals. Heather Schlesier was magnificent in the goal for the Falcons, turning aside several good shots. And the Torrey defense took care of the rest. And the offense kept up the pressure. Torrey had a great chance to take a three-goal lead at around 18 minutes with Yogerst got off a rocket that just missed wide right. Scripps dominated the rest of the half, but couldn't convert on four short corners.

It was more of the same after intermission, Scripps winning balls in the midfield, attacking again and again., a flurry of short corners and open field shots that were either off the mark, cleared by Schlesier or stopped by Torrey defenders. Cleared beat by their first half heroics, it took the Falcons nearly 15 minutes to to get inside the Scripps circle. Scripps had several good looks at the cage in the last minute but couldn't finish. And suddenly the Falcons had themselves one of the biggest upsets in the team's recent history -- right up there with beating number one ranked and undefeated LCC two years ago.

In addition to those already mentioned, several Torrey players had outstanding games including Molly Bettencourt, Jessica Brown, Priya Devasirvatham, Selin Esener and Caitlin Mackey. link to game photos

The Torrey Pines junior varsity tied their Scripps Ranch counterparts 0-0 in another hard fought game in triple degree heat. 

Game Notes: Going into today's game, Scripps had already defeated San Pasqual (2-1) and LCC (4-0) this season . . . In addition to being ranked No. 1 in San Diego County, Scripps is also ranked No. 6 in the nation this week on the Top of the Circle website. (Sept 23rd) 

NC Times Hockey Preview

The North County Times doesn't seem to hold out much hope for the Torrey Pines field hockey team this season. The Falcons ranked No. 9 in the newspaper's preseason poll of San Diego County's best team and are tabbed to finish no better than third in the Avocado League -- despite the fact that Torrey is the defending CIF and league champ. Their meager assessment has a lot to do with the fact that Torrey lost nine starters in the off season to graduation, other sports and moving away. 

Scripps Ranch was chosen as preseason No. 1, followed by Serra, RBV and LCC. The paper picks Fallbrook to win the Avocado League, followed by San Pasqual, Torrey Pines and LCC. Chelsea Yogerst is the only Falcon on the Times list of the north county's Top 20 Players for 2009, while three Falcons -- Yogerst and fellow seniors Stephanie Cowles and Jessica Brown -- draw special mention in the team preview.

Here's what the NCT had to say about Torrey's prospects this season: "Picking the defending CIF San Diego Section Division I champions this low is a risk. But the Falcons lost seven starters off that team. Plus, Meghan O'Rourke has decided to concentrate on soccer and Brittany Norfleet transferred to a private school in the East. Chelsea Yogerst, Stephanie Cowles and Jessica Brown form the nucleus of this year's team, which is made up of talented but untested players." 

NCT Preseason Top Ten:
1.Scripps Ranch
2. Serra
3. Rancho Buena Vista
4. San Pasqual
5. LCC
6.Vista
7. Rancho Bernardo
8. Fallbrook
9. Torrey Pines
10. Cathedral
Others: SDA, Poway, La Jolla, Mira Mesa

Read about everyone else at:
North County Times 2009 Field Hockey Preview or NC Times Top 20 Players

Falcons Lasso Longhorns with Late Rally

Torrey Pines scored twice in the final minutes to rally for a 2-1 upset win over No. 3 ranked Rancho Buena Vista last night at Falcons Stadium. It was an odd game, scoreless for its first 47 minutes and then jam-packed with offense in a mad dash to the final whistle. The visiting Longhorns grabbed the lead on a beautiful short corner blast by Melissa Effertz with around 13 minutes to play. While it may have given RBV the lead, it also energized the Falcons, who spent the remainder of the game pressuring the ball, causing turnovers, making their passes and at the end of it all putting the ball in the cage. With less than six minutes to play, Chelsea Yogerst tied the game on a lightning fast turn-around shot off a dish from Caroline Boucher. Torrey kept up the pressure, earning five short corners in quick succession. It was the last of those corners that produced the winning goal. Selin Esner fired off a shot that rebounded off the Longhorn goalie's pads . . . right into the path of a quick thinking Sophie Edelman, who slammed it into the goal with only seconds left on the clock. 

Torrey's junior varsity team tied the Longhorns in a scoreless game (0-0 tie).

Game Notes: Torrey Pines had 17 short corners to only 6 for RBV . . . for the third time this season, the Falcons came out on the short end of a reversed referee decesion on a critical play: 13 minutes into the first half, the RBV goalie appeared to cover up the ball and the ref closest to the play award Torrey a penalty stroke; after an official time-out and lenghty discussion, the other ref changed the call to a Falcons short corner. (Sept 19)

Photos of TP varsity vs RBV by Ricki Betterncourt -- Rancho Buena Vista pix

Frosh Falcons Earn First Win

The Freshmen Falcons earned their first win of the season on Tuesday, a 3-0 victory over the Del Norte junior varsity squad in their home opener. The game was scoreless at halftime, but Torrey Pines turned up the heat in the second half. Maritza Enriquez scored twice and Michelle Perkins once to lead the Falcons offense; Jaclyn Bailey picked up an assist. In their only other game of the 2009 season, the freshmen held the more experienced Mission Hills junior varsity to a 0-0 tie through regulation and overtime. 

Serra Comeback Clips Falcons

  Torrey Pines lost another close one this afternoon, falling 2-1 to Serra on the road in Tierrasanta. The game waged back and forth in the first half, with neither team getting the upper hand. It was the Falcons who drew first blood, Chelsea Yogerst slammed the ball into the back of the cage off a cross from Sophie Edelman about 25 minutes into the game. But the Conquistadores came charging right back, scoring off a scramble in front of the Torrey goal after a short corner just before intermission. Serra picked up the pace in the second half, earning a dozen short corners to just two for the Falcons. With about ten minutes to play, the Qs converted one of the corners into what would prove to be the winning goal. Still, it wasn't a bad result for Torrey when you consider that most teams struggle on Serra's eccentric home field -- half baseball diamond, half hockey pitch. The Falcons also lost their last year, by the same score. You have to go back four seasons to the last time that Torrey won at Serra. (Sept 15th) 
  JV also lost to the Serra JV by one goal, 0-1.

Photos of TP varsity vs Serra by Ricki Betterncourt -- Serra pix

Torrey Takes Second at Serra JV Tourney

Torrey Pines finished second behind Scripps Ranch at today's Serra Junior Varsity Tournament. Serra took third and SDA fourth in the annual one-day hockey competition. 

The Falcons started off the day with a 1-0 victory over Mira Mesa, Chandler Baldwin scoring the game's one and only goal. Torrey followed that up with 1-0 win against Rancho Buena Vista (on a score by Hari Maggs) and a 0-0 tie with Serra that was decided on strokes. Natalie Cathcart and Caroline Paulson made their strokes to clinch the win over the host Conquistadores. The championship game against Scripps Ranch also wound up tied at the end of regulation and went to strokes, with SR prevailing in the shootout. (Sept 12th)

Broncos Buck Falcons in Last Minute

For the second time in three games, Torrey Pines learned that just because you win time of possession and run up far more short corners doesn't necessarily mean that you come away with a win. Playing on the road at Rancho Bernardo, the Falcons dropped a heartbreaker 1-0 on a controversial goal in the last minute. But it really never should come down to that. Torrey spent much of the game in the Broncos end of the field but couldn't find the back of the cage -- despite a short corner advantage of 10 to 4 over the Broncos. 

Both teams started off sloppy and the Falcons didn't really get their offensive act together until after Head Coach Kari Digiulio called a time out midway through the first half. Torrey went on the tear after that, running up seven short corners in rapid succession. Shots went wide right and got deflected away by Bronco defenders. The RB keeper snuffed out one shot by covering up the ball with her body. No penalty stroke was called -- the first of two controversial goalkeeping calls that would ultimately decide the game's final score. 

Torrey and RB both had their scoring chances in the second half, but nobody scored until the final minute when one of the Bronco forwards fired off a long desperation shot. The Falcon defenders quite clearly thought the shot came from outside the circle, but the refs (and RB) disagreed. Torrey had one last desperation shot at the end that was batted away by the Bronco keeper. 

The junior varsity Falcons had no such problems, cruising past the Broncos 3-0. Megan Glancy scored unassisted, Rachael Haase off a dish from Natalie Cathcart, and Lauren Howe on a pass from Caroline Paulson, as the JV spread their scoring wealth amongst many different players. Torrey earned nine short corners and 12 shots on goal on offensive end and didn't allow RB a single shot at the other end of the field. 

Game Notes: The Broncos victory marked the first time in 10 tries they have defeated Torrey Pines, snapping a string of nine straight Falcons wins going back to 2004 . . . Alex Moreno made her varsity debut in the second half aganst RB; an ankle injury sustained at tryouts had ket her sidelined until last night . . .In another battle along Interstate-15, Scripps Ranch bested San Pasqual 2-1 in an early season showdown between San Diego County's top two teams . . . The junior varsity plays in the Serra Tournament this weekend. Next up for the varsity Falcons -- a non-league game against powerhouse Serra on Tuesday Sept 15th. (Sept 10th)

Photos of TP varsity vs Rancho Bernardo by Ricki Betterncourt -- RB pix

Torrey Blanks Titans 2-0 (Twice)

Torrey Pines topped Poway 2-0 in both the varsity and JV games yesterday at Falcon Stadium, as both squads earned their first wins of the young 2009 season. The Falcons took an early lead in the Poway varsity game when Chelsea Yogerst took the ball up the middle on the fast break and fired off a shot from the top of the circle. The Titan keeper blocked it right back to Yogerst, who got off a second shot that Sophie Edelman slammed into the cage. The Titans didn't get close to the Torrey cage until around midway through the first half, a shot that was kicked away by Falcons keeper Heather Schlesier. The teams later traded short corners, but otherwise the first half was fairly quiet. 

But the Falcons came charging out after intermission, a burst of energy that earned them a second goal and what proved to be an insurmontable lead. Yogerst was the catalyst again, crossing to Edelman for another  score at the end of a fast break. Poway called a time out after that to regroup, but could not muster another serious threat against what is proving to be a very tough Torrey defense lead by juniors Caitlin Mackey, Priya Devasirvatham and Selin Esner.

The junior varsity Falcons notched both their first win and first goals of the season. Chandler Baldwin scored off a pass from Natalie Cathcart and Kristin Buchanan added a solo goal, as the Torrey offense shifted into a higher gear after two zero-zero ties. 

Game notes: Torrey last faced Poway in last year's CIF quarterfinals and came away with a 5-0 win and momentum that took them all the way to the title. The Falcons also topped the Titans in the regular season (2-0) and Serra Tournament (4-0) last year . . . Falcons forward/midfielder Chelsea Yogerst went out with a hand injury late in the second half and is expected to miss tomorrow's Rancho Bernardo game. (Sept 9th)

Photo of TP varsity vs Poway by Ricki Betterncourt -- Poway pix

Strokes Prove Fatal in Falcons Season Opener

Torrey Pines dropped their regular season opener 1-0 to Vista this afternoon in a game that went overtime and ten strokes before the game was finally decided. The Falcons dominated regulation, earning 13 short corners to zero for the visiting Panthers. Play was in the Vista zone 70-80% of the game. But that was part of the problem -- with the Vista defense bottled up in their own end of the field, there was just too many bodies in front of the goal to get off many good, hard shots. And the Falcons team could never figure out a way to get the ball past Panther keeper Chelsee Brown, who swatted away shots right and left and snuffed out Torrey fast breaks by streaking way out of the goal. 

More than 15 minutes had ticked off the clock before the Panthers got far enough into Falcons territory to take a shot on goal -- a sprawling save by Heather Schlesier. Vista apeared to score on a breakaway as time expired in the first half, but a foul just before the shot negated the goal and the two teams went into intermission even on the scoreboard. It was deja vu all over again in the second half, the Falcons on almost constant attack, their shots either batted away by Brown or lost in a scrum of bodies in front of the cage. There was a lot more back and forth during the ten minute overtime. Chelsea Yogerst had a couple of breakaways for the Falcons and Stephanie Cowles got off a hard shot. At the other end of the field, Caitlin Mackey and Priya Devasirvatham single handedly shut down a couple of Panther fast breaks. And Vista earned its one and only short corner of the entire game. Yet neither team scored and it came down to strokes -- the final ball -- which the Vista player slammed into the upper left-hand corner of the goal over Schlesier's outstretched arm.

There wasn't much scoring in the junior varsity game either, as Torrey Pines and Vista played to a 0-0 tie, second draw in a row for the youngerFalcons. 

Game notes: The loss ended the Falcons' six game win streak stretching back to last October. That may not seem like a huge streak, but it was the longest by any team in San Diego County; the Falcons had won 15 of their last 16 games . . . Torrey Pines had taken seven straight from Vista before Thursday; the last Panthers victory over the Falcons came in 2003 . . . Vista has been on the rise since late last season when the north county team reached the CIF semis with a 2-0 upset of highly favored RBV . . . Vista keeper Chelsee Brown and Torrey forward Chelsea Yogerst were teammates this past summer on the California state U19 team that played at nationals in Virginia . . . For those who didn't get the scoop, the controversy on the last stroke was whether or not the Vista shooter took illegal extra steps (and faked out the Torrey keeper) before hitting the ball. (Sept 3rd) 

Photos of the Vista game by Ricki Bettencourt can be viewed at Vista Pix.

Torrey Ties Qs in Final Scrimmage

Old rivals Torrey Pines and Serra played to a 3-3 tie this afternoon in the Falcons final preseason scrimmage. Senior Chelsea Yogerst played a part in all three Falcon goals and junior Heather Schlesier made some spectacular plays in goal to preserve the draw. On another hot afternoon, both teams showed flashes of brilliance in the first half and then faded after intermission. The scoreline -- five goals in the first half and only one in the second -- reflects how the heat took its toll. 

The Falcons drew first blood about seven minutes into the game, when Stephanie Sabraw tipped in a hard cross from Yogerst. The Conquistadores quickly tied the game, and then Yogerst put Torrey into the lead again when she scored off a great Caroline Boucher pass about 18 minutes into the half. The Falcons extended their margin to two goals just a minute later when Stepanie Cowles slammed home a short corner off a Priya Devasirvatham push and Yogerst stop. But the Qs came charging back to earn the tie, scoring twice out of scrums in front of the Torrey cage after short corners. (Sept 1st)

The junior varsity teams also drew, Torrey and Serra playing to a 0-0 tie.

Photos of the Serra scrimmage from Ricki Bettencourt can be viewed at Serra Scrimmage Pix.

Falcons Fly Past Jags at First FH Classic

Defending CIF champion Torrey Pines kicked off the 2009 season with a 7-0 scrimmage victory over Valley Center at the inaugural Jody Johnston Field Hockey Classic at Scripps Ranch High School. Senior middy Stephanie Cowles notched a hat-trick for the Falcons and all 19 players on the varsity roster saw action on an afternoon when the air temperature in ScrippsRanch was at least 102 degrees.

The new-look Falcons certainly took their time getting on the board. Nearly ten minutes elapsed before Sophie Edelman put Torrey ahead on a crisp pass from Caitlin Mackey. The Falcons second score started with a nifty give-and-go on the right sideline, Chelsea Yogerst passing to Stephanie Cowles, who then slammed the ball past the Jaguar keeper. Cowles scored again three minutes later to give Torrey a three-goal lead at the half. Caroline Boucher scored less than a minute into the second half, on a pass from Edelman. Jessica Brown then made it 5-0 on a brilliant solo run up the left side that ended with a sizzling goal. Cowles then notched her third goal of the game, and Stephanie Sabraw finished off the Torrey scoring on a pass from Hannah Bettencourt with around two minutes left to play.

Torrey's defense was rarely tested. Keeper Heather Schlesier had just one save and Valley Center managed a single short corner in a game dominated by the Falcon offense. (August 29th)

Field Hockey Parents Meeting
Parents of all 2009 Torrey Pines field hockey players are invited to a manditory meeting with Head Coach Kari DiGiulio and her staff tonight (August 27th) at 6 PM in the Lecture Hall on campus. Players area also invited and there will be pizza for the athletes. In addition to discussing the 2009 season, spirit wear orders will be taken that evening and tickets will be on sale for the Jody Johnston FH Classic (August 29th). Anyone with questions should contact field hockey liaison Teri Summerhays at email: td39@cox.net.

Torrey Pines Field Hockey Tryouts
Tryouts for the varsity, junior varsity and freshmen teams will start Saturday, August 15th and continue Monday Aug 17th and Tues Aug 18th. The time is 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM daily. Tryouts will continue the rest of the week if necessary.

The location is Falcon Stadium on the Torrey Pines campus. In order to try out, players must be cleared by the Torrey Pines Athletic Dept and their name must appear on the Cleared List on the Torrey Pines Athletics website -- http://www2.sduhsd.net/tp/athletics.php.

Players need to bring hockey sticks, mouthguard, shinguards, sun screen and plenty of drink -- it will be very hot. 

So, "My daughter has been playing field hockey for years, and this game still seems so confusing.  What's a parent to do?" 
Simple, take a look at the US Field Hockey basic rules. It's only about a 5-minute read and will clarify most of the questions you may have about the game. 

We would appreciate your help with the team website!  No previous experience or web design knowledge is required! We need photos at the games and anything related to team activites would be fun to share with everyone.  Also, for the JV and freshmen games we need reports of game scores or even a short write-up about the game (or whatever you're motivated to write).  We can accept information in any form: electronic images or write-ups by email to .