ASU Preparatory Academy co-ed soccer team wins state title

<p>ASU Preparatory Academy – Polytechnic Middle School’s co-ed soccer team defeated Dobson Academy 7-5 in overtime on May 7 to win the 2011 Arizona Charter Athletic Association: Division B State Championship.</p><separator></separator><p>"These athletes played with winning discipline; they were competitive, yet poised.&nbsp; They dug deep into their hearts and souls to complete their mission and come from behind to win this game as a team.&nbsp; I congratulate all of the athletes and coaches of the ASU Prep Academy Gold Soccer team,” Brenda Brown, athletic director, said.</p><separator></separator><p>With the Sun Devils playing great "team" soccer, they took an early 1-0 lead when Tyler Phillips scored off an assist from teammate Chris Martinez.&nbsp; Dobson Academy responded quickly with a goal of their own.&nbsp;</p><separator></separator><p>The Sun Devils had numerous opportunities to score, but were stopped by a great Dobson defense.&nbsp; Dobson was able to score two more goals, and with only four minutes in the game, ASU Prep was down by two goals.&nbsp; However, the Sun Devils stayed tough and with 3:17 left, Martinez scored a Penalty Kick bringing the Devils within one goal of Dobson Academy.&nbsp;</p><separator></separator><p>ASU Prep kept the pressure on and with under two minutes left to play, Martinez scored a miraculous shot tying the score up at 3-3.&nbsp; The score remained tied until the end of regulation.&nbsp; With momentum on their side, the Sun Devils started the 10 minute overtime aggressively and threatened to score many times.&nbsp; However, at the end of overtime, the score was still tied 3-3.</p><separator></separator><p>With fans on the edge of their seats, the two teams prepared for a penalty kick shootout showdown.&nbsp; Each team chose five players to participate in the shootout.&nbsp;</p><separator></separator><p>The Sun Devils chose: Chris Martinez, Alex Garcia, Lauren Nielsen, Roy Lazaros, and Alan Hernandez to take their penalty shots, with Tyler Phillips defending their goal. In the end, four of the five ASU Prep players were able to score their PK shots. And thanks to remarkable goal defense by Tyler Phillips, only three of five Dobson Academy players scored their PK's.</p><separator></separator><p>The Sun Devils defeated Dobson Academy with a final score of 7-5.&nbsp;&nbsp; ASU Prep’s Martinez was selected the as the game's Most Valuable Player.&nbsp; Congratulations to all the players and coaches, for an amazing (and ASU Prep’s first) state title victory!</p><separator></separator><p>"We are proud of our student athletes and their coaches. Their ability to finish strong while promoting good sportsmanship should be commended." Principal Mark Duplissis said.</p>