In its inaugural year , the Discovery Cup proved to be a worthy tournament to attend. An outstanding venue with pristine soccer fields, promising competition, and unusally warm, if not hot temperatures, gave the Grifo teams a great opportunity to show and hone their soccer skills. Above all the girls had a great time playing the game they love.
The 93 Grifos started their Saturday morning against Southern Maryland Alliance. A fast and strong team, that kept the girls fighting for every ball. However , a foul in the box with the resultant penealty shot, expertly converted by Becca, gave the Grifos a 1:0 advantage. The momentum then carried the Grifos to 2 more goals. 3:0. Upper Township Comets also succumbed to the Grifos technical skills, great passing game and excellent efforts by the forwards and midfield players. Again a 3:0 victory.
The following morning, the Grifo girls met their strongest opponent so far in the tournament. The grass was still wet with the morning dew, making the ball slippery and unpredictable. Loudon 93 is a very fast, skilled and physical team. Both teams had opportunities to score,however an unlucky slip of the wet ball by the grifo keeper gave Loudon the 1:0 victory. Grifos 93 with a comfortable goal differential were able to advance to the Semifinals, where they faced the NY State champion Albertson Fury. This game was a proving ground for the Grifos, since they had never faced a competitor like the Fury. They fought well against a very agile, fast , skilled and athletic team with greater experience. Down by one goal at the half, the Grifos tried to rally and score , however the opportunities were foiled by a very skilled Fury defense. Keeper Amnada gave one her best performances todate, which drew compliments from the opposing coach. The defense had to work overtime and was able to keep the Fury to a 3:0 victory. Even though a loss, the Grifos were proud with their accomplishment, having shown, that a good, hard game with skill and tenacity can be played against a state champion. Congratulation, girls
