The Orchard Valley Red Devils under-9 boys soccer team, captured the top prize in dramatic fashion at the Copa Classic soccer tournament organized by the Willow Soccer Club in San Jose.Â
Squaring off against Santa Clara Sporting White, which entered the championship game undefeated and the lone team to defeat the Red Devils earlier in the tournament, Orchard Valley staved off defeat for the first time when Omar Hafez scored the equalizer off of a deflection with five minutes left to send the game into penalty kicks tied 1-1.
Each team had five shots in the penalty kick scenario. Santa Clara took a 2-0 lead, before goalie Marcus Lodewyk and the Red Devils averted defeat once more. Lodewyk stopped the next three tries and Caden Booth, Jeremy Nguyen and Alex Marenin made their goals for the win.
The OV Red Devils team is made up of players from Morgan Hill and Gilroy and coached by Manuel Flores and Jose Monteon.
