Slickers capture Fiesta soccer tourney

8/9/02

By BARRY PUNZAL

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

There was a lot of celebrating in Santa Barbara last weekend, and not all of it was on State Street.

The Santa Barbara Slickers were having a party at UCSB last Sunday. The Slickers captured the 10th annual Fiesta Soccer Tournament men's over-40 division championship with a heart-stopping 1-0 decision over Dynamo of Orange County.

"We won based on grit," Slickers player-coach Dr. Rick Ryu said of the performance. "The guys played their hearts out. It was just an incredible effort."

The Slickers have enjoyed a banner year. They completed "the double" of the Santa Barbara Adult Soccer League, winning the regular season and league tournament titles.

The Fiesta championship was their second in three years.

In Sunday's final, K. C. Kriewald scored in the first half and the Slickers made it stand up against Dynamo, a team composed primarily of Russian players.

To reach the title match, the Slickers survived a grueling semifinal against the L.A. Persian team Ardeshir, which beat Santa Barbara in last year's quarterfinals on the way to the title.

"They're one of the better teams you'll see," tournament director and UCSB men's coach Tim Vom Steeg said of Ardeshir.

This time the local squad prevailed in a penalty kick shootout after rallying to tie the match 1-1 in regulation. Jose "Pollo" Naves scored on a brilliant left-footed shot to tie the game for the Slickers in the second half.

In the shootout, goalkeeper Dennis Van Alphen stopped two Ardeshir shots and the Slickers won 4-3.

"Dennis was phenomenal," said Ryu.

Van Alphen (4 shutouts in five matches) and Naves were named co-MVPs of the tournament.

Ryu noted Ardeshir was a more skillful team top to bottom but his squad met the challenge by playing with tremendous heart and determination.

"I'm 49 this year and it's not too often oldies get to win a championship," Ryu said.

The Slickers, behind Gustavo Garibay's hat trick, opened the tournament with a 6-0 win over Golds. They followed that with a 5-0 thumping of the Islanders to win their group and qualify for the Gold Division for the tournament's knockout round.

Spurred by the hard-nosed play Brendan Searls and Van Alphen's goalkeeping, the Slickers beat the L.A. Soccer Club in the semifinals 2-0.

"Brendan set the tone," Ryu said.

Twenty-four teams, including a club from the Netherlands competed in the two-day event.

Members of the Slickers are (top row from left to right)Jose Naves, Rick Ryu, Jose Ybarra, Tom Molyneux, Steve Pollock, Dennis Van Alphen, Greg Robertson, Jim Griffith, Robert Johnson, Richard Jimenez,

Bottom row from left to right: Michael Van Alphen, Mac Jahangir, Brendan Sears, K. C. Kriewald, Gustavo Garibay, Federico Peinado, Bruce Fisher, Ruben Garcia and Angelo Salvucci.