The girls U-10 team won 17 of their 18 games
ATASCADERO — Atascadero’s girls U-10 All-Star soccer champions, The A-Town Dominators, had a stellar season, which started in December 2023 and ended in January 2024. Even with the last tournament in February being canceled because of rain, they were still able to win first place at all four of their local tournaments, and only ended up losing one of 18 games.
“It was so fun and awesome. I wish I could play with this team forever. They are my best friends,” said player Gabriella Fazio.
Each of the four tournaments held four to five games each weekend. The Dominators played in the Local Cal South tournaments, including the Strawberry Cup in Santa Maria, the South Bay Shootout in Los Osos in December, and the Orcutt Classic in Orcutt in January. They played against All-Star teams from Templeton, Santa Maria, Los Osos, Morro Bay, and Orcutt. And on Jan. 24, they played the Adobe Cup in Nipomo against All-Star teams from Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Ynez, Lompoc, and the Five Cities.
“I was super happy how successful the season was and how cheerful and happy everyone was winning all the tournaments,” said Dominator Priscila Montes-Arroyo.
The A-Town Dominators consisted of players Lisiana Barrios, Gabriella Fazio, Priscila Montes-Arroyo, MacKenzie Morton, Hayden Laguna, Adele Lee, Quinn Strobridge, Evelyn Sytsma, Kristina Wells, and Lydia Jensen. Their coaches were Kevin Dziuba and Jason Fazio.
“This group of girls was a special combination of amazing athletes but even better friends,” Fazio said. “This chemistry on the field is not something that is always there with a team. They each played an integral part, and they knew what that was. They never tried to outshine their teammates, always working their hardest and putting the success of the team first, which ultimately made them grow each game they played. They were all really excited each tournament to get out there with their teammates and play, and to ultimately be so successful was the cherry on top. They all were so excited to see all their hard work pay off.”
Atascadero Soccer’s All-Star teams are made up of a blend of coach recommendations from their regular season and two days of tryouts. Then, a small committee, including the coaches, chooses players for that All-Star season, uses feedback to create the perfect All-Star team for each division.
“It was such a fun season coaching an awesome group of talented girls,” Fazio said. “They impressed me all season with their skills, determination and hard work while still making us laugh and smile on and off the field. Watching them play their hearts out every single game made us coaches really proud. I know they have some great futures on the soccer field, and I am really excited to watch each of them continue to grow as athletes.
“When picking a team name, I laughed when Kristina [Wells] nominated the ‘Dominators.’ The team unanimously voted for it, and we said they had to live up to their name if they chose it. Well, they did.”
Congrats to the A-Town Dominators.
To find out more about Atascadero Soccer and register for the upcoming Fall 2024 season (which will open soon), go to: atascaderosoccer.org.
Featured Photo: (From left) Lydia Jensen, Kristina Wells, MacKenzie Morton, Coach Jason Fazio, Gabriella Fazio, Hayden Laguna, Priscila Montes-Arroyo, Quinn Strobridge, Coach Kevin Dziuba, Lisianna Barrios, Evelyn Sytsma, and Adele Lee at The Strawberry Cup. Photo provided by the A-Town Dominators.
