The Hinesville Gator soccer teams performed solidly in tournaments on Dec. 5-6.
The U14 Classic Boys team won its division at the 2009 Norcross Nike Cup. Coached by Tom Sukaratana and assisted by Chris Martin and SungWon Chi, the Gators braved chilly weather to win three games and tie one.
Tyler Causer had two goals and a crucial save on goal in the third game, which put the Gators into the championship against the Forsythe Fusion. Tareak Barnes had two goals, and Clark Sukaratana and Patrick Chi each scored a point.
Stanford Graham performed well at midfield, setting up the Gator offense and stopping the opponent.
Gator defenders Kelsey Higgason, Rickey Gilliard, DeShawn Jackson, Barnes, Causer and keeper Will Dickens were on their toes,
allowing only one goal scored on the Gators throughout the tournament.
The Classic Gators also won their GYSA Fall 2009 League Division, sending them to the Classic III Division this spring. The team’s record was 9-1-1.
Four Gator teams also participated in the 2009 Savannah Celtic Pride tournament in Savannah. The U14 Gators, coached by Day Maldonado and assisted by Augie Maldonado, made it to the championship round before losing to the Effingham Jaguars in the finals.
The U12 girls, coached by Robert Harvey, also made it to the finals before losing to the Hilton Head Hawks, who are ranked No. 5 in South Carolina. The only goal scored on the Hawks in the tournament came from the Gators.
The U10 boys, coached by Rob Whitney, and the U10 girls team, coached by Bill Hause, each won several games and displayed strong teamwork.
Hinesville Soccer is accepting registration for the spring 2010 season. For information, e-mail gator.soccer@yahoo.com. Open registration will be in January.