"I am very proud of the way the new players on our team have contributed this season," said head coach Julie Woodward. "All four players named to the all-tournament team are newcomers this season and have all fit in well with the returners. This past weekend our team showed a lot of resiliency, battling a pair of tough teams and being able to come out on top."
Joining Ames on the all-tournament team were classmates Julia Besagno (Maple Valley, Wash.) and Monique Escalera (Riverside, Calif.), and rounding out the Redhawks represented was sophomore transfer Emma Levy (Sammamish, Wash.).
In their tournament opening game, the Redhawks squared off with the University of Idaho on Sept. 24. At the 19:00 minute mark, Levy served up a cross to an oncoming Kara Kuttler (Redmond, Wash.) to help Seattle U take an early 1-0 lead. In the second half, the Vandals scored an equalizing goal in the 70th minute. Five minutes later Levy subbed back into the contest and a minute later she grabbed down a defensive deflection to shoot in the game-winner past the UI goalkeeper.
Two days later, the Redhawks comeback heroics were in sync again. After going down 1-0 to Sacramento State, junior Kassandra Riozzi (Marysville, Wash.) took a Seattle U free kick, which Ames was able get her head on and flick in the equalizing goal 40 seconds before the end of the first half. After taking a second half lead, the Hornets responded in the 89th minute to send the game into extra minutes. In the 105th minute, Escalera served up the game-winning assist as she found Ames a couple yards out of the goal. The golden goal was Ames' second double overtime game-winner this season.
Midfielders Besagno and Escalera both played solidly in both games during the tournament. Besagno, who has started and played every minute at central midfield, was a key part in helping the Redhawks maintain possession of the ball and post a pair of comebacks to go perfect on the weekend.
Escalera has been a fixture on the defensive backline and at the wing in the midfield. Over the weekend she tallied three shots, including a pair on target, in addition to serving up the game-winning assist versus the Hornets of CSUS.
The Redhawks (7-4) will look to maintain the momentum of this past weekend's tournament winning action when they take on Utah Valley on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 4 p.m. They will close out the week on Sunday, Oct. 3 in a noon match up with Portland State.
Redhawk Invitational All-Tournament Team
MVP: Ava Ames (Seattle U)
All-Tournament Team:
Julia Besagno (Seattle U)
Monique Escalera (Seattle U)
Jill Flockhart (Idaho)
Leah Larot (Sacramento State)
Emma Levy (Seattle U)
Elece McBride (Sacramento State)
Amber Pimley (Idaho)
Tyler Shirk (Cal State Bakersfield)
Chelsea Small (Idaho)
Leanne Tucker (Cal State Bakersfield)