(February 20, 2006) Three time zones away, the U-16G1 Spartans put a favorable stamp on the West Chester United Soccer Club with a strong showing in the 2006 Las Vegas Coaches' Classic over President's Day weekend.

The WCUSC Spartans went four games (280 minutes) without yielding a goal, only to lose a heartbreaking semifinal in the fifth round of penalty kicks to the Iowa state ODP team. The 0-0 semifinal regulation was the only time the Spartans failed to score, and even that game showcased a dangerous down-the-stretch attack that included several near-miss shots.

"It's unfortunate that we couldn't have decided it on the field," Spartans coach Garry Chandler said of the semifinal loss. "We didn't start well against Iowa, but we changed our formation to stabilize the midfield and from there our attacking play took off. I guess we just ran out of time." It was a tough way to bow out of the tournament, but the Spartans drew plenty of attention en route to the second round of play.

The signature moment came when the Spartans shocked bracket favorite El Dorado United Competitive Breeze -- the seventh-ranked team in California; LV Coaches' Classic defending tournament champion; winner of nine of its last 11 tournaments overall -- with 1-0 victory. The Spartans added a 2-0 win over Davis Soccer Fusion (CA) and 4-0 win over Westside Metros Soccer Nemesis (Oregon) to get out of the bracket unbeaten and unscored upon.