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July 12th, 2008 - Breakers win final home game of season; playoffs out of reach
Leo Maxam - Sentinel Staff Writer

July 12th, 2008 - Semipro soccer: Red-letter day for Breakers forward
JUSTIN LAFFERTY, Register Pajaronian

APTOS — Nate Hill will never forget his first wedding present — a red card.

On Friday night, the Santa Cruz County Breakers forward had his engagement announced at halftime, then was separated from the game midway through the second half.

His teammates made up for it, though.

Santa Cruz County topped Real San Jose 3-1 at Cabrillo College’s Carl Connelly Stadium. Though tensions ran high, resulting in red cards for both teams, the Breakers (8-1-2) enjoyed an easy victory in their home finale.

“I feel that we did a lot of stuff this week to get better and we were able to execute in this game,” Santa Cruz County head coach Mike Runeare said. “All of our guys came out and were ready to battle, as far as not feeling that it’s the end of the season and we don’t have anything to play for. They were all focused and into it.”

In the 19th minute, Breakers forward Ivan Campos broke the scoreless tie with a goal. The score remained 1-0 until the second half, when Santa Cruz added to the lead in the 48th minute, with Watsonville native Rolando Rodriguez putting one in the back of the net. Eight minutes later, midfielder Allan Diaz scored the Breakers’ third and final goal on a penalty kick.

Real San Jose (3-5-1) scored in the final minute with a goal from Eduardo Torres to make it 3-1.

The victory was a slightly bittersweet one for the Breakers, who will most likely finish second in the National Premier Soccer League’s Northwest Conference. They will miss out on a playoff spot to the conference-leading Sonoma Sol, whom Santa Cruz County tied last week, 2-2.

“We’re not in the playoffs, but we still had a need to finish the season strong, and I feel that we proved that today,” Rodriguez said.

Runeare is prepping the squad for next season, when the sights will once again be set high. So far, he likes what he sees.

The Breakers finish their season when they play the Salinas Samba at 5 p.m. on Sunday at Watsonville High.

June 23, 2008 - Men's soccer: Breakers score late, stay alive in playoff hunt
I.A. Stewart, Register Pajaronian

APTOS — The Santa Cruz County Breakers’ offense is still looking to shake off some of the rust from a three-week layoff. Fortunately, though, the defense hasn’t lost a step.

The Breakers, who before this weekend hadn’t played since May 24, had trouble finding the back of the net Sunday. But the team put the clamps down defensively on visiting Real San Jose, and finally broke through in the 85th minute when Cesar Garcia punched one in off a corner kick for the only goal in a 1-0 win.

“We generated a lot of opportunities,” coach Mike Runeare said. “But we either shot it right at the goalkeeper of missed the frame entirely. We weren’t very good about hitting the open parts of the goal.”

The Breakers (4-1-1) remained in second place in the NPSL Northwest standings and alive in the chase for a playoff berth. The Sonoma Sol, which beat Santa Cruz on Friday, are 4-0-2. The teams play for the final time July 5 in Santa Rosa, a game that will likely determine the division champion.

Runeare credited the play of his midfield and defensive players Sunday, as they were able to thwart San Jose’s counter-attacking style.

“The backs worked really hard not to give anything up,” he said. “San Jose was looking to kind of expose us out of the counter attack, and consequently, they had to do a lot of 1 vs. 1 work, but they were able to win those battles.”

Jared Wheeler made three saves Sunday, including a point-blank stop in the 20th minute.

June 21, 2008 - Local Report:The Santa Cruz County Breakers semi-pro team is in pursuit of the playoffs
Sentinel Report

June 21, 2008 - Men's soccer: Breakers blanked by Sonoma, fall into second place
Register Pajaronian

The Santa Cruz Breakers adult-league soccer team fell to the host Sonoma Sol Friday at Santa Rosa High School 2-0, relegating the Breakers to second place in what amounted to a showdown for top spot in the NPSL Northwest standings.

After a scoreless first half, the Sol forced a turnover inside the Breakers’ half and scored the game’s first goal in the 50th minute. Another defensive miscue in the 70th minute led to the Sol’s second goal and the final margin.

“I thought we played well coming out at the start of the game,” coach Mike Runeare said. “We created a number of opportunities, and I thought we had control of the game. We just didn’t finish the opportunities when we had a chance. The first goal was just a little bit of a mental breakdown, and from there the guys were trying to press.”

The loss leaves the Breakers with a 3-1-1 record, while the Sol move to 4-0-2.

“Tonight’s game was for sole possession of first, so it was a tough game,” Runeare said.

The Breakers play Sunday at 5 p.m. at Cabrillo College against third-place Real San Jose (2-2-1). After Sunday, the Breakers have four more games to try to catch Sonoma for the top draw in the division playoffs July 18-20.

The Breakers were without a handful of players Friday who traveled to Hawaii as part of the club’s U-19 side, which was competing in the USYA Far West regional tournament. The adult team will likely not have those players back in time for Sunday’s tilt.

May 25, 2008 - Men's soccer: Breakers give rival Samba the boot
Register Pajaronian

APTOS — Maybe all the Breakers soccer club needed to heat up as a team was a break from the heat.

The Santa Cruz County Breakers won for the second time in as many nights Saturday, blanking the Salinas Valley Samba 3-0 at Cabrillo College and extending its shutout streak to 180 minutes since returning from a three-day tournament in the scorching sun in Phoenix last weekend.

“Going to Arizona was a good help,” Breakers defender Jeremy Abrams said. “We played three games in extreme conditions against quality teams. It was a good little mid-season tournament. It definitely helped us for our upcoming games.”

On an otherwise chilly night Saturday, the Breakers offense was able to ignite, lighting up the scoreboard three times in the first half and coming within inches of several more.

“We’ve been playing well throughout the whole week,” said forward Edward ‘Lalo’ Murillo Jiminez. “I think going to Arizona made us see how easy it could be.”

The Breakers offense generated countless chances early, but the Samba keeper made three point-blank stops to keep the hosts off the board. In the 27th minute, though, Armando Martinez took a pass from Jiminez and found nothing but green ahead of him, poking it past the keeper for the opening tally. The Breakers were able to keep the majority of play in the Salinas side, and in the 36th minute, Jiminez popped one through from 15 yards out on the left wing for a 2-0 lead. Ivan Campos scored the final goal just before half, corralling a through ball that found its way past the Samba defense and booting it past the keeper for the final margin.

“We’re kind of clicking a little bit,” coach Michael Runeare said. “Offensively, we’re creating a lot of opportunities — not a lot of goals, though,” he said, chuckling. “We need a little more practice with finishing.”

Santa Cruz again controlled the pace of play in the second half, and while the Breakers put a handful of shots on frame, the team seemed satisfied to clamp down and preserve its second shutout in a row.

“We take pride in that,” Abrams said of the shutout. “(We’re aware of the shutout) from the very start of the game. Personally, that’s my goal — no goals. I try not to let them get a shot off, but that’s inevitable. But it never leaves your mind.”

Jared Wheeler didn’t have to break too much of a sweat between the pipes for the Breakers, but was solid when he needed to be. He finished with five official saves, and had one spectacular diving stop on a free-kick midway through the second half.

The Breakers, which compete in the National Premier Soccer League, are comprised largely of players that either played high school soccer in the area or played at UC Santa Cruz or Cabrillo College. Jiminez, a Watsonville High grad, and Gabriel Cassaro both play on the club’s Under-19 side, as well.

With the win, the Breakers improved to 3-0-1 in NPSL play this season, tops in the Northwest division. The team plays Friday at the Sonoma County Sol, then not again until June 22, when they host Real San Jose at 5 p.m. at Cabrillo.

“We’ve got a big came coming up against Sonoma,” Runeare said. “Hopefully, we can get a win. It would be a big win.”

Sonoma drew even with the Breakers 1-all on May 4.

In Arizona, the team took part in a U.S. Open Cup qualifying tournament. The top two teams from each region advanced to play in the national tournament, which pits teams from the NPSL against United Soccer League and Major League Soccer clubs. The Breakers went 1-1-1 in three contests against top teams from the Southwest.

Saturday, the Breakers were clearly the stronger side. Santa Cruz had beaten the Samba 7-1 earlier this month, and for a time Saturday, it looked as though the Breakers might again reach that goal mark. But a number of shots sailed just wide or right into the Samba keeper’s chest.

“It’s hard not to come out with the mentality that you’re going to run all over them. So it’s sort of a disappointing 3-0. We played well, but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t put the results together,” Abrams said, immediately pausing to reflect on his words.

“But, I mean, 3-0 — that’s a win in any book.”

May 24, 2008 - Local report: Breakers semipro team blanks Real San Jose
Register Pajaronian

Breakers semipro team shuts out Real San Jose

The Santa Cruz County Breakers NPSL soccer team blanked host Real San Jose Friday 3-0 behind a solid effort from goaltender Michael Polhamus.

Edward Murillo Jiminez, a Watsonville High grad, scored twice for the Breakers (2-0-1 in league, 3-2-2 overall), and Gabriel Cassaro, a Brazilian native who went to San Lorenzo Valley High, notched the final tally in the 70th minute. Polhamus had two saves in net.

“We were able to do the things we’d been working on,” coach Mike Runeare said. “Attacking-wise, we were able to spread them out defensively and find good lanes to attack them. Defensively, we were able to disrupt the things they were trying to do, and we really dictated play.”

May 19, 2008 - Local report: Breakers semipro soccer team goes 1-1-1 at U.S. Open Cup qualifying
Register Pajaronian

The Santa Cruz County Breakers semipro soccer club couldn’t recover from a first-round loss and was unable to advance to the U.S. Open Cup during a Region IV qualifying tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. over the weekend.

The Breakers went 1-1-1 for the tournament, falling in the first round to Hollywood United, then beating Banat Arsenal 5-1 on Saturday and finishing up with a 1-all draw against San Diego United, the defending NPSL champions.

“We did OK,” Breakers coach Mike Runeare said. “For our first trip as a club to qualifying, I thought we did really well. It took about 14 hours to get there, and we got in at 1 a.m., so that first time out there just caught us off guard a little. But each half we got better, and I feel really good about going forward.”

Nate Hill scored three times for the Breakers in the team’s lone win. Ivan Compos and Edward Murillo Jiminez also scored. Murillo scored the team’s goal in Saturday’s tie.

The two group winners from the weekend tournament advance to play in the U.S. Open Cup, a national club tournament including teams from the NPSL, USL and MLS.

The Salinas Samba, also of the NPSL, competed in the other Region IV bracket, but could not advance.

The two teams to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup Sunday were Hollywood United, which is run by actor Anthony Lapaglia, and the Arizona Sahuaros.

May 3, 2008 - SCC Breakers forward doesn't try to play flashy, he just happens to
ISAIAH GUZMAN - SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT

Breakers semipro soccer team goes 1-1-1 at U.S. Open Cup qualifying

The Santa Cruz County Breakers semipro soccer club couldn’t recover from a first-round loss and was unable to advance to the U.S. Open Cup during a Region IV qualifying tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. over the weekend.

The Breakers went 1-1-1 for the tournament, falling in the first round to Hollywood United, then beating Banat Arsenal 5-1 on Saturday and finishing up with a 1-all draw against San Diego United, the defending NPSL champions.

“We did OK,” Breakers coach Mike Runeare said. “For our first trip as a club to qualifying, I thought we did really well. It took about 14 hours to get there, and we got in at 1 a.m., so that first time out there just caught us off guard a little. But each half we got better, and I feel really good about going forward.”

Nate Hill scored three times for the Breakers in the team’s lone win. Ivan Compos and Edward Murillo Jiminez also scored. Murillo scored the team’s goal in Saturday’s tie.

The two group winners from the weekend tournament advance to play in the U.S. Open Cup, a national club tournament including teams from the NPSL, USL and MLS.

The Salinas Samba, also of the NPSL, competed in the other Region IV bracket, but could not advance.

The two teams to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup Sunday were Hollywood United, which is run by actor Anthony Lapaglia, and the Arizona Sahuaros.

The Breakers return to action this weekend with two matches, Friday against Real-San Jose at 7 p.m. in San Jose, and Saturday at Cabrillo College against the Samba. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

6/02/07 - 1:00 p.m. Salinas Samba - Santa Cruz Breakers 0-1

CAMPOS SCORES WINNING GOAL AGAINST FORMER TEAM

Coach Runeare's team was waiting for this rematch to cancel last week's 5-1 loss against the Samba. The Breakers took charge of the game from the beginning and possessed the ball for the most part of it. The winning goal came into the 24th minute of the first half from a 25 yard shot by Ivan Campos, a former Samba player. The Breakers created many other opportunities to score the second goal but just could not finish. The Breakers are now 3-2-1  and the team is in the running to finish at the top of the table of the NPSL Northwestern conference.

5/27/07 1:00 p.m. Santa Cruz Breakers - Real San Jose 4-2

Breakers bounce back with a convincing win

After yesterday's loss against the Samba, coach Runeare had only on thing in his mind. Making sure that his team was going to win in a convincing way to put behind yesterday's loss in Salinas.

The game could not have started in a better way for the Breakers when Harry Abraham scored the first goal in the fifth minute of the game on an assist from Mark Hogenhout.

The second goal came in the twentieth minute with Ivan Campos running on the left, beating a defender and then placing the ball to the left side of the keeper. The nearly 250 Breakers fans exploded in cheers after the second goal! Harry Abrams scored the third goal for the Breakers in a similar way as Campos had before, only this time the assist was executed by Eric Bucchere. The Breakers barely had time to celebrate the third goal when Armando Martinez put the fourth goal in the back of the net after only thirty minutes of play. The fans that showed up on this Memorial Day weekend were happy to see so many goals. However, the game was not over yet, and Real San Jose reacted positively by scoring two goals before half-time to set the score at 4-2 for the Breakers. The second half saw the Breakers controlling the game with the final score ending 4-2 for the Breakers.

The team is now 2-2-1 sitting in third place in the conference with 7 points behind the Knights, 12 points (one more game) and the Sonoma Sol, at 10 points.

The next home game for the Breakers will be against the El Paso Indios on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. and against Albuquerque Asylum on June 23 at 7:30 p.m. Both of these teams are in the Southwest Conference. The El Paso Indios have an average crowd of 3,000 people at their games and the Albuquerque Asylum have about 1,500 people on average per game. Thank you to all the fans that have been coming to support us so far! The next two home game should be the most two exciting games of the season! Don't miss them!

5/26/07 - 1:00 p.m. Salinas Samba - Santa Cruz Breakers 5-1

Salinas Samba transformed in the second half

This highly anticipated game against the Samba was played at Hartnell College. Both teams were looking forward to play as many of these players on both teams are friends and even teammates in the recent past. There is a great relationship between the two clubs and everybody was ready to see good competition on the field. The first half was to the advantage of the Breakers, while not playing as well as in the first three games, they were up 1-0 at half time. Until then, the Samba had not shown much either but they certainly were transformed in the second half. As matter of fact, out the six shots the Samba had in the second half, they scored 5 goals! The game ended 5-1 for the Samba and the Breakers dropped to 1-2-1 in the conference.

5/13/07 - 6:00 p.m. Santa Cruz Breakers - Sacramento Knights 0-1

Questionable penalty kick decides the game in favor of the Knights

It was the second game between the two sides in one week. This time the game was played at Watsonville High Stadium. Both teams won their game the night before and entered this game with a 1-0-1 record. Even though it is still early in the season, a win for either team would have meant a lone first place at the top of the NPSL Northwest division.

The game in itself was more exciting than the one played the week before at Cabrillo College, Carl Connelly Stadium. Both teams were more aggressive to the ball and the tempo of the game was higher. A lot of the play was in the midfield and dangerous scoring opportunities in the first half were scarce. In the 42nd minute, a contact between a Breakers defender and knight forward led to a questionable penalty kick for the Sacramento Knights. The penalty kick was scored putting the Knights ahead 1-0 at half-time. Like last week, the Knights started the second half stronger and had several opportunities to put the game away but strong defense by Tommy Hernandez and goalkeeper Jarod Wheeler created more frustration for the Knights forwards. The last fifteen minutes of the game saw a Breakers team pushing forward to get a tying goal.

The Breakers created several opportunities that should have finished in goal, showing a strong effort and desire to come back in the last minutes. When Breakers forward Jeff Meyer was literally taken down inside the penalty box, everyone thought that the referee would grant a penalty kick. However, he decided to give an indirect free kick that the Breakers did not materialize.

In the two games between the Breakers and the Knights, goals were scored on penalty kicks. After this game, the Breakers record stands at 1-1-1.

5/12/07 - 7:30 p.m. Sonoma Sol - Santa Cruz Breakers 0-1

Ivan Campos scores only goal in Breakers first win in the NPSL league

Before going to Santa Rosa, Coach Runeare knew that his team was going to play against another experienced and very competitive team in the league, the Sonoma Sol. Since the league's inception, Sonoma Sol has been competing for the conference championship with the Sacramento Knights. A good crowd showed up for this game, consistent with the Sol's average of about 1,000 fans per game in a season. The Sol started the game by showing very good possession of the ball but it was the Breakers that created the most dangerous scoring opportunities. Ivan Campos found himself in a very good one-on-one position with the keeper and placed the ball to the keeper's left side, scoring the only goal of the game. In second half, the Sol controlled the game but the Breakers had many players behind the ball which made it hard to penetrate their defense. This was the first away win of the season for the Breakers!

5/5/07- 7:30 p.m. Santa Cruz Breakers - Sacramento Knights 1-1

Hogenhout scores first ever NPSL Breakers goal in front of more than 500 fans

On May 5th, more than 500 fans showed up for the first ever NPSL game at Carl Connelly at Cabrillo College. The Santa Cruz Breakers tied 2006 National Champions Sacramento Knights, a result that shows the Breakers will be competitive in its first year playing at this level. Coach Michael Runeare and assistant coach Mike Arzabal have been working very hard with the team to prepare for this opening game.

The first half of the game saw the Breakers in control of the game and creating the best scoring opportunities. The Breakers scored their first goal ever on a penalty kick converted by Marquee player, captain Hogenhout. The Sacramento Knights played better in the second half and showed more playing experience at this level. They kept composure and kept pushing forward, eventually scoring on a penalty kick as well to set the final score at 1-1. The atmosphere at Carl Connelly Stadium was a festive especially after the games, as youth players, families, and friends gathered on the field to meet players of both teams. The opening game was a success on and off the field.

Breakers Press Release: February 9th, 2007

Santa Cruz Breakers Announces NPSL Team Head Coach Michael Runeare

Playing its first year in the National Premier Soccer League, the Santa Cruz Breakers Soccer Club announced today the nomination of its coaching staff for the 2007 season. Michael Runeare, a resident of Santa Cruz has accepted the position of head coach of the NPSL Santa Cruz Breakers Soccer team for the 2007 season.

Michael is a former college player at the University of Massachusetts and a former semi-pro player with the Kalamazoo Kangaroos and Houston Dynamos. He is in his fourth year as Head Women’s Soccer Coach at UCSC. This year, Michael was voted the 2006 NSCAA Senior College Women DIII West Region Coach of the Year. Michael holds a NSCAA Premier Coaching License.

In 2006, Michael also coached the Breakers Super Y-League U20 Boys to the national tournament where they eventually lost against the New York Red Bulls of the MLS Youth program.

“We are very excited that Michael has agreed to coach this team. He is the perfect fit for the Breakers NPSL team. He well connected in the local community and is very familiar with this level of play ” said Paolo Carbone, Breakers Coaching Director

Mike Arzabal, former Santa Clara University assistant coach and current Cabrillo College Assistant Coach will join the Breakers NPSL coaching staff as well. General Manager Jay Gomez says, “Under the direction of this coaching staff, I am very confident that this year the Breakers can put a good product on the field. We will have a mix of the best players in the county with some players that will be coming in from all around the nation”.

Coach Runeare will announce the first 3 Breakers marquee players before of the end of February. Tryout dates have been set as well and players that are interested in trying out should check the tryout information posted on the NPSL Breakers website.

The Breakers NPSL season will kickoff against the National Champions, Sacramento Knights on Saturday, May 5th at 7:30 p.m. at Cabrillo College, in Carl Connelly Stadium.