The Lampasas Force U-12 CAYSA Cup winners are, back row from left, head coach Greg Ruehlen, Tyler Connell, Hunter Ozuna, Nick Lawson, Tristan Schroeder, William Robinson, Drew DeKort, Analise Watson, Caitlyn Shaughnessy, assistant coach Randy Morris; front row from left, Kiernan Blouin, Manuel Garrison, Alex Ruehlen, Russell Phillips, Blake Graham, Gabreal Williams, Mason Morris and Michael Brazell. When it mattered most, the Force became masters of the shutout.

Over the weekend, the Lampasas Force's U-12 team faced some of the stiffest competition Central Texas has to offer in the Capitol Area Youth Soccer Association Championship Tournament and never allowed a goal, seizing the CAYSA Cup by a two-day combined score of 21-0.

"I am so proud of the way this team performed," head coach Greg Ruehlen said. "Though we enjoyed success in the regular season, we also experienced a great deal of inconsistency as a team. At times, we struggled with our passing and our ability to score goals.

"That was clearly not the case this weekend."

After dominating their first four opponents, the Force fittingly found themselves facing a familiar foe, the Pflugerville Fire, for the Division III spring championship.

Pflugerville posted a 3-0 victory over Lampasas in the preseason, and then the Force failed to put away their rivals in a regularseason rematch, allowing the Fire to tally a late match-tying goal. The draw helped the Fire finish the season unbeaten and ensured the team first place in the bracket, while the Force settled for second.

With the stage set for one final showdown between the clubs, the Force would not be denied again.

Lampasas utilized its familiarity with Pflugerville to develop a strategy to exploit the Fire's weaknesses. While consciously giving up much of its midfield, the Force attacked the flanks of the Fire's defense.

The strategy worked to perfection, as both goals in the championshipc linching shutout victory came from outside midfielders Nick Lawson and Blake Graham.

The defense was equally impressive, especially newcomer William "Brady" Robinson who made a handful of stunning plays.

The rookie goalkeeper showed no signs of inexperience early when he prevented a score during a one-onone breakaway situation.

With a Fire striker barreling toward him, Robinson dived into a stiff shot at the penalty mark, but the ball slipped past and stopped several feet behind him. The goalkeeper quickly gathered himself and leaped toward the ball as his opponent, running at full speed, attempted another shot.

It also was denied as Robinson captured the ball, inadvertently taking down the Fire player in the process.

Later in the game, the two faced off again with a similar result.

Robinson played the ball off the striker's foot just outside the penalty area, rejecting another scoring opportunity for the Fire.

In the match's final minutes, the two battled once again, as the Fire player attacked from the right side.

Robinson came off his line and made another diving play for the ball. Although he was able to knock the shot to the ground, it continued rolling toward the empty goal.

Then sweeper Mason Morris made a save of his own, sliding into the goal and clearing the shot just wide of the near post to preserve the tournament-long shutout.

"Against the toughest teams in the division, we were able to stay composed and stick to our game plan," Ruehlen said. "We never got rattled and as a result, we never allowed a goal."

While shutouts were Lampasas' specialty, it was a blowout that set the stage for success.

After a two-week weather delay, the Force played an opening-round match last Saturday against the Lockhart Bulldogs and quickly took control.

Ruehlen said good communication, crisp passing and smart possessions propelled the Force to a 7-0 victory. Five different players scored in the win, the coach reported.

With the tone set, the Force continued to roll, defeating the Cedar Park CC United Thunder by four goals. Graham recorded a hat trick in the contest.

In the third match of the day, the Force dispersed of the Round Rock Broncos. The Broncos went undefeated in the regular season, outscoring their opponents 26-6.

Seven seconds into the match, Lawson scored the first goal, and the Force never looked back as the team cruised to a 6-0 win.

Graham and striker Gabe Williams added a pair of rapid scores to increase the lead to 3-0 in the first three minutes.

Sunday began with a semi-final matchup against the Georgetown Raiders. Even more impressive than the Force's last opponent, the Raiders went 6-0-1 in regularseason play with a combined score of 42-6.

The Force found a way to win, however, getting two goals from Graham to open a little breathing room over the Raiders before the defense secured a 2-0 victory and a trip to the finals against the Fire.

"Every player on the team did their job in far greater fashion than I could have hoped for, and I just want to thank them all," Ruehlen said.

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The Lampasas Force's U-14 boys' team recently competed to a third-place finish in the Georgetown SA Invitational Tournament.

The Force opened with a 2-1 victory over the T&C Burn behind goals from brothers Anthony Velarde and Adrian Velarde.

"I was very pleased with the team's performance," head coach Jerry Barbero said. "We had been unable to defeat the Burn during regular season play but were able to come together during this tournament to get the win."

After the first match, rain set in and washed out the day's remaining contests.

The Force returned to a soggy pitch the next day and played to a 0-0 tie with the Georgetown SA Rush before falling in their final two contests.