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Sports

Pali Blues Soccer Season Kicks Off Saturday

The local women's club squad opens against the LA Strikers at Cal State Fullerton.

The Pali Blues Soccer Club opens its fourth USL W-League season Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Strikers at Cal State Fullerton and the team that will take the field at Titan Stadium is nothing like the one that lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 in the Western Conference playoffs in July.

The roster is full of new players but the biggest change is on the bench: Jacob Tudela is taking over as head coach, replacing Pali Blues Vice President Charlie Naimo, who guided the Blues to the W-League championship in their inaugural  2008 season and again in 2009. 

Tudela played for three years at Indiana University, trained with the Real Santa Cruz professional team and was even offered a spot with the LA Galaxy reserves.  

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“He has played at the highest level of college soccer, has the energy, and sees the game the way we want to play it,” Naimo said. “We will work very well together, and I know the players will want to play for him.”

Joining the team in 2011 are Stanford standouts Rachel Quon, Cami Levin, and Mariah Nogueira, the Florida State trio of Jamia Fields, Jessica Price and Tiffany McCarty, the University of Georgia's Cortni Joyner, Ohio State midfielder Ashley Bowyer, Canadian National Team defender Sasha Andrews, former WPS player Christie Shaner and Italian National Team goalkeeper Anna Maria Picarelli. 

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Saturday's game kicks off at 1 p.m. and is part of a day-night doubleheader with the LA Blues Soccer Club, which will host the winless Charlotte Eagles (kickoff at 7:30 p.m.) in the new USL Professional Division . The LA Blues are a men's team owned by Palisadians Ali and Maryam Mansouri, who also own the Pali Blues. It plays in the new USL Pro National Division and is in first place out of six teams.

Click here for tickets to upcoming Pali Blues home games. 

2011 Pali Blues Schedule

Saturday, May 14 -- vs. Los Angeles Strikers at Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m.

Friday, May 20 -- vs. Victoria Highlanders at Palisades High, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 26 -- vs. Santa Clarita Blue Heat at Palisades High, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 1 -- vs. Vancouver Whitecaps at Palisades High, 3 p.m.

Sunday, June 5 -- vs. Seattle Sounders at Palisades High, 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 9 -- at Colorado Force, Loveland Sports park, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 11 -- at Colorado Rush, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, June 22 -- at Victoria Highlanders, Bear Mtn Stadium, 7 p.m.

Friday, June 24 -- at Vancouver Whitecaps, Myrtle Philip Field, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 26 -- at Seattle Sounders, Starfire Sports Complex, 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 30 -- vs. Colorado Force at Palisades High, 7 p.m.

Saturday, July 2 -- vs. Colorado Rush at Cal State Fullerton, 4 p.m.

Saturday, July 9 -- at Los Angeles Strikers, Pasadena City College, 7 p.m.

Sunday, July 17 -- at Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Canyon High, 7 p.m.

* All times Pacific 

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