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AS: Griffin Foster Leads Orange County Past Oregon Rhino Rage

July 25th, 2009

Santa Margarita Catholic rising sophomore attackman Griffin Foster continues to shine at the Adrenaline Shootout boys high school tournament.

On Saturday morning, Foster registered a game-high seven points on three goals and four assists to lead unbeaten Orange County Starz 9 to a 9-5 victory over the Oregon Rhino Rage in the final South Swell Division first-round game.

Foster sparked a five-goal, second-half run that turned a tie game into a decisive win. Orange County (6-0) is one of three clubs in the 15-team field to finish with a perfect 6-0 record in the first round.

The team made up almost entirely of players who just completed their freshmen year in high school will take one of the top three seeds in the tournament, along with the defending champion Saskatoon Scorpions (6-0) and NorCal Sniper EBAL (6-0).

Attackman Connor Thornton added three points on two goals and an assist, and middie Matt Duenes, attackman Sean Cannon, middie Connor Ebner and middie Chas Harmon all scored once for Orange County.

In defeat, middie Brock Beall finished with a game-high four points on two goals and two assists, and attackman Jack Beall had a goal and an assist for the Rhino Rage (3-3), which finished in fourth place in the South Swell Division to advance to the winners’ tournament. Rhino Rage will be seeded seventh.

The game was tied, 4-4, after Brock Beall scored an unassisted goal three minutes into the second half.

But Orange County took over from there, scoring five unanswered. Foster had two goals and two assists during that stretch.

“I’m just getting some good feeds from guys, and guys are getting open, getting into god spots,” Foster said. “We came all this way for a reason. To win.”