December 22, 2006

Tragedy strikes at Tri-Valley Classic

Mike Loveday
StudentSportsSoccer.com Staff Writer

High school soccer matches were put into perspective Thursday as an airplane carrying the family of Bishop's School player Cassandra Dreher crashed, killing all four passengers on board.

The Piper Malibu PA 46-350P carrying Dreher's grandfather John Mauricio, grandmother Alice Mauricio, mother Alyce Mauricio Dreher and brother Robby was attempting to land at Buchanan Field during poor weather and clipped a Highway 4 median and burst into flames in a nearby field as reported by the Contra Costa Times.

The Bishop's School head coach Brian Quinn was unavailable for comment as the team canceled its final match at the Tri-Valley Classic to return to La Jolla, Calif.

The mood remained somber Friday as the remaining teams finished their final games at the tournament. Before each game, players from both teams gathered in a circle in the middle of the field and held hands in a moment of silence for those killed, Cassandra Dreher and the Bishop's team.

"I can't take death," tournament director and Las Lamas head coach Tom Frangoulis said. "I feel completely bad, and I don't know how I would deal with that."

Monte Vista played against Bishop's School on Thursday. Players from the teams gathered in the parking lot after the match as initial reports came in about the crash.

Monte Vista head coach Greg Fish was stunned when the call came in around 8 p.m.

"We all feel terrible," Fish said. "We're going to do something and for the player as a team. We just feel terrible."

Fish established a scholarship fund for Dreher at Wells Fargo Bank. Anyone that would like to donate to the fund can make a check payable to MVHS Soccer Scholarship F.B.O. Cassandra Dreher and mail it to Monte Vista High School c/o Greg Fish, 3131 Stone Valley Road, Danville, Calif., 94526.

Tri-Valley Classic sponsor Northface committed $500 and Monte Vista's girls' team said they will contribute at least that amount.

As far as the games go, Bishop's School game scheduled against Horizon in the 15th-place game was canceled.

The Contra Costa Times reported that the plane approached for its second landing attempt around 11 a.m. when the plane rolled to one side and a wing clipped the median.

Dreher's grandfather, grandmother and mother died at the scene and her 12-year-old brother died later in the afternoon during surgery.

Cassandra Dreher arrived at home Friday and was being looked after by her father, according to tournament officials.