MOORPARK'S TIGER IN GOAL WITTENBERG HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer MOORPARK - Hans Wittenberg tried the conventional sports. He excelled at soccer and ice hockey ice hockey: see hockey, ice. ice hockey Game played on an ice rink by two teams of six players on skates. The object is to drive a puck (a small, hard rubber disk) into the opponents' goal with a hockey stick, thus scoring one point. but gave them both up for another sport that led to an anything-but-typical athletic career. The 20-year-old graduate of Moorpark High is a member of the U.S. national field hockey field hockey: see hockey, field. field hockey or hockey Game played with curve-ended sticks between two teams of 11 players. It is played on a field 100 yd (91.4 m) by 60 yd (55 m) in size. team. The experience has sent him around the world and made him fall in love with a game he realizes many in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. are unfamiliar with. He spent last week playing in front of crowds of thousands at a tournament in Cuba. This weekend, he's back home for the 22nd Guru Nanak Noun 1. Guru Nanak - Indian religious leader who founded Sikhism in dissent from the caste system of Hinduism; he taught that all men had a right to search for knowledge of God and that spiritual liberation could be attained by meditating on the name of God Hockey Tournament at Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. . Wittenberg, who plays for the host Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Tigers, is one of several members of the national team expected to compete in the tournament, which runs through Sunday. Rinku Bhamber, Sean Nakamura, Sean Hinde and Pat Cota are among other local members of the national team expected to participate. Wittenberg happened upon the sport when a demonstration was given at his middle school and he ``thought it was pretty cool.'' A few years later, tryouts for the national team were held in Moorpark and he figured, ``Why not try it?'' When few players showed up, Wittenberg made the team and has been a member ever since. He was used to constantly being on the move and scoring goals as a soccer and hockey player. He did the same early in his field hockey career as a forward but was soon switched to goalkeeper. Wittenberg said the change was made because he was the only one on his team big enough to wear the equipment. ``I still love to score goals during practice, but I just happened to work out at goalkeeper,'' Wittenberg said. His teammates feel confident with him there. ``What makes him good is it's basically a catlike cat·like adj. Resembling a cat, especially in being quiet or stealthy. position,'' said Bhamber, a defender for the Tigers. ``You have to be agile and alert. You don't get the ball most of the time, but you have to be ready all of the time. He's good at that.'' Wittenberg will have to shut down teams, including the Camarillo Cougars, the Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. Bulldogs, the Moorpark Coyotes and a couple of teams from India, if the Tigers hope to claim the championship Sunday. The Ventura Roadrunners won last year's tournament but are not back to defend their title. There are eight teams competing in the men's competitive division. Other divisions include men's social and boys' under 16. ``It's very high,'' Tigers manager Brut Brut, Brute (both: br  t), or Brutus (br Bender said of the competition. ``With all the national players, it should be very good.'' AT A GLANCE What: 22nd Guru Nanak Hockey Tournament. When: Today and Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Where: Moorpark College. Who: A total of 20 teams - most from Southern California but some from as far away as India - competing in various divisions ranging from under-12 to men's competitive. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Field hockey players Pat Harris, left, Hans Wittenberg and Chris Terrebonne will play at Moorpark College this weekend. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer Box: At a Glance (see text) |
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