KNIGHTS, ISLANDERS MOVE ON TO SOCCER FINALS

By Charlotte Oh

It will be the St. John’s Knights and JFK Islanders for all the marbles after both squads took care of business in the Interscholastic Girls High School Football League semifinals, which took place simultaneously at the Guam Football Association fields Monday afternoon.

The young St. John’s Knights faced a tough battle against the undefeated and top-ranked Academy Cougars, playing all the way out into penalty kicks due to a tie. The Knights clinched the win 5-4, thanks to a crucial save by sophomore goalkeeper Saya Green, who blocked the Cougars’ final kick.

Green shared her team’s mindset going in, “We came into this game, we were the underdogs and we were not unhappy with that. We had nothing to lose, they had everything to lose.”

On the other field, the Islanders took out the Harvest Eagles with a solid 3-1 victory to move onto the finals. Player of the Game junior Aubrey Ibanez led the charge, scoring two goals for her team. 

Ibanez attributes her team’s hard work for the win, “We all showed up to practice. We all put in the work and we knew that this is an important game, so we all put whatever we had on the field and that’s what got us to this ‘ship.”

The two teams now prepare to face each other in what is expected to be an intense championship game on Saturday 3:30 pm at GFA. “I’m very excited to go into the championship. It’s gonna be really tough, but I know my team and I. If we work hard together, if we work for each other and everyone just shows up and plays their best, I know we can do it,” shared Ibanez. 

It is the first time in six years that the public and private schools have combined leagues, making this the undisputed matchup.

St. John’s def. Academy

Both teams came out with fighting energy, sprinting up and down the field. After much struggle, the Cougars worked together, allowing captain Hinengi San Nicolas to score the first goal.  

Shortly after, St. John’s Hayden Wilson took the ball past the Academy defenders, opening herself up for a shot. Without hesitation, she kicked the ball smoothly into the net, leaving the score at a tie. More shots were attempted by the Knights, but were shut down by the Cougars defense, grounded by their goalkeeper Natasha Kelly. 

The intensity of the game only increased as players battled fiercely for control, often knocking each other down in the process. A key moment came when the Knights pushed close to the goal, drawing Kelly out of position. Wilson seized the opportunity and scored again, putting St. John’s up 2-1.

The Cougars answered quickly, with Serenity Wusstig scoring a goal, bringing the excited crowd to their feet. Neither team could break the 2-2 tie during regular time, sending the game into penalty kicks. The pressure was high as shoot offs only occur during playoff games. 

The nervous players lined up to take their shots, with both sides missing more than once. The Knights led 3-2 on the final shot, giving the Cougars a chance to tie it up. With the crowd holding their breath, the Cougar kicked the ball, but Green reached to her side, saving the ball and the game.

“When it comes to PK’s, I like to just trust my instincts. I find that just works best for me. Last game we went to PK’s also, so it wasn’t a new thing for me. I was fresh off another PK win, so it was easier this game to stay calm, knowing how the last game played out,” Green said.

JFK def. Harvest

Early on, the Islanders were given a crucial opportunity for a free kick. Ibanez lined up to take the shot. Kicking it high past the keeper, she scored the first goal of the game. 

Harvest responded quickly after receiving possession the very next play. Hayden Thompson, eager to put her team on the board, managed to kick the ball over the goalkeeper into the net, sending the crowd into a frenzy. 

After some back-and-forth possession, the Islanders worked as a team to set up an offensive play. The ball fell to Ibanez again, and she took a determined shot that flew past all the players, putting the Islanders up at 2-1 for the rest of the half.  

Despite being up, JFK didn’t back down with Jaelyn Han scoring a goal to bring them to 3-1 before the half.

Both teams continued their fight for the ball while putting up close shots, but to no avail, ending the game with an Islander win. 

JFK and St. John’s will face each other in the championship on Saturday afternoon at GFA. Reflecting on the season, Green said, “We’ve come together, our chemistry’s gotten even better and it’s just been so fun to see this team grow.”