Bud Light Women’s Soccer to return after two-year absence

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11 Jul Bud Light Women’s Soccer to return after two-year absence

Posted at 00:21h in News, Women's Football, Women’s Regular News by

[July 11, 2022 – Harmon, Guam] The Bud Light Women’s Soccer League returns for the first time in over two years to the Guam Football Association National Training Center beginning this weekend with both Premier and Amateur Division matches.

“I’m really excited for the upcoming season given that we have not had a complete season for over two years,” said Ariya Cruz, who will be playing for the Bank of Guam Strykers in the Premier Division. “I just look forward to having weekly matches and really, just to start playing again. I think players from all teams are excited too.”

Cruz, captain of the Masakåda, Guam Women’s National Team, is currently in Shizuoka, Japan for a Guam women’s training camp and will return to Guam in time for the Strykers’ opening match of the season. The Strykers are one of four teams in the Premier Division, joining the Guam Shipyard Women, Metro Pacific Islanders FC, and Quality Distributors.

The Premier Division officially kicks off Saturday with a match between the Strykers and Guam Shipyard at 8:30 p.m. The Metro Pacific Islanders FC and Quality Distributors play Sunday at 6 p.m.

The teams will play in a double round-robin format, with the final matches scheduled for Aug. 21.

A total of seven teams comprise the league’s Amateur Division: Bank of Guam Strykers II, Heavy Hitters/Nutrition Mission Southern Heat, Mosa’s, NAPA Rovers FC, Sidekick SC, GPSI Southern Cobras, and Tsunami.

With the two-year absence of the league, the Heat, which had most recently competed in the Premier Division in the 2019-2020 season before it was cut short due to the COVID19 pandemic, will compete in the Amateur Division this season to allow new and young players to adjust to the women’s league level.

“We lost a lot of players for multiple reasons during the time the league was suspended due to COVID19 and right now, we are rebuilding the team,” said Tina Esteves, President of Southern Heat. “We do plan to move back up to the Premier Division eventually, but we want to be as competitive as possible. In order to do that, the ladies need to get some time on the pitch together to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“The return of the league has been a long time coming. The ladies are excited to get back on the pitch and I feel good about the players on the roster. I’m excited for them to build team chemistry and to watch the team grow,” Esteves added.

On the men’s side, the Guam Football Association Football Events Department intends to kick off the Budweiser Futsal League July 18 with 11 teams. In the 2021 season, the Bank of Guam Strykers captured the futsal league title.

The most up-to-date schedules are available online at https://guamfa.powerupsports.com

To play in the upcoming leagues, players must first register with a participating club online via PowerUp Sports. A listing of contacts for participating clubs are online on GFA’s official Web site:

Bud Light Women’s Soccer League: https://guamfa.com/gfa-programs/all-leagues/womens/regular/registration-form/

Budweiser Men’s Futsal League: https://guamfa.com/gfa-programs/all-leagues/mens/regular/registration-form/

isabelle

Heavy Hitters/Nutrition Mission Southern Heat’s Isabelle Lizama (in orange) battles for possession of the ball during a friendly match played Sunday afternoon at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Heavy Hitters/Nutrition Mission Heat from the Bud Light Women’s Soccer League Amateur Division, along with other players from Metro Pacific Islanders (Premier), Bank of Guam Strykers II (Amateur), and Sidekick SC (Amateur) took part in a friendly match against the visiting Women’s National Team training squad from the Northern Mariana Islands. The Bud Light Women’s Soccer League will return to action after a two-year hiatus this weekend with matches in both the Premier and Amateur divisions.

nani

Metro Pacific Islanders’ Krystiana Martinez-Spindel (in orange vest) plays the ball forward during a friendly match played Sunday afternoon at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Heavy Hitters/Nutrition Mission Heat from the Bud Light Women’s Soccer League Amateur Division, along with other players from Metro Pacific Islanders (Premier), Bank of Guam Strykers II (Amateur), and Sidekick SC (Amateur) took part in a friendly match against the visiting Women’s National Team training squad from the Northern Mariana Islands. The Bud Light Women’s Soccer League will return to action after a two-year hiatus this weekend with matches in both the Premier and Amateur divisions.

gabby

Heavy Hitters/Nutrition Mission Southern Heat’s Gabby Cruz (in orange) moves to gain possession of the ball during a friendly match played Sunday afternoon at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Heavy Hitters/Nutrition Mission Heat from the Bud Light Women’s Soccer League Amateur Division, along with other players from Metro Pacific Islanders (Premier), Bank of Guam Strykers II (Amateur), and Sidekick SC (Amateur) took part in a friendly match against the visiting Women’s National Team training squad from the Northern Mariana Islands. The Bud Light Women’s Soccer League will return to action after a two-year hiatus this weekend with matches in both the Premier and Amateur divisions.