Knights top Obispos for 2017 Sugar and Spice festival title

Knights top Obispos for 2017 Sugar and Spice festival title

[March 7, 2017 – Harmon, Guam] The St. John’s School Knights topped two-time defending champions Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School Obispos 1-0 to win the 2017 Guam Football Association Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Soccer Festival Saturday at GFA.

In the final showdown, interrupted momentarily by an early-evening power outage, the Knights managed to shift momentum in their favor in the closing minutes. With just two minutes left on the match clock, the Knights’ Kaia Malakooti took advantage of a mistimed ball clearance by Obispos defenders and lofted her shot into the upper near post for the eventual game winner.

The 10th annual festival, realized with assistance from FIFA and support from Japan Football Association, featured 11 teams from both the IIAAG Middle School Girls Soccer League and the Interscholastic Middle School Girls Soccer League.

For the teams, the festival is the lone opportunity for the teams from the two different leagues to compete against each other.

Following the championship match, GFA Executive Committee Member Gian Tenorio presented the Knights with the champions trophy. Also recognized in the ceremony were the runner-up Obispos team, third place Luis P. Untalan Middle School Wildcats, and silver bracket winner F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School Hawks.

A Rylee Guzman goal helped the Wildcats to a 1-0 third-place finish over the St. Anthony Catholic School Raiders. The Hawks won 2-1 in a sudden death penalty kick shootout against the Harvest Christian Academy Eagles in the silver bracket final.

The festival kicked off a series of women’s and girls’ football events in celebration of AFC Women’s Football Day, recognized across the continent on Mar. 8. AFC is the only football confederation to mark International Women’s Day on the pitch through girls’ and women’s football activities.

Other events at GFA this month include the Take Care Achieve Your Goals Women’s Recreational Festival held Sunday afternoon, the upcoming launch of the first-ever Bud Light Women’s Soccer League W2 division Mar. 12, and the 6th Annual Girls High School Soccer Pre-Season Challenge Cup set for Mar. 18.

The St. John’s School Knights hoist the championship trophy of the 10th Annual Guam Football Association Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Soccer Festival in celebration after the team’s 1-0 win over the Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School Obispos in the championship match Saturday evening at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.

The Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School Obispos pose with the runner-up trophy of the 10th Annual Guam Football Association Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Soccer Festival Saturday evening at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Obispos fell to the St. John’s Knights, 1-0, in the festival final.

he Luis P. Untalan Middle School Wildcats pose with the third-place trophy of of the 10th Annual Guam Football Association Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Soccer Festival Saturday evening at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Wildcats won 1-0 over the St. Anthony Catholic School Raiders in the third-place match.

The F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School Hawks pose with the silver bracket winner trophy of the 10th Annual Guam Football Association Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Soccer Festival Saturday evening at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Hawks won 2-1 in a sudden-death penalty kick shootout against the Harvest Christian Academy Eagles.