12 Mar St. John’s School Knights repeat as Sugar and Spice festival champions
The Knights, back-to-back champions of the annual festival supported by Japan Football Association, slayed the Astumbo Middle School Dragons 1-0 in Sunday’s championship match.
“It feels great that our team was able to get this win in the Sugar and Spice Festival,” said Aeva Sablan, one of three Knights captains on the winning squad. “I’m so proud of this team, this win is because of our commitment, our dedication, and our teamwork – it’s really powerful. We went into the championship match planning to really just be the first to the ball and keeping a high press as a team – we executed this well and it resulted in a goal for the win.
“This festival is just so much fun – we get to play against schools that we’ve never played against before. It’s a lot of matches in one day and yes, I’m so tired, really exhausted, but also so glad that we were able to execute this win together as a team,” Sablan added.
The Knights’ Ahela’aoku’upu’uwai “Ahe” Kaae coolly slotted the eventual game winner in the 17th minute, taking a through pass from teammate Melody Cho and finishing a one-on-one with Astumbo keeper Livee Siguenza.
St. John’s emerged as winners of Group C of the festival to take its place in the semifinals against Group A winners, Bishop Baumgaurtner Memorial Catholic School Obispos. The Knights won 4-0 for its ticket to the final match. Astumbo were winners of Group B and faced Group D winners, Cmdr. William C. McCool Elementary/Middle School Seahawks in the semifinals. Astumbo punched its ticket to the championship match with a 3-2 penalty kick shootout win.
The tournament also was the first of three main events of Guam’s celebration of AFC Women’s Football Day in the month of March. The second, the Challenge Cup Girls High School Preseason Tournament, will take place Mar. 17, and the third, the Tokyo Football Association Friendlies Tournament, will take place Mar. 24.
Eight high schools will compete in the Challenge Cup: Academy of Our Lady of Guam, George Washington High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Notre Dame High School, Okkodo High School, Simon Sanchez High School, Southern High School, and Tiyan High School. The championship match is set for 1:45 p.m.
On Mar. 24, GFA will be welcoming Tokyo Football Association’s U16 Girls Team that will compete in a friendly tournament with five teams from Guam’s leagues. The championship match is set for 12 noon.
All events will be held at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.
The St. John’s School Knights pose for a group photo at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Sunday after the conclusion of the 15th Annual Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Football Festival with Kristin Thompson (left) most recently Head Coach of the Masakåda, Guam Women’s National Team, and Kelley Barnhart (right), Chairperson of the GFA Women’s Committee and member of the GFA Executive Committee. The Knights won for the second-straight year, this time with a 1-0 championship match victory over the Astumbo Middle School Dragons in the annual festival supported by Japan Football Association. Photo by Ashley Marques / GFA
The Astumbo Middle School Dragons pose for a group photo at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Sunday after the conclusion of the 15th Annual Sugar and Spice Middle School Girls Football Festival with Kristin Thompson (left) most recently Head Coach of the Masakåda, Guam Women’s National Team, and Kelley Barnhart (right), Chairperson of the GFA Women’s Committee and member of the GFA Executive Committee. The Dragons accepted the runner-up trophy after falling 0-1 to back-to-back champions St. John’s School Knights in the final of the festival, supported by Japan Football Association. Photo by Ashley Marques / GFA