Lady Geckos repeat as HS soccer champs

The Lady Geckos of Saipan International School clinched the PSS-NMIFA Girls High School Interscholastic Soccer League 2024-2025 championship for their second title in a row on Thursday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

The season’s most valuable player and SIS’ star striker, Andrei Kaithlyn Chavez, led her team to a 4-2 victory over Saipan Southern High School Lady Manta Rays in a heated match that contrasted the cold and rainy evening. Chavez also won the Golden Boot Award as she scored the most goals in the season at 32.

It was a rough and tough game between the season’s two best teams from the south with the big and loud crowd in the stands creating an atmosphere that matched the intensity on the pitch.

Both teams were full of energy and were evenly matched as the pressure and tension surged with each passing second. The Lady Mantas broke the ice with a case of mistaken identity to put SIS up by one in the 18th minute, but they evened it up just six minutes later with a goal by Megan Elayda.

SSHS’ supporters rocked then rocked the pitch as Elayda doubled her tally and put them at a 2-1 advantage in the 38th minute. The rain was on and off throughout the game and words, yellow cards, sweat, and rain came pouring down with each play.

Then, SIS captain Chavez turned on the burners and evened the game in the 41st minute—causing the SIS side to explode into cheers. Missed opportunities followed from both sides as SSHS keeper Azriel Fatialofa used her reach to her advantage, trying to save each attack that came her way, while SIS’ defense didn’t allow SSHS’ strikers past theirs.

Chavez then clinched the title for her team after two straight unanswered goals in the 63rd minute and in three minutes extra time past the regular 70 minutes.

Third place was Marianas High School after they defeated Kagman High School, 6-1.

The Lady Geckos championship team was made up of Chavez, Asa Backe, Irin Chung, Julie Chavez, Euanne Claveria, Keylie Claveria, Yeiji Jang, Michelle Li, Wendy Son, Addalee Taflinger, Elizabeth Tom, Lina Tsukagoshi, Hoo Wang, Aubrey White, and Zi Ting Wu.

The Lady Mantas with Elayda included Joselyn Atalig, Selena Atalig, Giselle Bocago, Angel Calage, Precious Castro, Teneasha Diaz, Aiyana Fatialofa, Azriel Fatialofa, Jadine Higgins, Jaena Laniyo, Mickaenna Nishimura, Billie Pangelinan, Ha’ani Passi, Jahsmin Ramon, Rosie Saralu, and Shyleen Santos.

Chavez, a senior, said of their teams’ repeat title, “I’m not sure if this is the first time, but we have a bunch of new freshmen, so they stepped up. And it was a hard and tough game, but grateful that we were able to get it back-to-back.”

Their strategy, she said they needed to get ready. “Coming into the second half, I knew that they were going to be physical, and I told the team we need to be ready, and if we want it, we need to want it more than them.”

Winning both the MVP and Golden Boot Award, she said, “I feel grateful but at the end of the day, it’s a team effort. Without them, I wouldn't be able to get that award—we’re all MVPs—we all worked hard to get that goal so honestly, it’s all team effort.”

On her last year playing before she heads off to college, she said, “really mixed emotions—happy, sad—knowing that I won’t be playing a bunch of these freshmen... But at the end of the day, I’m looking forward to college and being better as a soccer player.”

Pam Walsh, head coach of the team, for her part said, “It’s more intense this year. I was more nervous this year than last year because Southern is a very strong team. We had a difficult time winning our first game during our pool play, so when we learned we were against them, I don’t know, I was beside myself… but it was a very good game between SIS and Southern.”

With that, she said, “The intensity of the game was very high… it was a physical game—it was expected. But I’m very grateful that both teams took care of themselves, and made sure that it didn’t go that far.”

Coming into next year, four seniors won’t be back to help defend their title, so Walsh said they will have to work harder next season.