The 2012-2013 ASHSAA Girls Soccer 11-a-side competition kicks off on January 12, 2013 with the Samoana Sharks’ varsity and J-V teams going into the season as two-time defending champions.

Samoana defeated the Faga’itua Vikings in the title match to earn back-to-back titles during the 2011-2012 school year while their J-V squad completed the season with the best record to complete their repeat.

There are six schools participating in the varsity competition for the 2012-2013 school year and only three for the junior varsity division.

Competing in the varsity bracket are the Sharks, Vikings, Fa’asao-Marist Crusaders, Tafuna Warriors, Nu’uuli Voc-Tech Wildcats and South Pacific Academy Dolphins.

The Sharks, Warriors and Vikings are the only teams fielding J-V squads this year.

Kickoff for the season openers is at 8 a.m. on January 12 with the Sharks taking on the Warriors in J-V action while Faga’itua plays Nu’uuli Voc-Tech at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.

This is the first competition for the 2013 calendar year for Football Federation American Samoa and other high school competitions scheduled for the remainder of the school year are girls Futsal (March) and boys 11-a-side (March).

“This competition is possible because of our great relationship with the Department of Education (D.O.E) and especially its Athletics Department division run by Tumua Matu’u,” pointed out FFAS President Iuli Alex Godinet.

“So we’re very thankful to them for working with us in including our sport in their yearly sporting curriculum calendar.”

For the J-V division all three teams will play in a three round-robin format with the team having the best record at its end to be crowned as champions.  The third round is set to end on the first week of February.

As for the varsity, the top four teams at the end of the season advance to the playoffs scheduled for the last week of February.

“Our staff has been preparing for this competition over the Holidays and our referees are ready as well,” explained FFAS CEO Tavita Taumua.  “This is a very critical competition for us because we are using it to select players to represent American Samoa at U-17 and U-20 international competitions for 2014.”

Games will be held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of each week for the next two months.