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Tafuna Jets win women’s National League title

Tafuna Jets team_9471 The Tafuna Jets’ women’s team, champions of their division for the 2016 FFAS National League that ended on November 26, 2016 at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.  [FFAS MEDIA/Brian Vitolio]Tafuna Jets’ club president Naomi Oney, left, and the women’s team captain and league MVP Beulah Oney, right, receive their awards from FFAS President Faiivae Iuli Alex Godinet during the awards ceremony for the 2016 FFAS National League that ended on November 26, 2016 at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.  [FFAS MEDIA/Brian Vitolio]Ilaoa & To’omata women’s team closes out the year as holders of the FFAS National Cup for the 2016 FFAS National League that ended on November 26, 2016 at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.  [FFAS MEDIA/Brian Vitolio]

The Tafuna Jets are champions of the women’s, 2016 FFAS National 9-A-side League, finishing with a league-best 37 points on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016.

In their last game of the double, round-robin competition, Tafuna finished in a 0-0 tie with PanSa, the league’s second best squad of the year with 33 points.

Royal Puma finished in third place, followed by Ilaoa & To’omata, Green Bay and Pago Youth. The league started off with nine teams, but three others – two-time defending champs Utulei Youth, Vaiala Tongan and Lion Heart – were disqualified from the competition after forfeiting three times during the year.

Ilaoa & To’omata also ended the year as the women’s FFAS National Cup holders, successfully defending it in a 0-0 draw against Royal Puma last Saturday. They took the cup away from the Tafuna Jets on Nov. 12, 2016. PanSa at the beginning of the League originally held the cup, but they lost it to the Jets on Sept. 17.

Beulah Oney of Tafuna was named MVP of the league.

FFAS President Faiivae Iuli Alex Godinet and executive committee member Amio Mavaega-Luvu were on hand for the trophy awards.

“This is the one part of our competition that needs to develop more next year and we urge all of our clubs to continue to participate in women’s soccer,” Faiivae said. “Next year we will be looking at having an 11-a-side league, so to all our clubs, come prepared for it.”

This is the first time the Jets have been crowned champions of the women’s National League. Utulei Youth was the winner for the last two years, while PanSa won the league title in 2008, and has been close a few times to clinching the title again.