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Warriors win Girls J-V soccer championship

The Tafuna Warriors’ Girls Junior Varsity team, champions of their division after winning against the Samoana Sharks in the championship game that went to a penalty kicks shootout (5-4) to determine the winner after the game ended in a 1-1 draw.  [FFAS MEDIA/Brian Vitolio]Frieda Vaaimamao, right, of the Tafuna Warriors receives her ASHSAA Girls J-V MVP award DOE’s Liatama Amisone Sr. on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.  [FFAS MEDIA/Brian Vitolio] A Tafuna Warriors’ player clears the ball away from a Samoana opponent during the championship game of the ASHSAA Girls’ J-V division on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at Pago Park Soccer Stadium.  [FFAS MEDIA/Brian Vitolio]

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Teena Tei slotted in her team’s 10th attempt of the penalty shootout to help the Tafuna Warriors clinch the ASHSAA Junior Varsity Girls’ soccer championship against the Samoana Sharks on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

20 players combined in the shootout that Tafuna won 5-4, after the game concluded in a 1-1 draw.  Both teams went through their first five kicks tied at 2-2, and from then on they went to a 1-on-1 format for the penalty kicks that ended up going through the five remaining field players.

Defender Frieda Vaaimamao was named MVP of the championship game after putting forth a great performance.  She came through with timely tackles inside the penalty box to negate Samoana attacks, and played an all around great game. 

A few other Tafuna players performed great as well, such as Agnes Siaosi, who was relentless on attack, and goalkeeper Lorri Tago.  Siaosi’s many forays deep into Samoana territory helped lead to an own goal by a Sharks’ opponent that tied the game in the first half.  Tago was steadfast and calmly collected shots on target to keep the game at a standstill as Samoana dominated possession.

As the game’s intensity increased, some players from both teams stepped up and performed great.

Samoana defender Lotomama Siatu’u matched Vaimamao with a great defensive effort.  She was able to clear dangerous attacks or recover back to stop other promising attacks by Tafuna.

Both goals came in the first half of the game.

Reese Penitusi headed in a corner kick five minutes into the game’s start, and it looked as if Samoana was setting the tempo of the game as they would continue to dominate after scoring that first goal.

Siaosi had a different opinion on that matter, and she showed it by being fearless on attack, using dribbling skills to her advantage during attacking runs inside Samoana territory.  On one such attack inside the Sharks’ penalty area, she blasted a shot paralel to the goal line that a defender inadvertently redirected into the back of the net for the equalizing own-goal.