Femme Fatales crowned champions

The Fiesta Resort and Spa Femme Fatales defeated the Marianas Eye Institute Eye Ballers, 4-2, at the Oleai Sports Complex to take the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association Women’s League crown.

The back-and-forth action was intense as the teams played on the best surface this season in the middle of the track and field facility. All agreed that the improved playing conditions allowed for a more free-flowing style of soccer and the kickers went wild between the lines.

Femme Fatales head coach MD Robikul was ecstatic after the game saying that winning the title was his goal from the beginning.

“I am very good, felling great. It was my goal to win the 2006 Women’s League championship from the start,” he said.

The coach named Brenda Schultz as the star of the game but said the key to victory was the team’s ability to work together on the field.

“She played great today but the most important part of the game was the passing. The passing was very good today. Excellent passing,” he said.

Robikul credited his opponents with solid play, as did his leading scorer Morgan Rose. Rose found the back of the net twice for the Femme Fatales and she said her team rose to the occasion in the champion game.

“I think it went really well. The Eyeballers really gave us a run for our money. They really pushed us hard but we pushed back. It was goal, goal, goal, goal back and forth. It was fun game. We came out on top. I think we wanted it a little bit more and we did what we had to do,” she said.

Rose also lauded the efforts of her teammates for a successful season’s effort and a job well done.

“I’m so proud of all the players. They’ve really improved throughout the year. We have some players on the team that have never played before so we’ve really come a long way,” she said.

The scoring got started in the first half when Rose fired in a penalty kick that resulted from a hand ball in front of the goal tender, but Becca Rath evened the game at one apiece minutes later when her shot squeaked past Maria Ornes.

It didn’t take the Femme Fatales long to answer as Schultz and Rose passed back and forth down the field before Schultz booted the ball from the right side and found the far corner to give the Femme Fatales the 2-1 lead.

The Femme Fatales took a 3-1 lead in the second half when Rose found the mesh on a sliding kick, but the Eyeballers wouldn’t give up. The teams traded goals late but the Eyeballers were unable to complete their second upset in as many weeks and finished second.

“We did great. We have no complaints about how we played. Everybody did a great job. We’re second place. My teammates did great. We’re really sad about splitting up because we really like playing together and we work together really well,” she said.

UMDA Hot Salsa 5, Saipan Grand Hotel Mamma Mia’s 3

After losing to the fourth place team in the semifinals, the UMDA Hot Salsa came out to the Oleai Sports Complex on fire in their season finale to defeat the Saipan Grand Hotel Mamma Mia’s, 5-3.

The win gave Hot Salsa a third place finish on the year and head coach Jaime Saiki said that he wasn’t disappointed in the result despite completing the regular season atop the standings.

“I think it was a very successful season even though we finished third but we started this league and everybody improved. We all had a lot of fun and everything was cool,” he said.

His counterpart was also pleased with the way his players improved as Mamma Mia’s head coach Wes Bogdan thanked his squad for providing some of his happiest memories on the pitch.

“Totally fantastic. This was one of the best year’s I’ve ever had coaching soccer. I saw some players really improve and the fell in love with the game and that’s what soccer is all about,” he said.

Standout Sarah Helbert played another great game for his team but Bogdan credited goaltender TeMary Gramlich with hanging in between the pipes while under a flurry of shots from UMDA’s red hots.

She got shot at from about every different angle and a couple got away but that’s how it goes,” he said.