Martina Diana of Marymount kicks over Kaley Harless of AFNORTH Saturday in the title game of the DODDS-Europe Division III girls soccer tournament Saturday at Ramstein. Marymount beat AFNORTH 3-1 to claim its third straight D-III title. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
Martina Diana of Marymount kicks over Kaley Harless of AFNORTH Saturday in the title game of the DODDS-Europe Division III girls soccer tournament Saturday at Ramstein. Marymount beat AFNORTH 3-1 to claim its third straight D-III title. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
Frances Caperchi of Marymount celebrates with her team after Marymount's 3-1 victory over AFNORTH. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — One was nice, so they did it twice.
Marymount International School of Rome repeated Saturday as the DODDS-Europe Division III girls soccer champion, downing AFNORTH 3-1.
Marymount’s score in this year’s title game was the same as last year’s.
Even the scoring distribution was the same as the 2008 final, with Elena Carrarini netting two goals and Martina Diana one.
Is this how Marymount planned it?
"Yeah, definitely," Carrarini said.
The only real difference on paper between Marymount’s 2009 and 2008 title games is that last year’s victory came in overtime against American Overseas School of Rome.
Five minutes into Saturday’s game, Carrarini scored her first goal when her header got behind AFNORTH keeper Natalie Everingham and trickled into the net.
In the 17 minute, after each team had failed to convert on good scoring chances, AFNORTH junior Kylee Wilstead tied the game when her kick from the right side rolled in the net.
But the tie didn’t last long.
Carrarini scored a beautiful goal in the 25th minute off an indirect kick just outside the penalty box.
A teammate tapped the ball to start the play, and Carrarini, a junior, booted her shot past a wall of defenders and Everingham.
AFNORTH came close to tying the game in the 36th minute, but two shots were punched out by Marymount keeper Tatiana Pansadoo.
The final score came in the 40th minute when Diana barely avoided going offsides as she received a pass from midfield and ran down the open field. The goal came shortly after Carrarini had nearly collected a hat trick, but her right-footed flick was stopped by Everingham.
Although there was no scoring in the second half, AFNORTH turned on the offensive pressure. The Lady Lions had their best chance to close the gap in the 68 minute when Wilstead had a direct kick from just outside of the penalty box. The kick went high.
Carrarini and Diana are Marymount’s most skillful players, but the Lady Royals’ defenders and midfielders also played well Saturday, Marymount head coach Stefano Iannone said.
With Carrarini returning next season for her senior year, the team is hoping to win a third consecutive title, as it did from 1999 to 2001.
"It would be nice to repeat again with three straight titles," Iannone said.
