Subscribe
Kubasaki girls soccer players fete the fifth Far East Division I Tournament title in school history after winning a penalty-kick shootout over defending champion American School In  Japan.

Kubasaki girls soccer players fete the fifth Far East Division I Tournament title in school history after winning a penalty-kick shootout over defending champion American School In Japan. (Crystal Sieber/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Kubasaki girls soccer players fete the fifth Far East Division I Tournament title in school history after winning a penalty-kick shootout over defending champion American School In  Japan.

Kubasaki girls soccer players fete the fifth Far East Division I Tournament title in school history after winning a penalty-kick shootout over defending champion American School In Japan. (Crystal Sieber/Special to Stars and Stripes)

American School In  Japan girls soccer players express their emotions after losing a penalty-kick shootout to Kubasaki in the Far East Division I Tournament final Thursday.

American School In Japan girls soccer players express their emotions after losing a penalty-kick shootout to Kubasaki in the Far East Division I Tournament final Thursday. (Crystal Sieber/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Kubasaki's Kelsey Spangenberger heads the ball in front of teammate Ami Eldridge and American School In Japan's Joey Yamada. The Dragons won Thursday's Far East Division I Tournament final in a penalty-kick shootout over the defending champion Mustangs.

Kubasaki's Kelsey Spangenberger heads the ball in front of teammate Ami Eldridge and American School In Japan's Joey Yamada. The Dragons won Thursday's Far East Division I Tournament final in a penalty-kick shootout over the defending champion Mustangs. (Crystal Sieber/Special to Stars and Stripes)

American School In Japan's Andrea Yonamine and Kubasaki's Alexis Townsend fight for control. The Dragons won Thursday's Far East Division I Tournament final in a penalty-kick shootout over the defending champion Mustangs. Townsend was named Most Valuable Player.

American School In Japan's Andrea Yonamine and Kubasaki's Alexis Townsend fight for control. The Dragons won Thursday's Far East Division I Tournament final in a penalty-kick shootout over the defending champion Mustangs. Townsend was named Most Valuable Player. (Crystal Sieber/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Kubasaki celebrates its 1-0 win against American School in Japan at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014.

Kubasaki celebrates its 1-0 win against American School in Japan at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. (Lisa Tourtelot/Stars and Stripes)

Kubasaki's Madalyn Trumble makes the winning kick against American School in Japan at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. Kubasaki won 1-0 in a shootout.

Kubasaki's Madalyn Trumble makes the winning kick against American School in Japan at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. Kubasaki won 1-0 in a shootout. (Lisa Tourtelot/Stars and Stripes)

Kubasaki's Elizabeth Zuniga-Castaneda defends her position against American School in Japan's Andrea Yonamine at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship on Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014.

Kubasaki's Elizabeth Zuniga-Castaneda defends her position against American School in Japan's Andrea Yonamine at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship on Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. (Lisa Tourtelot/Stars and Stripes)

American School in Japan's Joey Yamada leaps into a kick at the Far East Division1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014.

American School in Japan's Joey Yamada leaps into a kick at the Far East Division1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. (Lisa Tourtelot/Stars and Stripes)

Kubasaki's Kelsey Spangenberger kicks the ball past American School in Japan players at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014.

Kubasaki's Kelsey Spangenberger kicks the ball past American School in Japan players at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. (Lisa Tourtelot/Stars and Stripes)

American School in Japan's Josephine Carroll attempts to push past the Kubasaki players at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014.

American School in Japan's Josephine Carroll attempts to push past the Kubasaki players at the Far East Division 1 girls soccer championship at Camp Foster, Okinawa, May 22, 2014. (Lisa Tourtelot/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – With senior striker Sydney Johnson, among others, shelved or hobbled by injuries, Kubasaki needed a spark from the player the Dragons consider the team’s backbone.

Junior goalkeeper Harleigh Lewis responded to the challenge. She allowed one goal the entire week and recorded five shutout wins to help Kubasaki regain the Far East High School Girls Division I Soccer Tournament title it last won two years ago.

“She was an outstanding goalkeeper, absolutely the best,” coach Terry Chumley said after the Dragons dethroned defending champion American School In Japan, outgunning the Mustangs 3-1 in a penalty-kick shootout in Thursday’s final at Kubasaki’s Mike Petty Stadium.

It was the latest installment of what’s become the tournament’s most regular rivalry. The two teams have met for the D-I title the last four years, with each winning twice, each time by close margins.

“They dared to win,” Kubasaki athletics director Fred Bales said. “They were resolute the whole week. I saw no dropoff from the first match all the way to the end.”

It was also the completion of a turnaround of a Kubasaki team that began the season in turmoil. Chumley entered the fray in late March after the team’s coach, Rob Loyd, stepped down for undisclosed reasons.

From that point, the Dragons (14-2-1) unified under Chumley and kept their eyes on one goal, which they accomplished Thursday. “All of our hard work finally paid off,” said midfielder Alexis Townsend, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Thursday’s final was played at first in a steady, light rain, which became a full-blown downpour as the minutes melted away. “A lot of players were slipping on the field; both teams were equally affected,” Chumley said.

It came down to a penalty-kick shootout. Marissa Mesquita, Ami Eldridge and Maddie Trumble each found the back of the net for Kubasaki; ASIJ replied only with Golden Boot winner Katey Helwick’s PK.

“Things work out the way they should,” said Chumley, who’d won three D-I titles in her previous stint as coach, came out of retirement and signed on for – she said – just this season. But now, apparently, she is hedging her bets.

“It’s been a great experience; I’m so happy I took this job. It was like it was meant to be,” Chumley said.

Asked if she would return next season, she said: “I told the girls I’d think about it.”

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now