Nile C. Kinnick striker Kaile Johnson goes airborne after the ball between American School In Japan's Courtney Ishibashi and Joey Yamada during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick striker Kaile Johnson goes airborne after the ball between American School In Japan's Courtney Ishibashi and Joey Yamada during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
American School In Japan's Katey Helwick eyes the ball along with Nile C. Kinnick's Alicia Martinez, Courtney Bacon and Charla Johnson during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
American School In Japan's Heidi Dumesich gets sandwiched between Nile C. Kinnick's Alyssa Arredondo and Alyssa Leal during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
American School In Japan's Lisa Osaki and Nile C. Kinnick's Elisha Dareing scuffle for the ball during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick striker Kaile Johnson is airborne after heading the ball between American School In Japan's Joey Yamada and Maya Tromburg during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012, also at Kinnick. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick's Elisha Dareing heads the ball in front of American School In Japan's Jo Carroll during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick striker Kaile Johnson boots the ball against American School In Japan's Courtney Ishibashi during Wednesday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools girls soccer match at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The Red Devils won 3-1, handing the Mustangs their first Kanto Plain regular-season loss since a 1-0 defeat on May 11, 2012. (Jimmy Mills/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Kadena's Ally Chandler looks to settle the ball in front of Kubasaki's Rachael Stackpoole during Wednesday's Okinawa Athletics & Activities Council high school girls soccer match at Camp Foster, Okinawa. Kubasaki won 1-0 on a goal by Sydney Johnson off a free kick in the 73rd minute. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena goalkeeper Rita Feight goes up to stop a corner kick in front of teammates Reiko LeMasters and Miranda Allen, as Kubasaki striker Sydney Johnson flies in from the left during Wednesday's Okinawa Athletics & Activities Council high school girls soccer match at Camp Foster, Okinawa. Kubasaki won 1-0. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Rachael Stackpoole goes up to play the ball in front of Kadena's Ciara Vasquez during Wednesday's Okinawa Athletics & Activities Council high school girls soccer match at Camp Foster, Okinawa. Kubasaki won 1-0. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – Kubasaki girls soccer’s journey back to the future began successfully Wednesday for Terry Chumley, who returned to the helm of the team she coached to three Far East Division I tournament titles in the 2000s.
Sydney Johnson’s free-kick goal in the 73rd minute broke a scoreless deadlock and freshman junior varsity keeper Kelliana Rios made 12 saves as the Dragons blanked Kadena 1-0 in the first of three Okinawa regular-season meetings.
“She played very hard. I’m very proud of her,” Chumley said of Rios, who started in place of regular keeper Harleigh Lewis, who was red-carded in Friday’s 12-2 win over Okinawa Christian International and had to sit out Wednesday.
Rios said such responsibility didn’t have her out of sorts. “I had complete trust with my defense and my whole team because we always work together,” she said.
It was her first and last start for the Dragons; she transfers from Okinawa on Friday.
As for Chumley, she says she only plans to coach this season. She stepped in for Rob Loyd, who began the season as coach but stepped aside 10 days ago. Todd Hyson served as interim coach for the match against OCSI.
In another match between arch-rivals, Kaile Johnson, Athena Pearson and Alyssa Leal each scored goals and Nile C. Kinnick handed American School In Japan its first regular-season loss in 22 months, 3-1 Wednesday at Yokosuka Naval Base.
“Hard fought, clean fought, a lot of emotions all around,” Red Devils coach Nico Hindie said, adding of the Mustangs, the defending Division I Far East champs: “They’re a great team that’s well coached. No doubt they will come back stronger.”
Joey Yamada had ASIJ’s lone goal in the second half. “They (Kinnick) played well and we weren’t on our game,” fellow Mustangs senior striker Katey Helwick said.
ASIJ had not lost in the Kanto Plain regular season since May 11, 2012, a 1-0 defeat on the same pitch to Kinnick.
On the diamond, Kadena’s Devin Shea pitched five innings for the win, Justin Sego got the save with two innings of relief and the Panthers got three runs on just two hits in a 3-1 win over Kubasaki at Kadena’s Four Diamonds complex.
Kadena’s John McBain scored on a wild pitch in the second inning, Justin Wilson scored in the fifth on a throwing error and Cody Prince in the sixth on a throwing error.
Coming on the heels of Kadena’s walk-off 9-7 win over the Dragons on March 22, the Panthers have a two-game winning streak against Kubasaki for the first time since 2005.
On Korea’s softball diamonds, C.C. Farias struck out 15 Humphreys batters, helping Osan vanquish the Blackhawks 6-1.
