CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — They relied all season on a potent offense that produced school records of 135 goals and 90 assists. But on Friday, it was the player charged with keeping the ball out of the net who counted most for Zama American.

Sophomore Deanne Polaski made three saves in the penalty-kick shootout as the Trojans survived relentless second-half pressure to edge host Kubasaki 2-1 and capture the first Far East Girls Class AA Soccer Tournament title in school history.

"I can’t believe we pulled this off," said junior Aubrey Ashliman during the wild celebration that followed at Kubasaki’s Mike Petty Stadium. "It feels like we have another match to play. I can’t believe we’re Far East champions."

They also became Zama’s first outright Far East team champion since boys basketball in 1963. Zama’s wrestling team shared the Far East title with St. Mary’s International in 1982.

"How cool is that? That is good news. Long time coming," Zama athletics director Ed Fogell said.

"I’m proud of my girls," coach Rogers Pitts said. "I wanted it for them. To win it this way against incredible odds and for it to go to PKs, it’s just overwhelming."

Kubasaki kept up relentless pressure on the Zama net in the second half and through all four overtime periods, but couldn’t come through with the tiebreaker.

"We didn’t score enough, which we had to do. We didn’t get the job done," said coach Terry Chumley, whose Dragons have finished second two straight years. "We let one in, and we didn’t convert. That’s the way it goes in sports sometimes."

In the first half, Rina Ihu banged in a corner kick from Sydnie Bligh to put the Dragons ahead 1-0, but Mallarie Ashliman leveled it 1-1 off an indirect kick from Aubrey Ashliman. It stayed 1-1 through overtime.

Zama went ahead to stay 2-1 in the second round of the shootout when Polaski stopped a Maya Lowe shot and Taylor Russell converted her second-round shot. Polaski then stopped Bligh’s third-round attempt and Ihu in the fifth round, sparking the celebration.

"I was nervous the whole time," Polaski said. "I just kept going for the ball."

Russell hadn’t planned on playing soccer after she transferred last summer from Kadena to Zama. She resoundingly said she felt she made the right decision.

"Oh my gosh. This is amazing. It’s awesome. I’m so happy right now," she said.

Friday marked the first time that two non-Okinawa teams swept both Class AA Tournament titles.

Returning to the stage they occupied in 2005 and 2007, Christian Academy In Japan’s boys also survived unrelenting pressure from Hong Kong International, getting stellar goalkeeping from Sho Hamano in a 1-0 Boys Class AA Tournament championship victory at Seoul American.

"He’s amazing," Knights coach Sean Collier said of Hamano, who stopped 12 Dragons shots, including one by Anthony Abdelnour point blank in the 73rd minute. "Incredible. Amazing game. We’ve been blessed to have incredible keepers the last five years."

Claiming an unofficial DODDS-Pacific championship of sorts, Kubasaki’s Mitch Shibley scored five goals as the Dragons overwhelmed Zama 6-0 in the third-place match.

For the Dragons, it was redemption for their desultory performance in a 3-0 semifinal loss Thursday to Hong Kong. "We had an off day yesterday. We wanted to show we were a top-quality team," Shibley said.

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