American Overseas School of Rome's Leone Maggi gets control of the ball before scoring his second goal Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II boys soccer championships at Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
REICHENBACH STEEGEN, Germany — The Sigonella boys and girls soccer teams have faced challenging seasons this spring.
Entering the final games of pool play at the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships, the Jaguar boys had one win in nine contests. The girls were 0-9.
And they faced a pair of opponents not only seeking to win but do so in a big way. The Vicenza boys needed to win by at least three goals to advance to the semifinals due to goal differential with Rota. The Rota girls faced an even bigger hurdle — a triumph by at least six goals to grab a more favorable semifinal berth away from Naples.
Sigonella lost both contests, with the girls falling 2-1 and the boys losing 1-0. The Cougar boys were eliminated in the process and the Admirals now will face favored Black Forest Academy on Wednesday.
If moral victories exist, the Jaguars probably chalk up both results as W’s.
“I told the boys coming into the tournament, we wanted to be bracket busters,” Sigonella boys coach Andy Reardon said. “We didn’t do that Monday, but I guess we sort of did today.”
As a result, the brackets are set for Wednesday’s semifinals. It’ll be American Overseas School of Rome against Naples and Marymount against Rota in boys action. In girls play, Black Forest Academy takes on Rota and AOSR faces Naples.
Neither Reardon nor Sean McCarthy, the Jaguars’ girls coach, said that they geared their strategy on what was best or worst for other teams. They just wanted to put their own teams in the best position to win.
In the girls’ case, that involved packing the back with defenders and marking Rota senior Jourdan Timmons wherever she was on the field. Timmons, a standout in volleyball, basketball and soccer, did manage to get the winning goal. But she didn’t score the half dozen the Admirals wanted.
“We had to play tight defense and hope for a counterattack (to score),” McCarthy said. “And that’s what happened on our goal.”
At the same time on the lower field at the VfB Reichenbach complex, the Jaguar boys were bending but not breaking.
Luis Roa put the Cougars up early by converting a penalty kick just moments into the contest. But Vicenza didn’t score again.
Five of the remaining six games Tuesday were decided by at least three goals. The AOSR-BFA girls matchup was an exception.
Esther Lee broke a scoreless tie shortly after halftime. It looked like it might stay that way, but AOSR eventually countered with Julia Briggs taking a long, low shot that skidded across the wet field and into the net.
The Falcons from Kandern, Germany, then put Lee and Priscilla Sivonen back as defenders. Coach Jack Wilson later said he knew his team would top the pool with a win or a tie. So, he put two of his best players in front of the net to prevent another goal sneaking through.
The result meant that both teams advanced and Vicenza was eliminated. The Cougars pounded Marymount 7-0 later in the day.
Vicenza's Natalia Lopez is surrounded by Marymount players in front of the Royals' goal Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Gabriella Zollman watches her penalty kick sail into the net to end the Cougars' game with Marymount on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer championships in Reichenbach, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy's Hailey Cousens runs into American Overseas School of Rome defenders Julia Briggs, center, and Valentina Guida on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome's Silvia Goldman tries to block a shot on goal by Black Forest Academy's Esther Lee Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Lily Shkoza has control of the ball as teammate Esther Lee approaches from the left and American Overseas School of Rome’s Julia Gazulisjk closes in from behind Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome's Silvia Goldman and Black Forest Academy's Priscilla Sivonen battle for the ball Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer championships at Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Naples' Addison Klawonn and Aviano's Charlotte Fussinger collide Tuesday, May 19, 2026, while going for the ball at the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen,Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The other girls contest saw Naples top Aviano 3-0 in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. Aviano had a chance to cut it to 2-1 late in the contest, but what looked like a sure-fire goal opportunity ended with a slip on the field. And the Wildcats countered minutes later with the clinching goal.
Naples captain Sonia Gottlieb said the three-time defending champs shouldn’t be counted out yet.
She said the Wildcats should be used to having targets on their backs due to their past success.
“We didn’t start out that well as some of the newer members of the team didn’t realize the intensity increases in the tournament,” she said. “But I think we’ve adjusted.”
In boys action, favorites AOSR and Marymount looked dominant. The Falcons scored three goals in the first 12 minutes against Rota and added another soon after on the way to a 7-2 victory.
The story was essentially the same for the Royals in a 7-0 blanking of Aviano. Naples topped BFA 3-0 in the other contest of the day.
Rota goalkeeper Zachary Van Slyke getsto the ball before American Overseas School of Rome's Pierpaolo Graziano and Rota's Esteban Solano can get there Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II boys soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen,Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount's Valentino Benedetti breaks into the open against Aviano on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the DODEA-Europe Division II boys soccer championships in Reichenbach Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
