CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — No matter what they do, the top two teams in last year’s Far East Boys Class AA Soccer Tournament can’t get rid of a case of “tied-initis.”

Kadena and Kubasaki tied for the third time this season, 1-1 on Friday at Kubasaki’s Mike Petty Stadium. Ryan Dang scored the visiting Panthers’ lone goal before Eddie Balfour tied it for the Dragons, and Kubasaki goalkeeper Justin Martinez made a huge hand save in the closing seconds to preserve the deadlock.

The defending Class AA champion Panthers (2-1-4) and runner-up Dragons (2-0-4) played to a scoreless tie in their first meeting March 13 at Petty, then tied 2-2 on March 23 at Kadena High School.

“We’re playing hard games at a very high level of soccer,” Kubasaki coach Chris Kelly said. “One of these times, somebody will break through.”

It appeared as if that breakthrough wouldn’t come at all Friday until Dang headed Jacob Bloom’s crossing pass just over Martinez’s hands in the 56th minute.

The Dragons answered in the 72nd minute when Isaac Bennett sent a through pass to Balfour, who tapped it in from point-blank range. Martinez kept it level when he made a diving save on Kadena’s Sergio Gonzales’ shot in the 78th minute, deflecting the rocket off the post.

The close, competitive matches, Kelly said, are “making each other better, and we’ll be that much better prepared for Far East,” scheduled for May 21-25 at Kadena.

“Far East is the ‘real’ season,” Kadena coach Tom McKinney said.

The teams don’t meet again until April 27 at Kadena’s McDonald Stadium, then conclude the Okinawa Activities Council season series on May 15 at Kadena High School. The three ties ensures that the series won’t be decided until the fifth match.

Abel, Schrock boost Kadena to OAC season-series clincherSenior striker Jen Abel scored twice and goalkeeper Helen Schrock backstopped three-time defending Class AA champion Kadena to a 3-0 shutout of Kubasaki on Friday, clinching the OAC season series 3-0 for the Panthers.

Schrock, who has been in net for Kadena’s 11 victories in 11 matches this season, gives the team “tremendous confidence,” Abel said. “It makes you want to try even harder, knowing that you have somebody like that back in the box.”

Abel appears well on her way toward matching her Pacific season scoring record of 70 goals set last season. Three weeks into the season, Abel has scored 34 times.

Foul weather turns Edgren’s soccer games into slogfestsMISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Thursday’s four inches of snow had just about melted, and Robert D. Edgren athletics officials barely had time to line Eagles Field. Then the heavens opened up with a cold, evening-long rain that turned Friday’s DODDS-Japan matches with Zama American’s girls and Nile C. Kinnick’s boys into 160 minutes of soccer quagmire.

Aubrey Ashliman’s 15th goal of the season broke a 1-1 halftime tie and boosted the Trojans girls over Edgren 3-1. Then, second-half goals by Brandon Massie and Nathan Fine rallied the Eagles boys from a 3-1 halftime deficit into a 3-3 tie with the Red Devils.

“It was terrible,” Zama American coach Vanessa Little said. “It was a giant mudpit. Kids were slipping and sliding all over the place.”

Despite the defeat, “We were in the fight,” Allen said. “It was a good game, despite the mud.”

Kinnick halts school-best record for Perry girlsIWAKUNI MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, Japan — Matthew C. Perry girls’ 3-0-1 record, the best in school history, received its first blemish Friday at the hands of Nile C. Kinnick, which posted a 3-0 shutout of the Samurai. Frances Zukowski’s two goals paced the Red Devils.

But this is a far different Perry team, Kinnick coach Nico Hindie said, than the groups that the Red Devils hammered, sometimes by double digits, over the last three seasons when the Samurai went a combined 1-36-1 and scored just seven goals.

“They’re much stronger this year,” Hindie said, citing forward Taylor Dunphy (nine goals) and goalkeeper Kate Cutshall, both freshmen, as part of the reason for the Samurai’s strength. “They’re improved.”

Game summariesFriday's games

Boys soccer

Kinnick 3, Edgren 3 At Misawa Air BaseKinnick..........2 1—3Edgren..........1 2—3Goals-Kinnick, Daniel Appleman 2 (2), Dylan Haug 1 (1); Edgren, Brandon Massie 2 (13), Nathan Fine 1 (2). Assists-Kinnick, Daniel Appleman 1; Edgren, Nathan Fine 1, David Anderson 1, Andrew Verbeek 1. Noteworthy-Game played in driving rain, which melted 4 inches of snow Thursday, turning Eagles Field into sea of mud.

Yokota 3, E.J. King 0 At Sasebo Naval BaseYokota..........1 2—3E.J. King..........0 0—0Goals-Yokota, Stefan Welch 2 (6), Chad Evans 1 (4). Assist-Yokota, Jaybie Kurishima 1.

Yokota 2, Islands Club 1 At Sasebo Naval BaseYokota..........2 0—2Islands..........0 1—1Goals-Yokota, Stefan Welch 1 (7), Kenta Takahashi 1 (1). Assist-Yokota, Stefan Welch 1.

Girls soccer

Kinnick 3, M.C. Perry 0 At Iwakuni Marine Corps Air StationKinnick..........1 2—3M.C. Perry..........0 0—0Goals-Kinnick, Frances Zukowski 2 (7), Tara Bartkowski 1 (10). Assists-Kinnick, Tara Bartkowski 1, Frances Zukowski 1. Noteworthy-First loss for Samurai in five matches after best start in school history (3-0-1).

Zama 3, Edgren 1 At Misawa Air BaseZama..........1 2—3Edgren..........1 0—1Goals-Zama, Aubrey Ashliman 1 (15), Anna Park 1 (4), Saki Johnson 1 (2); Edgren, Chandra Melillo 1 (4). Assists-Zama, Corinne Labial 2, Aubrey Ashliman 1; Edgren, Kahlia Vergera 1. Noteworthy-Game played in driving rain, which melted 4 inches of Thursday snow, turning field into sea of mud.

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