Kubasaki's Hailey Brooke and Guam High's Kailee Guerrero tussle for the ball during Wednesday's Divison I Far East girls soccer final. (Addison Leising/Special to Stripes)

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – No sooner had Kubasaki’s girls soccer team left the field after winning the DODEA All-Japan tournament last April 23 at Zama that the Dragons set about making it their mission to keep the winning going.

They accomplished just that on Wednesday, completing a 13-0 season and capturing their DODEA-Pacific-record eighth Far East Division I tournament title, pulling away in the second half for a 3-1 win over Guam High.

“We were able to take last high school season and the excitement and success that they had and turned it into a lot of the players committing to club soccer in the offseason,” coach Chris Eastman said.

So from the moment that the Dragons beat Yokota 4-1 in the All-Japan final, the players began planning, Eastman said. “They played together through the fall, the winter and picked up with the new Kubasaki season,” he said. “I think that continuity helped out a great deal.”

So, too, did the play of sophomore Solares Solano, who finished the season with 22 goals, including one in the second half that snapped a 1-1 tie in Wednesday’s Far East final and got the Dragons rolling.

“She was the ultimate difference maker in so many of our games,” Eastman said of Solano. “Her speed and finishing, I think separated her from a lot of the girls in the tournament.”

Amaya Schaffeld put the Dragons ahead 1-0 in the 15th minute, a lead that stood through the first half. NyKale Penn got her 11th goal of the season 10 minutes into the second half to equalize.

Then Solano happened. Two minutes later, she broke through for what proved to be the game-winning goal. Hailey Brooke added some insurance in the 69th minute to seal the title.

Assuming he’s able to keep a goodly portion of the roster, Eastman said he has high hopes that the Dragons can continue to their winning ways. “I’m optimistic about our momentum,” he said.

Kubasaki's Solares Solano boots the ball past Guam High's Jada Alcantara. (Nathan Asato/Special to Stripes)

Kubasaki's Hailey Stoudemayer and Guam High's Zoie Terrill scuffle for the ball. (Nathan Asato/Special to Stripes)

Two of the girls D-I championship match goal scorers, Guam High's NyKale Penn boots the ball in front of Kubasaki's Solares Solano. (Nathan Asato/Special to Stripes)

Banner time! Kubasaki's girls soccer team gathers 'round the Division I spoils. (Theophilus Jessup-May/Special to Stripes)