Pacific
Penn, Ibanez lead Panthers to soccer title
Stars and Stripes
May 12, 2023
Aubrey Ibanez, right, outracing Notre Dame's Kalle Damian to the ball, scored three second-half goals for Guam High to put Friday's final out of reach. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
AGANA HEIGHTS, Guam – NyKale Penn can finally put a championship on her resume.
She finished second with Kadena in the Far East Division I girls basketball tournament in February. After transferring to Guam High later that month, she came in second in April’s Far East D-I soccer tournament.
In Friday’s island championship match, the sophomore striker got Guam High on the board in the first half, then freshman Aubrey Ibanez followed with three second-half goals as Guam High blanked Notre Dame 4-0 at Panthers Field.
“That was the plan,” Penn said. “I had to break the curse, and I finally broke it.”
It was the third Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam girls soccer island title for the Panthers, following their championships in 2003 and 2012.
Before she left for Guam, Penn and Kadena lost the D-I basketball final 35-34 on Feb. 1 at Humphreys. Then after donning Guam High blue and gold, Penn had the lone goal for the Panthers in their 3-1 loss to Kubasaki in the D-I girls soccer final on April 26.
In Friday’s IIAAG final, the Panthers went up against a Royals team they had played to two regular-season draws, 1-1 on April 5 and 2-2 on April 10. This time, the Panthers left little to chance.
“The formation was different, and the overall intensity the girls brought was very profound,” coach Anwah Jameson said.
NyKale Penn, chasing the ball alongside Notre Dame's Cailey Atoigue, got the Panthers on the board first with a goal in the 35th minute. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
Guam High's girls soccer team celebrates its third island championship in school history. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
Guam High pressed the action in the first half, finally getting on the board thanks to Penn in the 35th minute.
The Royals tried to answer, putting on the pressure early in the second half, but the Panthers broke downfield with Ibanez finding the back of the net in the 45th minute. That broke open the floodgates, with Ibanez scoring again in the 59th and 75th minutes.
It put the cap on a Panthers season in which they went 5-0-3 in league play, then beat Academy of Our Lady in penalty kicks in Monday’s semifinal.
Jameson said it was a great feeling to overcome the perception that Guam High was forever the underdog. “It feels awesome,” he said. “Hopefully, after this, we can keep meeting those expectations and get a little more respect.”
As for Penn, she says she’s not done yet. “I still have two more years left here,” she said. “I still have goals. I just want two more (island titles) before I leave.”
