Kubasaki freshman sweeper Sydnie Bligh (16) sends the ball away from Kadena senior striker Cassie McDonald during Friday's match at Camp Foster, Okinawa. Kubasaki won in a penalty-kick shootout and swept the three-match regular-season series. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Kubasaki freshman sweeper Sydnie Bligh (16) sends the ball away from Kadena senior striker Cassie McDonald during Friday's match at Camp Foster, Okinawa. Kubasaki won in a penalty-kick shootout and swept the three-match regular-season series. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Kubasaki sophomore fullback Nicole Bossert heads the ball away from the net against Kadena during Friday's match. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Kadena junior midfielder Tyler Arrieta (8) slides to keep the ball away from Kubasaki senior Cait Frandsen during Friday's match. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — For Tom McKinney, convincing basketball players, wrestlers, tennis players, cross country runners and anybody playing any ol’ sport that they can play soccer is old hat.
The Kadena boys soccer coach’s latest project, wrestler-turned-goalkeeper Alex Pelkey, came up huge in Friday’s rubber match of the Okinawa Activities Council’s three-match regular-season series.
"Watching him in the wrestling room, I knew I was assured of a goalkeeper," McKinney said of Pelkey, who made six crucial saves, including one from point-blank range in the 44th minute, as the Panthers (10-9-1) blanked Kubasaki 1-0 to win the season series 2-1. Kubasaki fell to 6-7-2.
On the girls side, Kubasaki keeper Gabby Falco made three saves in the match-deciding penalty-kick shootout. The Dragons (11-1-1) won the shootout 3-1, the match 1-0 and swept the regular-season series 3-0 over Kadena (9-5-2).
Very much like former Far East mat champion Brandon McCullough, whom McKinney convinced that he could play keeper two seasons ago, Pelkey "has ability and is willing to listen and learn. He is all heart. Some guy comes flying in on him, he’ll take him head on."
It looked as if the boys match might also go to PKs, were it not for sophomore Aaron Ahner’s long throw-in range and junior Stan Schrock’s ability to score off scrambles in front of the net. They hooked up for the match’s only goal in the 48th minute.
"He (Ahner) throws that ball halfway across the field. You know it’s going to be in the middle," McKinney said. "And Stan can do amazing things. They’re a great pair together."
The girls match was also a physical defensive struggle, with keepers Falco and Monica Heyward turning back chance after chance. Kubasaki sophomore Tammi Ragan had the best chance to win it in regulation, but sliced a shot right of a wide-open net in the 37th minute.
In the shootout, Kubasaki’s Elizabeth Fabila shot first and clanged it off the crossbar. Falco stoned Britney Wise on Kadena’s first try.
"She says if we miss, she’s got our back," Fabila said of Falco. "Gabeast, that’s her nickname. She’s always got a positive attitude. She’s a great keeper."
With the shootout level at 1-1 in the third round, Kubasaki’s Ku’leialoha Ampong fired it over the crossbar. Falco made the first of two diving stops, the first to deny Ashley Zapp.
Sydnie Bligh made it 2-1 Kubasaki in the fourth round, then Falco came through again, diving left to stop Cassie McDonald. Kubasaki’s Maya Lowe scored the clincher in the fifth round.
"Amazing," Kubasaki coach Terry Chumley said of Falco’s performance. "Two of thoe were going in. Her speed enabled her to get there. She was phenomenal."
