The high school girls’ soccer teams traveled to the International School of Busan (ISB) for the South Korea Association of International Schools (SKAIS) tournament on May 17. While the Jets entered the final tournament fresh off a win against DMHS and determined for the SKAIS trophy, both teams finished last.

They kicked off against Busan Foreign School (BFS) with Victoria Kang (10) as goalkeeper, Amy Shim (18) as left center back and Ellen Cho (0) as right center back, Minori Kojima (9) as center midfielder and Leewen Wang (1) as left wing and Sarah Cho (19) as right wing. Right wing Sarah Cho (19) delivered an early goal, setting the tone for the rest of the match. 

However, as soon as the opposition’s star player Angie Gallas returned, the Sharks scored four consecutive goals, resulting in a 4:1 loss. “The games were honestly pretty tough because our team wasn’t at its fullest. I think our overall games weren’t too bad since we had a strong start with Mary’s shot in the beginning, but after that, we were running quite behind,” said Cho (0).

Following their defeat, the girls continued with a faceoff against the Bears’ long, aerial ball style. Unable to keep up with the strong strikers from ISB and their long throw-ins, the Jets suffered a loss of 5:0. “The game against ISB was challenging. I think other teams were really good, and they had a very good attacker. It was Mary and I on the right wing. It was really hard to dribble against the defenders of the opposing team,” said Cho (19).

ISB player Taehee Eder credited her team’s performance but acknowledged the competitive field. “DIS is a hardworking team, but I think we had a few players with stronger soccer-specific skills, which gave us an edge. I was lucky to get a throw-in goal too,” she said.

Following varsity’s tough losses, JV was eager to end the final tournament of the season on a high note. With only two teams – DIS and ISB – on the roster, the Jets played one preliminary game before advancing to the final match.

They initiated play against ISB with Hailey Tzou (55) as goalkeeper, Reina Lee (21) as right back, Sally Yun (7) as center back, Belle Kim (2) as left back, Sunny Oh (16) as center midfielder, Minji Kim (12) as attacking center midfielder and Nayoung Kim (14) as striker. 

As the whistle blew, the squad took the field with determination, ready to redeem themselves from losses at KISAC. While they maintained the ground-passing strategy, their difficulty with trapping the ball made it tough to score.

They lost rhythm, which resulted in handball calls by Yun and Reina Lee (71), then a penalty kick. Fortunately, senior goalie Hailey Tzou saved the kick which led to a hard-fought draw of 0:0. “The challenges were that Reina and I made handballs, which led to penalty kicks. Fortunately, Hailey, our goalkeeper, blocked it and covered our mistakes,” Yun (7) said. 

Aiming to redeem the earlier loss, the rookies entered the finals with hope. However, they struggled to match the Bears’ pace and conceded a goal in the first half (1:0). 

They failed to recover from the early score and concluded the season in a 2:0 loss. “Overall, it was a good game, even if our team lost. We tried our best, and we all showed good passing. [We] showed organizations as defenders and strikers. All JV members put all their efforts into the game,” Yun (7) said.

With no path to the championship, varsity and JV played an intrasquad. Though it was an internal showdown between teammates, they approached the game with competitive energy.

Varsity played with confidence and chemistry, ultimately securing a 4:0 win in the internal scrimmage. “Even though our team lost the earlier games, I think we tried our best. Our defense and offense worked together, and we never gave up because Coach Faille was always supporting us and giving feedback,” said Sarah Cho. 

Wrapping up the season, Cho (0) and Wang (1) earned the all-tournament award, signaling rising potential for next year’s squad.

While the girls didn’t return to Daegu with a trophy, their season showcased promise for next year. “Mr. Faille and I like to see consistent plays from middle school. This year, with a lot of keen and motivated ninth graders joining who are also very skilled, we saw a chance to rebuild and reset for the future. It is their first year and they have 3 years ahead so we are excited to see how that builds year after year,” Coach Gall said.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Tamara Trindade

Varsity girls’ captain Minori Kojima (9), despite battling injuries, holds off ISB’s attackers and delivers key passes to her teammates from the midfield. Her decisive shot shifts the momentum in favor of the Jets.