The Tribune

THE Kingsway Academy Saints are still celebrating as the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools senior girls soccer champions.

The Saints entered the playoffs as the No.4 seeds, but they ended up as the champions after they pulled off a 2-0 victory over the St Anne’s Bluewaves. The Bluewaves won their regular season match-up with a 3-1 decision, so it was payback time for the Saints when it counted the most.

Kingsway Academy had to get past the St Andrew’s Hurricanes in their semifinal match-up. In that game, the Saints had to go to overtime before they prevailed with the victory in a penalty shootout. Coach Vandyke Bethel said the Saints are a relentless team in the pursuit of their goals.

“Going into the game we were prepared,” said D’Ante Hanna, who scored the first goal during the championship game. “Despite the odds of one of our prominent players being injured, we were determined to come out victorious and by God’s grace and mercies we won the championship.”

Team captain Dena Ingraham, who scored the second goal to win the championship, said it was not an easy win. “We were faced with many challenges this season, but we never lost the desire to win,” she said.

“Due to a sudden injury, I was unable to play at the beginning of the season. However, I was determined to make a difference on my return. Working as a team we were able to overcome many obstacles. As Phil Jackson, head coach of the Chicago Bulls, once said: ‘The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.’”

Vandyke said teamwork played an integral part in their championship feat.