STRYKERS FC BACK ON TOP OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

PRESS RELEASE – The Bank of Guam Strykers FC are back on top of women’s football in Guam securing the 2025 Bud Light G League Women crown early Sunday evening with a 4-3 win over Guam Shipyard in the league’s championship match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.

A trio of first-half strikes from the Strykers’ top scorer Sarah Benavente converted into goals for a 3-0 advantage by the 38 th minute and the team managed enough to hold down Guam Shipyard.

“The feeling for me honestly was nerves going into the match – it was a chance to redeem ourselves from last season,” Benavente said after the match. “This time around, we really wanted it, we were ready to perform, and it’s what we did (Sunday).

“It felt really good for our team to end it with a win in the championship match. We just wanted to end the season on top and prove everyone wrong from last season – we can get the job done,” Benavente added.

Despite trailing 4-1 at halftime, Guam Shipyard continued to pressure the Strykers in the deciding half. The team was rewarded with two goals from Olivia Elliott in the final six minutes of the match, but it wasn’t enough before the final whistle.

“When Shipyard scored the goals in the second half, we just told each other to keep pushing
ourselves honestly,” Benavente said. “We ended up using our last substitution early and our
coaches told us to manage the game, work with each other to work the ball and try not to
waste our energy – whoever we had on the field, they were all we had left and we had to make
it count.”

Hinengi San Nicolas scored Guam Shipyard’s lone goal in the first half and Brienna Herdrich
scored the Strykers’ other first-half goal.

The Strykers had won the three most recent women’s league championship trophies in 2019,
2022, and 2023 before the introduction of the Bud Light G League Women in 2024, officially
replacing the Bud Light Women’s Soccer League. In 2024, the NAPA Rovers FC defeated the
Strykers 5-3 in a penalty kick shootout to hoist the inaugural Bud Light G League Women
champions trophy. The league was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Following the championship match, GFA President Valentino San Gil, GFA Executive Committee Member and Chairperson of the GFA Women’s Football Committee Kelley Barnhart and Ambros Marketing Manager Jojo Camacho presented medals and trophies in a short ceremony on the pitch.

Heavy Hitters Southern Heat received bronze medals for its third-place finish in the league and Guam Shipyard was presented with the league’s second-place trophy and silver medals. Before the final presentation, Heavy Hitters Southern Heat’s Taylor Camin accepted the league’s Golden Boot Award – her second in two seasons at the top flight level – and Guam Shipyard’s Chyna Ramirez accepted the league’s Golden Glove Award as the league’s top goalkeeper.

The Strykers were presented with the league’s Champions trophy and gold medals to conclude Sunday’s main event. The Championship match of the Bud Light G League Women was the third of four major events in the month of March held in celebration of AFC Women’s Football Day. The first, the 16th Annual Sugar and Spice Girls Middle School Festival supported by Japan Football Association, was held Mar. 9, with St. John’s School emerging as three-time champions of the festival. The second, the 11th Annual Challenge Cup Girls High School Preseason Tournament supported by Japan Football Association, was held Mar. 16 with the John F. Kennedy High School Islanders winning the title for the second year in a row.

Following Sunday’s Bud Light G League Women championship match, the fourth and final
celebratory event this month will be the 2nd Annual Tokyo Friendlies on Mar. 29, which will
feature a visiting U16 Girls team from Tokyo Football Association in a tournament against the
seven teams in the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League U17 Girls Division: ASC
Trust Islanders FC, Bank of Guam Strykers FC, Dededo SC, Guam Shipyard Wolverines, NAPA
Rovers FC, Southern Cobras SC, and Tumon Typhoons FC.

Prior to the Tokyo Friendlies tournament, the Guam U17 Women’s National Team and the
Guam Women’s/U20 Women’s National Team will play friendly matches against the visiting
Tokyo FA team Thursday and Friday, respectively. Both weekday matches will kick off at 5 p.m.
There is no entrance fee to watch the matches.

For more information about the month’s events, send an E-mail to gfafed@theguamfa.com