Category Champions League Consolation Final
Learning Unlimited vs Dr. Martin Luther King: result 4 – 3 (at halftime 2 - 3)
Goal scorers Learning Unlimited: Noah Ledee with 2 goals, Oliver Hobgood with 1 goal. Jan Lucas van der Plaas scored 1 goal and made 2 assists.
Goal scorers Dr. Martin Luther King: D'Angelo Thompson with 2 goals and Malachi Serrant with 1 goal. Jason Arandel made 1 assist.
Dr. Martin Luther King was the stronger team in the first half and was leading at the halftime whistle. Learning Unlimited regrouped in the second half tying the game and ultimately scoring the winning goal shortly before the final whistle. Learning Unlimited finished in third place and Dr. Martin Luther King in fourth.
Category Girls 13+U Consolation Final
Sr. Magda vs Sr. Regina: result 2 – 0
Sr. Regina conceded the win to Sr. Magda. Sr. Magda finished in third place and Sr. Regina in fourth place.
Category 11+U Consolation Final
Leonald Connor vs Sr. Magda FC: result 5 – 1 (at halftime 3 – 0)
Goal scorers Leonald Connor: Philando Parchment with 3 goals and 1 assist. Tyrese Whyte and Drae Murray each scored 1 goal.
Goal scorer Sr. Magda FC: Jaden Leonard scored the lone goal for Sr. Magda FC.
Notwithstanding the score, Sr. Magda's goal keeper Oliver de Vries put on a great performance commented on by many. Leonald Connor finished in third place and Sr. Magda FC in fourth place, which coincides with the result in the standings after the competition round.
Category 13+U Consolation Final
Charles Leopold Bell vs SXM Schools United: result 2 – 5 (at halftime 2 – 2)
Goal scorer Charles Leopold Bell: Abiiah Adamson with 2 goals, both times he was assisted by Paul Attyl.
Goal scorers SXM Schools United: Jean Jacques Craane scored 3 times; Amadeus Aventurin and Michele Palella each scored 1 goal. Assists were made by Gilmar Blackman, Jerome Chittick, Michele Palella and Jean Jacques Craane.
In the first half both teams were equally strong, which was reflected in the halftime scored of 2 – 2. After the break SXM Schools United made some tactical changes which made the difference in the game. SXM Schools United finished in third place and Charles Leopold Bell in fourth.
Category Girls 13+U Final
Hillside Christian All Stars vs Leonald Connor: result 1 – 4 (at halftime 0 – 1)
Goal scorer Hillside Christian All Stars: Desreena Boston scored 1 goal after an assist by Zanzi Brook.
Goal scorers Leonald Connor: Karoline Quispe de los Santos, Stephanie Medina-Bran and Dorothy James each scored 1 goal. The fourth goal was the result of an own goal by Hillside's All Stars.
Hillside Christian All Stars, which dominated the competition round of play, was unable to find its rhythm today versus a fired-up Leonald Connor. Leonald Connor is the champion in the 13+U Girls category. Hillside Christian All Stars is the runner-up.
Category 11+U Final
Learning Unlimited Goal Machines vs Sr. Regina Goal Getters: result 7 – 2 (at halftime 2 – 2)
Goal scorers Learning Unlimited Goal Machines: Noah Ledee with 4 goals and 1 assist; Jan Lucas van der Plaas with 2 goals and 1 assist and Oliver Hobgood with 1 goal and 2 assists. Another useful player was Devin Liao with 2 assists.
Goal scorers Sr. Regina Goal Getters: William Mulder and Reshawn Eustase both with 1 goal. Reshawn Eustase assisted once.
Learning Unlimited Goal Machines is the champion in the 11+U category and Sr. Regina Goal Getters is the runner-up. In the first half both teams started out as each other's equals, but Learning Unlimited slowly but surely got stronger. Noah Ledee, Learning Unlimited's top scorer, found his footing again after being sick and underperforming during last week's Champions League One-Day tournament. Being back in full health Noah did what he does best, scoring goals. At the award ceremony he was fondly called the next Messi by the players of the opposing teams when receiving the Point Getter Award trophy. A great compliment indeed.
Category 13+U Final
Leonald Connor vs Ruby Labega: result 6 – 2 (at halftime 2 – 2)
Goal scorers Leonald Connor: Gamy Charles scored 3 goals and Isael Medina-Bran scored 2 goals. Hemproy Williams assisted once.
Goal scorer Ruby Labega: Ricardo Sommers scored 2 goals.
This was the first time that the two teams played each other after finishing the round of pool play undefeated; Leonald Connor the winner of pool A and Ruby Labega the winner of pool B. During the first half both teams were equally strong. Ruby Labega, which just rejoined the SMSEF Interscholastic Soccer Tournament after a couple of years of absence, was than overclassed by Leonald Connor's fast experience of playing finals during the second half. Leonald Connor is this year's 13+U champion. Ruby Labega is the well-deserved runner-up
The finals were directly followed by the award ceremony. A number of dignitaries were present among which Member of Parliament Ms. Silveria Jacobs and the Head of the Department of Sports Ms. Jonelle Richardson, who both assisted with the prize giving. Also in attendance were teachers and school principals, which was greatly appreciated. The fourth place teams received a certificate as consolation finalists. The top three in each category received a team trophy and individual medals for the players made possible by the tournament's main sponsor TelEm. They also received monetary vouchers to assist the school's soccer program worth either NAf. 500,-, NAf. 300 - or NAf. 200,-.
Individual prizes were awarded in each category for the following: Best Goal Keeper, Best Defensive Player, Point Getter Award and Most Valuable Player (M.V.P.). In addition, there was a trophy for the Most Disciplined Team in each category.
Girls 13+U category:
Best Goal Keeper: Kathlyn Vlaun (Sr. Madga)
Best Defensive Player: Rawlisha Busby (Sr. Magda)
Point Getter Award: Desreena Boston (Hillside Chistian All Stars)
M.V.P.: Karoline Quispe de los Santos (Leonald Connor)
Most Disciplined Team: Dr. Martin Luther King
7+U category:
Best Goal Keeper: Brandon Jackson (Leonald Connor)
Best Defensive Player: Riachelle Alexander (Sr. Magda Rockstars)
Point Getter Award: Ajani Blake (Learning Unlimited Hotshots)
M.V.P.: Marshall Leone (Learning Unlimited Hotshots)
Most Disciplined Team: Sr. Magda Greenboys
9+U category:
Best Goal Keeper: Keith Gittens (Sr. Magda Athletics)
Best Defensive Player: Bernardo Nisbeth-Lopez (Charles Leopold Bell)
Point Getter Award: Gianni Fer (Sr. Magda Athletics)
M.V.P.: Xable Dias (Combine Silly Shooters)
Most Disciplined Team: Sr. Regina New Stars
11+U category:
Best Goal Keeper: Joey de Miranda (Sr. Regina Goal Getters)
Best Defensive Player: Rogendrick Hally (Sr. Regina Goal Getters)
Point Getter Award: Noah Ledee (Learning Unlimited Goal Machines)
M.V.P.: Noah Ledee (Learning Unlimited Goal Machines)
Most Disciplined Team: Hillside Christian
13+U category:
Best Goal Keeper: Bernard Nisbeth (Leonald Connor)
Best Defensive Player: Darwin Pena-Ventura (Charles Leopold Bell)
Point Getter Award: Ricardo Sommers (Ruby Labega)
M.V.P.: Gamy Charles (Leonald Connor)
Most Disciplined Team: Genevieve de Weever
Champions League category:
Best Goal Keeper: Ahmed Baroud (Leonald Connor)
Best Defensive Player: Malachi Serrant (Dr. Martin Luther King)
Point Getter Award: Reshawn Eustase (Sr. Regina)
M.V.P.: Gamy Charles (Leonald Connor)
Most Disciplined Team: Learning Unlimited
A special plaque was awarded to D'Angelo Thompson, a student of Dr. Martin Luther King, for assisting with the refereeing.
Mr. Rudi Groman was honored by becoming an Honorary Board Member of the St. Maarten Educational Foundation. And the prize giving was concluded with the presentation of a special token of appreciation to Tournament Director Mrs. Fennechien Croes-de Vries for her work as the (Interim) Tournament Director of the SMSEF Interscholastic Soccer Tournament for the last four years.
This concludes the 23rd annual SMSEF Interscholastic Soccer Tournament.
