19 Named to NMI Women's All-Stars

By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

NMI soccer coach Jason Higgins has named the commonwealth’s Women’s All-Star Team that will compete against Guam in an exhibition match on Labor Day here.

Making the team were Nikki Gabaldon, Divya Sharma, Zoe Jewell, Madison Smith, Becca Newman, Roxie Lamar, Allison Livingston, Lindsay Davis, Emily Gries, Tomoko Kawakata, Nicole LeBlanc, Patty Coleman, Francine Sablan, D’Lonsool, Jenny Linden, Erica Olopai, Morgan Rose, Brenda Schultz and Ashley Hofschneider. One more player will be named to the team later.

Higgins held tryouts for the NMI Women’s All-Stars last Thursday and Friday at the CPA Field and liked what he saw during the trials.

“I’m happy with the turnout of the tryouts and I am especially please that some high school students showed up. Two high school girls made the team and I look forward to working with them in the next two weeks,” Higgins said.

Smith and Jewell of Saipan International School were the two high school students who made the team.

“The team needs a lot of polishing, but there is some raw talent. They need to work on basic skills and that is one of my main focuses, as well as individual and team defense. Their best attribute though is their willingness to learn,” Higgins said.
“I want to have a team that is willing to try and play a skillful style of football and also display solid defending characteristics,” he added.

The NMI female strikers will challenge the Guam team which is composed of several members of its national team and players from other soccer clubs on Saipan’s neighboring island.

This will be the second time that the NMI will be facing Guam female strikers.
In April this year, the NMI Women’s National Team collided with Guam’s National Squad in the inaugural Marianas Football Cup at the GFA Complex and Training Facility Field in Harmon.

The host shut out the NMI bets, 9-0.

Zoe is in junior high. Madison, Erica, and Ashley are high school students. Go All-Stars!