By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
HOPWOOD Middle School and Saipan International School secured their spots in the girls middle school division finals of the PSS-NMIFA Interscholastic Soccer League SY 2025–2026 on Thursday, after triumphing over their respective opponents during the semifinal matches at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.
In the first semifinal match, Hopwood delivered a clinic, defeating Dandan Middle School with ease, 4–0.
In the opening half, neither team was able to establish control of the pace. But the second half was where the real action began, as Hopwood’s offense became relentless, putting consistent pressure on the DMS defense.
As soon as the match resumed, HMS quickly went to work and needed only three minutes to net the first goal, courtesy of Darshwana Chhetri in the 28th minute, to take the lead, 1–0. Despite DMS’ efforts, they were given little time to recover due to Hopwood’s aggressiveness and were soon overwhelmed again when Princess Gariguez joined the scoring with a goal just two minutes later to stretch the lead, 2–0.
Midway through the match, DMS tried to turn the tables but failed to hold down HMS, unable to create any scoring opportunities as they remained silent. Hopwood continued to push forward and were rewarded with two more goals — another from Chhetri in the 36th minute, followed by Gariguez’s second in the 45th — to seal the 4–0 victory.
SIS vs TMS
The second semifinal was a tighter affair, but Saipan International School managed to secure a clean-sheet victory over Tanapag Middle School, 2–0, through strong defensive play.
Leilani Ruszala set the tone early for SIS, breaking the silence in the 16th minute of the first half to make it 1–0. Although TMS stood their ground, they were forced to play defense with barely any chances to strike back.
In the second half, SIS maintained the pressure and extended their lead when Melisa Namai-Scoggins scored in the 35th minute to make it 2–0. TMS still had enough time to mount a comeback but lacked the poise and strength to convert, ultimately settling for a quiet defeat.
Coming out victorious, SIS and HMS will face off in the finals today, Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 5:15 p.m., following the battle for third place between DMS and TMS at 4 p.m.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
