The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) Dragons and Windsor School both joined their junior teams to double up as champions in the senior division of the 2025 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Soccer Championships yesterday at the Roscow AL Davies Soccer Field.

The Dragons forced the QC Comets to leave the championship round empty-handed with a 3-1 victory in the senior girls’ matchup. And in the senior boys’ matchup, Windsor turned back the St Andrew’s Hurricanes 2-1 to wrap up the season as the senior boys’ champions.

Lyford Cay vs Queen’s College 

The Lyford Cay Dragons were defeated by the QC Comets in the regular season but got revenge when it counted the most - in the finals.

Co-head coaches Sara Ilgenfritz and Annisa Albury expressed how it felt to be crowned the senior girls’ champions.

“It is good, we have been working hard and I feel great about it.  We do this everyday. We are just excited and so proud of our school. Our school puts a lot of effort into our programme and I think that shined today as well,” coach Albury said.

The coaches admitted that there were some setbacks coming into the final round but now the focus is on defending their title at the 2025 National High School Soccer Championships.

“We lost our regular season game against QC and we came in with a couple girls off the island. We knew we were gonna have to work honestly. 

“The skill is there, the talent is there, but today it was really about digging deep and it was about players stepping up and taking charge of the game when we needed them to in multiple different positions. It was really a team win,” coach Ilgenfritz said. 

“We are just so proud of them and are aiming to defend our national championship,” coach Albury continued.

The Dragons’ Issa Bournas scored the first goal of the contest at the 2nd minute before the Comets’ Eydan Hamilton equalised at the 28th minute for a tied score 1-1.

The score remained unchanged at the halftime break, leaving the title up for grabs.

Bournas secured the brace early in the second half of play. 

She beat all of the QC defenders for an on-target kick just inside the 18-yard box to help Lyford Cay pull away 2-1.

An own goal by QC’s Afreen Fathima put the Comets in an insurmountable 3-1 hole and they never recovered.

The Lyford Cay International School Dragons will now prepare for the soccer nationals set for next month. 

Windsor vs St Andrew’s

It was a high intensity matchup between Windsor School and the St Andrew’s Hurricanes in the senior boys’ division.

Despite the defensive game of the Hurricanes, Windsor would leave the matchup as the champions with their opponents failing to get on the scoreboard until the 68th minute. 

Head coach Killian Lyons was overjoyed to haul the title back to the western side of the island.

“I am delighted. It has been a long time coming and a lot of work. I can’t say enough about these guys - six o’clock sessions before school so they have put in the work and bought into the process. I can’t be prouder of them,” he said.

Windsor’s senior boys joined their junior girls, who won the title on Tuesday against Queen’s College, as champions.

Coach Lyons was happy to leave the championships with two titles.

“That is even better. Having double champions is an unbelievable feeling. It’s a credit to coach Katie and all the credit to all the boys so I am absolutely over the moon and at a loss for words,” he said.

Windsor drew the first blood at the 17th minute of the first half. Makaio Johnson cleaned up a goal which was misfired by his teammate to give the team a 1-0 cushion going into halftime.

Both teams played stellar defence in the second half which did not bode well for the Hurricanes, who desperately needed a goal to at least force extra time.

They would eventually get a much-needed goal from Tadan Ferguson late in the contest to pull within 1 (2-1). 

Coach Lyons said he encouraged his team to play calm football with the Hurricanes mounting a late surge and they held on for the victory.

“In the first half we had a lot of control over the game and we were playing some really nice football. We just couldn’t get the ball in the net which is obviously the main thing you need. I was just trying to calm them down and when we were playing calm football that’s when we were playing our best. We started getting hectic and rushing the ball and made it into a tough game for ourselves. I think once we played football that was it,” he said.

Windsor’s Kaleb Holder  eventually put the nail in the coffin with a penalty kick at the 68th minute to close the Hurricanes’ championship window.

The Hurricanes tried to equalise but their attempt was waved off as Windsor’s goalkeeper was fouled prior to their shot.

St Andrew’s and Windsor will pivot their attention to the soccer nationals.

Earlier in the week, Windsor School was crowned the BAISS junior girls’ champions and the LCIS Dragons claimed the junior boys’ title.

The 2025 National High School Soccer Championships is slated for May 21-22 and May 29-30 at the Roscow AL Davies Soccer Field.