FAIRBANKS – An emotional Charly Kelly searched for words to describe the moment Saturday morning at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The Yukonʼs junior female soccer team had just claimed gold with a 5-1 win over Northwest Territories in the last game many of the young athletes will ever play together.

"Itʼs awesome,” coach Kelly told the Star through tears only moments after the victory. "Itʼs been an amazing group of girls. Theyʼre wonderful. Theyʼre so tight. Everybody gets along well. Weʼve had a great, great run.”

Kelly has poured many years into the development of this team, and has enjoyed varying degrees of success at the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games, the 2012 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, and the 2013 Canada Summer Games.

"Iʼve been coaching them since they were eight,” she explained. "This is it for us. This is the end of our team.”

First-half goals by Jaylene Kelly and Camille Galloway gave the Yukon some breathing room entering the break in the championship game.

But after N.W.T.ʼs Hannah Mantla snuck a ball past keeper Samantha Burgis midway through the second half to bring the score to within one, the game became somewhat of a white-knuckle ride – until the two-minute warning.

Thatʼs when leading scorer Samantha Wintemute scored two quick goals to put the Yukon up 4-1. And they werenʼt done there, as Hannah Milner buried one more for good measure.

Wintemute finished the tournament second in scoring, with seven goals.

"Itʼs the last time our team will get to play together, because lots of them are going off to university,” the 16-year-old striker said post-game. "We thought we were going to finish off with a bang, and we definitely did. It feels really good.”

Jaylene Kelly, a 17-year-old senior on the squad, is one of the players heading to school in the fall.

"Weʼve been playing together for a very long time,” she said of the secret to her teamʼs success. "Weʼve been working outdoor and indoor and weʼve done so many practices … I was here since the very first day nine years ago. Most of the team has been together at least six years.

"Itʼs the perfect way to end it off. We went and got a gold medal last year, and now to bring home two gold medals is just perfect.”

The win capped an unbeaten tournament for Team Yukon.

Coach Kelly said the teamʼs history together played a huge factor in their success.

"Weʼve been together for so long, that they know where theyʼre going on the field of play,” she explained. "I think it just becomes instinctive.”

N.W.T. captain Hannah Bond said her team did very well, despite the loss.

"We werenʼt expecting to get into the gold-medal game, so we were super happy with that,” the 17-year-old from Yellowknife said. "We were hoping to have a comeback, but I think our whole defence just broke down in the last few minutes.”

Bond said the Yukonʼs big-tournament experience was evident in their poise and precision.

"They are a strong team,” she said. "They know how to move the ball and they know how to get around us.”

In the junior male category, the Yukon won bronze 5-1 over Alaska Saturday.

Dominic Korn scored a natural hat trick to stake the territory to a 3-0 lead, giving him six on the tournament. Allen Mark and Andrew Scoffin added singles in the win.

Greenland beat N.W.T. 6-2 to win gold.