The side also qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games Qualifier Play-off against New Zealand leaving Maino confident she will be back in Papua New Guinea again soon.
“That was such an awesome feeling for me because we were on home soil,” she says of the fourth consecutive gold medal she and her teammates secured.
“To have our fans and our parents be there to support us throughout, it was just awesome.”
Maino proved herself an integral member of coach Gary Philips’ squad starting all four of Papua New Guinea’s matches during the XV Pacific Games in Port Moresby, including the final against New Caledonia.
Maino moved to the United States of America with her aunt and uncle five years ago to attend high school and is now preparing for her sophomore year at College of the Canyons in Southern California.
Her first season with College of the Canyons saw her spend her freshman season at right back where she started all but two of her team’s 22 matches.
The Cougars finished the year with an impressive 16 wins, 2 draws and four losses, and won their fourth-straight Western State Conference title.
Maino’s first taste of the international scene was during Papua New Guinea’s tour of Singapore and Thailand in March, an experience that forced her to make quick friends.
“I was definitely nervous because I had no idea who the other girls were,” she says.
“I just went out there, did my thing, played football.”
It’s the same approach she took during the Pacific Games and could well be one of the qualities that had Philips add her to his starting line-up.
While a strong defender, she also made some creative advances and could be one of the differences come Olympic Play-off time.
The dates are yet to be finalised, but Maino has already stated her commitment to the national team.
“I had to come back right after the games so I could get back into training here,” she says, ” but I plan to be back for the home-and-away play-off to try and help us win the right to go to the Olympics next year.”
For more on Papua New Guinea football visit www.pngfootball.com.pg

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