Under the bright lights of the National Stadium on Friday night, Cavalier etched their name in Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) history, clinching back-to-back championships in a dramatic 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over Mount Pleasant Academy. This was after both teams had played to a 0-0 draw at full and extra time. But while the silverware marked a crowning achievement for the team, for goalkeeper Vino Barclett, the night carried a deeper, more emotional significance.

Amid the celebrations and roars from jubilant fans, Barclett’s thoughts were with someone whose presence still lingers in the heart of the club, the late Princess Yee, who passed away on March 16 of a heart attack after watching her beloved Cavalier’s 1-0 victory over Dunbeholden at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex. As he hoisted the trophy, Barclett dedicated the triumph to the beloved figure, describing the victory not just as a football milestone for the club, but as a tribute to a woman who meant the world to him and to the entire Cavalier family.

“This one was for her,” Barclett said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Princess Yee’s spirit has been with us every step of the way.”

“Miss Princess was like a mother to me. She was my Jamaican mother because I could call on her for anything and she would be there for me,” Barclett said, holding back emotion after the win. “It is a sad feeling that she is not here tonight to see us winning back-to-back titles, but I knew that I had to do it for her.”

Barclett, originally from St Vincent and the Grenadines, said that Yee was not just a fan, she was family.

“If you see my post on Instagram, it says, ‘One more 90, have to do it for Miss P.’ And we did it for her, and that is a joyful feeling,” he said.

Yee was known for going above and beyond to support the club, not just showing up to matches, but making personal sacrifices to help players with transportation and emotional support.

“She was also the mother of Cavalier because she would go out of her way to do anything for each and every player,” Barclett said. “Losing her was a sad feeling for all of us.”

He recalled the heartbreaking moment she fell ill at a match in March.

“She came to support us as always and then she suddenly fell ill, and I went to the hospital and it was a sad result,” Barclett shared. “We all went to the funeral to support her family, so tonight, we just did it for her.”

Among the tearful faces in the crowd Friday night was Yee’s daughter, Tiffany Wong, who was overcome with emotion, as she described the victory as bittersweet.

“My mom has been a huge supporter of the Cavalier team since they came into the JPL,” Wong said as tears streamed down her face. “She was very close to the players, and these are her boys.

“You will hear a lot of them referring to her as Miss P or Miss Princess. They were all there when she was being put into the ambulance. They came to the hospital and I was the one who had to give them the heartbreaking news. It hurt them deeply because she was literally a second mother to them.”

“It’s very sad she is not here for this moment, but they told me they were going to do it for her, and they did it for her. I know she is in heaven smiling down on them now. I am super proud of them, because I know they carried the weight of her death with them. But she believed in her boys and I just had to believe in them too.”