Kanoa, Shirley’s near finals rematch

Kanoa Football Club’s Paulynn Joyce tries to save the ball from going out during an earlier game in the girls U16 division of the 2018 NMIFA Spring Youth League at the Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kanoa Football Club and Shirley’s FC are on course for another finals collision as they took the outright semis berths in the girls U16 division of the 2018 NMIFA Spring Youth League after the elimination round concluded last Saturday at the Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Field.

Kanoa shut down Southern United, 6-0, to finish the round-robin elims on top of the team standings with its 5-1-0 win-draw-loss record. Shirley’s placed second with its 4-2-0 slate as it closed out the preliminaries with back-to-back victories—against Matansa (11-1) and Paire (4-0).

Shirley’s and Kanoa, which will have to wait for the results of the playoff games this Saturday to determine their semis opponents, dueled for the girls U15’s fall season championship last year with the latter prevailing in a shootout, 3-1, to end the former’s five-season reign in the division.

Paulynn Grace Joyce starred in Kanoa’s win over Southern United after firing four goals, while Abigail Decena and Sue Ann Huevos chipped in one each.

Southern United, with the loss, fell to a 2-0-4 mark for fifth place in the final team rankings. It will challenge No. 4 TanHoldings (3-1-2) in a playoff match this Saturday with the winner facing Shirley’s in the semifinals next week.

Shirley’s played two straight matches last weekend, meeting Paire first and drawing a pair of goals from Jerlyn Castillo to nail its third victory. Kristanna Lim and Esther Jones added one goal each. Castillo also had a brace in another shutout win for Shirley’s against the eliminated Matansa (0-1-5), while eight of her teammates hit the board, too.

In other results last Saturday, MP United (4-0-2) secured the No. 3 spot going into the playoffs after blanking Paire, 3-0. Francesca Bucalig, Audrey Castro, and Stellalou McCallion scored for MP United in the 48th, 55th, and 64th minute, respectively.

MP United and the No. 6 Paire will cross path anew this Saturday as they battle for a semis berth and the right to take on the top-ranked Kanoa in the Final Four.

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Kanoa 2, TanHoldings 1
Kanoa remained on top of the rankings with two playing weekends left in the competition following a close victory against TanHoldings at the Hopwood Middle School Field.

Ian Karl Maniago made the go-ahead goal in the 64th minute, while Kanoa (6-2-0) got an own goal in the seventh minute. TanHoldings, which is still at No. 3 with its 4-1-3 slate, drew its lone goal from Taro Goto in the 51st minute.

MP United 10, Shirley’s 0
Not far behind Kanoa at second place is MP United, which improved its mark to 5-2-1 after clobbering Shirley’s.

Rintaro Miyawaki and David Myers Jr. delivered the big blows for MP United after recording four goals apiece. Jason Quimzon and Richard Steele contributed one goal each in MP United’s demolition of the hapless Shirley’s (1-0-7).

Matansa 4, Paire 2
Lolobeyong Benito registered a hat trick to lift Matansa to a close win over Paire.

Benito posted two of his goals in the second half to help Matansa overhaul a 1-2 deficit at the break. He also tallied Matansa’s first goal in the opening frame, while Jon Villagomez nailed the pair for Paire before the losing squad went cold in the second half. Maui Johnson earned the other goal for Matansa in the final half.