Ta isacan, Joyner nab hat-tricks in MISO boys soccer

 Marianas High School’s John Taisacan and Saipan International School’s Jehn Joyner both scored hat-tricks in last Friday’s Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization boys soccer games at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

Taisacan helped the Dolphins triumph over Northern Marianas Academy-Marianas Baptist Academy (0-3) in the first tiff, 4-2, while the Geckos pulled off a nice second half come back over the Kagman High School Ayuyus (1-3) in the second pairing, 4-2. With the win, MHS improved its record to 2-1, while after a delayed start SIS fared well in its season debut.

In other results, the defending champion Saipan Southern High School Manta Rays (3-0) defeated Marianas High School, 2-1, last Tuesday, while KHS routed NMA-MBA, 5-1, last Monday. Monday and Tuesday’s games were played at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

In Friday’s curtain raiser, NMA-MBA’s Min Sung Kim and Everest Van Der Maas II netted a couple of early goals in the eight and 22nd minute of the opening half, but MHS’s John Taisacan split the deficit just before the break in the 29th minute.

The Dolphins then roared ahead with three goals in the second half. Lin Zhi Peng tied it up for the Dolphins with a quick goal in the 37th minute of the closing stanza. Taisacan then fired home two more strikes for the hat-trick in the 47th and 61st minutes of the contest.

Then in Friday’s second match, SIS also fell behind early, 0-2, as Kagman’s Angelo Guevarra and Jack Tanapon found the back of the net in the 17th and 21st minutes of the first half. However, Joyner kept the Geckos in the game with a late goal with less than five minutes remaining in the first half.

KHS did a good job disrupting SIS’ game plan in the first half, but the Geckos got wiser and took over in the second half. Taek Han Yoon’s goal in the 44th minute of the match tied the count at 2-all, before Joyner provided the go-ahead point in the 53rd minute and then notched the hat-trick five minutes later via a penalty kick in the 58th minute of the final period.

Last Tuesday, Southern and MHS were knotted at intermission, 1-all, as the Rays’ Hae Sung Lee and the Dolphins’ John Taisacan hit the board for their respective clubs. Then Yong Joon Jeon played the hero for the Rays after scoring his lone goal in the clutch.

Last Monday, Kagman beat NMA-MBA, 5-1. The Ayuyus built a quick 3-0 lead off one goal each from Antonio Bornilla (8th minute), Anthony Foster (13th minute), and Jack Tanapon (14th minute). NMA-MBA managed a goal in the 22nd minute, but KHS would not be denied, as Bornilla and Tanapon each added a goal in the 36th and 47th minute, respectively.

The season continues today with SIS squaring off against NMA-MBA at 4pm at Hopwood.