Dolphins vs Geckos in IFL finale

Marianas High School’s John Bucayo, right, battles two Kagman High School players for possession during the second half of their semis match in the 2017 NMIFA-PSS High School Interscholastic Football League last Friday at the Hopwood Middle School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Marianas High School’s varsity team and Saipan International School will dispute the boys division title in the 2017 NMIFA-PSS High School Interscholastic Football League today after eliminating their respective semis foes last Friday at the Hopwood Middle School Field.

The Geckos took the first finals set after shutting down MHS’ junior varsity team, 5-0, while the latter’s varsity squad also eased its way to the title match after blanking Kagman High School in last weekend’s second Final Four game, 8-0.

Six different players scored in MHS varsity’s demolition of the Ayuyus with John Bucayo and Shawn Castillo recording two apiece and Louie Calayag, Dai Podziewsi, Mareko Tekopua, and Sunjoon Tenorio contributing one each. The Dolphins had the semis win in the bag as early as the first half as they led, 5-0. Tekopua lit up the board first for MHS when he scored in the 10th minute, while Calayag had his shot two minutes later. Tenorio was next to find his target, doing it in the 15th minute, while Castillo made back-to-back with his first coming in the 18th and the second in the 23rd.

Bucayo, who was the Dolphins goalie in the first half, played midfield in the second and scored his pair of goals in the 36th and 49th minute, while Podziewski nailed the other goal for MHS in the 45th.

In the first semis match, Alex Park put SIS on the board right in the opening minute of their 50-minute game. Yub Yung Park made it a 2-0 lead for the Geckos in the 10th minute, while Hyun Jun Chung’s shot in the 22nd handed SIS a 3-0 halftime edge. At the resumption of the match, Jeh Yuk Jung found the bottom of the net in the 35th minute, while Jason Kim finished the job for SIS with his goal in the 45th.

The Geckos, MHS varsity and junior varsity, and Kagman advanced to the semifinals after placing in the Top 4 of the round-robin elimination. MHS varsity and SIS had similar 3-1-0 win-draw-loss record, but the former won the tiebreak for the No.1 spot with its 20 goals against the Geckos’ nine. MHS junior varsity came in at third after posting a 1-1-2 slate, while Kagman was ranked fourth after registering a 1-0-3 mark. Saipan Southern High School missed the cut as the Manta Rays held a 0-1-3 record after the elimination round.

Southern faces MHS in girls division
Meanwhile, the girls divisions finals, which will also be played today, will feature the Lady Dolphins against the Lady Rays.

MHS barged into the title game first after ousting SIS, 5-0, while Southern also took the easy way to the finale following a 6-0 triumph over Kagman High School.

The Lady Rays, the top finisher in the pool play with its 2-1-0 record, drew two goals apiece from Mary Kay Alferos, Catherine Barrozo, and Britanny Wally to dominate the Lady Ayuyus. Barroza handed Southern its first goal in the third minute and had her second in the 41st, while Wally hit the board in the 19th and 31st, and Alferos registered her two goals in the 27th and 43rd.

In the other semis game, MHS got a hat trick from Diana Maniacop to beat SIS. Maniacop scored in the 16th, 19th, and 36th minute, while the Lady Dolphins two other goals came from Katherine Magat, who posted the brace in the fifth and 45th.

Maniacop and her teammates finished the preliminary round with a 2-0-1 record to place second behind Southern, while SIS had a 1-1-1 card for the third spot, and Kagman was last with its 0-0-3 slate.