Kanoa, TanHoldings rout foes

Kanoa Football Club’s Khristelle Itaas, right, beats Matansa FC’s Leisha Sally to the ball during the second half of their girls U16 division game in the 2018 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kanoa Football Club and TanHoldings FC were on fire in their season debuts as they torched their respective opponents in the 2018 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday.

Kanoa pounded Matansa FC, 11-0, in the last girls U16 game in the opening week of the spring league at the Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Field, while in the boys U18 match at the Hopwood Middle School Field, TanHoldings also shutdown Matansa FC, 7-0.

Mark Esalan starred in TanHoldings’ easy win over Matansa after drilling four goals. Joshua Waldo, Albert Bergancia, and John Michael Rojas contributed one goal each. Esalan started things off for TanHoldings with his goal in the 38th minute and then also led the squad’s break away in the second as he logged three of the team’s last four. He made back-to-back goals in the 61st and 69th minute and the last in the 75th.

Waldo handed TanHoldings its second goal in the 42nd, while Rojas made it a 3-1 lead for the team in the 53rd, and Bergancia joined the scoring surge with his conversion in the 71st minute.

In the Kanoa-Matansa tiff in the girls U16 division, the former also broke the game wide open in the second half after holding on to a 2-0 halftime edge.

Sharmaine Francisco and Paulynn Joyce alternately knocked in the first four goals for Kanoa in the second half and the former ended up registering four and matching the latter’s output. Joyce scored the first goal in the match in the 21st and had her three others in the 40th, 44th, and 68th minute. Francisco’s goals, on the other hand, came in the 37th, 42nd, 50th, and 55th minute.

Kiara Nichole Manganti and Yejin Ha delivered the other goals for Kanoa with the former having a pair.

In other results in the girls U16 division, MP United FC also eased past Southern United FC, 8-3.

Stellalou McCallion towed MP United to its season debut win after firing four goals, which came in succession, as she scored in the 23rd, 25th, 41st, and 55th minute. Francesa Bucalig added two with her shots in the second and 15th minute, while Marielle Fiona Bucalig and Audrey Castro delivered in the 22nd and 63rd, respectively.

Isabella Evangelista posted two goals for Southern United when she found the back of the net in the fifth and 49th minute, while Keisha Deleon Guerrero made the other one in the 65th.

TanHoldings joined MP United and Kanoa on the winners list in the opening week after topping Paire FC in the second game, 4-1.

Four different players hit the board for TanHoldings with Mary Joy Aniana, Andrei Kaithlyn Chavez, Emalyn Aniana, and Judy Ann Andebor scoring in the 30th, 33rd, 45th, and 68th minute. Paire’s lone goal was courtesy of Tasilyn Ramon, who averted the squad’s shutout loss after finding her target in the 43rd minute.

Meanwhile, the other boys U18 division match at the Hopwood pitch had Kanoa outclassing National Development Academy, 4-1.

Andrew Omelau registered a pair of goals for Kanoa, while Brian Lubao and Merrick Toves chipped in one apiece. Toves and Lubao scored in the fifth and 32nd minute for Kanoa’s 2-0 halftime lead, while Omelau’s two goals were made in the 61st and 74th minute. Gillian Villlagomez posted the only goal for NDA, which is made up of the boys U18 and female players under the CNMI national training pool.