Pagarao leads; Brennfleck, Hix tied

Kanoa Football Club’s Irish Pagarao, left, takes a shot during their game against TanHoldings Football Club in the 2020 Dove Women’s Spring League last month at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kanoa Football Club’s Irish Pagarao, Paire’s Shawna Brennfleck, and TanHoldings Football Club’s Tamia Hix are the top contenders for the Golden Boot awards in their respective divisions early into the 2020 Dove Women’s Spring League.

Pagarao plays in Division A and her four goals put her in first place in the rankings of players with the most goals in the competition, which is still suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She jumped to the top spot after delivering a hat trick in their 6-3 victory over Shirley’s Football Club last March 11. Pagarao earlier got one goal in Kanoa’s season-debut win over TanHoldings Football Club, 4-1.

The Kanoa striker is just slightly ahead of her teammate Paulyn Joyce and TanHoldings’ Katrina Costales, who registered three goals apiece after two matches. Joyce notched a pair of goals in their first victory this season and added one more in Kanoa’s triumph over Shirley’s last month. Costales, on the other hand, posted all her three goals in TanHoldings’ 6-1 win over Shirley’s.

Meanwhile, two more TanHoldings players—Kaithlyn Chavez and Britany Wally—are very much in the race for the Golden Boot award as they have scored two goals apiece. Shirley’s Jannah Casarino is the third player to earn two goals early in the season in Division A, while Kanoa’s Sharmaine Francisco, Kristelle Itaas, and Stephanie Flores and Shirley’s Marinel Falalimpa have one each.

In Division B, Brennfleck and Hix are tied for the lead after making five goals apiece.

Brennfleck had a rousing start this season after drilling a hat trick in Paire’s 5-0 demolition of Kanoa and then collected twin goals in their shutout win over MP United 2 last March 11, 4-0.

Hix joined Brennfleck on top after firing four goals and lifting TanHoldings to a 10-1 triumph over MP United 1 last month. Hix’s other goal was logged in their 6-1 win against MP United 2 during the league’s opening week in February.

MP United Football Club 1’s Somia Quan, right, kicks the ball out during their game against Shirley’s Football Club in the 2020 Dove Women’s Spring League last month at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

At close second behind Hix and Brennfleck are the former’s teammate, Rizza Relucio and MP United 1’s Ivan Clare Gozum. Relucio bagged two goals apiece in their victory over MP United 1 and 2, while Gozum had a pair in their draw to Shirley’s and one each versus TanHoldings and MP United 2.

Other players with multiple goals in Division B are MP United 1’s Somia Quan (three), Heather Zona, (three), and Kayla Atalig (two), Shirley’s Football Club’s Marielle Gariguez (three) and Megan Elayda (three), TanHoldings’ Julie Capayas (2), and Paire’s Lindsay Davis (two).

TanHoldings’ Catherine and Claire Barrozo and Judy Ann Andebor, MP United 1’s Samantha Babauta, MP United 2’s Bunruang Brasuelle, Paire’s Natalie Hill-Beyer and Michelle Masga, and Shirley’s Elaine Enriquez, Stephanie Lumbad, Jhaza Mirano, and Bernadette Horey have scored one so far.