Shirley’s FC pounces on Matansa

A Shirley’s FC goalie picks up the ball during the first half of their girls U15 division game against Matansa in the NMIFA youth league last Saturday at the Francisco Mendiola Sablan Middle School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Defending champion Shirley’s Football Club showed no signs of rust in its first game of the season following a 6-1 rout of Matansa FC in the girls U15 division of the 2017 NMIFA Youth Spring League last Saturday at the Francisco Mendiola Sablan Middle School Field.

Valeria Myers and Katrina Costales scored two goals apiece for Shirley’s, which has dominated the division in the last two years and four seasons. Jerlyn Castillo and Lillian Podziewski added one goal apiece for the defending champion’s lopsided win, while Barbara Peteru gained the lone goal for Matansa.

In the two other matches in the division, Kanoa FC and MP United FC also prevailed in their season debuts.

Kanoa played in the curtain-raiser and shut down Paire, 3-0. Paulyn Grace Joyce knocked down back-to-back goals for Kanoa, making her first in the 26th minute and the second in the 38th. Ericka Santiago logged the last goal for Kanoa in the 57th minute.

In the second game, MP United edged TanHoldings, 4-2.

Maury Zon Tybaco powered MP United past TanHoldings after drilling a brace. She scored her pair of goals in consecutive fashion with the first coming in the 47th minute and the second just less than a minute later. Audrey Castro and Maaya Sato also hit the board for MP United in the team’s first game of the season with the former finding the back of the net right in the second minute and the latter scoring in the 26th.

As for TanHoldings’ side, Raina Avelino put her team on the board in the 29th minute, while Neriah Lumbad did the same in the 57th.

BOYS U17
TanHoldings 7, Kanoa 0
TanHoldings was victorious in the oldest age group in the youth league after whipping Kanoa at the Hopwood Junior High School Field last Saturday.

Mark Esalan anchored the easy win after firing a hat trick. His three goals were scored in succession with the first logged in the 15th minute and the last two in the 24th and 33rd. John Paul Cruz added a pair of goals with his shot in the 35th minute and 70th, while Mareko Tekopua and John Robert Tam chipped in one each.

TanHoldings took its second win in as many games for the early division lead, while Kanoa fell to a 0-0-2 win-draw-loss record.

MP United 1, Paire 0
MP United joined TanHoldings on top of the filed after outclassing Paire in the other game in the division last weekend.

Skyler Poon registered the lone goal in the match in the 29th minute to hand Paire a loss in its first assignment of the season.

CO-ED U12
Kanoa-1 12, Kanoa-2 1
Kanoa-1 showed no love lost to sister team Kanoa-2 as the former coasted to its second win in as many games.

Daniel Mark Pablo fired five goals to lead Kanoa-1’s domination of Kanoa-2. Sean Gil chipped in three, while Jim Kurt Maniago, Markus Toves, John Mark Anastacio, and Joe Emil Antonio made one apiece. Angel Olaes posted the lone goal for Kanoa-2, which dropped to a 0-0-2 card.

TanHoldings 7, MP United 5
In the other co-ed U12 division game, TanHoldings pulled off an upset over spring season defending champion MP United.

Anthon John Bergancia had a hat trick to help TanHoldings gain its first win after bowing to Kanoa-1 during the league’s opening week. Angelo Pulido and Joseph Mark Roque contributed one goal apiece for TanHoldings, while the names of the two other scorers on the team were not indicated in the game’s official match report.

Andrew Chung made four goals on a losing effort for MP United, which drew one goal from Dev Bachani.