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Teams set for MS girls playoffs
In this file photo, Francisco M. Sablan Middle School’s Lalia Castro, second left, tries to get a handle on the ball in their game against Tanapag Middle School in the 2022-2023 NMIFA-PSS Interscholastic Soccer League at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (LEIGH GASES)
Teams are set for the final stages of girls middle school soccer in the 2022-2023 NMIFA-PSS Interscholastic Soccer League playoffs today, March 7, and Thursday, March 9.
The Hopwood Middle School Hilitais, Saipan International School Geckos, Tanapag Middle School Tatagas, and DanDan Middle School Tottots are vying for the tiara starting on Tuesday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.
At 4pm, the Hilitais will face the Tottots, then at 5pm, it’s the Geckos versus the Tatagas.
On Thursday, the third and fourth placers will take on each other at 4pm with the finals set for 5:30pm.
The last regular season games were played last Tuesday and Thursday with the Tottots taking the Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Napu Riders for a ride, 2-1, on Thursday, and the Hilitais cruising against the Tatagas, 7-2, on Tuesday.
In the Tottots-Napu Riders game, the latter drew first blood, but it was the former that had the last laugh.
Jahsmin Ramon of DMS set up the tie in the 31st minute, then teammate Kailani Laniyo broke it in the 49th minute without a retaliation from the Napu Riders as the W was handed to the Tottots.
In the Hilitais-Tatagas game, both teams were on top of the standings, but the Hilitais had the upper foot in this game.
Just two minutes in, HMS’ Yelynn Ha scored their first goal. Not 3 minutes later, teammate Kaye Ann Costales got a piece of the net for a 2-0 game.
It wasn’t enough for Ha as she scored again—still without a peep from the Tatagas. But finally, the Tatagas broke through in the 17th minute for a 3-1 game.
Then, the floodgates opened as the Hilitais’ Alyssa Borlongan scored two in a row, followed by a goal from Ha. Borlongan rounded it off with a hat-trick and shut down the Tatagas as time expired.
In the other match last Tuesday, the Geckos handed the ChaCha Ocean View Middle School Lancherus goose eggs, in a 4-0 game.
The champions of the 2021-2022 season of the NMIFA-PSS Interscholastic Soccer League were the FMS Napu Riders.
