LADY LUCK is smiling at the UST Lady Booters these days.
Weeks after a glorious campaign in the University Games, the Season 69 bridesmaids asserted their might once again, this time carving out impressive victories over their last two assignments en route to bagging the Metro Manila Girls Football Association championship crown.
The España strikers hacked a 4-2 pounding of finals opponent De La Salle University last December 9 at the DLSU-Zobel field to cap the tournament with an immaculate 7-0 win-lose record.
Fresh from disposing a seasoned pack of former collegiate and national team standouts, the Lady Booters raced to an early 2-0 lead as Mae Salmon and Most Valuable Player Mary Ignacio began scorched La Salle’s net in the 5th and 26th minute, respectively. The Lady Archers, however, responded on a last-minute kick from Samantha Bermudez to cut the España-squad’s lead to 2-1.
A handball violation inside the opponent’s penalty area awarded Carla Pacificador a penalty kick the 53rd-minute mark to knot the count at 2-apiece before Lady Booter Ignacio scored on a grounder in the 75th minute to regain the lead for UST, 3-2.
With only a few seconds left in the clock, La Salle made a desperate attempt to score the equalizer but was penalized aftter a controversial offside call from the field official.
In frustration, La Salle decided not to field their players in stoppage time, allowing Lady Booter Dorelyn Mendaza to ultimately seal the deal with an uncontested free kick.
Prior to entering the finals, the Lady Booters dealt the Alumnae Football Club (AFC) a 5-0 whitewashing last Dec. 2 at the Ateneo High school field.
Frontliner Herlyn Mae Salmon paved the way for her teammates after rattling AFC’s net five minutes into the game. Lady Booter Mary Ignacio doused the opposition anew with another goal off a corner kick in the 10th minute, to pool UST’s lead at 2-0.
The hard-lucked AFC team then anchored its offensive fight-back on veterans Brenda Gayagoy, Marigen Ariel and Terilyn Wassel but to no avail as Ignacio unleashed two more shots that kissed the goal, giving UST a hefty four-point spread. Salmon closed the chapter in the 88th minute, nailing UST’s fifth goal off an assist from Ignacio.
“It was especially hard since we were up against national team members,” said coach Jade Bejemino, citing that the opposition had the advantage in terms of experience. “But our player’s vigor and tenacity proved to be the key,” he added.
Fated rivals
The Lady Booters previously crossed paths with UAAP archrival La Salle for a semifinals ticket last Nov. 25, dealing a 3-0 beating of the opposition.
The green-and-white battalion wasted no time swarming the UST goal seconds into the match that pushed the Lady Booters’ defense further into the field.
But the embattled UST crew was not to be denied as they tirelessly repulsed wave after wave of La Salle’s forays, mostly from frontliners Stef Pheasant and Clarisse Lazaro before the Lady Booters tightened the defensive screws. UST goalkeeper Desiree Saligao asserted her defensive prowess after successfully blocking a penalty kick from Lazaro and a corner-kick from Pheasant in the 12th minute.
With five minutes left in the first half, striker Salmon broke free from the resistance and unleashed a powerful overhead kick off a Dorelyn Mandaza feed to put UST ahead, 1-0.
Salmon’s goal seemed to have awakened the Lady Booters as Mary Ignacio followed it up in the 63rd minute, rendering La Salle’s defense in disarray.
The Taft based strikers tried bouncing back in the remaining minutes of the second half, but UST’s defense proved impenetrable as Salmon unleashed the haymaker in the 77th minute to end the match.
The Lady Booters’ also faced La Salle in the final match en route to striking gold at the University Games.
“Beating La Salle three-in-a-row was not an easy thing to do,” said Bejemino. “Capturing the title is an indication that we are on the right track toward our main goal: the UAAP title.”
