The UST Lady Booters earned the right to battle in the UAAP Season 68 Football finals by outplaying defending champion and finalist De La Salle University, 1-0, last Feb. 15 at the Ateneo de Manila University (Ateneo) Field.
Coach Jade Bejemino’s wards closed the second round with a 3-3-2 win-loss-draw tally. Their victims, meanwhile, ended up with a superior 4-2-2 record for a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.
UST sophomore ace Ma. Dorelyn Mendoza scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute to propel the Lady Booters to the championships, Bejemino’s first finals stint since taking over as head coach in 2001.
“We needed to win and I am very happy that all my players were up to the challenge by playing their hearts out,” Bejemino told the Varsitarian.
Prior to Mendoza’s goal, La Salle had four-successive goal attempts, swatted by UST goalkeeper Diane Redondo.
“We would have wounded up at fourth place if we lost the game,” Bejemino explained. “We did not want that to happen.”
Bejemino said winning against La Salle in the second round was a timely morale booster.
“The win gave us the timely confidence and momentum we need to beat La Salle in the championship,” he said.
Earlier, UST registered three-straight draw matches against Ateneo, UP, and Far Eastern University.
Falling behind
On the distaff side, the UST Golden Booters fell short of gaining a finals berth after a heartbreaking loss to defending champion Ateneo, 1-4, last Feb. 16 at the Ateneo College Field.
The Season 67 bridesmaids, who were relegated to third with a 3-4-2 record, had a hard time containing Ateneo’s attacks, with ace defender Armand Esteban nursing a hamstring injury.
Trailing by two points entering the second half, UST’s Sorito Judal scored a goal in the 55th minute off Thomas Liao’s pass, but the Katipunan-based booters retaliated with two more goals to hand UST its fourth loss in the tournament.
Coach Nonnoy Carpio said the lack of experienced players in the team was his main problem.
“Some of my players sustained injuries during the season, making it more difficult for us to adjust,” Carpio said.
Earlier, UST pulled off draws against University of the East and La Salle and scraped a win against FEU (1-0).
