Tag: July 31

IF THE boys can do it, so can the girls.

After the Philippine Azkals’ single-handed rejuvenation of football in the country comes another squad seeking to make it’s own mark in regional competitions. And leading the “Malditas,” the national women’s team, are eight Thomasian booters.

Tapped to reinforce the 27-strong squad are Lady Booters Aiza Mondero, Jane Pacaña, and Jowe-Ann Barruga as midfielders, Zipporah Luna as goalkeeper, twin sisters Marie and Marice Magdolot and Joma Clemente as defensive stoppers, and striker Nikki Regalado.

Named so for their feisty attitude in the field, the Malditas will attempt to land a spot in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup this October in Laos, a crucial stepping stone for the World Cup.

UAAP defending champion UST Golden Sox succumbed to a more agile RP U-18 via mercy rule, 0-7, in an exhibition game last July 23 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

“We were ‘off hitting’ that time,” said coach Jeffrey Santiago. “Our starters were not there in the diamond.”

Season 73 MVP Nikko Reyes, Best Pitcher Irvin Tuazon, and Gerald Mitra, who were expected to lead the fielding, were not able to play due to academic commitments.

“I actually let the new ones play,” said Santiago.

Waiting for one loose hit in the third base, Amber Plaza could have circled the bases in the fifth inning to register their first score, if not for the flyouts clubbed by three batters.

THE UST Tigresses remained undefeated in three games after surviving the Far Eastern University (FEU), 66-65, in their UAAP match-up at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City last July 24.

Mary Galicia won the game for UST after splitting her free throws on an unsportsmanlike foul, with a second left in the fourth quarter. The Tigresses earlier went ahead, 65-64, after Paula Bombeo scored on a drive with 2:35 minutes left in the game clock.

The Lady Tamaraws forced the fifth deadlock of the game via split charities by Marilourd Borja. They had a chance to take the lead following an offensive rebound, but UST stole the ball, forcing Borja to foul Galicia.

THE UST Golden Sox have recruited a top rookie, who is a veteran of major international tournaments.

At 15, Christian Mercado was a member of the RP Youth 15-16 team, which claimed the top spot in the Asia Pacific Baseball Tournament after defeating Indonesia at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last July 3.

The RP team defeated Indonesia via mercy rule, 10-0, to book a ticket in the World Little League Series in Maine, USA on August 14 to 21.

Although the national team bowed to Guam, 3-4, it was awarded a win-over-the-other and quotient-system advantage after Indonesia defeated Guam. Thus, the Philippines remained in contention in the single-round robin competition.

THE GOLDEN Booters stumbled against the University of the East, 0-1, in the Ang Liga Football Cup at the San Beda football field last July 23.

Tho Booters had several opportunities to score, only to be denied by UE’s tough defense. John Llaguno scored the lone goal of the game. UST now has a 0-1-1 win-loss-draw card.

Assistant coach Kim Versales blamed the loss on the players’ lack of sufficient preparation.

“The players have the skills, but still they lack blending and communication,” he said. “The bad weather also caused a lot of adjustments for the team, especially on how they pass and kick the ball.”

UST came close to an equalizer in the second half, but Fidel Kue’s attempt bounced off the upper post.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP came when they least expected it.

Placing fourth in the eliminations, the chances of the UST Male Shuttlers seizing the title were probably next to nil. But with a surprise entry to the Finals and a pulsating 3-2 win against De La Salle University, they proved that anything could happen.

Such was the story of last season and for coach Noli Cajefe, he would prefer the same underdog seeding going into this year’s UAAP tournament. After all, he will no longer have the services of MVP Paulo Dawal, who graduated last March.

But here are the Male Shuttlers, defending the title with some serious handicap, a challenge Cajefe is most willing to take on.

THE TIGRESSES gave basketball heavyweight Adamson University all it could handle before succumbing to the Lady Falcons’ torrid three-point shooting in the final quarter and settling for a 75-86 loss at the Araneta Coliseum last July 22.

A ferocious fourth-quarter run was not enough to salvage the game for UST, which fell to a 1-2 win-loss card in the UAAP.

“It just so happened that they (Lady Falcons) had a high percentage of three-pointers,” head coach Juli Amos said. “But if it were an up-close fight, we would have had a better chance of winning.”

THE ERRATIC Tigresses absorbed their second loss in three outings, bowing to the UP Lady Maroons, 44-55, at the Philsports Arena last July 25.

Despite playing solid defense, the Tigresses didn’t take care of the ball well against the Lady Maroons, which was pretty much the story of behind the 33-56 drubbing they got in the hands of the defending champion Far Eastern University.

Against UP, the Tigresses committed 33 turnovers, which the Lady Maroons converted into 24 points.

“They had good defense but their composure was lost because they were rushing,” coach Julie Amos said. “They were still half-hearted during the game and forgot to look for mismatches.”

The first half was close with UST leading 25-23. But passing errors in the third quarter allowed UP to gain the upperhand, 36-32.

THOMASIAN athletes now have every reason to go “home” after a hard day’s work.

Their new home, the GMG Active Dormitory, has gotten an upgrade, befitting top-class athletes who have made UST perennial UAAP champions.

Surveillance cameras were installed in each floor to ensure the security of the entire dormitory, which currently houses 199 athletes.

This way, the management can efficiently monitor the situation inside the premises.

Upon the University’s request, grills were also constructed around the building to prevent thieves from climbing up the walls of the dorm. There’s also an ample number of security guards.

Besides the strict security arrangements, athletes are also served three meals a day, free of charge. A new cook was hired, supervised by his predecessor, to ensure that no substandard food is served.

AS THEIR rebuilding stage progresses, the UST Golden Booters kicked off their pre-season tune ups with a morale-boosting 2-0 opener against De La Salle-Lipa in the Ang Liga Football Cup last July 26 at the San Beda College football field.

“We don’t have many problems in our offense and defense. The players just need more experience and exposure,” said Golden Booters’ head coach Marjo Allado. “Our ball movement is good but we still need to look into how we finish.”

The ball rolled inside UST’s bailiwick for most of the game, showing a more offensive-minded squad throughout the duel.

The defensive wit of De La Salle-Lipa goalkeeper Gregg Atijon was tested for the nth time, with UST firing a series of attempts to the goal. Finally, Golden Booter Mandy Lunag sidestepped countless La Salle defenders to unleash a fiery kick, giving UST a vital one-point advantage as the ball kissed the net at the 24th minute of the first half.