NMRAA-Bulua NHS girls score biggest upset vs host CVRAA

MindanaoToday.com | NMRAA-Bulua NHS girls score biggest upset vs host CVRAA

By: Jack Biantan

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) represented by talented girls of Bulua National High School Lady Strikers, pulled up the biggest upset Saturday morning (July 13) in the Cebu Palarong Pambansa Girls Futsal competition so far as they whipped the defending champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu girls, 7-1, in their own home court, the world class Ateneo de Cebu Futsal court in Mandaue City, Cebu.

The win put the Lady Strikers on top of Group A with two wins and a draw. They won over Zamboanga Peninsula Athletic Association (ZPAA) and recorded a scoreless draw against a formidable National Capital Regional (NCR) earlier in the week.

They will face the second placer of Group B which will still be determined as of press time this morning. The loss sent the defending champion CVRAA-Ateneo de Cebu to the second place in Group A and will face the first placer of Group B.

In the match live-streamed in YouTube, the Bulua girls recorded a glorious win against the Cebuanos whom they caught off guard from the start to insure their place in the quarterfinals.

Norjean Palatis opened the scoring for the CdO girls as she scored her first goal in the opening minute that caught Cebuana goalkeeper Pia Fuentes off guard.

CVRAA however did not take the goal with bow heads as the Magis Gals responded quickly after the restart. Team captain Jodi Banzon saw a defensive gap outside the penalty arc to score a booming equalizer.

NMRAA goalkeeper Allyia Surposa already handed the football but the force allowed the ball to slip into her fingers and into the goal which delighted the Cebuano supporters.

Banzon’s goal was the last offensive effort for the Magis Gals as the CdO girls tightened their defense and stepped on the gas to start their scoring binge.

After the equalizer, the NMRAA girls were like hungry lions having a feast. Mary Grace Lapinig led the feast as she scored her first goal before halftime to put the Lady Strikers to a 2-1 advantage at the half.

The Lady strikers then resumed their feast in the second half and scored five more goals to cement their victory and broke the hearts if the Magis Gals.

Lapinig then scored two more goals to complete her hat trick and the reliable Queency Love Canaman added another one and Palatis scored her second goal in the end game.

So devastating were the Lady Strikers offensive run in the second half that the Magis Gals did not have any answer.

Even ‘Miss Cool Defender’ Pauleene Louis Labita did not like to be left out. She also scored a goal to complete the list of the Bulua starters in the scoring sheet.

What added to the woes of the Magis Gals was the injury to defender Lyka Cueva. Cueva was solid at the back but a freak incident early in the second half left her out of the match limping.

Without Cueva at the back, and the solid defense applied by the Lady Strikers, the Magis Gals, were doomed and they failed to recover.

“We marked Banzon from the start so she could not score. She managed one goal and that was enough to stop them,” said Lady Strikers coach Jun Actub in an interview after the match.

Actub also revealed that their early presence in the playing venue could have rattled the hosts. He said they were already in the venue at 630 a.m. for the 8 a.m. kickoff doing warm ups and stretchings.

“They arrived at around 715 a.m. and we were already on the court doing passing drills. So, they have to rush everything. It worked to our advantage,” said Actub.

NMRAA and CVRAA will meet the top two teams among DVRAA, BRAA, R1AA, and EVAA in Group B. Teams in Group B as of press time are still battling out in the last elimination round round this morning for the two places in the quarterfinals set in the afternoon.

The semis and the battle for gold and the bronze medals are scheduled Monday July 15. (jackbiantan@yahoo.com)

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