NorthMin teams qualify for Minda Allianz Futsal
Including the Corpus Chrtisti high school uptown booters of Cagayan de Oro
THREE Northern Mindanao teams have qualified to the Mindanao Regional finals of the Allianz National Youth Futsal Invitational tournament set on May 17-18 in Davao City.
Teams are Cagayan de Oro’s top youth footballing school Corpus Christi High School Uptown, and Bukidnon’s Holy Cross High School of Camp Philips in the Boys 16 category, and Bulua Strikers FC of Bulua National High School in Cagayan de Oro City in the Girls 14 division. They qualified to the Mindanao regional championships after topping the Northern Mindanao elimination in Tubod, Lanao del Norte last April 13-14.
They will compete against top Mindanao teams Crocs FC, Tuloy sa Davao FC, LIanga FC Without a Pitch, Comval Cafe Kat, DMC Vipers, Red Corals of Culina FC, Calinan FC, Pantukan NHS FC, Stonefield FC, Tagum City Parents United FC, PCT Aligators, Pantukan FC, DavNor Sto. Thomas FC, Red Corals FC and
Watashi Dipolog.
Top teams in these competitions will advance to the national championships and will play against top teams from the Visayas, Luzon and National Capital Region.
The Holy Cross High School of coach Martin Lester Laurel and team manager Jennylyn Arcenal advanced to the Mindanao Regional after finishing second to Corpus Christi High School in the Northern Mindanao elimination tournament held in Lanao del Norte
They beat Ozamis City, Zamboanga City, and Marawi City and lost to Corpus Christi to advance to the semis against Pagadian City.
They then advanced to the final when they won over Pagadian 3-1 but lost in the championship to Corpus Christi via penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw during regulation.
Leading the Holy Cross squad to the Davao tournament is their Northern Mindanao elimination top scorer John Rey Villanueva. He will get support from Alfred Angelo Lagat, Ricky Markly Tamayo, Vince Louie Milar, Xymon Roy Bulawin, Jared Joshua Capangpangan, Fitzgerald Rubios, Jancee Blerr C. Borja, Xyrus Carmel Garcia, Neil Sebastian Estose, and Mean Tuston.
Meanwhile, the Bulua Strikers FC Girls 14 team also swept the Northern Mindanao elimination tournament.
The girls of coach Junieto Actub leaned on the goalscoring powers of key players Louiza Beatruce Lim, Stephanie Martinez, and Norjean Palatis to finish the tournament without a loss in the North Mindanao elims.
The Bulua girls nipped Ozamiz City Stonefield FC, 5-3, in the championship to secure their place in the Mindanao championships. They won all their elimination round matches beating Ozamiz City Stonefield FC, 2-1, McHeaven Pagadian City, 7-2, and Watashi Dipolog City, 3-2.
Palatis scored a total of seven goals, while Lim and Martinez scored five goals each.
Other members of the Bulua Girls 14 team who played in Tubod are Jasmine Palarca, Zane Yeng Yasas, Mary Grace Lapinig, Sophia Nicole Cerde a, Pauleen Louis Labita, Ivory Rulida, Carol Jane Lantaya, Angel Mae Alagon, Rubiechrist Demate. Assistant coaches Hannah M. Naldo, and Heintje D. Actub. (l.biantan@gmail.com)