Tigers take the crown in Football Women’s

By Jysel Ashley C. Ayop

The ArtScies Tigers triumphed over the NSG Pythons, 1-0, in the Women’s Football championship match on March 2 at the XU Soccer Field.

Right from the get-go, the Tigers and Pythons clashed as they tried to outrun each other on the field. The Pythons moved forward with full offense in an attempt to swiftly get the ball across the field but instead were met with the tight, steady defense by the Tigers.

The first goal attempt came from Python Nizza Lazo but just before the Python could strike, the Tiger goalkeeper Ruslene Avila snatched the ball away. Just as quick as the first half began, Tiger Jillian Nirelle Bergado pushed forward and kicked to the upper left corner of the Pythons’ goal post but the strike went amiss. Not letting the missed goal get to the Tigers’ spirits, Bergado charged in once again with a straight kick and scored, 1-0.

The Pythons attempted to score against the Tigers for the remainder of the first half in hopes of equalizing the score. Just before the first half came to a close, Pythons Zippy Medalla and Lazo attempted to strike two goals against the Tigers but were denied any scores as the Tigers’ goalkeeper catched and deflected both attempts.

Kicking off the second half, the Pythons tried to regain their rhythm with a long shot from the center but were once again shut down by the Tiger Avila. The heat remained ablaze with tension when Tiger Angel Radala and Python Medalla collided as they attempted to take control of the ball.

After several plays, the Tigers consistently banked on their defensive tactics and smart plays over the Pythons. As the whistle blew to signify the end of the match, the Tigers emerged as champions of The Xavier Cup Women’s Football division, grabbing the gold with a one-point lead against the Pythons.

For the runners-up, NSG Pythons claimed silver followed by the SBM Eagles clinching bronze against the Engineering Warriors after winning in a heated penalty shootout, 1-1 (3-1).C