“We reached this far. We did not give UST the championship on a silver platter” said Lady Booters Head Coach Hans Smit.
After a do-or-die match, the Lady Booters fell short against the University of Santo Tomas, 0-1, in the UAAP Season 74 Women’s Football Championships last March 4 at the Ateneo High School football field.
The Ladies in Green-and-White reached the finals by trouncing three of their four assignments in the second round after an injury-mired start; ace striker Adrianne Yniguez sat out majority of the season.
The sidelined Yniguez claimed, “UST was twice-to-beat. We made it all the way to the second game [after beating UST in Game 1]. We showed all the other teams that are complete [in line-up] and are not even injured that we can do it even if we were not 110%.”
During the first finals encounter last February 26, the Taft-based Booters erased the Tigresses’ twice-to-beat edge with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory after 120 minutes of goaless football action.
“I am very proud of them for reaching this far. [And for us] to reach this far is an achievement already,” Smit shared.
Best Defender awardee Miel Ampil praised the team’s excellent performance on both ends. “Today, I think, was the best game our team ever played. (It was the) first time that we dominated as well offensively, and not just defensively. UST just came in lucky and one lucky break means so much for a football team.”
In the second match, the Lady Booters went down in the 68th minute, courtesy of Christine Fuertes’ cross that found Jowe-Ann Barruga after the ball slipped from Ibarra’s gloves and Paula Bravo’s collision in the six-yard box.
The Ladies in Green-and-White orchestrated offenses for an equalizer, but failed to do so.
At injury time, Lady Booter Natasha Alquiros’ final kick did not meet any takers nor did it sail leaving the match at 0-1 favoring the Espana-based team.
Hanna Ibarra, recipient of the Season’s Best Goalkeeper, expressed, “I would rather have the championship than the individual award.”
