The DLSU Lady Booters continued their dominant start to the season. The Green-and-White squad trounced the UP Fighting Maroons, 3-0, to pick up their second win earlier tonight, March 2, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch. DLSU forward Maria Layacan kept her hot streak going as she scored her second brace of the season. Opening her goalscoring account in UAAP Season 86, Rocelle Mendaño scored her first goal of the season for the Lady Booters.
Unbridled aggression
Bolstered by the momentum from their previous win, the Lady Booters got off to a strong start, commanding possession of the ball in the early going. Looking to build off her previous two-goal performance, Layacan came out aggressively, pouncing on the UP defense with two runs that went deep inside the box in the first six minutes. Her run was ultimately thwarted by the defense. However, third time was the charm for Layacan as a corner kick from TJ Isulat went right in front of the goal, allowing the DLSU forward to time a header right into the back of the net, giving La Salle a 1-0 lead at the seventh minute.
The squad from Taft continued to see their aggressive play get rewarded, with multiple chances being generated in the following minutes. The opposite was true for the Fighting Maroons, who struggled to get the ball to their side let alone generate any chances. After a brief lull in action, both teams exploded for great chances as Layacan and UP forward Andrea Montilla both almost lasered in two great shots that were barely saved by the goalkeepers in the 19th and 24th minutes, respectively.
Both teams suffered some unforced errors in the next few minutes—the high-octane pace of the game seemingly taking effect. The UP defenders in particular looked frustrated as they struggled to contain the La Salle offense from penetrating the box. Despite the increasing physicality of the game, the Lady Booters stayed composed and continued to trust in their set pieces. Their composure immediately played off, as a free kick in the 24th minute from Anicka Castañeda ricocheted off the crossbar straight into a streaking Mendaño who lasered in the second goal for DLSU, 2-0.
Down two goals to nil, the Fighting Maroons finally managed to break through to the La Salle defense and get chances on offense. Montilla proved once again to be UP’s best hope, going on great runs that led to shots on target. However, La Salle goalie Alexandrea Gumilao showed off her grit and skill on each shot, blocking each ball that made its way past the defenders. Unfortunately, Gumilao got injured in her final save, smothering a through ball that threatened to make its way to Montilla. During stoppage time, UP goalkeeper Frances Acelo proved her skill, fending off two shots by Montilla and Alisha Del Ocampo as the first half ended 2-0 in La Salle’s favor.
Steady showing
Working off a strong opening half, the Green-and-White continued to push the pace by consistently steering the ball into the final third. In the first 15 minutes of the latter half, the Lady Booters had numerous shots inside the box that either went soaring near the goalpost or were deflected by the UP backline.
Even if their shots would not find the back of net, La Salle’s staunch defense prevented the ladies in maroon from advancing near reasonable scoring distance. With starting goalie Gumilao off the field due to injury, it was Jessica Pido who took charge of manning the goal area, preventing a UP volley from going in at the 75’ mark. Another opportunity arrived for the Diliman-based squad two minutes later, but miraculously, the ball only managed to hit the top-right of the post and failed to go in.
When it seemed like neither side could reap a goal, the lightning-quick Layacan ended the lull by connecting on a corner kick with a header at the 80’ mark to give La Salle a commanding 3-0 lead.
Refusing to give in, the Fighting Maroons had as much as five opportunities to get a point on the board, but Pido and the rest of the Taft crew prevented such from occurring. The DLSU defense proved to be too much for UP, ending the match in the La Salle eleven’s favor, 3-0.
DLSU Head Coach Alvin Ocampo spoke on today’s win and echoed the team’s mentality and desire to sweep the first round. “Yung objective namin is to secure the first round for us to be one step inside the finals,” he shared. When asked about Layacan replicating her opening game heroics, Coach Ocampo kept things simple for the star forward: “I don’t want to put her in the limelight, but at least now she’s coming out of her shell.”
As they sit atop the standings with six points, the Lady Booters look to elevate their red-hot winning streak as they challenge the UST Growling Tigresses at 4 pm on Saturday, March 9, at the same venue.
