In the final gameday of the UAAP Chess Tournament, the DLSU Green and Lady Woodpushers took on the FEU Tamaraws and AdU Lady Falcons, respectively, with hopes of climbing back to the podium.
Going into the match, the Green Woodpushers and Tamaraws were narrowly separated in the standings, but the Morayta-based squad were able to steal the win, shutting down the Lasallians’ medal hopes, 3-1.
In contrast, the Lady Woodpushers enjoyed a more euphoric day, sealing the win with victories in all four boards in their matchup against the home team, 4-0. Through that sweep, La Salle succeeded in taking home the first runner-up spot.
Heartbreak ending
The Green Woodpushers entered the match with their sights set on a runner-up finish. Represented by Cyril Telesforo, Angele Biete, Jester Sistoza, and Daniel Lemi, the team took to the boards to take down FEU.
However, the Tamaraws proved to be formidable opponents. While Biete scored the lone point for La Salle, the Green Woodpushers failed to launch a comeback as they lost their final chance to win on the board. The narrow loss marked the end of their campaign, with the Green-and-White falling short of their goal in the Men’s Division, 3-1.
Dominant finish
While the Green Woodpushers faced disappointment, the Lady Woodpushers turned their match into a showcase of determination and grit against the bottom-seeded Lady Falcons.
Francois Magpily, Sara Olendo, Rinda Sadey, and Lovely Geraldino stepped in the Women’s Chess Tournament with a win in mind. They outwitted their opponents on their respective boards, securing a clean win for the Green-and-White, 4-0.
After the results had settled in, coach Susan Neri reflected on the contrasting outcomes of the tournament. She felt “mixed emotions coming from a coach.”
She added that the Lady Woodpushers were eager to bounce back after last season’s setbacks, which they used as fuel this season, “For the women, it was a redemption coming from losing our 15-year streak last season. It was really heartbreaking, but this season we are at the point that we are really hungry to go back to the podium.”
As for the Green Woodpushers, the coach commended their efforts. The graduating players, in particular, can hold their heads high because they gave it their all in their final year. “For the Men’s team, it was really heartbreaking kasi there are graduating players on our team. But ganon talaga kanya-kanyang kwento. But at least on our end, we know we have given what we could,” Neri said.
