Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Ateneo girls capture title By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
THESE girls are simply awesome.
Playing in a tough national competition, the Ateneo de Davao football team came through with a sensational triumph when it captured the Under-12 girls crown of the 12th Alaska Cup Saturday at the Alabang Country Club Field, Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City.
What made the victory more amazing was that Ateneo had to hurdle a big De La Salle-Zobel team in the finals via an emphatic 4-1 win that brought shining moments for their parents, their school and for that matter Davao City.
Alexi Nina Arrieta scored two goals to lead Ateneo's offense in the championship match, and Shannen Gapate and Anna Patricia Aguilo added a goal each to complete scoring for the winning team.
Ateneo goalkeeper Erika Turtur won Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors for conceding only one goal throughout the tournament.
Ateneo almost made it a double kill when its Under-14 team also played in the finals, but only to bow to De La Salle-Zobel, in the titular showdown.
On the way to the finals, the U-12 team under coach Alex Adolfo swept the five-team eliminations and bundled out Mirriam College, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
In a hard-fought semifinals match, Ateneo took out erstwhile defending champion Alabang Football Club via a penalty shootout.
Katrina Serrano saved the day for Ateneo de Davao in the match against Alabang when she converted the winning spot kick.
Aside from Turtur, Arrieta, Aguilo, Serrano and Gapate, the winning Under-12 team is also composed of Norren Kim Maligad, Kyrhen Angela Dimaandal and Alyssa Marie Ang.
The Under-14 is basically composed of the same players. The rest are Andrianne Isabel del Fierro, Bettina Mae Adalin, Andrea Piatos, Natashya Anne Doromal, Celina Simeone Jaldon and Marie Angelie Cadayona.
