COACH Dhon Lazo of West 1 District Xavier University (XU) once again pulled out the secret weapon from his hat full of tricks to surprise arch rival South District St. Mary’s School with a 3-1 win to capture the futsal title in the Cagayan de Oro Athletic Association (COAA) Meet held at Barangay Gusa gym in this city, over the weekend.
Coach Dhon’s secret weapon was no less than his own daughter Ella Lazo, who scored the opening goal that set the tone for the downfall of the South District SMS girls.
But it was the solid performance of forward Zippy Medalla that spelled the difference for the West 1 girls’ triumph that assured them of the golden finish and a place in the Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) meet set in Tangub City in the middle of December.
Medalla, the daughter of Oro native Allan Medalla who’s now coaching the University of San Carlos Cebu football program, sealed the win with two goals, her fourth and fifth in the tournament.
“The girls were more focused and had the passion to win. They were composed and ready to beat their opponents,” said coach Lazo after the match.
Lazo also credited his eldest daughter LJ Lazo for controlling the defence and the midfield. “She was the MVP of the game. She was exhausted in the end but thanks to her we controlled the match,” he added.
LJ Lazo also teamed up with fellow Vigan Palaro veteran Megan Wong to anchor the defense and midfield from start to finish.
It was a sorry loss for South District SMS coach Paul Cabio, who was victorious against the same team, 5-3 when the SMS Fiat topped Group B during the elimination round.
“Two of our key players Chantal Van Ommeren and Kaye Buendia were suffering from stomach cramps during the championship match. That made the difference,” coach Paul Cabio said.
SMS dominated XU in the elimination round with Van Omeren scoring five goals and Faye Ramirez adding one for a 6-2 finish. Ella Lazo and Zippy Medalla scored one goal each for the West 1-XU girls.
West 1 advanced to the championship after ending West II-Bulua National High School dream, 8-2. While South District SMS did the same with a masterful 4-0 win over Southwest 1-Lumbia National High School.
The West 1 UX Girls were unstoppable in their first elimination match, blanking East II Puerto National High School, 26-0.
Niza Lazo, the middle child of the three Lazo girls, scored seven goals, Patricia Edma five, and Ella Lazo, Zippy Medalla and Laica Chavez--a reinforcement from Rosevale School--added three goals apiece.
Defender Megan Wong scored two goals, while LJ Lazo and Jillian Bergado accounted for one goal each.
West II-Bulua National High School won the bronze medal after outscoring Southwest 1 Lumbia, 4-1 in the battle for third place.
West II Bulua National High School team of coach Junieto Actub topped Group A after defeating Regional Science High School of Gusa and Lumbia.
Lumbia NHS finished the tournament with a 4-0 win over Regional Science High School of Gusa with Dan Aquino scoring three goals and Janet Cantina hitting the back of the net once.