UE, La Salle cop men’s, women’s football crowns

University of the East completed a Cinderella finish of sorts and bagged the men’s crown while De La Salle achieved what it missed last season and clinched the women’s title at the close of the 2003 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

UE made an accidental kick that went into the UP goal right in the first minute but the Red Booters regrouped to turn the tide, 2-1 and foil the repeat bid of UP booers.

The crown was UE’s fourth in UAAP men’s football, the previous being way back in 1961 and 1962 and 1969.

La Salle, on the other hand, found University of Santo Tomas an easy prey in a 5-1 rout to run away with the title, its first since women’s football was played in the league five years ago.

La Salle, owning tags in the season that bordered from darkhorse to co-favorite for finishing runner-up to Far Eastern last season, hardly gave the Lady Tigers enough room throughout.

Stephanie Pheasant, the season’s top rookie, broke the ice in the third minute and the Lady Archers never looked back. Ma Johna Alejandro booked two --- in the 30th and 53rd -- and most valuable player (MVP) Marielle Benitez added a pair of her own -- in the 65th and 83rd -- to underscore the rout.

Joyce Landagan scored for UST˜which, despite the loss still kept its perch as the season’s overall champion -- in the 72nd minute to avert what could have been a shutout of a title win by the Lady Archers, who, like the Red Booters, topped the eliminations and enjoyed a twice-to-beat advantage going into the finals.

But if La Salle had to frolic on the Ateneo football field, UE, the last placer among six teams last season, found itself digging quite deep against a crew that was out to retain the crown at all costs.

Jitters that had most of the UE team members playing tentatively were transformed into a 1-0 lead by UP, thanks to an accidental goal in the first minute when Miguel Gutierrez’s attempt bounced off Red Booter Lloyd Balajadia and into the Maroons‚ goal.

But the jitters went away soon enough and the boys of head coach Lloyd James Lim recovered with Emmaniel Onas leveling the count in the 31st minute and rookie MVP Mark Madrona scoring the marginal goal in the 35th.

Defense took the front seat in the entire second half and all the Red Booters needed was to coast and protect the victory.