La Salle, FEU split IPPCA football honors

MANILA, Philippines - De La Salle University-Flying V defeated Far Eastern University Tamaraws in penalty shootout to prevail, 3-1, and clinch the first-ever Independent Philippine Petroleum Companies Association (IPPCA) Football Pre-Season Cup crown at the Ateneo High School football field in Quezon City yesterday.

Nathanael Alquiros, Gregory Norman Yang and Derrico Gio Diamante scored a goal each against the Tamaraws’ lone goal from Paolo Bugas to cap an improbable comeback from the bottom to the top of the month-long tournament organized by Filoil Flying V Sports

Meanwhile, Alvin Obero of Arellano University led the awardees in senior play by taking the Seaoil Best Striker honors, while Arnel Amita of FEU took the Unioil Best Midfielder plum.

Yang was named Flying V Best Defender, while Patrick Deyto, also of La Salle, bagged the Metroil Best Goalkeeper award and Arellano University the Eastern Fair Play team.

The Tamaraws, who swept the Group B elims but had to go through the wringer against Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 4-3, via a penalty shootout, failed to penetrate the Archers’ defense in regulation for a 0-0 result.

The Archers scored an improbable 8-0 win over Perpetual Help at the close of the elims to advance to the semis, where they nipped the University of Santo Tomas-Metroil, 1-0, to set the title clash with the more fancied Tamaraws.

FEU, however, struck in junior play as the Baby Tams, getting a lone goal from midfielder Chester Gio Pabulan in the 54th minute, edged the DLSU Zobel Junior Archers, 1-0.

Pabulan led the individual awardees in the juniors side as the Unioil Best Midfielder.

Other awardees were  Paul Gabriel Alilam of Ateneo (Seaoil Best Striker, Audie Menzi of FEU-Fern (Flying V Best Defender),  Lucas Wintermahr of De La Salle-Zobel (Metroil Best Goal Keeper) and Xavier School (Eastern Fair Play Team). 

 The league was bankrolled by IPPCA members Chemrez Technologies, Eastern Petroleum Corp., Filpride/USA88, Seaoil Philippines, Flying V, Oilink, Unioil, International Engineer Phils., Filoil Energy Company, City Oil, Metro Oil Subic, LPGMA, Omni Petroleum Corp, Trans Overseas Industrial Corp. and CIIS and sponsored by Meralco, Nuvali, Nature’s Spring, Molten, N20 Gastropub, Boysen Paints, BDO, Topcoms/StarSports Korea, Bacchus, CDO San Marino Corned Tuna and Pingping Lechon.