MANILA, Philippines – San Beda drew strength on Ralph Abriol's four-goal performance as it flattened a listless Emilio Aguinaldo, 11-0, on Tuesday to jumpstart its six-peat feat bid in the 91st NCAA football tournament at the Rizal Memorial pitch.
Abriol was in attack mode early as he unloaded two quick goals spanning 12 minutes starting on the 13th minute to help the Lions roar to a 5-0 advantage after halftime.
San Beda didn't relent in the final half as Abriol came through with two more strikes to complete the lopsided win.
"We just came into the game with a conscious effort of getting a big win because we want this first game dictate what we want our season to be," said San Beda assistant coach Michael Pediamonte, who spoke in behalf of headcoach Aries Caslib.
The unsung hero though was skipper Michael Asong, who was influential in keeping the together with his veteran leadership.
"The good thing about this team is that anyone can step up when called upon," said Pediamonte. "But if there's a player that I consider the most influential, it's definitely Asong."
In the other match, Arellano University dumped Mapua, 6-1, to likewise jumpstart its title campaign.