First Day: UP Floorball League opens Season 3

Ylanan Gym, UP Diliman – The University of the Philippines Floorball League officially entered its third season last Saturday, July 14 at its home College of Human Kinetics. Participants met the much-anticipated event with the expected enthusiasm and undaunting fighting spirit as anticipation of intense games and exciting days were in the hype again.
The Floorball League, a ten-week stretch of matches organized by the UP Floorball Club, opens Season 3 with many noticeable changes. First is the Floorball family being bigger this season as the number of competing teams for the coveted championship increased to eight from six of the last two seasons. The teams did not just increase but the composition of the groups also changed as a result of the Draft conducted last June 30. This season, old faces are still in the mix but an innovation allowed the applicants of the Club to join the league and play officially upon proper registration procedures. This semester’s applicants are a proud pool of players numbering 30 (as of the latest count) with a wide variety of talent and potential.
Second among the changes undertaken this season is the employment of referees for the league matches. With the aim of making the Floorball League experience more professional, the League passed the whistles to the hands Johnzar Al Javellana and Kent Israel Tabora to guide the matches through better officiating of games.
Floorball just got better with the new training skills acquired by Club adviser Ralph Andrew Ramos from his coaching course in Singapore. Coach Ralph showed the Club the skills he learned and taught how to get dribbling and shooting right. From the conventional knowledge of playing Floorball, the game got more exciting as techniques and strategies are introduced to improve each participants’ game play.
The Floorball League started with four exciting games following a single-round robin format that will eventually lead to semi-finals matches and the best battling for the crown in the finals match. The League is scheduled every Saturday from July 14, 2012 to September 10, 2012.
Match 1: And the Mighty 300 vs Stick-O, 2-0
Season 3’s first face-off was between And the Mighty 300 and Stick-O. Mighty 300 got their rhythm early as Redbert Maines scored the first goal of the season at 4:09 in the first half after receiving a pass from Bullet Ribaya. After the goal, the defense of both teams tightened resulting to a nongoal from both teams in the remaining of the first half.
But Mighty 300’s engine was not yet off. Jeffrey Castro scored at 13:43 mark from an assist of Maines. Both teams exchanged in possession throughout the second half and produced no goal after Castro’s successful shot. Stick-O’s goalkeeper Liam Canlas was able to save five shot attempts and Mighty 300’s TJ Ablaza defended the goal five times as well. The game ended 2-0, giving the Mighty 300 their first win for the season.

Match 2: TLZ vs Sixy and We Know It, 3-2
New faces dominated in the game between TLZ and Sixy and We Know It. Rookie and applicant Spencer Cheng was on fire early in the game as he made his debut through his first goal in the Floorball League just 17 seconds after face-off. Cheng’s goal was made possible by an able pass from forward Flo Magboo. Cheng was not finished because after another 21 seconds, at 0:38 mark, he scored another goal, this time from his own effort. Two goals was enough to silence TLZ during the first half. The first half ended with Sixy up by two.
But never say die seemed to be the attitude of TLZ. They turned the game around in the second half. Christian Esguerra started TLZ’s rally with a goal at 12:57. Rookie Emanuel Joseph Valdoria seconded as he scored his own goal at 15:45 while another rookie Nickolo Perez got his shot right at 16:57, this time with an assist from Esguerra. The game finished with TLZ up 3 to Sixy’s 2. Goalkeepers Valdoria and Neil Astrologo (for TLZ) was able to save 10 attempts from their adversary while Dan Justin Rasgo (for Sixy and We Know It) grabbed a shot attempt.
Match 3: Blades of Fury vs Superfly, 5-3
The much-anticipated game between the League’s perceived giants did not fail to meet the expectations. The battle between Blades of Fury and Superfly proved to be one for the books. Uncharacteristically for both teams, the game started slow with just a goal in the first half courtesy of Luis Manila’s unassisted shot at 5:40 mark. The defense of both teams was serious as exchanges of possessions were seen most of the time.
The second half provided the excitement everyone was waiting for. The shower of goals was started by Ralph Andrew Ramos as he tied the game at 10:57. But Blades of Fury was in heat. Miguel Dimacali passed the ball to Manila who scored another goal 13:47 putting their team up by one. It was followed by his assist to fellow forward Marco Ortiz at 14:07. Ortiz grabbed another opportunity at a shot at 16:44 mark putting their team at three notches above comfortably. But Superfly did not and competed even at the last two minutes. Ramos claimed his second goal during a free hit at 18:19 after a player form Blades of Fury committed high stick violation. Ramos was not yet finished and completed the first hat-trick of the season through an unassisted goal at 19:40. The game was then at 4-3 with 20 seconds left. Ortiz provided the exciting ending with another goal with two seconds left in regulation. Ortiz completed his own hat-trick spoiling Ramos’s own.
The game ended 5-3, in favor of Blades of Fury. Fra Silva of Blades of Fury saved three shots while Nathan Nogales of Superfly was able to defend his turf six times.
Match 4: Badass Boomslangs vs Team 3, 6-3
Save the most goals for the finale match. Badass Boomslangs defeated Team 3 with a shower of goals mainly caused by star applicant Tata Cabillas and Club president Sweetheart Baz. Cabillas started his work early as he scored the first goal of the game from a free hit at 3:31. Team 3 quickly answered with a score from JP Bonifacio following an assist from Yeyel Cachero. Team 3 gained another score after getting lucky with an own goal committed by Team 3 at 4:53. Team 3 was up 2-1 at the half.
Badass Boomslangs got their rhythm again in the second half. Baz made a goal at 11:17 mark. Cabillas made another goal at 13:50 with an assist from Carlos Selabao who scored his own goal at 15:45 answering the successful shot attempt of Team 3’s rookie TJ Mora at 15:00. As if not contented with their four goals, Boomslangs was on the move again in 16:35 giving Cabillas his first hat-trick accomplishment. Baz again scored at 19:10 from the ball dished by Selabao.
The game ended 6-3, in favor of the Badass Boomslangs. Goalkeepers Nate Tarcelo (for Team 3) managed to save four goal attempts while Lennart Panton (for Boomslangs) was able to protect the goal once.