GES teams bag wins in co-ed soccer start

Garapan Elementary School’s two teams won their games on the opening day of the NMIFA-PSS Interscholastic Soccer League 2023-2024 at the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Training Center in Koblerville last Monday.

The GES Mallards 1 trumped Koblerville Elementary School Umangs 2, 3-1.

The Mallards’ Jacob Borja drew first blood just a couple of minutes into the game. Both teams were finding their footing in the minutes to come until KobES’ Patrick Jacoba equalized the game in the eighth minute.

Favor shifted to the Mallards once again as Andrey Ray scored their second goal in the 13th minute. The first half came and went with no retaliation from the Umangs, then in the 24th minute, the Mallards’ Borja sealed their fate with another goal to make it 3-1.

As time wound down, the Umangs settled for the loss as they could not get past GES’ goalie.

Later, GES 2 edged San Vicente Elementary School Canaries, 5-3.

The Canaries were up 1-0 early from a goal by Wilson Aguilar. They didn’t hold on long to the lead however, as the Mallards’ Turbulence Hiroichi tied the game up in the eighth minute.

It was a back-and-forth battle on the pitch with near misses for both teams. Then, the Mallards nipped the net in the 11th minute for their first lead of the game. It was short lived though as the Canaries’ Izaiah Haro made it 2-2.

Haro took the lead for the Canaries in the 17th minute, 3-2, but the Mallards’ Althea De Belen made it three all in the 20th minute.

It was over for the Canaries as Taku Rogopes scored the last two goals for the Mallards which was enough for the win.

In other results, Saipan International School blanked Brilliant Star School, 6-0; William S. Reyes Elementary School won a lopsided 16-0 game over Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School 2; Kagman Elementary School defeated Saipan Community School, 3-1; and GTC beat WSR 2, 6-2.

The games are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:30pm, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm at the NMISTC in Koblerville. The playoffs are scheduled for Oct. 9 and Oct. 11 with the finals on Oct. 16.