Hardy Herons fly high above Dragons; UMak takes 14-2 blowout victory
The University of Makati Hardy Herons protect their top 1 league rank as they defeat the University of Asia and the Pacific Dragons 14 to 2 last Saturday, August 10, in week 7 of the PFL. Despite the absence of prominent forward Kevin Melencion, the Herons show how strong of a scorer they still are, as star forward Mark Anthony Polo made a season-high 8 points in a game, tying with teammate Melencion who made the same amount in their first game against the UP Victorious Secret.
The match started with the usual fast pacing from the Herons - Kay Toledo and Mark Polo immediately firing off shot attempts. Not long after, Polo is able to score off the Dragons at the 44-second mark. The Dragons' struggle did not stop there though, as Sfike Estabillo and Toledo each made a goal from assists by Polo. The Dragons' forwards, despite their efforts to drive towards the goal, are met with a solid defense from the Herons, leaving them unable to retaliate for the whole first period.
Scoreless and trailing by 6, the Dragons are forced to rely on fewer forwards to score as they leave most of their players on defense. This quickly proved fatal as the Dragons, despite having held more effectively against the Herons' attacks, are pushed further back court and are unable to provide enough support on offense. Reflective of the Dragon's tightened-up defense, Polo was the sole scorer for the second period.
10 seconds into the third period, Dragons captain Joshua Villareal managed to take the ball from the face-off, drive it up into the enemy goal and score the first goal for his team. The Herons manage to seal Villareal's scoring however, by continuously bringing the ball up on offense. Several shot opportunities came up for the Herons, Polo and Hazzer Talingdan scoring a total of 5 points ten minutes into the period. Villareal, not letting up, finally managed to break through the Heron's defenses and set up a shot for teammate Hazel Guerrero who shot a one-timer via Villareal's pass. This play however, pales under the huge lead of the Herons - a lead they would later increase by two more before the end of the match. With a final score of 14-2, the Herons remain league rank 1, ahead Team Manila by a win.
The Dragons' lack of substitute players brought them a handicap, especially against the Heron's high-stamina line. Villareal, Opus and Guerrero, who usually lead the Dragons' offense, are made to pull back often by the Heron's high-speed offense, leaving little opportunity to counterattack. The Herons on the other hand, are able to maneuver past their opponent's defense and find open shots everywhere.
The Herons' got a total of 8 points from Polo, who showed that not only can he score, but can set up plays as well, making 3 well-executed assists. Talingdan scored 4 and made an assist, Toledo and Estabillo a score and an assist each and Bernard Dunluan assisted once while their keepers Aries Talingdan and Oliver Cabaguing made 2 and 3 saves respectively. The Dragons' scores relied heavily on Villareal who scored once and assisted Guerrero on the team's second goal. Keeper Xybyl Descalzo made 14 saves.
Written by Jan Godfrey Gallardo
The University of Makati Hardy Herons protect their top 1 league rank as they defeat the University of Asia and the Pacific Dragons 14 to 2 last Saturday, August 10, in week 7 of the PFL. Despite the absence of prominent forward Kevin Melencion, the Herons show how strong of a scorer they still are, as star forward Mark Anthony Polo made a season-high 8 points in a game, tying with teammate Melencion who made the same amount in their first game against the UP Victorious Secret.
The match started with the usual fast pacing from the Herons - Kay Toledo and Mark Polo immediately firing off shot attempts. Not long after, Polo is able to score off the Dragons at the 44-second mark. The Dragons' struggle did not stop there though, as Sfike Estabillo and Toledo each made a goal from assists by Polo. The Dragons' forwards, despite their efforts to drive towards the goal, are met with a solid defense from the Herons, leaving them unable to retaliate for the whole first period.
Scoreless and trailing by 6, the Dragons are forced to rely on fewer forwards to score as they leave most of their players on defense. This quickly proved fatal as the Dragons, despite having held more effectively against the Herons' attacks, are pushed further back court and are unable to provide enough support on offense. Reflective of the Dragon's tightened-up defense, Polo was the sole scorer for the second period.
10 seconds into the third period, Dragons captain Joshua Villareal managed to take the ball from the face-off, drive it up into the enemy goal and score the first goal for his team. The Herons manage to seal Villareal's scoring however, by continuously bringing the ball up on offense. Several shot opportunities came up for the Herons, Polo and Hazzer Talingdan scoring a total of 5 points ten minutes into the period. Villareal, not letting up, finally managed to break through the Heron's defenses and set up a shot for teammate Hazel Guerrero who shot a one-timer via Villareal's pass. This play however, pales under the huge lead of the Herons - a lead they would later increase by two more before the end of the match. With a final score of 14-2, the Herons remain league rank 1, ahead Team Manila by a win.
The Dragons' lack of substitute players brought them a handicap, especially against the Heron's high-stamina line. Villareal, Opus and Guerrero, who usually lead the Dragons' offense, are made to pull back often by the Heron's high-speed offense, leaving little opportunity to counterattack. The Herons on the other hand, are able to maneuver past their opponent's defense and find open shots everywhere.
The Herons' got a total of 8 points from Polo, who showed that not only can he score, but can set up plays as well, making 3 well-executed assists. Talingdan scored 4 and made an assist, Toledo and Estabillo a score and an assist each and Bernard Dunluan assisted once while their keepers Aries Talingdan and Oliver Cabaguing made 2 and 3 saves respectively. The Dragons' scores relied heavily on Villareal who scored once and assisted Guerrero on the team's second goal. Keeper Xybyl Descalzo made 14 saves.
Written by Jan Godfrey Gallardo