Blue Eaglets open Filoil bid vs JRU Jrs

MANILA, Philippines - The  Ateneo Blue Eaglets mark their debut  in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup as they clash with the Jose Rizal University Light Bombers at the San Juan Arena today.

The Blue Eaglets will be without last year’s UAAP Juniors MVP Thirdy Ravena who has moved up to the seniors team but will still feature a number of second-generation players who are expected to lead their campaign this year.

Coach Joe Silva will bank on national players Matthew and Mike Nieto as well as Jolo Mendoza. The Nieto twins are the sons of former Ateneo star Jet Nieto, a member of the Blue Eagles’ 1987-88 back-to-back seniors champion teams, while Mendoza is the son of former UP Maroons star Jiggs Mendoza, a mainstay of the 1986 State U champion squad. 

Focus will also be on Shaun Ildefonoso, the son of pro Danny Ildefonso, who will share slot duties with Jossier Hassan. The elder Ildefonso is playing with the Meralco Bolts in the PBA.

“This year we don’t really have the height so we will use our experience and speed,” said Silva about his charges. “We hope that the experience that our three national team members gained in international competition will be of great help. That is the main thing driving our team this year as we fell short of winning it last year.

The Ateneo Blue Eaglets will battle a JRU team that finished fifth in NCAA Juniors competition last season at 6 p.m.

Other squads seeing action in the country’s premier pre-season tournament are the San Sebastian Staglets, who collide with the UP Junior Maroons at 10:45 a.m.

In women’s play, the FEU Lady Tamaraws face the UP Lady Maroons at 12:30 p.m. while opening day winners UST Tigresses tangle with UAAP foe Adamson Lady Falcons at 2:15 p.m. NAASCU squads Rizal Technological University and Centro Escolar, both winless on opening day, face off at 4 p.m.