Kaipu adds to goal tally

By PATRICIA KEAMO
HEKARI United skipper Marie Kaipu increased her Women’s National Soccer League goal tally to 24 after she scored a hat-trick against National Capital District in Port Moresby on Saturday.
It allowed the Papua New Guinea striker to maintain her lead in the golden boot standings in the Southern Conference.
Trailing Kaipu is Genesis skipper Yvonne Gabong (12), Port Moresby City forward Gloria Laeli (9), Rumona Morris (8), and Hekari pair Sonia Embahe (7) and Georgina Kaikas (6).
The 23-year old, from Kikori, Gulf, told The National that she was happy to score goals and contribute to her second-placed team’s campaign.
“I use my experience from the national and international level to help my teammates by showing them that we can play better,” the mum-of-two said.
Kaipu said this was her eleventh year of playing football and scoring goals was her strength.
“I started playing with Souths United, it was under Hekari’s management in 2008 in the Port Moresby Soccer Association (PMSA),” she said.
“Then in 2009, the team went to the Public Servants Soccer Association (PSSA) where the name was changed to Wantoks and I’ve been playing with them since.” In an earlier interview, Hekari coach Eric Komeng told The National that Kaipu had been practising her shooting and he was impressed with her performances over the last seven rounds.
With three more rounds in the regular season, it is expected that Kaipu will score more goals for her side who have been capitalising on their scoring opportunities.