Written By: Liang Shu-Jing Edited By: Valerie Chua & Jolene Wong Photographs By: EusoffWorks
It’s back to the annual Inter-Hall Games for our Floorball girls! Will our girls carry on their legacy from the previous year? I’m sure they are! The first game of this year’s Floorball (F) Carnival started out with a game against King Edward (KE) VII Hall.
With just the start of the game, we were able to observe vice-captain Natalie’s superb control of the ball with fast dribbles that allowed her to weave her way past her defenders through the court. Freshie Valerie Cher was drawn into a constant tackle with our opponent before she finally broke loose with a back pass, leading to a quick changeover. Our girls started out slow and KE managed to take advantage and put in the ball into our net. 1-0 to KE.
However, after prep talks given by the coach and the seniors of the team, our girls were ready to take on the second period. Eusoff started to advance forward, and a beautiful goal from Gin secured our first goal of the match! What a shot! Well, it was a combination of beautiful passes between players that led to fine plays. Gin’s agility and quick sprints across the court tore down KE’s defence and the score was then 1-1. Within ten minutes, Eusoff had gained greater possession. Gin was on fire with the offence as she attacked relentlessly. As the game progressed, a particular high ball at our defence zone attracted the focus of both teams as they engaged in a mad scramble to receive it. Despite the continuous offence from KE, our defence remains solid. Goalie Wei Lynn was able to escape tough situations, as Leyi chased down the opponent who had slipped past the defence to get the ball to a clear. KE players were resiliently tackling and attacking. There were a few close calls at goal that left both the supporters and players stunned.
Basketball captain Valerie held her ground with her great defence against the opponents. This reporter was also super impressed with sick controls and dribbles from Dawn! Claudia was also quick on her toes as she sprinted down the centre and sidelines to bring the ball forward into the attacking zone. After much patience and swings from our girls, Yuling managed to score the second goal for Eusoff! WHAT A GOAL! The game was now in our favour. Eusoff continued to press on alternating between their 2-2-1 formations and the W system played by our very own opponents. Unfazed, Claudia and Gin kept the momentum going with their goals, coming from quick plays and runs that created those opportunities. With constant reminder and support from their lovely team manager Zhe Wei to slow down the pace of their game to their favour, the team succeeded in bringing out greater potential. More accurate pases were made, and it was back to basic passing to lure the defence out. Simple yet beautiful. The great teamwork and support from our floorball girls sealed the game with a score of 4-1. A perfect start for our girls!
Next up, our Floorball girls went against Raffles Hall (RH) for their second game in this carnival. Both players and supporters alike were on a roll, with adrenaline pumping through their veins! What unfolded next was definitely not a let down.
10 minutes into the game, Shanice took a shot and hit it deep but it went wide. However, it was good enough to intimidate our opponents. RH players were on a high, going all offensive on Eusoff, leaving our team scrambling with 3 of our defenders in a flurry to keep up the defence. The pace was much more intense as compared to the previous game. In the midst of it all, Reliable Gin took chance of the confusion in our defence zone and with a swift steal of the ball from our opponents, she rushed the ball forward to the attacking zone. However, a mispass led to a lost chance to gain momentum. One thing’s for sure, it led to greater hope and confidence in the team. The team was all fired up! The court was a frenzy and both sides were all aggressive, hurrying to score the first goal. After all, there is much importance in scoring the first goal. Then, a good long shot from the middle from our opponents stole our breath away. Was RH going to draw the first blood? Lucky for us, Goalie Wei Lynn denied the ball! As realisation of the save dawned upon the crowd, Eusoff supporters exhaled a sigh of relief. Thereafter, several nice plays were made by freshie Choi Ying and beastly Ke En, where they showed splendid teamwork. Eusoff, however, missed a few chances to score against RH, despite a few open shots against the keeper which they had achieved from their strategic plays to lure the defence away. Quick shufflings on the courts resonated throughout the MPSH. After some hard hustlings, tackles and attempts, the first period ended with a score of 0-0.
The second period soon started and Shanice gave everyone a shock with a daring shot right from the start but RH’s keeper managed to prevent the goal from going through. Reliable Gin then displayed some sick reflexes, as she threw her body to block a shot to the goal that was made by our opponent. RH managed to tear down the defence by sending a ball straight down the center from the corner, which ultimately led to an easy flick of the ball into our goal. RH supporters led out a euphoric cheer. 1-0 to RH! However, our girls were unfazed by the situation and managed to keep their composure. Shanice was awarded a penalty but her shot was saved by the RH keeper. Finally, the first goal came from a combination of strategic plays and the ball flew nicely across to the right upper corner of the net! WHAT. A. RELIABLE. GIN! The score was 1-1!
The third period started with both sides aggressively tackling and attacking. Eusoff had many attempts but those shots either hit the posts or were saved by the RH keeper. But nope, our girls were resilient and continued to attack patiently. With just 3 minutes left on the clock, things started to get physical as both sides fought hard for every ball. Claudia received a 2-minute time-out due to her negligence of a high stick. With just 3 minutes left on the court, Coach CY quickly called a time-out and re-strategised. With a player down, Eusoff had to play a box-play. Defenders Dawn and Val Chua intercepted and blocked a few shots made by RH. And with just a minute left on the clock, freshie Stephanie Decotta kept her cool, stepped up and scored a crucial goal to bag Eusoff a win with a score of 2-1! WHAT. A. SENSATIONAL. GOAL! The game ended with a score of 2-1 in Eusoff’s favour.
Our girls fought hard in these 2 matches and showed their willpower to win throughout the entire two games. Let’s continue to support them for their remaining games!
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