Written by: Jefferson Lee
Edited by: Cheng Kai Wen
Photos by: Eusoff Works
It was time for the boys to show what they are made of and finish off the final game of the floorball preliminaries this IHG. Their opponent on that fateful day was Raffles Hall and they were also in it to win it. Both sides were eager to get the win and head into the semi finals, where they would potentially play either KR or TH. Again, the Eusoff team was without their IVP superstars, but it was a win that was within reach with impeccable teamwork from the rest of the team.
The lineup was as follows:
Line 1: Kevyn, Matt, Benji, Nico, Jierui
Line 2: Pradeep, Timo Tan, Cedric, Zixuan, Marcus
Line 3: Kai Sheng, Boon Long, Jinsong, Dylan, Zaheer
Goalkeepers: Timo, Ryan
Subs: Junwei, Ryan Tham, Shuwei, Owen, Azhari, Steph
The game started with the first line and Timo in goal. They started off on a strong foot and set the pace of the game from the very start. The boys fought very hard to win every second ball and to close down any attacks swiftly. There were plenty of good attacking chances but they ended up being blocked by the Raffles players. At the back, Zaheer and company were putting up a shift of their own, holding up play whenever necessary, and clearing any impending Raffles attack. As Eusoff dominated the first period, carrying the ball forward as they saw fit and passing it around in Raffles’ half of the court, their first goal was imminent. It was not long before #31 Teo Kai Sheng (CS god), nets Eusoff’s very first goal right at the end of the first period, after a fantastic drive down the right wing and a sharp shot right into the bottom left corner.
Nicolai doing his best to secure the lead and the win!
The stakes were high in this game as Eusoff needed to secure a win or a draw (preferably), or a loss not larger than that of KE’s to RH, to advance into the semi finals. That said, the second half began and Eusoff resumed their momentum of the game. Raffles were clearly playing with a more upbeat style as they discussed and revised their game plan frantically during the break. As such, this period saw many decent interceptions by Raffles as they attempted to capitalise on some of Eusoff’s mishit passes or sloppy plays. Hence, this also called for a lot more defending to be done by the Eusoff boys as they held them off to hold onto their lead. With plenty of Raffles’ shots being on target, Timo also had quite the busy day in goal fending them off, catching all of their shots and even putting his body on the line to close down any shooting angle. Finally, after 9 minutes into the second period, Kevyn intercepted the ball from the wing and crossed it nicely to Benji who finished it into the back of the net and put Eusoff two nil up.
One would say they have never seen Benji jump so high, not even in DP!
At this point, things were beginning to look gloomy for Raffles, but it was almost all rainbow and joy at Eusoff’s end as they reveled in their sharp performance. Raffles pulled out the tactical board again and their head coach was desperately giving instructions in hopes of saving the game. The remainder of the second period was end to end floorball as both sides were playing their A game and giving it their all but it ended with Eusoff being up by 2.
Finally it was time for the final period, the period when fatigue starts to kick in, when muscles start to ache and when there is just simply not enough air to fill our lungs. Eusoff was facing a team that was as hungry as ever, and the boys were under tremendous pressure and attack by the Rafflesians, but they held on, and even counter attacked when they had the chance to. One of Timo’s shot at goal was so powerful that his follow through broke the Raffles’ defender’s stick into two. Moments after, while Timo was pressuring them, he completely outmuscled their player and sent him flying into the bylines. This passionate move was called for a foul and Timo was sent to the naughty corner. Eusoff was now down 1 man but they were playing very fluidly, as they switched up the tempo of the game with Owen coming in to tidy things up at the back and direct the teamplay. They stroked the ball so well it seemed as though they were the team with 1 extra man, as a few combination plays ended up as dangerous attacks, but were all ultimately saved by the Raffles keeper.
Timo with his insane saves on court!
With our man back on the court, it was game on - high press and high attacking workrate. Unfortunately, an unexpected attack by a Raffles forward and a neat cross into the box was tapped into the back of our net. Eusoff 2, Raffles 1. With just a one goal difference, Raffles were now in full belief that they could equalise the game while Eusoff began to worry for the worst. As the game restarted, it was apparent that Raffles were getting closer and closer to their equaliser as they were attacking relentlessly and Eusoff were under tremendous pressure. Timo pulled a few decent saves but there were shots that were just millimeters wide and one even hit the post of the goal, sending the crowds wild. Another timeout was called to relieve some of that pressure and reset the play. The game restarted with a foul that saw RH one man down, and the tide was finally back with Eusoff as they tried extensively to score another to secure the W. But to no avail. With 28 seconds left on the clock, RH converts a free hit into a goal. The ball was hit high up and fell onto one of RH’s player’s (head and) shoulder which the Eusoff boys presumed would be a foul, but it was not given, and the ball even landed nicely right in front of another RH player who tapped it home. The Raffles comeback was complete. Their supporters and entire team ran onto the courts and the scenes were wild. The Eusoff boys look on in dismay. With 20 seconds left after the restart, they gave it all they could, shot after shot, but they were all saved and it was full time: Eusoff 2, Raffles 2.
This insane IHG journey is not over yet. The Eusoff boys face Temasek in the semi finals on 31st January. Follow along and support the boys as they continue on their incredible journey to IHG CH(EH)MPIONS!
Comments