Overall Score: EH drew 1, won 4

Results: EH beats TH by goal difference of 1; CHAMPIONS!

Tournament Format:
•    Carnival-style;
•    Each match consists of 2 halves of 10 minutes each, effective time (time stopped when ball goes out and started again when the free hit is taken) and a 3 minute half-time break.

Players: Captain Aisyah, Huiqi, Yixin, Jingwen, Farah, Hannah, Lim Hong (Limmy), Xie Ying (XY), Melissa Foo, Kaihui, Judith, Wong Wanyi (Wongs), Ching Har, Shariza (Shazzy), Vanessa, Ruoci, Xinzhi, Eva, Sihui, Claire, Samantha Shing (Sam), Angel Tan, Linwei, Nut

On this bright, yellow and sunny (early!) Sunday morning, a group of 24 girls grudgingly got up, pulled on the jersey attire of bright yellow shirt and white long shorts, and with hearts beating as one, the Eusoff Floorball Girls’ team made their way to the stuffy MPSH6. Despite the droopy eyelids and sleepy expressions, nothing could mask the determination and desire emanating from this gutsy group of Eusoffians. Having achieved a commendable 3rd placing in the last IHG, these girls wanted nothing short of the GOLD today – and they were more than willing to run their lungs, heart and legs out to get it. The floorball tournament being carnival-style, the Floorball girls knew they needed more than just guts to get their GOLD. With 2.5 long months of trainings (often until late night 1am/2am), they were ready. As Yellow soldiers marching to one beat, one heart and one spirit, they swept away all obstacles – including Temasek – to clinch the IHG Floorball Girls’ CHAMPIONSHIP 0809 for Eusoff!

Game 1: EH vs RH 4-0

“A thousand miles starts with one small step.” And so began the first match of the day, with Eusoff aiming to start with a high tempo, boding well for the rest of the day. The game started off on a slightly too patient note, perhaps attesting to the early Sunday morning blues that took a while to shake off. A first goal was scored by Jingwen, but disallowed due to the referee just blowing the whistle seconds before the shot, for a slash against Eusoff instead of playing advantage. Nonetheless this hardly affected Eusoff’s momentum as Yixin went on to execute a 1-2 play with one of the forwards, leading to a goal in the top right net! A second goal in the first half came from a rebound by the much-respected Hannah (graduated senior but still participating so actively in IHG!), after Jingwen sent a low bouncing shot at the keeper from halfcourt.

The second half saw another amazing shot of accuracy by Yixin from a free hit, sending the ball zipping through the gap in the RH wall and into the net. Credit certainly goes to the forwards for having kept up a fantastic pressure in the RH half, allowing Eusoff to win this free hit. The final goal of this match saw Yixin – IVP Captain and newly-minted Eusoffian – dribble through the RH half, before beating the keeper with a pull and neatly slotting the ball into the net. Fantastic start, Eusoff!

Game 2: EH vs KR 1-0

With 1 game down and 4 more to go, Eusoff next met a tough opponent – the blue warriors. KR was reputed to have a rather fast and skilful IVP player who could run circles around the defence if allowed the space. Renji and Donald Foo, the brains behind each game, had special instructions to keep her in check and it was now up to the team to deliver. “Forwards must come back to take her simple dribble with the centre.” Eusoff forwards did that to the perfectly right down to the T.  Nerves were visibly evident as our girls warmed up on the court but once the game started, all anxiety evaporated. Eusoff quickly settled down into the game, with great pressuring from the forwards, keeping much of the game in KR’s half. In the few instances that KR broke through into our half, Eusoff quickly stepped up together to strip the ball off them once again. Pressuring from the forwards were so consistent and effective that a well-coordinated effort by Ching Har and Shazzy led to a goal from captain Aisyah in the first half!

Special mention must go to our keepers.  Angel was tested in the 2nd half too, but she managed a fine save from the top right shot and a few weak rebounds from the KR players seeking to equalize. KR tried again and again to breach our solid yellow defense, but it was not to be. Our double-teaming efforts were so profoundly effective that KR’s IVP player (no.10) was reduced to nothing but a few runs and bursts of speed, but not a single shot from her touched our keeper. What a fantastic job, Eusoff!
Next Page: The Fight of Titans