Please check the Convening Committee site for detailed scores, most updated news & latest rankings.
Upcoming Matches:
11 Feb: Track & Field, All, 1700 start, SRC Track
11 Feb: Closing Ceremony
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Note: This post is a sticky for announcement purposes.
KE Males – 3rd overall; KE Females – 4th overall
Writer: Ashish Rudola
Editor: Pearly Neo
The Road Relay IHG started with an undeniable buzz hanging about in the air, as since both the guys and girls teams were competing simultaneously on the same route, there was quite a large crowd gathered to witness the event. The route’s length was 2.2 km and it started from the SRC car park, through UCC into Clementi Road, into NUS again at SDE, then up the Central Library slope and finishing at SRC again with the penultimate corner being next to YIH. In both guys and girl’s teams, there were 6 runners each. The girls’ team consisted of Sharlene (the Captain), Mabel, Charmaine, Jolene, Xin Huan and Bee, with Elisha as a reserve. The KE male runners were Kelvin, Yannick, Patrick, Madan, Wang Cong and Jingren, with Terence and Melvin as reserves.
The KE male team is considered one of the strongest this year, boasting 4 Inter Varsity Players (IVP’s). They are Patrick, who is the IVP captain, Yannick, Madan and Melvin. Due to there being an IVP cap of 3 players, one of our IVP’s namely Melvin had to, sadly, settle for being a reserve. Kelvin, who was captain of the NUS cross country team, is an ex-IVP since he just returned from an SEP. Before the beginning of the race, Madan expressed that Eusoff and Kent Ridge would be the male team’s strongest rivals. The girl’s team did not have any IVP’s but still, with more than competent runners, they had a fair shot at doing well.
First up was the girls’ race. At 7.30pm, the 6 girls from all the 6 different Halls started simultaneously. Xin Huan was our first runner, and going into the first corner (and out of sight from the starting/finishing line), it looked to be a very close race with all 6 moving in a tight group. As we waited for the girls to complete their lap, the guys race started 5 minutes later, at 7.35pm. Our first runner was Jingren. As soon as the starting horn was blown, all the six guys took off fast.
After a short wait, we saw the first girl coming back. Temasek hall had the early lead. Xin Huan came in 5th, clocking 11 minutes and 14 seconds. She wasted no time in tagging Sharlene, who immediately took off. Shortly after, the male runners started appearing and this time Kent Ridge hall had the early lead. Jingren came in 5th as well, with a lap time of 8 minutes and 33 seconds. As soon as he arrived, our second runner, Kelvin, took off.
After a short wait, the 2nd female runner of TH came in first, whereas KE came in 5th again. Sharlene, however, more than proved her worth as captain by clocking in an impressive 10m 20s. The 2nd KR guy, who actually overtook the TH girl, was the first guy to cross the finishing line in the second round. Kelvin came in 5th, but he managed to cut short the deficit with a speedy 7m 47 sec run.
The third round started when the 3rd KR guy came into view. Eusoff came 2nd, followed by TH and then RH. Wang Cong, our 3rd male runner, managed to get very close to the Raffles runner, with a time of 8m 15s. As soon as he crossed the finishing line, Yannick, our 4th runner, took off speedily. After all this, the girls came into view. But a surprise was in store, as the Raffles runner managed to overtake the TH runner. Our 3rd female runner, Charmaine, managed to overtake 1 runner and pull us up to 4th place in this round, with a praiseworthy lap of 10m 29sec. She then tagged our 4th female runner, Mabel, who started running immediately.
Soon, we saw the male KR runner come in first again, followed by Eusoff. But the huge surprise was Yannick coming in 3rd! He had managed to overtake 2 runners, with an extremely fast run of 7 min and 23s. Our 5th runner, Patrick, immediately rushed off as soon as he was tagged. The chase was on definitely on now! Meanwhile, the girls started coming in again, with RH again leading and TH a close 2nd. Mabel maintained KE’s stand at 4th, clocking in 11m 33s. Our 5th female runner, Jolene, then took off.
After a highly anticipated wait, the first guy came into sight. But, to KR’s unpleasant surprise, the EH runner had overtaken the KR runner for the lead. All the KEVIIans held their breath, and after a very short wait, they soon saw Patrick sprinting towards the finishing line. He clocked in a speedy 7m 21 sec run. As soon as he finished, Madan, our last runner, took off. At this point, the TH girl overtook the RH girl, and she came in 1st. Unfortunately, KE lost its 4th position, and came in 5th, even though Jolene ran a fast lap, finishing at 10m 43sec.
Now, everyone was agonisingly waiting for the first guy to come into sight. EH were very nervous, as it was more than possible for the KR runner to overtake the EH runner. Even though the KR runner had quite a head start, the Keviians were cautiously hoping that Madan could pull a n ace out of his sleeve and overtake him, since Madan is the current IVP champion for the 1500m race. The first runner came in sight, and to the relief of the EH supporters, their last runner had managed to maintain the lead. The KR runner came in 2nd. After a short wait, Madan came into sight, having run the fastest amongst all the KE runners, with a time of 7m 20s. The TH girl managed to maintain her lead, and she came in 1st, followed by RH and then EH. Our 6th runner, Bee, also ran the fastest, clocking in a very fast lap of 9m 47sec. She managed overtook a runner and pull us back up to 4th place again.
Congratulations to our guys for securing the third position! It was a really exciting race and the finish was especially nail biting. The chase by the guys was fantastic, having come back from the 5th position to clinch the 3rd. The girls runners also overtook 2 runners and played their share of catch up, for they also came back from 5th position to come in 4th. Although the girls could not get into the top three, the effort they put also made for an exciting race with another nail biter to finish the night. We are extremely proud of all of you!
Editor’s Note: Pictures will be uploaded ASAP, we apologise for the delay!
Floorball (F) Carnival
KE vs EH: 0-2
KE vs TH: 1-8
KE vs KR: 0-5
KE vs SH: 0-2
KE vs RH: 0-0
Writer: Joel Koh
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
It was a sunny Sunday morning at SRC, the day of the girls’ floorball IHG. By 9am, the tournament location was filled with the colours of all 6 halls, the crowd eagerly anticipating the start of the matches and raring to support the respective teams.
The KE girls begin their match against one of the strongest teams; KR. Determined to start off with a blast, KE defended hard and strong. However, KR was still too strong and we conceded our first goal to KR’s star No.7 player. What was to follow was a barrage of another 3 goals, once again scored by KR’s No.7. Our girls defended tirelessly, with everyone contributing to the soild defense (even striker Fang Min was seen running up and down to help in the defense!) Our veteran goalkeeper, Fang Chee, showed us why she is an IVP keeper with a few stunning saves to keep the scoreline low. Our defensive work paid off as towards the end only 1 more goal was let in, resulting in a final 5-0 score line in favor of KR.
Our second match was against SH. Despite the earlier loss, our girls were still optimistic and raring to go! They began the game enthusiastically and were determined to grind out a result. However, SH’s quick and aggressive play soon earned them 1 goal in the first half. SH’s aggressiveness turned against themselves though when Fangmin was fouled heavily and sent flying by a SH girl. There was literally a few seconds of hang time as Fang Min sailed away and over the boards. Fang Min bravely picked herself up and continued while the SH player received a 2min penalty. The game continued with KE defending strongly and counter-attacking on the break. Alicia and Jia Ni pressured the SH defenders non-stop, resulting in a few chances. The match ended 2-0 in SH’s favour.
The next match was against RH. This match was especially crucial, as our “zero loss against RH” record was at stake. Despite the pressure to maintain this record, our girls remained calm and composed. We started off well, pressuring RH continuously and playing in their half. RH rallied and fought back, coming close to scoring. However they were denied by Laura who did a spectacular diving save. However, this resulted in a 2min penalty as swinging of the stick when on the ground was not allowed. The 2nd half was again dominated by KE, but luck was once again not on our side, as this time Alicia received a 2min penalty for a high stick. Despite playing with a man (or girl in this case) down for a total of 4mins (1/6 of the whole game), we still dominated. Sadly, we could not penetrate their defence and the game ended with a draw. The record continues standing!
The games then continued with TH as our opponents. TH was the firm match favorites right from the start and the 3-0 score line in their favor at the break showed why. Josephine and Fang Chee both put up heroic saves to keep the score down. Even though the opponents were more skilled, we never gave up, and at the start of the 2nd half, captain Esther scored!!! It was a well taken shot that flew past the TH defense and left them stunned. TH started to panic and sent in their best players. This resulted in a sudden barrage of goals and the game ended 8-1. However, it was still a memorable game, especially for Esther, who scored against one of the strongest teams ever in IHG history. Kudos to her!
The final game was against EH. Knowing that EH was aggressive and had good players; we changed tactics and went all out defensive. This paid off as the frustration written on the face of the EH girls was plain for all to see. They tried again and again to score but failed. Sadly, luck was once again not on our side as a potshot made it past our goal line. In the 2nd half, we continued defending hard, and once again, conceded only one goal. Although we lost 2-0, it was still a good match as the KE girls managed to hold their own.
All in all, it was a long long day for the girls, with their final game ending at 7.30pm. Playing for more than 10 hours straight is no easy feat, and our floorball girls certainly did us proud! Well done!
Handball (F), KE vs SH, 1-3
Writer: Loraine Ong
Editor: Pearly Neo
It was truly a night for the girls in our handball team to show what they were made of, what with KE and SH were up against each other that night, and no signs of relenting from either side. After getting all pumped up from with an intense warming up session, the female handball team were all set to charge on ahead.
SH started the game off, and KE players were on their toes, with hands up high ready to defend any balls. The first few passes from SH were relaxed and they took it slow. Perhaps their pretence at nonchalance worked, when unexpectedly, they scored at their first turn! With anticipation building up and hanging heavy in the air by this unanticipated turn of events, KE kept their cool and remained undeterred, making numerous attempts at shooting the ball into their goal but unfortunately none of their shots met the mark.
The team had Yi Lin placed strategically at the wing sideto shoot side shots. Balls were passed to her very frequently, and she made numerous excellently aimed, rapid throws. However, as we watched her opponents frequently clump around her as they tried to defend, it became quite evident as the game that SH relied more on their pivot (centre) players, sending the others to defend against players they considered the greatest threats, while KE had good players both at the centre and sides and were playing strategically, hoping to bank on this advantage.
On two occasions, travelling caused us to pass shooting opportunities to the opponent team. They failed to capitalize on these opportunities, however, and KE supporters couldn’t help but release sighs of relief at this. We had a chance!
Throughout the game, we saw many of our players lift themselves high off the ground to attempt powerful shots. Hui Ning and Geraldine Teo attempted many good throws, but as it always is in handball, they were either at difficult angles, or the opponent goal keeper was too quick and strong, and managed to deflect their balls. There were a couple of times when we nearly scored, and the KE supporters’ groans of anguish were obvious when balls hit the goal post and were reflected at a steep angle.
At the 15th minute of the game, SH dropped their ball while passing – never one to pass up an opportunity, Yi Lin instinctively snatched it from the ground. After that, everything happened very quickly. The ball was then passed to Geraldine Teo who had already moved ahead on the court, and then shot over to Hui Ning who capitalized on her shooting advantage, as the opposing team did not have sufficient time to form a barrier between the KE team and their goal keeper. It was unfortunate that the goal did not materialize though, but it was really a good try and the team spirit was apparent.
At the 22nd minute (first third of the game), Yi Lin, determined to make up for the lost opportunity, suddenly upped her game and scored! Her quick moves and alertness enabled her to produce a shot that was powerful and accurate enough to score from the left side of the court. Perhaps picking up on the energy spreading amongst the KE players after this, it was almost immediately after this goal that SH scored their third and final point.
Although victory was not ours today, special mention must be made of our goal keeper, Fang Chee. Any ball that reaches her can be flicked accurately and powerfully, pushed to the sides or caught almost effortlessly. One could say she was born to be a star handball player. Standing by the side of the court, Aik Leong was constantly strategizing, coaching and switching the positions of our players, valiantly attempting to maximize their potential during the game. It was thanks to him as well that KE managed to play such an organized and well-strategised game.
Our defenders certainly put up an excellent show too. In the second third of the game, Julia made a sharp, reflexive move by jumping so high directly in front of her opponent (who was trying to shoot) that the girl’s view was totally blocked, and just like that, a very possible goal was prevented. When the game proceeded with SH snatching the ball and attempting to make a well-aimed throw, Fang Chee was quick to see the ball coming and lunged to save it just in time, to the hollers and cheers of the crowd!
In the last segment of the game, Geraldine Foo also got her fair share of clumping from the opposing team as she tried to shoot from the centre (remember the opposing team’s defence strategy of blocking the greatest threats). Brenda tried to shoot once, but it bounced off the chest of an opponent whereupon she caught the rebounding ball and once again tried to attack, showcasing the true KE spirit of never giving up.
The game ended all too soon, and although victory was not ours to claim this day, our players left the court with smiles on their faces, knowing they had played a good, organized, well-strategized game. Bravo, girls! We are all immensely proud of you!
Editor’s Note: Pictures will be uploaded ASAP, our sincere apologies for the delay!
Soccer (M), 2nd Preliminary Round: KE vs TH, 1-1
Writer: Chua Jia Ni
Photos: Wu Xi
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
The KE team arrived at the field early, full of determination to win today’s match. In order to have a fighting chance of entering the semi-finals, it was crucial for them to win or draw against Temasek Hall. The guys warmed up near the grand stands while waiting for the previous game to end. At 8:32pm, the referee signaled for KE’s game to start. The captain, Cun Zhi, gathered the KE team and gave them a prep talk. His encouraging words boosting the team’s morale greatly. After a resounding “KE whoosh!”, the team went on field, ready to win.
ROAR!!
KE started with a strong defense which lasted throughout the game. Although there were occasional attempts to strike by TH, KE’s keeper Nelson saved the shots without breaking much of a sweat. By 8:38pm, TH attempted a desperate strike to score, but the ball went wide. Probably feeling the extreme pressure the KE defense had on their strikers, TH missed their shots blatantly in front of the goal. On one occasion, the ball was traveling in mid-air, precariously close to KE’s goal. TH’s No. 10 blindly sped to the KE goal, in hope of heading in a goal. However, his efforts were futile. Our keeper, Nelson, managed to save the high ball with his agile reflexes. However, the TH striker collided with him and both fell to the ground. Fortunately, both players emerged unhurt from this accident. With Nelson’s successful save, the team morale grew even higher!
Nelson!
By fighting off TH’s attempts to score, the KE team’s confidence grew. Cun Zhi displayed his skills by stealing possession of the ball, pushing the ball towards TH’s goal constantly. At 8:56pm, TH fouled against KE’s No. 27 through a rough tackle and a free kick was awarded. Unlike previous free kicks, it was not Cun Zhi who kicked the ball. No. 99 (our favourite exchange student from Kenya), stepped up to execute this important task and what a task it was!. He smashed an unstoppable, curling ball past the wall of TH defenders, past the rooted goal keeper, straight into the goal! The whole field was in silence – no one expected a goal so soon! The KE team was elated and the KE supporters cheered madly! Following the goal, Cun Zhi rallied the KE players back into position, reminding them not to be too over-confident. The TH team was in a state of shock, perhaps the goal was too hard a blow to them?
Cun Zhi with a firebolt!
The game resumed quickly and TH became more aggressive. In less than 5 minutes after the goal, one of their players fouled against KE’s No. 27 (yet again!). There was a mad rush to score by the TH team as they kept surging up towards the KE goal. As KE’s defense formation held strongly, the TH strikers could not shoot the ball with much accuracy. On the 1st attempt, Nelson saved a weak strike from TH. The 2nd attempt was headed by Cun Zhi, which sent the ball flying across to TH’s field. The spectators were awed by Cun Zhi’s skill and dubbed it as the “crazy header”. The rest of the game was like a pendulum, attacks by TH were all pushed back by KE and KE’s attacks met with strong resistance by TH. Although on paper, TH had more ‘talented’ players, all of their brave attempts to score failed.
Guan Long, our IVP player, dribbling the ball
There were many times when KE’s No. 99 gained possession of the ball near the TH goal. When that happened, the TH players would scramble to close him down. Evidently, the TH players saw No. 99 as a threat due to his powerful strikes and shadowed him whenever he had the ball. Although there were many chances for him to score, the sheer pressure of 3 defenders on him prevented him from striking with accuracy.
Our striker shielding the ball well!
As the minutes trickled away, the level of aggression on the field grew. At 9:29pm, 2 of our players were injured by TH at the same time! KE’s No. 27 and No. 17, Yong Shen were tackled, sending them rolling on the ground. As Yong Shen sustained an injury from the rough tackle, he was substituted by No. 28, Nicholas. The game resumed normally, with KE fending off all the attempts to score by TH.
At 9:45pm, TH managed to break past mid-field to the KE defenders. No. 7, Jun Kiat and No. 21, Cun Zhi pressurized the striker, causing him to randomly kick the ball over the goal and between the contact rugby poles. This foiled attempt was met with cheers, with one spectator exclaiming “The Rugby Union loves you!” in response to the strike.
Time was running out for TH. With each passing minute, their desperation to score increased multifold Their desperation (apparently) caused one of their players to push KE’s striker No. 99. No. 99 returned with a vengeance. He sprinted towards the TH goal, preparing to shoot. As the shot flew towards the goal, a TH player appeared and blocked No. 99’s power strike. Bad choice. Even though the ball bounced off the defender’s leg and missed the goal eventually, he was seen wincing in pain for a while.
GO KE!!
With only a few minutes left, TH did not give up on the game though and their efforts paid off. One of their strikers managed to pull a shot into KE’s goal despite valiant attempts by the KE defense to block the shot. This brought the final score of the game to 1:1. Although we did not win numerically, everyone on the soccer team felt that today’s performance was definitely the best of all! Good job KE Soccer team!
Handball (F), 1st Preliminary Round: KE vs EH, 1-6
Writer: Jonathan Chan
Photos: Tian Jiawei
It is with a sombre mood that this article is written, for the girls’ first handball match was overshadowed by an incident which many of us, both freshmen and veteran IHG seniors, will remember for days to come. My apologies to readers if this falls short of expectations.
“What are we going to do, girls?” yelled Captain Geraldine before the match. “KICK ASS!” roared our warriors. After months of hard training, our handball girls stepped onto the court on a humid Thursday night ready to take on old rivals Eusoff Hall. With the record over the last two years standing at 0-2 to Eusoff, the girls may have been feeling nervous, but if there was any apprehension, it didn’t show as they warmed up quickly, firing shots at Fang Chee and practising their waves, under the watchful eye of Aik Leong, the coach. On the other side of the court, the Eusoff players, taller man for man compared to our players, performed theirs.
a few pointers from Aik Leong
GO KE!!
Shortly past 8, the girls took to the court, Yi Lin and Julia, both agile basketballers, on the wings, the two Geraldines, strong shooters and runners, in the second position, and Hazel and Hui Ning, our tallest members in the centre positions. Fang Chee, arguably the best female goalkeeper in IHG, stood in the goal, a defiant figure in black ready for the onslaught. And onslaught it was.
The Eusoff wave crashed against a solid wall of red, the pivot weaving between Hui Ning and Hazel who strove to keep her down. Twice did the wave swing from end to end before a looping shot was released, hitting just inside the bar through luck or skill. 0-1 and first blood to Eusoff. The battle was firmly joined.
On came the red attack in earnest. One by one the girls raced forward, feinting to shoot and passing off, before Julia unleashed a shot. Eusoff Hall has long had a trend of employing small but agile goalkeepers and this particular specimen did her predecessors justice as she blocked Julia’s shot from the right wing time and again.
On the other end of the court, Eusoff was faring no better after the inital goal, with KE proving a bigger mouthful to chew than expected. Julia broke the next Eusoff wave with a good interception, making the yellow players increasingly nervous. This showed up by their increasingly frantic struggles to escape the KE people who tried to clamp them. Their nerves culminated in the 5th minute, when they launched a fast break but shot over the bar with only Fang Chee to beat. The handball goalkeeper’s adage of “You don’t have to save – you only have to make them miss” was certainly alive in our intimidating custodian.
defending well!
In the 6th minute we were unlucky not to score when another powerful shot was Julia rattled off the bar. Hui Ning followed up with another attempt from 9 meters, but it was Eusoff that replied, with their pivot seizing the ball, spinning beautifully and firing past Fang Chee to make the score 0-2. If anything, the defence was stronger than ever, Fang Chee plucking two shots right out of the air, Julia and Yi Lin beating away the Eusoff waves before they could be initiated.
Seeing that improvements had to be made, Aik Leong called for a time out in the 11th minute, and fresh instructions and fresh legs were injected, with the experienced Brenda and Hui Ann coming on. Brenda had immediate effect when she sent a shot JUST wide with the keeper beaten when the match was restarted. Fang Chee and Yi Lin then paired up beautifully when the former saved another shot, brought the ball down and launched a fast break to our freshman basketballer, who streaked down the line and got the ball to Hui Ann, who was charged down before she could shoot. True to form, though, she got back up to her feet and kept running, to the cheers of our supporters. A Eusoff ball floated to their pivot, who by virture of her height, caught the ball and spun around. Hazel and Hui Ning, having learnt from the last goal, leapt forward and clamped her. Teamwork beat brute strength, with the weak shot easily caught by Fang Chee.
attacking fast!
Half time was drawing near, the defence was holding strong, and we were unfortunate when Eusoff once again scored from their pivot, who struggled her way between our centres to place the ball past Fang Chee once again. The half time whistle came shortly after, with the score at 0-3 to Eusoff. Not bad against one of the strongest, tallest teams in IHG, but we had to score.
The defence had been holding well – Eusoff’s usual creativity was being stifled, with their fast breaks being closed down too quickly, their pivots being crushed into submission by people half their height (ok, for Hui Ning, maybe two-thirds). The trend continued with the start of the second half, with the first EH attack, their pivot only managing a shot which was once again breathtakingly deflected by Fang Chee.
fang chee saving spectacularly!
In the 22nd minute, the first signs of ugliness started to appear, when Yi Lin was run down by her opposite number while launching an attack, tumbling over with a shout of protest. Her yell was immediately echoed mockingly by the watching Eusoff supporters, but she never reacted, picking herself up to track back and defend. Despite the yells of “You’re too late! Cannot score! No use trying!” from the gentlemen and ladies in yellow, our girls continued to run tirelessly. The Eusoff left centre caught a fast break from their keeper, spun and crunched into Julia who had already anticipated the move. Athletically, the EH player dodged but with with KE’s teamwork, the next red player was never too far away. Geri Foo somehow managed to smother the Eusoffian who was twice her size before she could shoot.
Through sheer tenacity, Fang Chee blocked shot after shot, but the Eusoff right winger finally had a piece of luck when her shot managed to slip into the goal at the 27th minute, making the score 0-4. 6 minutes later, the Eusoff centre soared above the defence and unleashed a thunderbolt at 9 meters to make it 0-5. The girls were down but certainly not out, with everyone giving all they had.
They were still going all out when the fateful incident occurred in the 33rd minute. Eusoff’s wave was once again lashing around our thin red line. Their pivot rushed in for a shot. Hui Ning, Yi Lin and Geri Teo slammed together, a three-man wall protecting Fang Chee. Body contacted body, the ball floated free, and the red-clad players raced forward to counterattack. The Eusoffian lay where she fell, all of us expecting her to get up to continue.
That was when her teammate started shouting for someone to call an ambulance. KE Hall, smart as we are with our medical students according to an unnamed EH writer, immediately shoved me out to go and help. I ran over and what I saw was indeed horrific, beyond the help of any first aider.
The match came to a halt for 10 minutes. The casualty lay surrounded by her teammates and the referees by the 6 meter line, the KE members quiet and ashen in our substitution area, partially in respect but mostly because of the enormity of the scene unfolding before us. Those of us who played handball knew that it could have happened to any of us, and we felt sick to the stomach at the thought that this freak accident should occur here. Aik Leong quietly gathered the girls around him, back towards the scene, to continue focusing on the match, though we all knew that this scene would probably stay with us for life, a memory of hall which would be, for once, unpleasant. Mae Yue summed up the feelings with a heartfelt “Ohmygod”, not a trace of her usual bubbly personality evident.
The paramedics came and went, bringing her away. And with great courage, the Eusoff players decided to continue the match. The match resumed at a pace which was anything but restrained, the Eusoff supporters more vocal than ever.
Hiromi, after running indefatigably for so long, then was slapped with a 2 minute suspension for crossing the substitution line illegally, according to the referees, an interesting accusation for neither I nor Aik Leong had seen the incident. Still, referees being referees, we had no choice but to comply. The Eusoff players came on again, reminding each other “We’re one man up! Come on!”
One man up or not, what happened next could not be denied. The words of the Eusoffians died on their lips as Geri Teo put everything she had behind her right-handed attempt from the left side of the goal. The ball slipped between the flailing arms of the defenders, whizzed across the face of the goal, and past their keeper to make the score 1-5. We roared our delight and the girls celebrated as Eusoff came back to the halfway line for the throw-off. The Eusoff attack was even fiercer considering we were a man-short, Julia being forced to use every basketball-acquired skill she had to mark two people at one time. To her credit, not one attempt came from her side of the wing, testament to her effort.
As the clock wound down Eusoff added another though, managing to score in the dying minutes to make the score 1-6. A final KEVIIan attempt hit the bar and bounced off, before the final whistle went.
No one felt like commenting on the match after it was over. It had been a tough fight, and the 33rd minute had been a very mentally-draining experience, even for the onlookers. KE’s defence had held firm against the countless attacks, breached only by the skill and strength of our opponents, and the girls can be proud of themselves for that. We had the match against Sheares to look forward to, still.
It’s never pleasant when injuries occur, to us or to them. Despite the competition and despite the rivalry, all handballers share the same love for the sport, which makes us a special (if slightly crazy) breed. We knew Eusoff’s downed player – she had on occasion played at Braddell Heights CC with us during the holidays. Some of us had even been on the same team as her during the short games. I admire the courage the EH team had to retain their composure and continue playing their best even after the accident to take a deserved win. To her, on behalf of both KE’s guy and girl handball teams, I wish all the best in recovering from the injury. You may be an opponent, but are definitely a worthy one. May we see you on the court someday again.
the ke7 handball team!
our brave warriors!
KE vs KR, 1-2
Writer: Chua Jia Ni
Editor: Janice Fan
Photos by: Wang He
The first match of the IHG Soccer games started with KE facing KR on Wednesday night. Our Soccer team reached the field early to warm up and the atmosphere intensified when the KR team arrived.
The games started promptly when the referee arrived and KE did a resounding cheer to boost morale as the first line of players went on field, ready to smash the opposing team. Probably due to the jerseys the teams were wearing, some thought it was a face-off between Chelsea and Manchester United.
At 9:29pm, KR started a fierce attack against KE and our defense was too solid to breakthrough, which led the ball flying across the field several times. However, KR surged across the field with their fastest players and on the 3rd minute, KR scored. But it was a lucky shot, so it was not something to be really proud about. Keeping their heads high, KE continued the game with a fierce attack.
During the attack, No. 18 Guan Long was hit in the abdomen as a result of a rough tackle from KR and that granted KE a free kick! The KE captain Cun Zhi wasted no time seizing the opportunity to attempt to score, which met which much resistance from the KR team, missing the goal.
One may note that during this match, KE had one of the most free-kicks due to rough play; perhaps KR brought in a bunch of players who were ‘excessively violent’. Yet again at 9:34pm, KR fouled against KE! Although KE managed to put up a brilliant attack, KR managed to foil their attempts. During the 3rd free kick (yet again a foul by you-know-who), Cun Zhi launched his signature fireball across the field all the way to the KR keeper! The KR keeper adamantly headed the incoming ball, deflecting it away. Although it was a save, the KR keeper ‘sacrificed’ his head for the glory. The keeper fell onto the ground, although he did not sustain any bloody injury, perhaps Cun Zhi’s fireball was too much for him to handle! The KR keeper was ‘stalling’ for time, getting his team mates to fetch him water and etc. While the KR keeper was still ‘immobile’ from the shot, Cun Zhi got the KE team to warm up in their positions, ready to strike.
At 9:39pm, KR came in full-force (perhaps to avenge their ‘fallen’ keeper?) but our keeper Nelson caught their ball easily, forcing the KR team to fall back despite their commendable efforts. Just when the game restarted, our player got injured instead. No. 8 attempted to head a ball from KR but his head was injured by another KR player heading the ball, whose elbow caused an abrasion on our player’s head. Our player immediately called for a temporary halt to the game as he had significant bleeding on his head. A KE supporter immediately grabbed hold of him as he walked towards the benches. Luckily, Medicine student Jonathan Chan attended to his wounds, wrapping his injury with bandages and brought the whole situation under control. Even when the player No. 8 was injured, he still stood up tall to watch the game while waiting to be sent to the hospital. At that moment, KR seemed like a murderous bunch, out to injure players without hesitation. Perhaps it was karma; KR never seemed to get close enough to the KE goal for the first half. At 9:47pm, KR’s attempt to shoot failed as the ball was kicked too hard, flying over the goal onto the tracks.
Later at 9:54pm, KE player No. 7 Jun Kiat launched the ball towards the KR goal as he sped past the KR defenders to attempt to strike. However, the KR keeper jumped into mid-air to catch the airborne ball. The ball was obviously kicked with a lot of force as the KR keeper landed in foetal position on the ground, looking as if he was kicked by ball himself. Despite several attacks by KR, KE’s defense proved too tough to breakthrough. During which, KE was awarded with a free-kick (foul by KR again!) and a corner shot. Although KE did not score, KE has intimidated KR plenty by gaining possession of the ball many many times. By 10:09, the referee called for a half-time. The KE team went to the benches at the side of the field to rest up. Cun Zhi led the team in a talk of tactics and commented on the overall play by the KE team.
At the 10th minute, the whistle blew, signaling the players to return to the field. Energized and refreshed, the KE team was ready to score. No. 9 Yannick pressurized his opponents by shadowing them very quickly, interfering with their attempt to pass the ball, while other KE players managed to outwit the KR players in an attempt to steal the ball. At 10:20pm, KE showed who was boss. KR fouled against Guan Long and KE again was awarded with a free-kick. Not wasting the opportunity, the KE attackers positioned themselves strategically near the KR goal, ready to seize the opportunity for a goal. At 10:21pm, No. 99 beautifully kicked the ball into the KR goal, equalizing the score at 1:1. The KE crowd cheered and emotions soared. The goal undoubtedly was a big morale boost to the Soccer team!
In less than 1 minute after the goal, KR fouled against KE yet again! Although KE nearly scored a goal, the KR team was evidently more aware of the prowess of the KE team. KE was more offensive and they kept the ball in the half court near the KR goal. There were great attempts in scoring, but all of which were intercepted. Unfazed, KE kept on pushing the ball, tiring out the KR players. Although KR did attempt to strike when they had the chance, the KE Keeper Nelson caught the ball easily.
Alas, at 10:49pm, KR returned with a fierce attack. Despite attempts from the KE defense to clear the ball away from the goal, the KR attacker kept charging. Initially, our keeper Nelson managed to deflect the ball away from the goal, but the ball rebounded out to the players. The supporters were silent, all hoping for the ball to clear out into the field. But the KR attacker kicked the ball in again, but a KE defender blocked his attempt. Again, the ball was still in front of the goal. With a stroke of luck, another KR attacker shot the ball into the net. The end of silence met with a loud roar by the KR supporters. The KE supporters were no less quiet. They shouted words of encouragement, cheering on the KE Soccer team who has done the hall proud. The game continued as tension intensified, both sides attempting to attack with full-force. KE kept on going in full-force and pressed for another equalizer, but with time running out and the pressure by the KR team, the game ended KE 1 : KR 2.
During debrief, Cun Zhi commented that KE had most possession of the ball especially the corner balls. It signifies that the team is competent and should endeavor for better results. Although the team did not win, it served as a valuable experience to the new players in the team. The dedication by the team is worthy of praise!
KE vs RH, Final Score: 1-4Writer: Yap Juin Shiong
Editor: Janice Fan
1st singles: 2-21, 0-21 (April)
2nd singles: 9-21, 10-21 (Hui Ning)
3rd singles: 13-21, 10-21 (Ji Yuan)
1st doubles: 12-21, 5-21 (Janice + Laura)
2nd doubles: 21-19, 22-20 (Mae Yue + Brenda)
heroines of the night!
It was early. With members of the public all around nonchalantly using the courts in the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall, none could have guessed that the brigade of spritely, crimson-clad girls jauntily walking in were to be competing later that night. As the King Edward (KE) team arrived early to “test the courts”, they played with the ease and confidence of an experienced duellist calmly oiling his blade in preparation for the coming fight. Slowly, players departed the adjacent courts in order to steal glances at the KE Team, who were going through their exercises effortlessly. The ample preparation that went into the coming match, I later learnt, was to be a hallmark of how hard the team worked for that single night.
As the dusky evening matured into night, Team Raffles finally trooped in with a skeleton crew of players- barely enough to warrant the use of the word “team”. Score one for KE, who had brought down the entire team to cheer, if not to learn from the coming game! When the logistics were settled, the games began in earnest. First up to represent KE was April, who was more confident this time around, having had her trial by fire in the previous week in her first singles against Sheares. Her singles’ opponent this time, however, seemed to be ex-IVP or IVP, and was definitely more skilful than her Sheares opponent in the first round. The match started with a lot of lobbing shots that strayed far towards the back line, shots which tested the strength of both players. Though April was inexperienced in diving desperately for the shuttle, which her opponent seemed to excel in even for shuttles which were flying out of the court, she possessed the strength to return good solid shots to her opponent, who became doubtful as each of the shots she had fired over were returned with the same strength and passion. April obviously saw the fear in her opponent’s eyes, as she switched tactics to favour her forehand, so that she could return the shots quickly, and hopefully set up the chances for a few good smashes. However, her opponent saw through her plan, and fired a few sneaky shots to April’s backhand, which sent her scrambling towards the opposite side of the court in order to retrieve them. Her confidence restored, April’s opponent then put the pressure on April by shooting her shots to April’s forehand, and then her weaker backhand, eventually overcoming April through a hard-fought battle which saw both sides being exhausted by the mind games that were being played.
april fighting hard!
As soon as the fight was over, the players were rushed off the court by the convening committee, who were already very far behind schedule. The next set was to be the first doubles’ set, and fearlessly representing KE were Janice and Laura. Predictably, Raffles put up their stronger pair (of the two) first, which meant that Janice and Laura would be fighting an uphill battle. Still, KE could hope to win this battle- Janice and Laura had decent synergy with each other, with the more powerful Janice helping to cover Laura’s weaker backhand and putting pressure on the opponent by smashing them, while Laura remained in front and harrassed the opponent with her superior netplay, or set up shots for Janice which left the opponents fumbling for their rackets.
However, this time their opponents used tactics against them; when Janice was covering for Laura’s backhand, they fired smashes at Laura, which, to her credit, she returned admirably over the net. However, the other opponent was waiting in front, and swiftly took the opportunity to smash her without mercy. Changing her tactics, Laura decided to wait for Janice to set up the shot for her to kill, but the team from Raffles decided to adopt a wait-and-see approach and pushed Janice to the corners of the court, tiring her out before making shots which were deftly placed and hard to receive. As Mae Yue shouted from the sidelines for the team to communicate, Janice and Laura eventually struggled to make a comeback for the second set, but alas, it was not to be- this time, their opponents were prepared and defeated the pair swiftly. The team was nevertheless empowered by the fact that both of them kept fighting even when they were down by a large margin, and loud cheers could be heard from the KE side when Laura managed to return a shot even after falling down. This match truly revealed the fighting spirit in KE!
janice and laura 
Meanwhile, KE was not in a position to despair after the first two games, for up stepped Hui Ning, who already had a year’s worth of Inter-Hall Games experience under her belt to fall back on. Hui Ning’s opponent seemed less intimidating, and was definitely of sub-IVP standard, a fact which cheered the team seeing that Raffles would have put their most ‘professional’ players to play the singles in order to maximise the effectiveness of the IVP cap of 3 players. As the match began, Hui Ning relied on her forte of returning powerful, high shots that left her opponent scrambling around to retrieve them, while her opponent, seeing that Hui Ning’s shots were too powerful to be lobbed back, decided to return her shots to the front of the court, a tactic which forced Hui Ning to return the shuttle high and to the midcourt region, where they could be smashed aggressively by the Raffles player. Eventually, the smashing put the pressure on Hui Ning to change tactics, and she swiftly decided to follow what the Raffles player did and return her shots forward. At first, this surprised the Raffles player, who was expecting high returns to the back, and was stunned when the shuttle dropped softly in the front of the court. However, she recovered and began to play more smoothly, and eventually her composure and ease at taking shots in front gave her the victory for both sets. Nevertheless, Hui Ning’s combination of agility and strength awed even our own KE players, and by the time the match was over, both sides had screamed their throats hoarse with cheering!
huining going for the shuttlecock!
Finally, KE’s big guns came out to play simultaneously, with the experienced Ji Yuan playing in the singles’ court, and with Mae Yue and Brenda paired for the women’s doubles. Although Ji Yuan’s opponent was fast, her shots were inaccurate and went out most of the time, giving Ji Yuan several easily won points in the first set. Ji Yuan, on the other hand, kept her cool for most of the game and found herself serving well-placed shots which her opponent found extremely difficult to return. Combined with a sense of good judgement about the lines and limits of the court, Ji Yuan looked set to win the first set, until her opponent started to capitalise on her powerful smash, which she had not unleashed thus far. The smashing unsettled Ji Yuan, who then went on to give away a few points through inaccurate serves and shots, and before she knew it, the first round went to her Raffles opponent! Her composure was restored in the break between the first and second set, but it was too late- her singles opponent sent low shots over, forcing her to return to the backcourt, which allowed the opponent to capitalise on her strength and overcome Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan’s grit and perseverance, however, won her the respect of her opponent, and both left the court satisfied that they had fought an equal in character and skill.
At the same time, KE’s final hopes rested in the second pair of Mae Yue and Brenda, who were both aces at smashing even shots that were hard for others to reach. Their opponents were evidently freshmen that had no prior experience in competing, and that Raffles had sent out to be “blooded” by the tournament experience. Nervous and unsteady, it was obvious that Mae Yue and Brenda were superior players from the beginning of the match all the way to the last shot; their superior control of the ball, combined with Brenda’s unceasing harrassment of the players around the court and Mae Yue’s precise positioning won them a hard earned victory that took away the breath of everyone watching the game. The game was so intense, that even Sheares’ Hall, who had fielded a team to play in the adjacent courts, stopped to marvel at the synergy and skill of the KE players. The nail-biting finish by KE was the cumulation of the hard work and training during the holidays that had paid off- the superior training, physical conditioning, and practice that Mae Yue and Brenda had gained over the holidays had seen them through to this very game, and allowed KE the doubles victory in style.
mae yue and brenda for the win! 
The performance by KE no doubt left Raffles shaking, as their shield of invincibility was broken, and the writer is sure that although Raffles may have won the battle today, they will no longer be seen or feared as a foe that is unbeatable. The sole win today has encouraged our players to remain true to the KE ethos of hard work and perseverance. May the women’s team continually work towards greater glory in the future!
KE vs RH, 1-4
Writer: Jonathan Chan
Editor: Stephanie Kho
Photos by Ruiqi
The KE badminton guys faced Raffles in a short, sharp fight today as they sought to fight to the semi-finals. In a series of battles lasting just over an hour, KE scored 1 game to RH’s 4. However, numbers could never tell the full story of the competition which unfolded in MPSH 5 just after 7 pm today.
I reached the hall just before 6.30 pm. Walking into MPSH 5 was like walking into a wall of noise and heat. The sheer excitement radiating from the people present was as stifling as the temperature. Umesh and Ze Hao were warming up on the court, smashing balls at each other, running back to collect the lob, the lunging for a drop shot. Laura and Mae Yue, the team manager, were down to support their guy counterparts, helping out with the paperwork and allowing the guys to concentrate on their game. One could feel the energy in the quick steps of the players who were warming up, of Nicholas the captain as he paced up and down watching his team built up to peak intensity, no doubt running through the match himself.
Even members outside the badminton team were excited. “So excited! Can you imagine, tomorrow is OUR turn!” squeaked Mae Yue, as she hopped from foot to foot watching the guys, waving her chopsticks with one hand and her half-eaten dinner in the other. Sherry, KE Vision’s latest photographer covering her first event, was equally excited as she prepared her equipment for the match.
Opening game of the day
All too soon, out marched Kah Chun to face his opponent, as the audience yelled support. On the faces of all the badminton guys now were masks of absolute concentration (unlike the audience who was still thinking about the water shortage in hall). Raffles was quick off the mark, rushing to a 6-1 lead almost immediately, driving Kah Chun around the court with a series of straight drives and drop shots. Kah Chun replied valiantly, gaining a point with a good drop shot to the left of the court which his opponent could not stop, then forced a second point by smashing hard and causing his opponent to return into the net. But unfortunately, his RH opponent quickly had his measure, playing shots which were always JUST out of Kah Chun’s reach, and taking the first set 4-21.
The second set was all too similar, with Kah Chun’s opponent once again unleashing a barrage of smashes. Kah Chun, once again, was far from giving up as he tracked back to save the hard shots, before advancing to smash down the soft ones, but RH recovered well, and finally, fired a shot down the left boundary line to seal a 1-21 victory.
The guys are ever prepared for the shuttlecock
On the second court, Juin Shiong and Kai Kai were taking on their opponents. Both sides had a nervous start, with several serves from either set of players falling before the short service line or behind the long service line. Raffles recovered and made headway with a 3-1 lead soon before our guys could get into rhythm. However, the combination of the agile freshman and the veteran senior soon started paying off. A cunningly placed short serve from Kai Kai forced a weak, looping shot from his opponent, which fell towards the centre of the court begging to be hit. The Raffles players retreated from the net, from the smash which they knew was to come. Juin Shiong obliged, playing his part beautifully as he smashed the shuttlecock right down the centre, past one flailing racket then the other, to within the boundary to the delight of the spectators. RH, outraged, perhaps, by the audacity of the set-up, proceeded to smash shot after shot at the KE players, some of which were returned skilfully. Unfortunately, more were just beyond the reach of our players, and the first set ended 9-21.
“Make them run! Make them sweat!” intoned Nicholas, as he mentally prepared his members for the next set. The coming set was fiercer, if anything. Juin Shiong displayed energy to lunge low to the right at the rear of the court, then lunge forward again to pick off the drop shot which followed, scoring triumphantly. He then produced a cheeky piece of skill as his drop shot, so finely weighted, landed and balanced on the net before tipping over onto the opponent’s side for another point, as the audience wiped away their sweat and calmed their racing hearts. Kai Kai danced his way across the court, alternating drop shots and lobs until an opening formed, allowing him to smash and force a weak return into the net. However, a comeback was not to be as Raffles ramped up the speed of their play, eventually once again reaching 21 again to our guys’ 9.
Of lobs and drops
Up stepped Ze Hao in the second single, against a RH player who looked remarkably small for a badminton player. The start of his first set, unfortunately, was riddled with one too many shots which skimmed just out of court. With his teammates yelling for him to calm down, Ze Hao slowly got into the game, finally forcing a long return from his opponent. But otherwise his opponent played a flawless game, finally closing down the set 2-21 to RH after a series of errors from our player.
Ze Hao’s second game was much better. With a calmer mind, the rallies became longer and he was able to match his opponent point for point at the first part of the match, first forcing his opponent to return his shot long, and then into the net, gaining consecutive points. His opponent, though skilful, was himself not beyond making errors and commited errors he did, as Ze Hao waltzed through a barrage of fierce shots, his racket a constant blur of motion, playing safely as his teammates told him. However, once again, too many shots bled through Ze Hao’s brave defence and though the scoreline improved, a 9-21 scoreline stood at the end of the game.
Nobody can beat the telepathy that they have on court
With the overall score now at 0-3 to RH, the match was effectively over, with only honour to play for. But certainly no one had informed Alvin and Nicholas, who walked onto the court virtually breathing fire, eager to avenge the earlier losses. That RH’s first attempt was ruthlessly smashed back at them by Alvin to seal a quick first point for KE foretold the energy which would be put into this match. Alvin and Nicholas covered the court well with an unerring, telepathic ability. Two figures in red, one short and agile, able to retrieve the unretrievable, the other tall and imposing, who formed a wall with his racket at the front of the court, smashing the light shots and neutralizing the harder ones. Raffles staggered before the onslaught and tried to reply with their own. Nicholas was forced to dive to his right, rolled back on his feet and was up for the follow-up shot, replying with such a drop shot which his opponent could only flail at, making the score 11-4. Alvin then proceeded to smash a shot right at his opponent’s body, which the Raffles player could not return without knocking off his own head with his racket. 12-4. The KEVIIans then made a series of errors which almost allowed a comeback from Raffles, but with the game finely poised at 20-all, Nicholas and Alvin held firm to take the set 23-21.
The second set was also brilliant. Both were playing better than ever, but individual errors cost them dear as Raffles began to get their measure. Every possible trick in the book was being played. Nick wound up as if to smash then ended with a light drop shot which his backtracking opponent, unable to fight Newton’s First Law of Motion, was helpless to avoid. Still, Raffles did not take this lying down and, exploiting the individual mistakes of our guys, took the set 15-21.
It was down to the third set now, with both sides so evenly matched. Up to 10-all, things could go either way. Then Raffles began to pull away, gaining a two point lead on our guys. At 15-18 things seemed to be slipping out of our guys’ control. But then Nicholas summoned a reservoir of energy to smash four returns at his opponent, all the while advancing to the net, before the RH player finally crumbled. 16-19. 16-20. Nicholas and Alvin were not about to surrender tamely. RH returned weakly into the net. 17-20. 18-20. 19-20. And then it happened. “TWENTY-TWENTEEEEE!” My world turned wobbly and my hearing dimmed as Hui Ning yelled right into my ear with another error made by Raffles. By now, we were all on our feet cheering madly. But a comeback was not to be, again, as Raffles took the next two points, sealing their victory at 20-22.
More than just badminton
We needed to fight on. Out came Chun Keat, racket at the ready. If there was any trepidation on his part, it did not show. On the court, our Vice-President showed that he not only knew how to sing, but he knew how to dance too, as he skipped lithely across the court to catch a drop shot and lift it across the net, then rising into the air perfectly poised to unleash a smash both elegant and powerful, forcing his opponent to run in circles in order to retrieve the shuttle. The first set was a close affair, with Chun Keat leading with only one point from 7-6 all the way to 14-14. It would take something special to pull away. The something special was a smash from Chun Keat diagonally across the court to land just inside the rear right corner to make it 15-14. He never looked back and took the game 21-14.
Chun Keat once again drew first blood with a customary smash in the second set. He then raced to a 6-3 lead, ruthlessly squeezing mistakes from his opponent the way a dissatisfied KEVIIan at breakfast squeezes the excess oil from the beehoon. His opponent once again caught up at 12-12 with a questionable line call, but Chun Keat smashed the shuttlecock low and right beyond his opponent’s reach, shattering any hopes of taking the lead as he pulled away to 20-14.
There his opponent put up a brave last stand. Chun Keat later would say “I was getting tired”, as his opponent chewed away at his lead to make the score 18-20. But finally, gloriously, Chun Keat played a long shot which his opponent thought was going to go out, saw too late that it would drop inside the line, and smacked the shuttlecock backwards at knee level. All eyes were on the shuttle as it flew straight into the net. Chun Keat raised his arms in triumph, the supporters screamed their approval, KE Vision took pictures, and the KE Press writer accidentally stabbed his thigh with his pencil in his excitement to take down the score.
So the match ended with a 1-4 to Raffles, as our brave players went out to shake their opponents’ hands. But the excitement didn’t stop there. There was the question of thanking their team manager. With an ear-piercing shriek which drowned out even the drums and cheers of the vaunted Kent Ridge Hall (playing Temasek in the adjacent courts), Mae Yue was lifted and tossed into the air by the guys’ team as a way of showing their thanks for the support she had continuously given them, both material and moral. And so with a final picture taken by Sherry, the day’s games drew to a close. “It was a good game… I think the guys tried really really hard”, said Mae Yue, while Nicholas added “We tried our best”. “It was very exciting” said Alvin. And it certainly was.
Display of ultimate sportsmanship
Well done guys, for putting up such a brave fight. No one could ever ask any more than that from you all!
Writer: Ginny Quek
Editor: Janice Fan
Editor’s note: Due to the lack of coverage of the match previously, we’ve gotten some insights from Ginny, who is part of KE’s female soccer team.
The first match against Sheares got off to a good start as we scored pretty early in the game. I can’t remember who scored but with that goal, we all got pumped up, confident that we would be able to win this game. On the other hand, with that goal, Sheares got so agitated that they sent their IVP players onto the field with a vengeance. Although our girls fought hard, Sheares still managed to equalise the score ending the match with a 1-1. Our girls were not daunted however, we were in fact buoyed by the fact that our first match got off to a promising start!
For our second match, we were up against TH who had some pretty big players on the field. With advice from our coach Cunzhi to watch out for number 13, we went onto the field eager to pit our skills against TH. Despite a brilliant defence put up by the team, TH managed to score a very good goal with a kick from the penalty line which took everyone by surprise. It was a powerful and good kick; as a defender on the field at that moment, I have to say that it was close to unstoppable. But there was no doubt that we made them work hard for every goal scored. This certainly showed them that we were far from being pushovers!
Our next match was a crucial one against Raffles and we went onto the field determined to win this game. For this game, Cunzhi decided to change strategy and to play offensive. So instead of our usual formation of 3-2-1, we played a formation of 1-3-2. It certainly paid off for we scored against them and also out up a solid defence which prevented them from scoring despite their various attempts. Special mention must go out to our goalkeeper, Fang Chee, who made many spectacular saves for ALL the matches. So with a score of 1-0, we exited the field in great spirit.
Up next was KR and we were all just a little apprehensive for KR seemed to have a very strong team this year with many IVP players on the team and looked very intimidating. It didn’t help that we lost to them during a friendly. However, we went onto the field determined to give our all. And I am happy to say that we showed them although we might have lost to them before but it didn’t mean we were gonna lose again. We mounted an extremely strong defence and foiled every attempt made by them to score. Frustration was evident on KR side and despite making several changes to their players and formation, we still managed to defend against all of that ending the match in a 0-0. It might have been a draw but to the team, it was sweet victory
The last and final match of the day was Eusoff. By that time, the heat and exhaustion was getting to us. Although we were physically tired, our spirits and determination to win was as strong as ever. It also helped that our confidence was greatly increased due to our outstanding performance on the field so far. We played well against EH, managing to prevent them from scoring numerous times. In the end, they managed to score from a free kick. Although we fought hard to gain back that point, time was not on our side and the match ended with a 1-0.
The one thing that impressed me the most was the team spirit. The team continually encouraged one another and spurred each other on and most importantly, we all had fun playing together as a team! I am glad to have been part of this wonderful team
Floorball (M), 2nd Preliminary Round: KE vs SH, 1-7
Writer: Lim Fang Ming
Photos: Xu Yunchao
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
On Sunday, KE faced SH for their second floorball match this IHG. After losing the match against TH, a win was vital for our guys to proceed into the semis. Armed with the experience from the previous match, the guys marched into the courts with full determination and the will to win.
Like always, play started with a face off from the centre of the court. The first period started off on a high note as Ming Zhou displayed fine skill in keeping possession of the ball, dribbling it all the way to the Sheares goal mouth. Unfortunately, he was closed in by two SH defenders, who then passed the ball up to their forwards. Seeing that some of our strongest were directed away from the centre, they attempted to score and did just that in the first minute. The first goal in by SH was a wakeup call for our players; nobody wanted history to repeat itself. Our guys quickly regained their composure and stood in ready position; ready for any ball that came their way. At one instance, SH No. 24 tried to head the ball, which was a foul and KE was given the ball possession. The guys did not let this opportunity slip away as they brought the ball to the SH goal mouth once again. Jason attempted a shot which the SH keeper just managed to keep out. KE could not push up as much as they hoped to and as minutes went by, they found themselves being pushed back into their own half. Even though the SH players were in our court, our defenders were not subjugated and did many outstanding blocks. With our defenders busy blocking out balls, SH No. 7 capitalized on this and spotted a small opening at our goal mouth. He came in for a shot and scored the second goal for SH. Three blows of the whistle from the referee and the first period ended.
face off
give me the ball!
let's go KE!
0-2 to SH. During the interval, the team reflected on how the first period went and devised new strategies for the second. At the blow of the whistle, our guys started off again, this time with renewed purpose- they absolutely had to score. With that in mind, KE played on with new found confidence and energy. At the 9th minute, Hui Jin managed a spectacular save! Even though the SH player was less than one metre away from him, his speedy reflexes stopped the ball that was coming at blinding velocity. With the ball in his hand, he threw it over to Ming Zhou and Nelson, with the latter skilfully dribbling it towards the SH goal mouth in an offensive attempt. However, SH managed to score another goal at the 10th minute. Never stopping, SH scored yet another goal in the next minute. Coming back from 4 goals was definitely going to be an uphill task. Nonetheless, the guys remained positive and ran energetically around the courts, strongly believing in playing their best till the final whistle.
Nelson charging forward
great save!
It wasn’t long before play resumed. It was the last period and possibly the last 15 minutes of play for the KE floorball guys in this IHG. This time, the guys opted for a different sort of play – putting up a concrete defence against Sheares. Alas, this game plan was disrupted when SH No. 37 managed an impressive shot from more than half court. In less than five minutes, the same person scored another goal from half court. Seeing that our defence line was too strong for them to penetrate, SH had no choice but to send in their players who were better at scoring from half court. This last minute but clever strategy worked against KE. Even so, Vincent and Patrick gave their all and kept out many of the good shots from SH. The nicest block of the match came from Patrick, who managed to block the ball even though he was back facing his opponent. He did a speedy but accurate back pass to Nelson in time, and that stopped the ball from rolling into our goal mouth! Seeing that all was not lost, Nelson took control of the ball and headed straight for the SH goal mouth. Nothing could stop him as he rampaged through the SH players. With his swift and fluid motion, he waltzed through the Sheares defence. The SH goal keeper knew he was in deep trouble as he saw Nelson coming from the other end of the court. Stunned by the sudden counter attack, he remained rooted as Nelson raised his floorball stick.
And Nelson scored!
and the team celebrates!
Cheers of joy and happiness filled the entire MPSH. The red warriors ran in from the sidelines and crowded around our star player- he truly exhibited the KEViian spirit of never giving up. However, it was just not a good day for our guys. SH managed to put in another ball, one that was too fast and too furious, one that even Hui Jin could not stop. Shortly after, the final whistle was blown.
1- 7 was definitely a very harsh final score, considering that the standards between SH and KE were comparable. However it was a heartening sight seeing the guys fighting bravely till the last whistle, fighting for every single ball and giving their best. Even in defeat, our players still displayed wonderful sportsmanship and spirit! Good job guys!
the floorball team!
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