Story and pictures by Leslie Tan.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic Multi-Purpose Hall, Friday, January 18, 2008 – The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) showed they were no flash in the pan when they beat the National University of Singapore (NUS) 4-2 last Friday to capture the IVP Floorball Championship title for the first time in their history.
However, it was NUS who had the first serious chance in the first period when Nur Fahana (#7) beat the keeper from the right flank with a shot that hit the bar with 3:45 left. NUS capitalised on the momentum within the minute when Priscilla Sia (#17), from a free hit, passed to Farhana who, after driving towards the middle, hit a rising shot throught the hands of SIM keeper Michelle Tan for the first goal of the game and a 1-0 NUS lead.
The reply from SIM was swift. Within 10 seconds, SIM equalised through Priscilla Tay (#5) after NUS were guilty of ball-watching when the ball bounced off the backboards right to Tay who had the goal and keeper at her mercy. She took the gift without hesitation to level the score at 1-1.
The excitement of scoring was soon replaced by dread for SIM when Tay was sent off for two minutes for slashing but NUS could not capitalise on the power play advantage.
The second period was a more cagey affair with neither side able to score. NUS hit the post at 7:05 on the clock and then missed a good scoring opportunity when Florence Quek (#9) blew a shot just wide.
The boisterous crowd then fell deathly silent with Jessie Tang (#26) of SIM was penalised for a foul at 1:33 and NTU were given a penalty. Priscilla Sia (#17) approached the SIM keeper, faked her out, went right, and missed the open goal, leading to groans from the NUS fans at the failure to go 2-1 up just before the break.
SIM then had a power play opportunity immediately after when Sia was made to sit in the sin bin with a two-minute penalty. The power play overlapped the end and start of the third and final period. A good chance to score came up in the opening minutes of the third period but Stella Chia (#4) of SIM blasted wide.
SIM continued to pile on the pressure with Ong Huishan (#8) with a shot on-target which the NUS keeper saved. NUS replied with pressure of their own when Priscilla Sia deflected a pass from the flanks just centimetres wide of the SIM post.
Then came the pivotal moment when SIM took the lead for the first time in the game with a well-practised move at 10:31. From a free hit, Priscilla Chia passed to teammate Stella Chia who, without even looking up, hit it first time to teammate Ng Mei Wei who was waiting near the left side of the NUS goal. Mei Wei hit the pass first time and the ball ended up in the NUS net for a 2-1 SIM lead.
But NUS came right back. With 6:43 left on the clock, Nur Fariza took the ball on left flank, dribbled towards the middle and let fly with a terrific shot that went past a lot of bodies and right through the hands of the unsighted SIM goalie. It was 2-2 and game on.
Undaunted, SIM poured forward and were soon rewarded. With 5:17 left, Priscilla Chia of SIM hit a pass from the left flank to an open Stella Chia. With the goal right in her sights, she unleashed an unstoppable shot to make it 3-2 to send her bench into delirium.
Knocked off their momentum, NUS had no answer to SIM and went further behind with 2:43 left when Priscilla Chia, again playing the provider, this time found Ng Mei Wei in the middle and the latter buried her shot into the NUS net to seal the game 4-2 and win SIM’s first-ever IVP Championship title.
“NUS are very good and they have always been top three,” said SIM captain Jacinta Hong after the game. “It’s a great honour to beat them this year and I hope we can defend out title next year.”
SIM team roster:
Michelle Tan (#3)
Stella Chia (#4)
Priscilla Tay (#5)
Esther Teng (#6)
Ong Huishan (#8)
Irwani (#10)
Melissa Koh (#11)
Pang Hui Lin (#12)
Jacinta Hong (#13)
Lye Zhijun (#17)
Lin Yasi (#18)
Priscilla Chia (#20)
Tan Ling Li (#23)
Jessie Tang (#26)
Ng Meiwei (#29)
Phyllis Loh (#33)
Alice Chua (#37)
Winnie Lim (#44)
Amelia Tan (#74)
NUS team roster:
Sarah Low (#1)
Guan Jing Wen (#2)
Fiona Yeo (#3)
Edith Chen (#4)
Pang Hui Min (#5)
Nur Farhana (#7)
Siti Aisyah (#8)
Florence Quek (#9)
Ng Yihui (#13)
Joanne Lin (#14)
Leow Hui Li (#15)
Nur Fariza (#16)
Priscilla Sia (#17)
Dione Seet (#18)
Amanda Lim (#19)
Denise Khoo (#21)
Tay Pei Yun (#22)
Monica Huang (#24)
Tan Siqian (#26)
Teh Yi Lin (#28)
Marianne Lee (#36)
Jacinta Lee (#71)
Natasha Zhao (#79)
No worries Les! I’ve got some pictures on my side. Let me know if you need more to suppliement.. or put on sale. I’d be glad to meet you to pass them to you.
[…] Girls match – http://redsports.sg/2008/01/21/ladies-first-floorball/ […]
Thanks for the name update. Apologies for the error.
Thanks for dropping by, Jonk. You are too kind. I didn’t have many pictures to choose from because I was busy scribbling notes : )
Good work Leslie. Excellent coverage in words and photos – truly a standard to follow.
There is an error in the caption: the player in the first picture from NUS is not Tay Pei Yun (#22), but Denise Khoo (#21).