Story by reader Erwin Wong

Delta Hockey Pitch, Friday, May 15, 2009 - A Division Girls' Hockey powerhouse Victoria Junior College qualified for the final once again after ousting a plucky Anglo-Chinese Junior College side 2-0 in a semi-final match.

VJC came into the game, and the tournament as well, as the team to beat, having clinched the championship trophy on six consecutive occasions since 2003. But they had to be on the top of their game to fend off the resilient ACJC team.

"This was one of the best games we have played so far this year," Said Mr Seet Kok Wah, VJC's hockey teacher-in-charge. "The girls had renewed belief in themselves that they could do it, and we could see the difference in them the last few days during training. They showed the desire to want to win, and they displayed it today from start to finish. ACJC is a strong team, with great fighting spirit and fast runners."

The underdogs certainly made it difficult for the defending champions to get an early foothold in the game, despite being pegged back in their own half for long periods. VJC had a penalty corner only 2 minutes in, but it came to nothing as a VJC player was in the way of a shot from her teammate. As it turned out, VJC's 5 penalty corners offered scant threat to their opponent's goalmouth, something which Mr Seet remarked ´needed more practice in order to be capitalized upon".

Right-winger Estee (VJC #10) made some useful forays down ACJC's left channel, out-dribbling left-back Felicia (ACJC #5) with some nifty stick-work and sending the ball in, but centre-backs Christabel (ACJC #28) and Vanessa (ACJC #8) were equal to the danger and squelched the threat by prodding the ball to safety. Centre-midfielder Weizhen (VJC #2) then had a shooting opportunity in the 10th minute but her attempt went just wide.

ACJC, meanwhile, were defending resolutely in numbers, but could not sustain any meaningful possession in the VJC half. There looked to be only one team that was capable of scoring, and VJC promptly did with 2 minutes to go in the first half when a through pass found Estee all alone in the D, and she clinically tucked it beyond the ACJC keeper.

Estee had another chance to double the lead a minute after resumption from the break but her attempt went wide. Her team went agonizingly close again in the 40th minute when their shot hit both posts and was seen in some quarters as having crossed the goal-line before rebounding out. VJC left-winger Tasneem (#9) then just missed a far-post tap-in as the team in yellow continued to turn the screw on their opponents.

ACJC nearly threw a spanner in the works of a VJC team relentlessly searching for a crucial second goal, when after an extended period of possession by her team, centre-forward and team captain Pui Sheen (ACJC #15) raced clear of the VJC defence into the D in the 50th minute, but right-back Sarah (VJC #13) snuffed out the danger after excellently making up much ground on the former.

Both teams then shared balanced possession before VJC put the game to bed with the killer second goal 5 minutes from time. Estee doubled her tally by pouncing on a loose ball in a crowded ACJC goalmouth, and the final whistle soon after confirmed VJC's entry into yet another A Division girls' hockey final.

Between now and the championship decider next Thursday, May 21, VJC captain and centre-midfielder Sijing said the team would first have some rest. "Then, from Monday onwards, we will train our all." She added on the game, "We played very well today, and stuck to our game plan, which was something we did not do in the earlier match against Raffles."

Mr Seet added that the team will approach the final in the same manner as they did for this match. "We want to play the same way as we did today. They will be playing with and for their yellow-shirted teammates and like today, to run, defend and block for each other. These are the ingredients of success."

VJC's opponents in the final are yet to be determined as the second semi-final match between Raffles Institution and last year's runners-up St Andrew's Junior College was postponed due to inclement weather. It will now take place on Monday, May 18, 0800 hrs at CCAB, Evans Road.