VJC claim eighth A Division girls’ hockey title in a row

Delta Sports Complex, Friday, April 9, 2010 – Victoria Junior College (VJC) extended their championship-winning streak to eight consecutive girls’ A Division Hockey titles after they beat Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) 4-0 in the final.

It was touted to be a close affair, but the VJC team ran riot in the first half and totally devastated the ACJC defense. The score line could have been wider had it not been for the heroics of the ACJC goalkeeper.

ACJC had managed to hold VJC to a 1-1 draw in the earlier group rounds. That match was a closely-fought encounter in which ACJC showed their determination and grit. That result was a surprise and a wake-up call for VJC as they had expected to cruise to an easy victory, but ACJC showed them otherwise.

Right from the get go in the final, VJC showed their intent to attack the ACJC goal relentlessly. VJC dominated the midfield with their captain, Sarah Kate, playing a defensive role. She clamped down on any ACJC attack swiftly and turned it around into attack.

It didn’t take long before VJC scored the first goal.

VJC moved the ball quickly up the pitch and then sent it into the ACJC goalmouth where VJC forward, Juanita Low, dived and deflected the ball into the goal. VJC kept up the pressure after the first goal and continued their hunt for the second.

A nice move down the flanks saw VJC forward, Janna, skip past her marker to cross the ball into the D where strike partner Juanita was waiting. It was a deja vu moment for ACJC as their defense failed to keep an eye on Juanita again and allowed her to score in an identical fashion.

With this second goal, Juanita cemented her status as VJC’s top scorer for the season with 15 goals. She has been a menace in front of her opponent’s goal, scoring frequently with diving shots.

The game was then interrupted by a lightning warning for almost 30 minutes. However this seemed to have no effect on VJC’s momentum. Immediately after the restart, VJC added one more goal through a short corner set piece. Defender Johanna Wiharjo scored yet another well-worked short corner with a powerful shot past the ACJC goalkeeper.

With a three-goal lead, VJC were cruising with confidence as they went into the break. The three goals should have served as a technical knock-out for the ACJC team. Despite being three goals down, ACJC weren’t going down without a final fight.

In the second half, ACJC wrestled back the initiative and began their attack on the VJC goal. The ACJC team became more aggressive, closing down on VJC players and fighting hard to win possession of the ball at all times.

15 minutes in to the second half, ACJC spurned a glorious opportunity to pull one goal back. A brilliant through pass gifted the ACJC forward a one-on-one chance. With only the VJ keeper to beat, the ACJC forward failed to shoot past the on rushing keeper, allowing the VJC keeper to kick the ball away to safety. VJC shored up their defense immediately and prevented the ACJC attack from getting any closer.

While the first half was a more one-sided affair, the second half saw a more balanced game. Being three goals down was always going to be a challenge for ACJC and although they fought hard in the second half, it just wasn’t enough.

With 10 minutes left in the game, VJC were awarded a penalty stroke. VJC midfielder, Taseem, struck the post but the umpire ordered that penalty be retaken as he deemed the ACJC keeper to have moved off the line before the penalty stroke was taken. The second time around, Taseem made no mistake and hammered the final nail into ACJC’s coffin to seal the game and claim their eight consecutive hockey title.

Captain Sarah Kate was over the moon with the victory as there was immense unseen pressure for Sarah and her team to defend the title. Sarah attributed their success to the unity and the single mindedness of the team wanting to win.

“The key factor for us was our team work and team spirit. We really wanted to play to win for each other. The unity of the team and a common goal help steer us to our victory today,” said Sarah.

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