Story by REDintern Lynn Chia. Photos by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Muhammad Haziq (VS #42) protects the ball against Divagaran (SGS #7). (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck)
Bedok Sports Hall, Wedsday, April 23, 2014 — St. Gabriel’s Secondary made a thrilling comeback in the second period to defeat Victoria School 5–4 and clinch the bronze medal in the National B Division Floorball Championship.
Victoria are two-time second runners-up since 2012, while St. Gabriel’s was first runners-up in 2013.
Marcus Yap (SGS #28) and Abdul Mateen (VS #4) were the top scorers for their team with three and two goals each.
The first period saw St. Gabriel’s players assuming a defensive mode as Victoria’s players pinned them in their court. Ali B Mohd Noor (VS #8) led his team on an offensive full court pressure by breaking through a two-man defense to score the opening goal. Marcus (SGS #28) and Inaki Colombo (SGS #8) showed great chemistry in a combined attack against Victoria, but they failed to convert their shot attempts.
Both teams consisted of players who were competent in playing dual roles of offense and defense. Victoria’s spirited attempts at attacking paid off, as they pocketed two more goals. Blind passing was a major weakness for Victoria in the first period. Marcus Yap (SGS #28) exploited that loophole to score the first goal for his team. The first period ended with a 3–1 Victoria lead.
The second period saw a turn of the tides as St. Gabriel’s gained the bulk of the ball possession and took control of the game. Blind passing by Victoria fed the passes to their opponents, allowing them to score. Marcus (SGS #28) was the most prominent attacker, helping himself to two goals while assisting teammate Dickson Lee (#5) for another goal. A two-minute penalty was imposed on two of Victoria’s players, leaving only Muhammad Haziq (VS #23) and Abdul Mateen (VS #4) to defend their goal. Despite their commendable composure and skill, the obvious disadvantage caused them to let in a goal. A two-pronged attack approach by Jeremy Chia (SGS #18) and Marcus (SGS #28) helped stretch their lead to 5–3. A two-minute penalty was given to St. Gabriel’s for slashing, leaving them one man down. However, Victoria did not manage to score despite valiant attempts at shooting.
In the final period, Abdul Mateen (VS #4) scored a clutch goal with 25 seconds left to play. However, St. Gabriel’s held on to take home bronze with a final score of 5–4.
St. Gabriel’s captain, Jeremy (#18), said, “I think the hardest part was when we had to come back from the first period. But we never gave up and it showed. Nothing’s impossible. I think our brotherhood and chemistry among the players are the main strength of the team. It’s a good game.”
Vice-captain, Muhammad Danial (#29), added, “We played very well as we really attacked and defended as a team. This is one of the best and most memorable games played in this team and the most memorable part was playing with Jeremy.”
Scoring by Period
St. Gabriel’s vs Victoria
1st Period: 1–3
2nd Period: 5–3 (4–0)
3rd Period: 5–4 (0–1)
Top Scorers
St. Gabriel’s
Marcus Yap Wen Jie (#5) – 3 goals
Dickson Lee (#5) – 1 goal
Jeremy Chia (#18) – 1 goal
Victoria
Abdul Mateen Amir Mizra (#4) – 2 goals
Muhammad Haziq B Abdul Wahab (#23) – 1 goal
Ali B Mohd Noor (#8) – 1 goal
St. Gabriel’s Roster
Ng Herk Kai Bill (#1), Nufail Aiman (#3), Lee Dickson (#5), Divagaran Al Kesavan (#7), Inaki Columbo Couste (#8), Michael Andre’ Navis C (#9), Mohammad Shah Rizq (#10), Bryan Antoine Benjamin (#17), Jeremy Chia (#18), Biondi Chua (#19), Muhammad Izz Hirzan (#21), Shaquille B Sahel Mattar (#23), Elijah Noel Lopez (#25), Marcus Yap Wen Jie (#28), Muhammad Danial (#29), Chia Zheng Feng Shawn (#98)
Victoria Roster
Muhammad Khair B Abdul Muthalib (#2), Thaddeus Tan Tze Wen (#3), Abdul Mateen Amir Mizra (#4), Mohamad Amir Arsyad B M I (#6), Ali B Mohd Noor (#8), Poon Chong Ming (#9), Irfan Farihin Putra Sulaiman (#10), Ong Pin Quan (#16), Muhammad Haziq B Abdul Wahab (#23), Muhd Imran B Maritz (#33), Muhammad Haziq B Arman (#42), Jayvis Lim Xu Xuan (#43), Koh Dun Xian (#44), Adib Fahim B Norishaam (#47), Lutfi Nur Hakim Bin Tajuddin (#86), Low Jun Liang James (#95)
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