NETBALL

National ‘A’ Division Girls Semifinal
Raffles Junior College vs Anglo-Chinese Junior College
18 May 2007, at Hougang Sports Hall

Story by Lee Hwee Cheng.  Pictures by Leslie Tan  © Red Sports /soulbreath pictures

In the second semifinal of the National ‘A’ Girls Netball tournament, Raffles Junior College (RJC) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) both fought their hearts out, but it was Raffles who pulled through with their determination and won the match 44-37 to enter the final for the first time in ten years.


RJC’s Kalusha Yap (GS) runs ahead of ACJC’s Shu Hui (GK) to receive a pass.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Both teams proved to be equal in skills evidently as they took turns to pop in goals.  But in the very early minutes of the first period, ACJC lost a key figure in their team when GK Reena Rajamohan took a bad twist in her recuperating knee as she was trying to defend a pass into the D.  Looking visibly upset, Reena never got back into the game.

Both sides capitalized on a very strong GS – Chan Silei for RJC and Lee Hwee Yi for ACJC – to finish the first period.  Both equally tall and accurate in shooting, shots from either were never missed as long as a pass was successfully sent to them.  The first period ended at 11 apiece.


RJC’s Siew Kim (GA) tussles for the ball with ACJC’s player.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

The second period saw a change in RJC’s positions as Silei took over the ‘GK’ bib in a bid to stop Hwee Yi’s shots.  Teammate Yap Siew Kim, playing GA in the earlier period, took over the GS position while Amanda Lai took off her WA bib to assume the GA role.  Though now lacking a height advantage in the offensive D, RJC’s newly appointed shooters lived up to expectations with their amazing shooting, especially by Amanda even from long range. 
So the second period saw a similar pattern with both sides putting in goals consecutively.  ACJC’s GS Hwee Yi apparently seemed unfazed by an equally tall GK now.  Both teams capitalized on their centre passes as much as they could, and sought to sneak in quick counter-attacks whenever the other fumbled.  Defense was the highlight in this period, as both teams realized the only way to break the other’s scoring momentum and gain a lead was to cut passes into the offense and bring the ball up on a counter-attack, but it also meant more incidents of body bumping and unnecessary fouls.  Neither side really took a commanding lead and the second period ended with Raffles slightly ahead at 21-20.


ACJC’s Celeste Lee (GA) looks to make a pass.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

The third period saw another slight switch in attacking positions again, as Siew Kim and Amanda swopped their bibs.  After a rally of mis-passes and turnovers at the start, RJC’s Amanda finally received a pass to put in a goal.  And she went on to extend the lead to 24-20.  As both teams started to show fatigue in their respective offense while committing more bad passes and failing to keep the ball possession, the midfield attempted to counter the attacks with relentless interceptions from defense. 

It was a show-down of the midfield in the third period, with many turnovers and counter-attacks, but it was the shooters who would ultimately make all the difference. The Raffles side kept their composure better when they had possession and executed fast attacks, and they ended the period ahead at 34-27.


ACJC’s JIa Zhi (C) receives a pass despite the attention of RJC’s Carmen.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

The final period proved to be a wake-up call to ACJC as they put on their cool thinking hat and resumed their first-period play to counter RJC’s momentum.  The fourth period started out with a display of quick smooth passing by both teams from their respective centre passes and with the shooters making their shots.  But by the middle of the period, ACJC started to run into a block as GS Hwee YI missed easy shots and the midfield began to lose ball possession through careless passing.  Raffles had many attacks foiled by ACJC’s pumped up defense as well.  But eventually, ACJC just could not find that extra touch to catch up with the RJC.

Raffles put up a determined fight and took down the game 44-37 at the final whistle.

Raffles will come face-to-face with traditional Netball giants Hwa Chong Institution in the Final next Wednesday, 23 May.  Their first outing in a final in ten years, the Rafflesians are jubilant and excited about their upcoming challange.


RJC’s Carmen Goh (WA) on the attack against ACJC.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Chirped captain Carol Tan, "I think my team did really, really well today and I think we fought our best.  We have been very determined today to win the game, and we’ll be equally determined in the final.  We’re happy we got into the final this year because this is our first final in ten years."


Editor’s note:  We might not have gotten your names correct.  So, if you do recognize yourselves or any of your friends in these pictures, drop us a note in the "Comments" section and we’ll update the captions accordingly.  For more action shots, please visit the picture gallery.