Story by Iman Hashim/Red Sports. Photos by Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports.

East View Secondary celebrates their victory at the National B Div Floorball Semi-Final after winning with a score of 5-3. (Photo © Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports)

East View Secondary celebrates their victory at the National B Div Floorball Semi-Final after winning with a score of 5-3. (Photo 1 © Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports)

Yishun Sports Hall, Friday, April 1, 2016 — East View Secondary (EVS) eventually saw off Bukit Merah Secondary (BMS) in a 5–3 thriller to book a spot in the final of the National B Division Boys Floorball Championship.

East View had gone into the semi-finals with a 4–1 win-loss record in Round 2 of the competition, while Bukit Merah won four and drew one of their games.

Both teams had met earlier in the preliminary round, with the game ending in an electrifying 5–5 draw.

Spectators knew they were in for a treat as the two teams got off to a fiery start, with players sprinting for every loose ball and taking every opportunity they had to shoot at goal. Ball possession was evenly matched, but East View had the slight upper hand in the early stages. It was apparent that the East View players favoured shooting from long range, while Bukit Merah tended to sit back and hit fast on the break.

Five minutes in, East View broke the deadlock. Azhari Saputra (EVS #77) evaded a few tackles on the left side of court before unleashing a ferocious long-range drag shot which flew into the top corner of the net.

With just 43 seconds left in Period 1, Ryan Yow (EVS #17) then tested the Bukit Merah goalkeeper with a fierce drive from long range to sound a warning that they were not done just yet.

In the eighth minute of Period 2, East View doubled their lead. Aqil Adli Yashir (EVS #87) crossed from the right, and after a little scramble in the D, Mohamed Farook (EVS #7) slotted the ball in for a 2-0 lead.

However, Bukit Merah were not about to throw in the towel as they scored two goals in quick succession to equalise with two minutes remaining in the period.

The first Bukit Merah goal was a result of a swift counter attack movement with Tan Shao Siang (BMS #10) tapping in with a wrist shot after a scramble. The equaliser came from a dead-ball situation, where Soh Ming Sheng (BMS #6) shot from long range after a layoff from a teammate.

With 1 minute 45 seconds left on the clock for Period 2, East View snatched back the lead via captain Dani Zikry (EVS #2). Receiving the ball on the left wing, he unleashed a fierce top-corner shot from distance for a 3-2 lead.

Just 13 seconds into Period 3, East View made it 4–2. A Bukit Merah defensive mix-up at the back led to Aqil Adli Yashir (EVS #87) stealing the ball and slotting it into goal.

A minute later, Iryan Shah (BMS #9) earned a two-minute suspension and East View looked ever more threatening in the power play situation. Bukit Merah’s coach subsequently called for a time-out.

The time-out turned out to be a good call as just 18 seconds from the restart, Safiuddin Salleh (BMS #20) received a cross from the right and slammed it into goal, reducing the deficit to just one and giving Bukit Merah renewed belief.

Thereafter, Bukit Merah desperately launched attack after attack in search of the equaliser. That goal proved to be elusive, though, as they came agonisingly close on several occasions.

With 8:50 left on the clock, Soh Ming Sheng (BMS #6) sprinted on the left wing, then shot from a tight angle, but the ball struck the frame of the goal instead. Four minutes later, after receiving a bouncing ball with only the goalkeeper to beat, he then shot over the crossbar.

With 2:16 to go, Ng Yong Jie (BMS #7) successfully dribbled to the front of goal, and then nervously scuffed his shot with the presence of oncoming East View defenders.

It just was not Bukit Merah’s day as with 1:29 left, East View put the game to bed instead, making it 5–3. From the right wing, Koh Xuanrui (EVS #4) unleashed a low drag shot which found its way into the bottom left corner of the net.

Bukit Merah’s morale fell thereafter and they could not find a way back.

As the game ended, the whole East View team rushed jubilantly onto court and huddled together in triumph.

When asked about the change of game plan this time round – as compared to the 5–5 draw with the same opponents in the preliminary round – East View captain Dani Zikry (#2) remarked, “We have been training hard and learning from our mistakes in the preliminary round. We capitalised on our chances today and lessened our mistakes that we made previously. So in the end, we really did it and I’m proud of the team.”

“It has always been our aim to be in the final. We’ll be stronger and play our best in the final and make East View proud,” he added.

In the other semi-final, Victoria School defeated Coral Secondary. The final between East View and Victoria School will take place on Wednesday, April 6, at Yishun Sports Hall.

Scoring By Period
East View vs Bukit Merah
1st Period: 1–0
2nd Period: 2–2 (3–2)
3rd Period: 2–1 (5–3)

Scorers
East View
Azhari Saputra B Mustafa (#77) — 1 goal
Mohamed Farook Mohamed M F (#7) — 1 goal
Dani Zikry B Abdul Kadir (#2) — 1 goal
Aqil Adli Yashir (#87) — 1 goal
Koh Xuanrui (#4) — 1 goal

Bukit Merah
Tan Shao Siang (#10) — 1 goal
Soh Ming Sheng (#6) — 1 goal
Safiuddin B Salleh (#20) — 1 goal

East View Roster
Dani Zikry B Abdul Kadir (#2), Koh Xuanrui (#4), Mohamed Farook Mohamed M F (#7), Leow Swee Hong Sean (#9), Muhammad Hakim B Selamat (#10), Muhammad Fadhil B Ramli (#11), Ryan Yow Jun Ze (#17), Tibor Jabir Meyer (#18), Don Heng Zhiwen (#22), Shaaran S/o Veerasenan (#23), Abdul Rahman Mujahid B M S (#24), Hairulisyam B Norisham (#66), Arocena Jan Bryant Candedeir (#71), Azhari Saputra B Mustafa (#77), Aqil Adli Yashir (#87), Muhammad Danial B Mas Rizan (#90)

Bukit Merah Roster
Isaac Tan Jing Jie (#4), Soh Ming Sheng (#6), Ng Yong Jie (#7), Teo Jing Yi (#8), Iryan Shah B Khairul Anuar (#9), Tan Shao Siang (#10), Wang Jia Yun (#11), Naing Thi Ha (#13), Muhammad Iman Zulhakim B A G (#16), Siew Kang Jie, Nicolas (#17), Khant Ye Wint Thant (#18), Safiuddin B Salleh (#20), Earl John Alicante Embile (#21), Muhammad Zaidan B Abdul Wahab (#22), Alexander Lee Yuheng (#24), Amirul Amsyar B Mohamed Asrori (#25)

More photos next page