Victoria JC defeat champs Eunoia JC to reclaim A Division girls’ hockey crown
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Victoria JC’s Chloe Loh in action against Eunoia JC in the National School Games A Division girls' hockey final on Friday.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
SINGAPORE — Before heading onto the pitch for the National School Games hockey final on Friday, the A Division girls’ team from Victoria Junior College conducted their usual pre-match routine.
Forming a huddle, they sang When You Believe – a 1998 hit song by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston – loudly, as they tried to psyche themselves up before taking the final step in their quest to regain the title.
“We always sing this song before our matches because it’s a song that reminds us that miracles can happen,” said VJC captain Sowndharya Karthikeyan, referring to a line in the song about belief leading to miracles.
On the pitch, the belief was certainly there as the team faced little difficulty in reclaiming their crown with a 2-0 victory over Eunoia Junior College (EJC) at the Sengkang Hockey Pitch.
After holding the crown for 16 years, VJC’s reign ended in 2019 when they fell 1-0 to EJC.
In 2022, they lost 5-3 to the same opponents.
Sowndharya, 18, said: “I was definitely more motivated this year because I knew I wasn’t playing only for my team but for the 2019 and 2022 batches who lost.
“I told everyone we had to give it our all, and I think the team executed it with the way they played because they really gave it their 100 per cent.”
VJC coach Nordin Manaff said he felt a sense of relief when the final whistle was blown.
The 57-year-old, who has been coaching the team for more than 10 years, said: “I told the team they have actually done a favour to their seniors, who lost the last two years by helping them not feel pain any more.”
The team’s performance during the final was one of their best displays, he added.
He said: “Sometimes they can be individualistic and not pass a lot, but today they really showed me they could play as a team.
“They showed resilience, especially when EJC was playing well in the final quarter.”
Despite the postponement of the earlier bronze-medal match between Raffles Institution and Anglo-Chinese Junior College due to inclement weather, the final took place without a hitch.
Both teams traded possession early as they struggled to hit home. The deadlock was broken when VJC’s Chloe Loh converted a penalty corner efficiently with two minutes left in the first quarter.
VJC doubled their advantage when Zahfira Sallehin coolly tucked a penalty shot past EJC goalkeeper Howra Manasawala three minutes into the second quarter.
Victoria JC’s Zahfira Sallehin (second from right) celebrates after scoring a goal.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Despite EJC picking up the pace and attacking aggressively in the second half, VJC defended stoutly to seal victory to boisterous cheers from the over 100 supporters in the stands.
Chloe, 17, said the team had showed heart and passion, adding: “We played the game according to how our coach wanted us to play – we passed more and continued to pressure them.”
Despite their loss, EJC captain Anya Tan, 18 said she is proud of her team for their fighting spirit.
She said: “Even though VJC had a two-point lead, we didn’t give up until the end.
“Even though we got second place, I could feel that the team kept pushing on really hard.”
The hockey competition concludes on Monday with the A Division boys’ final between VJC and Raffles Institution.
