IHG 19/20 Week 5
Soccer (F) Carnival
Our Kent Ridge Soccer Girls kicked off their IHG during the 1-day Soccer Girls Carnival on Sunday, 2nd Feb. In a hot and gruelling day where they would go on to face TH, RH, KEVII, SH and finally EH, read on to find out more on how they fared in their journey to win!
Game 1: KR 0 – TH 1
Our girls started the early morning off with a match against the heavy favourites, Temasek Hall. Despite this, they were raring to go, and they indeed put on an impressive display. Playing as one with much vigour, our girls held TH back off for much of the game and even had some chances. Unfortunately, TH capitalised on a slip-up in defence and won the game, with the final score KR 0-1 TH.
Game 2: KR 3 – RH 1
Having faced their first setback of the day, our girls were determined to bounce back in their next game. Captains Izni and Michelle gathered the team as they rode out with confidence, starting strong in the first half with a goal from Cheryl. Another silly mistake right before the end of the first half saw Raffles Hall tie things up at 1-1, but the girls gathered themselves once again and went out in the second half pushing for victory. Finally, a breakthrough came when a corner delivered by Nat Ong was headed in by Izni to put KR 2-1 up with a few minutes left. Cheryl then rounded up the victory with her second goal, with the game ending 3-1 to KR.
Game 3: KR 2 – KE 1
Riding high on their first win of the day, the girls would face another tough task in their 3rd match. In a very tightly contested affair, both teams fashioned good chances on goal in the first half, with KEVII managing to get one in. Down, but not out, the KR girls went into halftime with a 1-0 deficit, where they yet again showed great spirit as their coaches spurred them on to comeback. In the second half, a dangerous free kick by Nat Ong was deflected into the net as KR equalised. With momentum back on KR’s side, the girls pushed for a winner, when Nat Ong hit a stunning volley into the corner of the goal to spark wild celebrations as KR went 2-1 up. The final whistle blew shortly after and the girls secured their second win of the day.
Game 4: KR 0 – SH 1
With a shot at finishing in the Top 2, the girls went into their fourth game against a very strong SH side, highly motivated to get a result. As both teams battled back and forth, KR showed that they could go toe-to-toe with SH. The girls fought hard throughout the game, but ultimately fell 1-0 as they conceded from a set piece.
Game 5: KR 1 – EH 3
The girl’s final game of the carnival would be against Eusoff Hall, in a battle for third place, with the winner securing the honour. The long day had taken a toll on our girls, as they were sloppy to start the game, quickly conceding two goals very early on. However, showing their mettle once again, they went into the second half seeking another comeback. A brilliant solo run down the wing and finish by Zann brought the score to 2-1. With the clock running down, KR pushed and gave everything in search of an equaliser, but conceded once again from a rebound after a great save by Janine. The final score, KR 1-3 EH.
With that, our girls finished fourth overall, bettering their result from last year. The coaches would like to thank them for playing hard and showing good results, and the only way for the girls from here is up!
February 2, 2020
Written by Miguel Toe
Basketball (M): KR 45 – Sheares 44
A win would be crucial to get a favourable matchup in the semis in the HMK Derby.
The team was led by the captains Jess Teo, an elite two-way player and Yong Zhi, a sharp shooter with a beautiful stroke.
In the starting quarter, KR and Sheares were neck-and-neck, with both teams slow to find their footing. However, halfway through the first quarter, Max got red hot, scoring 8 points in an 8-0 scoring run. Pulling out every move from his arsenal, with superb footwork and an eye for a bucket, he was unstoppable. Two words, Mamba Mentality.
Part of KR's early momentum was due to our 6ft5 centre no.15 Leong Kai Yuan in the paint. With his towering presence and a 7ft wingspan, he was blocking and altering shots in the paint to devastating effect. On the offensive end, he had one of the most polished post games, really reminiscent of DeMarcus Cousins from the Los Angeles LaKRs. No wonder they call him DeMarcus Leong.
One of the pleasant surprises of the night was Warren. He played with such tenacity, suffocating the Sheares players with his elite defence, reading their plays with ease. On offence, he had a smooth shooting stroke from the midrange and ended the game with a cool 9 points.
Sam P was making the right plays and doing the dirty work on the defensive end all night, a real pest against Sheares during the entire game.
KR had a big lead to end off the first half, and were ready for the gruelling second half having played a back to back game.
However by the third quarter, their lead was cut, and Sheares had the momentum on their side. Kimchi sank a midrange shot to try to stop Sheares’ momentum, but KR still couldn’t keep their big lead from the first half, and Sheares caught up. Their no. 7 continuously drove to the basket effortlessly, and with his crazy vertical, he was tough to defend. Multiple quick buckets from Sheares resulted in KR trailing by one point with less than 30 seconds left in the game.
KR drew up a play and freshie Darren Leung made a good drive and was fouled. He had to make the two free throws to give KR the lead and he made the first one. The crowd cheered before falling silent to let Darren concentrate. Darren looked up to the basket, took a deep breath and with ice running through his veins, he sank it. KR athletes definitely have the coveted clutch gene.
The cheers at the court were deafening.
Sheares tried to make a fast break but KR stayed strong and kept their composure. Reading the play, Kimchi swiped the ball out of the opponent’s hands and Max swooped in for the steal.
Ballgame.
February 3, 2020
Volleyball (M): KR 3 – RH 0
The Kent Ridge volleyballers closed the group stage on a high, triumphing over their opponents in black with a convincing 3-0 sweep.
The Raffles athletes put up a good fight despite fierce attacks by the Kent Ridge team, with each of their team members going well beyond their positions to cover for each other. However, the KR athletes were equally relentless. Despite the amazing defence put up by their opponents, their spikes struck the opponents at the weakest points, allowing us to proceed to the semi-finals!
February 4, 2020
Written by Joseph Tan and Jeddy Yew
Handball (F): KR 13 – Sheares 17
Going into the semi-finals, the Handball girls were all pumped and ready to give their all during the game. Facing our HMK neighbour, the girls were nervous about playing the more experienced team. However, even with the odds stacked against them, it did not falter their determination to put up a good fight.
In the first half, Zhi Min took one for the team and was bull-dozed down by the opponents. Minutes later, she took another hit to her head. Thank god she had not much brain cells to lose.. eh jusss… The team worked so well together, as if they were playing their last game. Balls were flowing, the defence was impenetrable, keepers were doing amazing as well. In the last few minutes, all the FYFs were put on court to enjoy their last IHG. Chyi even limped around court for the last time!
Good job girls, thank you for fighting hard and taking rough hits for KR!
Thank you coach, for choosing to let more people play and experience the beauty of the sport.
Thank you KR, for the opportunity to play as one and grow to love the sport.
February 5, 2020
Written by Koh Zhi Min
Volleyball (M): KR 2 – EH 3
The Kent Ridge volleyballers fought their fiercest opponents yet with one of the competition’s favourites Eusoff Hall.
Undaunted, the KR athletes prepared well for their opponents, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent even before the match. By placing particular emphasis on their opponent’s greatest threat, the front line of defence Nickson and Maguire managed to stop many attacks from Eusoff Hall, while returning blows with thunderous blocks that heralded roars from the crowd of blue.
The back line of defence also proved impregnable. The nimble seniors Sze Lin and Glen received services and spikes with apparent ease, setting the ball up perfectly for IVP spiker Han Bin to finish the point. Making his debut in the game, Daryl “Peng” managed to bag a considerable number of points by leveraging on the opponent’s blocking to score many touch-outs. The sets were tied 1-1 half an hour into the match. With both teams breathless but equally unfazed, the atmosphere was electric.
The third set epitomised Maguire’s charm. As a setter, Maguire’s job was to deceive the opponent blockers and to set the ball at a favourable position for the spikers to comfortably spike the ball. Boy, did he deliver. The occasional mistakes by the team’s defence was quickly refurbished by Maguire’s precision. Donned with a permanent smile, Maguire orchestrated the set.
At the fourth set, Le Ye and Jeddy replaced Joseph and Maguire respectively. Having been teammates back in the JC days, the duo’s chemistry proved formidable. Le Ye’s inhuman vertical made its presence in court again, dominating every battle near the net. Jeddy's incredibly stable setting also helped to accommodate the ball for the other spikers to finish.
The two teams were constantly neck and neck, with the crowd of blue and yellow cheering on their respective teams. Unfortunately, EH edged the boys in blue in the last set, making the end of the KR volleyballers’ run a bittersweet one.
February 6, 2020
Written by Joseph Tan and Jeddy Yew