Team Review: Dalat Eagles

Dalat Eagles.

Final standing: 5th/6
Goals scored: 11
Goals conceded: 44
League form: LWLLL

Biggest win: 5-0 against Minden UniHawks
Biggest loses: 1-20 against Ztec 8cers
Highest scoring match: 1-20 against Ztec 8cers

Top scorer: Norman Arno Kiehl - 4 goals
Top assist: Jason Mark Selvanayagam/ Robert Nollen/Brian Richard Merusi - 1 assists

Point leaders:
1. Norman Arno Kiehl - 4 points (4+0)
2. Jason Mark Selvanayagam - 3 points (2+1)
3. Robert Thorne (2+0);
Robert Nollen (1+1) - 2 points


Best player:
Being one of the very few players with experience of the team, Edwin Ooi was easily one of the better performer. In front of a near non-existence defences, the goalie was arguably one of the two busier players in the league(the other beeing Minden's goalie) Time and again, he was called upon and performed unconventional-football-like style acrobatic saves.

Any decent goalie would have shake their heads, but it matter not, as long as the objective of keeping the ball out is acheive, who cares. In fact, Edwin, often beeming with confidence and drive, constantly barking at his defender, and doing his best to get the job done earn him a few votes as a contender for the All Star.


Borak says:
Dalat Eagles did pretty well considering that majority of their players are new to the game. And they even pulled off a surprised victory by beating a more experience Minden UniHawks with a convincing 5 goal margin, keeping their Division 1 hopes alive.

It was a pity they were unable to field their strongest side in Div 1 this year as it clashes with Dalat's summer break, but if the trend of the floorball schedule continues, do not be surprised to see a completely different line up in Division 1 next season. Their unpredictably might not work twice.

Match review: Innebandy too hot for Eagles!

Innebandy! Co. vs. Dalat Eagles
30th July 2009, Thursday
11-0 (5-0, 6-0)

0022 1-0 Deswyn Wan
0157 2-0 Deswyn Wan (Valerie Yentl Tan)
0500 3-0 Valerie Yentl Tan (Joshua Yam)
1230 4-0 Sam Teoh (Joshua Yam)
1658 5-0 Sam Teoh (Deswyn Wan)

0404 6-0 Valerie Yentl Tan
0509 7-0 Darien Loh (Ephraim Teh)
0558 8-0 Own Goal by Edwin Ooi
1150 9-0 Jason Chew (Deswyn Wan)
1553 10-0 Deswyn Wan
1942 11-0 Deswyn Wan

What else can we say.
The score line speaks for itself.

BBF talked to Sam Teoh (ST) of Innebandy:

BBF: This is your final match of the league. What was the primary objective that you have set for your team? Did you guys achieve it?

ST: Our primary objective playing against Dalat was to maintain ball possession throughout the game by moving the ball around with good passes and eventually take lots of shots to score as many goals as possible. And of course to have fun. After all, it's our last game for this campaign. Obviously we did! 61 shots on target. How much more can I ask from the Innebandiens? They really surprised me and surpassed all my expectations. If I'm not mistaken this is the most shots on target for this league. I'm proud of my team!


BBF: Frankly speaking, Dalat did manage to hold up a good defence against the likes of Deswyn and yourself several times. What are some of the challenges faced playing against a team like Dalat Eagles?

ST: Honestly, we didn't feel much pressure from our opponents. But it is common for them to pressure us more as we are the most threatening players to them. However, the pressure were felt mostly by both of our younger forwards Darien Loh and Jason Chew as they are playing against "goliath" that is 3 or 4 times their size. But that did not stop them from playing their game. Both of them earned the goal they deserved for playing in such a high level game that is meant for the big boys only. Well done to both Darien and Jason.


BBF: Looking back at the league as a whole, which match do you think was the hardest for the team?

ST: Ztec 8cer for sure. Simply because they have more experience players and played to their best potential.


BBF: How do you think your team fare as a whole and what do you have to say to your players?

ST: The whole team grew tighter and stronger during the span of this league. That is what matters the most to me as a coach. Each innebandiens played their hearts out and also giving their very best to this club and to floorball. I'm really proud of each of them and I'm priviledge to have them in my team. It is my honour. However, there are always rooms for improvement. I will continue to develop the whole team and I look forward to see the younger ones to rise up in their skills and character.


BBF:Lastly, who would you vote as the man of the match for team Dalat Eagles and why?

ST: Norman. He stands out among his team mates and he was quite hardworking on court as compared to the rest.

BBF also spoke to Jason Selva (JS) of team Dalat Eagles:

BBF: Coming in for your final match of the league against a team like Innebandy, what was the primary objective that you set for your team?

JS: Play hard, have fun and watch out for Deswyn (smiles).


BBF: Although a newly assembled team, through this league, BBF have noticed some up and rising players that Dalat have. Who do you think in Dalat Eagles have made a crucial contribution and possess great potential in floorball?

JS: I think everyone on the team had a lot to do with the success. There are a few new players that stuck out but because it was such a brand new team the credit has to go to everyone . It was a team effort, it had to be.


BBF: Looking back at the league as a whole, which match do you think was the hardest for the team?

JS: I think the one against Ztec. The "old men" were just no match for the young guns with speed and skill, deadly combo.


BBF: This was your final match of the league. How do you think your team fared as a whole and what do you have to say to your players?

JS: It was great having them as team mates. I think they did an awesome job for beginners and I think they can go really far if they continue playing. Three cheers for all of them from me!


BBF: Lastly, who would you vote as the man of the match for team Innebandy?

JS: Deswyn Wan, everyone on my team voted for him. Excellent moves!


Borak says:
Spritzer:
A lob-sided match from the beginning to the end.
There really wasn't much the Eagles could do against a team like Innebandy. It was all about courage and spirit for the Eagles.

For Innebandy, their fire power up front came from the usual suspects, Deswyn and occasionally Sam. With Deswyn playing in the centre, that whole area was practically owned by him with his swift moves and speedy runs. Dalat could not keep up with this lad. However, Innebandy's line two looked pretty shaky at times, especially in their defence. Dalat had a couple of chances up front against their line two but they just could not convert them to goals.

For Dalat, it was a match that really tested their mental strength and obviously their goalkeeper. Edwin had a lot of work at goal and BBF must give him credit for his outstanding performance and his ability to keep calm even though the score line was a big one. Keep it up!

MoMs:
Innebandy relied a lot on Deswyn to bank in the goals. And he did.
However, it was Darien Loh, the little young gun who stood out the most in BBF's eyes. This young lad may look young but his floorball sense and movement on court speaks otherwise. Well attuned to the game of floorball at such an age, he is the next kid to look out for!

For Dalat, Norman played the crucial role with his tireless run. This young lad also worked really hard both up front and in defence. He's work rate is exceptional! Then again, aren't all Dalat's players work rate like that? ;)

Match Review: When size does not matter

Dalat Eagles vs. Contact FireAnts
16th July 2009, Thursday
2-5 (0-4, 2-1)

0139 0-1 Bryan Looi (Edward Lim)
0541 0-2 Own goal by Joel Steinkamp (DLE)
0700 0-3 Nicholas Yeoh
1319 0-4 Bryan Looi (Edward Lim)

0350 2 mins + 10 mins personal penalty for unsportsmanlike behaviour: Benjamin Ong (CFA)
0454 1-0 Norman Arno Kiehl
0505 1-1 Bryan Looi
0606 1-2 Robert Nollan (Jason Mark Selvanayagam)
0843 2 mins for incorrect pushing: Brian Richard Merusi (DLE)
1002 2 mins for incorrect pushing: Robert Thorne(DLE)
1234 2 mins for incorrect pushing: Mats Nordberg (DLE)

The Eagles against the Ants.
And that almost translated literally on court.
Eagles, huge and robust, while the Ants, small yet quick.
We had a quick chat with Jason Selva from Dalat Eagles and Penny Khoo of Contact FireAnts.

BBF interviewed Jason Selva (JS) of Dalat Eagles:

BBF: Firstly, BBF would like to apologize to Dalat Eagles for the 'missing' interview in the match against Ztec 8cers. We had some miscommunication in sending out the e-mails. Error on our part. Anyhow, looking back at that match, did you guys expect the score line to be that big?

JS: No, but we also weren’t trying after the second half started; it was more practice for us than anything else. I asked the guys not to worry about the score line and just try out some play that we had practiced.


BBF: After the big loss against Ztec, how did the team feel? Were you guys disheartened?

JS: We were a little disheartened but picked ourselves right back up and focused on the coming match. And was it hard to look forward to play this match against Contact or were the expectations the same like any of your previous matches, which was to have fun as a team? No it wasn’t hard. My concept is that my team has time to mourn and think over their loss and mistakes until our next practice time and then it’s all work again on getting down to business of practicing for the upcoming game….. and have fun.


BBF: Apparently, the match was pretty hard and rough out there in the court. What are your thoughts on that?

JS: I think it was as well but, like BBF said in the beginning, our team is made up of a bunch of “old men” and can’t run and if we do start running fast we can’t really stop very well. So sorry to those who were in the way. Unfortunately, because the other team didn’t know this they reacted to it.

BBF: The league is about to end with few more games at hand. How do you feel about your team and the progress that they've made so far?

JS: I think our team has done excellently well and even exceeded their own expectations of being at the bottom of the league and maybe even face relegation but to be starters and have 90% new players come out “on top” is an awesome feeling for me as a coach. I have a great
team that in due time will go places.


BBF: Lastly, who would you vote as the man of the match Contact and why?

JS: Bryan Looi; great plays, great runs and great goals.
BBF interviewed Penny Khoo (PK), captain of Contact FireAnts:

BBF: The most talked about issue in this match was the hard and rough play on court. Your player, Benjamin Ong, committed a 10minutes bench penalty. What are your thoughts on the rough play on court and your player, Ben Ong, when he committed that foul?

PK: In the heat of the game there will surely be some rough playing on court. We knew it will be a very physical game based on the built of Dalat’s players and their previous matches. We are constantly reminding our players to play hard but not rough on court and not to retaliate in the heat of the game. I trust that the team has learned a lot from this incident.


BBF: As always, we would like to know your tactical game plan in this match? Were there any specific objectives and instructions given?

PK: As always we just needed to play it the FireAnts style, with lots of passes, control the speed of the game and ENJOY!


BBF: 5-2. Are you satisfied with the score line? Or do you think you guys should have put more goals in and should not have let that 2 goals beaten your keeper?

PK: There weren’t any specific scoreline set for that game though we wanted to win. Of course it will be good to put in a few more goals and not concede any. But overall it was good.


BBF: This is your second straight win after beating Minden UniHawks in the previous match. How do you think Contact is doing in the league so far?

PK: So far so good. Our chances of getting a medal are very slim now. So we just wanted to enjoy every moment of our play, and walked away from the court knowing that we have done our very best.


BBF: Lastly, who would you vote as the man of the match for Dalat and why?

PK: Edwin. He was spectacular in his reflexes and guarded his post very well.

******************************

Borak Says:

Jose:
Contact FireAnts had a flying start in the first period as their quick switches caused the Eagles a lot of problems. They managed to find the net as early as the first minute and attacked the Eagles heavily in the first period, increasing their tally to 4 nothing. FireAnts had most of the possession and used it to great effectiveness, constantly threatening the opponents goal mouth.

The second period saw Dalat Eagles coming out with renewed vigour as they tried their best to look for some goals to close the gap. And their effort paid off as they managed to find the net twice poaching on some defensive errors by the Contact's defenders. As the match went on, the teams were getting more and more physical, which resulted in a few unnecessary 2 minutes bench penalties in the game.


MOMs:
Bryan Looi once again showed great touch and great control as he reaped the Eagles apart. Together with Edward and Nick upfront, they formed a deadly partnership with a lot of understanding and movement, which tend to catch defenders switching off at the most crucial moments. Got himself a hat-trick and showed class above his peers. Definitely a contender for All Star Forward in this coming PFL as the league is coming to an end.

Edwin Ooi, the goalie, showed a few amazing football like diving saves to constantly deny Contact FireAnts from adding on to their lead. Once again, he was called upon many times to help save the blushes for Dalat and he did his job well to keep them in the game. Absolutely spectacular saves that are rarely seen in the floorball scene.

Match Review: Ztec too high-tec for Eagles.

Ztec 8cers vs. Dalat Eagles
9th July 2009, Thursday
20-1(6-0, 14-1)

0214 1-0 Oliver Cedric (Chiam Ter Min)
0856 2-0 Daniel Cheah (Chiam Ter Min)
1144 3-0 Oliver Cedric
1200 4-0 Jason Mark Selvanayagam (Own goal)
1324 5-0 Chiam Ter Min
1726 6-0 Chiam Ter Min
1827 2mins for roughing: Robert Thorne(DLE)

0131 7-0 Jeremy Yeap
0146 8-0 Chiam Ter Min
0229 9-0 Loh Jo-Wyee
0312 10-0 Yeoh Jun Wooi
0345 Dalat Eagles' Time Out
0454 11-0 Oliver Cedric (Chiam Ter Min)
0505 11-1 Jason Mark Selvanayagam
0610 12-1 Jeremy Yeap (Loh Jo-Wyee)
1037 2mins for incorrect hit: Robert Thorne (DLE)
1103 13-1 Daniel Cheah
1103 Ztec 8cers' time out
1240 14-1 Chiam Ter Min (Daniel Cheah)
1426 15-1 Daniel Cheah (Chiam Ter Min)
1538 16-1 Chiam Ter Min (Yeoh Jun Wooi)
1605 17-1 Jeremy Yeap
1649 18-1 Wong Ken Wye
1852 19-1 Daniel Cheah (Yeoh Jun Wooi)
1943 20-1 Oliver Cedric (Wong Ken Wye)

What a score line!
BBF had a hard time listing down the goalscorer and assists in this match.

..............

Hmmm....


Really, if you think about it, the score pretty much sums it up! Nonetheless, we caught up with Jeremy Yeap of Ztec 8cers to talk a little about the game and how his team performed.

BBF intervew with Jeremy Yeap (JY) of Ztec 8cers:

BBF: The biggest win in the league. Did you guys expect to win this big? What was the strategy?

JY: Indeed it is the biggest win in the league. We were actually hoping to get about 12 goals only, so 20 goals is really a blessing to us. We want to win big, but we really did not expect to win this big, 20-1. Especially when we only manage to get 6 goals in the first period. Our strategy was simple, to play as a unit and have a fast paced game.


BBF: I'm sure you guys were aiming to keep a clean sheet for the keeper. What happened to the first goal?

JY: We wanted to try our best to keep a clean sheet. That's for sure, but we also know that it's a tough job to do especially when we are focusing hard on scoring. The goal was really unexpected. It came from nowhere. Nevertheless, it was a superb shot taken by Jason. It was actually a defensive error caused by me as I was asking Daniel to fall back to mark a running man which eventually caused an opening in the wall. Jason saw that opening and took that shot which then resulted to the goal. All in all, it was a good shot and quick thinking by Jason.


BBF: After the draw against Frontliners, this game would surely boost your team spirit. 2 more games to go. As far as a team is concern, do you think you guys are improving after each match? Is Ztec consistent in its performance? If so, why?

JY: Yes, it did boost our team spirit. It gave us a lot of confident to perform better, but it might be a stumbling block for us as well. This is partly because our players might get too comfortable and be too confident in themselves. Being confident is not a bad thing, but it could risk our players into playing individually with the aim for self glory. This is what happen to our previous games. We manage to win big in our game against Contact and then the following game we messed things up as a unit when we played against Frontliners. We really do hope that we have all learned our lessons well and that history will not repeat itself again. Our players have been improving a lot, not as an individual, but as a team. So far, we have been very consistent in having an up and down performance. I hope the up and down trend will end in our following games. We want to continue to give our very best in the remaining games until the very end. I believe that if we try hard enough we could break that see-saw jinx soon.


BBF: Surely to have a squad with the most national players in it is a threat to the other teams. And you guys have proven that by staying unbeaten so far. Personally and honestly, do you feel Ztec may be a little too strong for the rest?

JY: I personally do not think that having a "National Player" tag on most of our players play an important role in winning games nor do they provide a threat to the other teams. Yes, mentally it might scare some other teams off, but if every player truly believes in himself and his team, I'm pretty sure that particular team will go a distance. We might have been unbeaten so far, but we're not unbeatable and Frontliners have proven that point to all of us. Therefore, I seriously do not believe that we are too strong for the rest. We are where we are right now because we strive to play as a team. More often than never, our captain will remind our players will shed their "National Player" label and "I'm The Best" mentally when we play together because we truly believe that everyone of us plays an important role on court. National or not national, we need each another's help and services when we step onto the court. I really believe that no man is an island, but I do believe that Together Everyone Achieve More.


BBF: Lastly, who do you think is the man of the match for Dalat and why?

JY: This is a very hard question for me as I have two players in mind, Jason and Edwin. I thought about Jason not because of his goal against us, but because of the way he led the team and guided them through the entire game. As for Edwin, he was really brave and he gave his all in the game. If it wasn't for him I believe we could have gotten a few more goals. I think personally I would go for Edwin because of his bravery and also because he was left open many times by his defenders to handle our hard hitting forwards alone.

Borak Says:
Jose:
Ztec 8cers showed exactly why they are the best team in the league by crushing Dalat Eagles with such a huge scoreline. From start to finish, there was never a moment of doubt who was going to win this match as they totally dominate every single department on the court. Goal after goal and there was just no stopping them.

Dalat tried to hang on in there by playing abit more defensive in the second period, but just couldn't control the game as they were getting tired of the 8cers constantly 'zooming' around them. The final stats for the shot on target was 57 against 15. Ztec 8cers will be hoping that they will continue their good run of form when they meet Innebandy in one and a half weeks time.

MoMs:
Termin Chiam for 8cers. He was on 'fire' in this game has he managed to get 10 points (5+5) out of this game, which puts him on top of the point chart. The Ztec's line 1 attacks were mostly started by him and Jeremy and they were very effective in opening the Dalat defence time after time. Scored 3 superb slap shots against Edwin, which he couldn't do much about.

The Eagles top performer for the night would be Edwin. The goalie had TOO much to do on the receiving end. Hardly a moment to rest for him as he tried his very best in stopping every shot that came his way. Managed to make a few spectacular looking saves for the spectators to cheer about. It is quite often that a goalie receives the MOM title, when a team gets hits by a huge goal margin.

(A big thank you to Jeremy for taking time out with BBF!)

Match Review: The Eagles preyed on the Hawks

Dalat Eagles vs Minden UniHawks
2nd July 2009, Thursday
5-0(3-0, 2-0)

0700 1-0 Norman Arno Kiehl
1432 2-0 Robert Thorne (Robert Nollan)
1458 Repeated offences - Lim Chin Jeck(MDU)
1701 3-0 David Alain Thomas

0508 4-0 Norman Arno Kiehl
1520 5-0 Robert Thorne (David Alain Thomas)
1625 Time Out - Minden UniHawks

The Eagles proved too strong for the young Hawks in the match that saw them preying a 5-0 win.
How did they do it? And what went wrong with the Hawks? BBF took time out with both team managers for a brief interview.

Jason Selva (JS) team manager of Dalat Eagles shares his thoughts with BBF:

BBF: Congratulations! Your first win! Just like UniHawks, this was probably a match in which you guys stood a chance to win. What were the expectations prior to the match?

JS: Thanks. No expectations. Just came to play, give our best and have lots of fun as well.


BBF: Frankly speaking, you guys are way older than most of the UniHawks players (age wise). Knowing that you will be coming up against a young team, what were the strategies that came to play?

JS: Strategy…. Just keep shooting and keep trying to score whenever possible.


BBF: Dalat Eagles surprised all of us by scoring the first goal. What were the strengths of Dalat Eagles which contributed to the goals and what were the weaknesses of Minden UniHawks that granted you that opportunity?

JS: No expectations of winning was a big contributing factor, we surprised ourselves as well. Altho’ old, most of our guys have lots of stamina which halfway through the 1st period we saw lots of the UniHawks players sort of gasping for breath already. So we took full advantage of that.


BBF: Your first win of the league. How far do you want to take Dalat Eagles in the league? Is there any set expectation/objective as a team?

JS: No expectations….. Just playing to stay in the division.


BBF: Lastly, who would you vote as the man of the match for Minden UniHawks and why?

JS: The team and our fans that followed us that evening voted Sarah Ng man of the match. They liked her style of playing and the way she sort of looked for pockets to pass the ball to and generally played like a guy.


Lee Wai Wai (WW) team manager of Minden UniHawks shares her thoughts with BBF in the following interview:

BBF: Facing Dalat Eagles was probably a good chance for the Hawks to steal a win. What were the expectations prior to the match?

WW: Definitely to win, no doubt.


BBF: Defensively, you guys weren't as strong as your first match. While at the other end, offensively, you guys did manage to penetrate several times but just couldn't convert them into goals. What were the strategies given and what do you think went wrong?

WW: The strategies were 1) Pass more and shoot when there is opportunity. 2) Players play high with a last man. 3) EVERYONE runs down for defense.


BBF: Apparently, you guys did score a goal but it was beyond the referees view point, hence, they disallowed it. What is your take on that?

WW: Referees are not perfect. They can be crappy too sometimes. Just have to live with it.


BBF: 2 losses in a row. It seems like a tough run in the league for the Hawks. As a manager, what are the challenges you face in such times?

WW: Losing 2 games in a row is tough. Losing this match especially is tougher. Challenges I face in such times? 1) Contact 2) Frontliners 3) Ztec. Three more challenges to go. The toughest challenge is not to win a game/league. It is to get the players to be disciplined to play the plan.


BBF: Lastly, who would you vote as the man of the match for Dalat Eagles and why?

WW: Edwin, the goalie. Though not many nice shots were taken from us, he was able to block the few nice ones (top corner) by Sarah.


Borak Says:
Bendy:
A match of equals. Both teams have their own strengths and weaknesses and have the ability to outdo one another. Unfortunately for UniHawks, the fragile squad depth has once again lead to their down fall.

The Hawks started brightly with threatening offensive display led by Chris and Sarah who both tested Edwin in the Eagles' goal early on. The Hawks even had a superb goal that went unnoticed by the referees as it hit the inner bar and bounce out in a flash of a second. The Eagles then took over as they punished the Hawks through fast counter attacks, capitalising on their superior speed cum some sloppy defending from the other camp.

The inability to provide sufficient rotation meant that UniHawks were left chasing shadows as they struggle to keep up with their opponent as Dalat dominated the second period. Although the more established players like Chris and Sarah tried hard to penetrate, they failed to add the finishing touch, and their supplies of ammunition up front often ended up in disappointment as the forwards failed to convert.

UniHawks boast with better core players, but prefer to "distribute" rather than "deliver". The distribution failed due to the broken chain in the offences as the forwards did not "finish" their job. Although the shallow squad depth played a huge part in their defeat, they certainly would have boosted their chances if they had a few proper shooters.

Eagles, although made up of majority inexperience players, won the match because they took their chances. With Jason pumping the ball upfront, and Norm and co. converting it. Man to man, the Hawks were more technical, but the Eagles care not as the muscled through and whack the balls in sight. In the end, it was the more clinical team that won.

Jose:

This might be the match that determines, which team will get relegated to Div 2 next year. And Dalat looked like the better side on that night, putting 5 goals pass Minden UniHawks. From the start of the game till the final whistle, Dalat were able to control the game for long periods and used their young players up front to constantly put pressure on the UniHawks defenders keeping them on their toes.

UniHawks missed their "absent" players alot as they did not have enough people to change with and were looking rather tired coming into the 2nd period of the game. Besides that, they would need to bolster up on their finishing as they rarely threaten the Dalat goalie throughout the match. Having their full squad back would be a tremendous boost for the UniHawks as they will be playing tougher teams in the coming weeks and hopefully they will be able to pull off a surprise by upsetting the odds and staying up in Div 1 next year. GO UNIHAWKS!

MoMs:
Norm from Dalat Eagles was lively as ever on court. Having adequent experience with the game, he was the main threat of Dalat as he was constantly on the run for loose ball and poucing onto Jason's long clearance. If not, he himself will be on the move, dribbling the ball up and releasing venomous shots on goal, pocketing 2 goals for the night.

Sarah Ng, the State and National player from Minden UniHawks proved to be the vital key player. Her tireless effort up front was courageous, unleashing several laudable shots that really tested Dalat's keeper. She kept their defensive line busy with her audacious runs. Moreover, her contribution in defense was priceless as well. She covered well in the centre, to help her rather shaky defensive line. Great job to the Captain!

(Big thank you to Jason Selva and Lee Wai Wai for their time!)

Match Review: Spartans spear Eagles down

FRONTLINERS SPARTANS v DALAT EAGLES
23rd June 2009, Tuesday
8-3(5-2, 3-1)

0058 1-0 Khor Kuan Yang
0205 2-0 Chung Wei Jian (Kew Pei Li)
0807 2-1 Jason Mark Selvanayagam - Penalty for Repeated Offences: Steven Tay (FLS)
0838 2-2 Mats Nordberg
0902 3-2 Algin Tan (Khor Kuan Yang)
1600 4-2 Lee Su Rong (Algin Tan Chun Liang)
1853 5-2 Lee Su Rong (Khor Kuan Yang)

0446 Incorrect Hit - Brian Richard Merusi (DLE)
0452 6-2 Lee Su Rong
1126 7-2 Chan Ming Hwee
1447 8-2 Chung Wei Jian (Nicholas Teoh Ping Hooi)
1805 Incorrect Distance - Nicholas Teoh Ping Hooi (FLS)
1913 8-3 Norman Arno Kiehl (Brian Richard Merusi)

SOT 34-23

It was time for the long-awaited unveiling of the Who's Who in Dalat's team. BBF has coined them as "Team Mysterious" due to their team roster that rendered nothing more than mere names of whom we've never heard before. Would they surprise us all? The same went for the Spartans too, in this game that could set the stage for an interesting relegation battle. Looking on with interest also were fellow relegation candidate, Minden UniHawks.

BBF sat down with Frontliners' coach, Khor Kuan Yang, to get his two cents worth on the game. However, we did not manage to get hold of Dalat's coach, Jason Selva. Hopefully, we can get hold of him in Dalat's upcoming matches! All is not lost as we have our very own BBF pundits to share their thoughts on Dalat as well as Frontliners!

The following is the interview between Borak Borak Floorball (BBF) and Khor Kuan Yang (KY) from Frontliners Spartans (FLS):

BBF: Spartans, like Eagles, at a smaller scale, too have replaced numerous old faces with new ones, how come?

KY: I would say that it's mostly due to commitment issues. The inability to merge other commitments, such as studies and work, forced a few players to skip training and eventually Floorball altogether.


BBF: With Eagles literally an unknown team to PFL, how did you prepare for the game? And with rumours of Sasi playing for Dalat, did you guys take that into account as well?

KY: Like you said, they are 'unknown'. Rather than focusing on the opponent, I try and focus on ourselves - Establishing a common goal for the team to achieve in the league. And also drawing out individual objectives which I would like to see the players achieve in a match as part of their personal development and at the same time contribute to the team in a match.

Sasi? We hear he was playing for Dalat, but its out of our control. Although I did take that into account.


BBF: In the end, it seemed like an easy game for Spartans? Your thoughts on the game?

KY: Eagles seemed to struggle with a team full of new players but they are undoubtedly huge and strong physically. Some were pretty fast too. Although we did beat them by exploiting their gaps in positioning, they did stun us a bit at the beginning. A dubious penalty I would say and then an outrageous whack that resulted to a goal.

There were other moments in the game when they pinned the 2nd line in our half and had numerous chances. With a slightly better finishing and we might have seen a different scoreline. So, I wouldn't call it an easy game. It was a hard fought victory. Cheers to the Eagles!


BBF: Your first game and your first win. The road ahead will definitely be an uphill climb from henceforth. What’s your aim as a coach and for the team for this year’s PFL?

The aim for the team was to keep all of us together, united as we face hardships and challenges ahead. Like how the Spartans fend off the Persian. I hope the league will help the players understand that true meaning of a "Team" rather than having their minds occupied with just a "Win".

"Win as a Team" that's my aim as a coach.

The aim for the team would be defining the "Win" above. I would say 4th is achievable but why not look slightly ahead. How about third? (Laughs)


BBF: And lastly, who was your Man of the Match for Dalat Eagles and why?

Wow... This is by far the toughest question, I barely know any of them. I don't know his name but I would go for No. 20 of Dalat. Very energetic on court, ran a lot and forced our defenders into committing a lot of errors. I think he was the one that scored the screamer.

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And there you have it, from the man behind the strategy for team Frontliners Spartans.

As for Dalat, we must give them credit for being part of PFL Division 1 even though most of them are still very new to the sport. Indeed a courageous participation on their part knowing that they will be going up against teams like Ztec, Innebandy and Contact. BBF salutes you!

The obvious difference between the Dalat we've seen before and the current Dalat's team is none other than speed. Even Dalat's Division two team portrayed that trademark element. However, it was totally different this time around as they have recruited mostly middle age players instead of their young guns. Therefore, they lack horsepower. Having said that, they manage to rope in a few rookies as well who actually made a huge difference for Dalat.

It wasn't easy for Dalat to go up against a team with speed. However, they played hard and utilize what they have - size. Although they lost in the end, it really wasn't such a bad performance by the very newly assembled Dalat team. What more, it is always an encouragement to see new players, be it young or old, to be part of the floorball mania. BBF will definitely keep a keen eye out on Dalat! Bravo to team Dalat!

Borak Says:
Jose:

Frontliners started the match well and showed great hunger in getting every loose ball and winning most of their 50-50 challenges. Players like Su Rong, Algin and Wei Jian, though new to floorball and lack the basic techniques, compensated their weaknesses by constantly using their speed to run at opposing defenders. The Dalat players found it hard to contain the energetic movements of Frontliners and were constantly open to 1 on 1 situations with the Dalat goalie, who managed to help Dalat reduced the scoreline by producing a few superb saves.

Dalat, on the other hand, field a team of 'new' Floorball players, many of them were playing floorball for the very first time. However, they did well considering that this is their first time playing on a full size court. With more games to come, they should be able to gain a better understanding of the game and hopefully play a better game in the future. As for now, it is merely just playing for fun. It would be interesting to see the partnership of Mats and Sasi playing together on the same team as it will definitely cause problems for the opposing team.

MOMs:
Frontliners

There were many outstanding players for Frontliners in this match. And for us to pick one, is quite a task. After much consideration, the MOM would be the rookie, Su Rong. He ran himself out and rarely gave his opposing defenders a second's rest. Displaying good positional sense and tremendous composure in front of goal, he got his reward in his first ever Penang League game, scoring three from less than 3m out.

And as for Dalat, our pick would be Mats Nordberg. Yes, the man who scored that screamer from three-quarters that Deswyn/Kuan Yang would have been proud of.

(NOTE: A heartfelt thanks to Khor Kuan Yang for his time for this interview. )

Team Preview: Dalat Eagles

Dalat Eagles (Dalat Floorball Club)

Last seasons: 1st/4 (Div 2)

Looking back at last season, Dalat Eagles had a very good Division 2 outing, which saw them beat Ztec 8cers 2 times and eventually becoming the champions of Division 2. However, this time round they have almost 80% of ‘new’ players, which Borak-Borak had not seen nor heard before, playing for them. Therefore, it is a tricky thing for us to post a team preview for Dalat Eagles since we, the pundits, hardly know anything about them. We shall try our best though!

The Eagles have put up a side with the average age of 32 for most players in their team. Just by that fact, it shows their weaknesses - speed and stamina. 32 is not that old really, but to be playing against other younger, speedier, physical and competitive in this league will indeed be a major obstacle for them. This side will have to be good at moving the ball around, because there is almost no chance for them to match their opponents in terms of speed, other than Sasi of course. And with games being held on weekdays, the thought of Sasi coming down to Penang for league matches are slim, unless he plans to stay here for the time being. Chances are we will get to see him in one or two of the matches.

However, the advantage they have from that is experience, providing that all their 'new' players aren't too 'new' to floorball. If our assumption is right and that their players are experienced, then it would definitely help compensate their lack of speed and stamina. It would help smoothen out their movements and play-ups without the need of executing too many unneccessary and wasteful runs. And with the games being played in a court as big as Balik Pulau indoor stadium, you cannot afford to run like headless chicken.
You won't last.

Key Player:
Sasitheran. Or better known as Sasi is one of the earliest to pick up Floorball in Mas but has since then been tied up by other commitments.

Famed for his lighting pace, some of the seniors in PFL had first hand experience to tell you that his is the fastest player then ever known. Even more famous for his outrageous air hooks. Together with his speed, a humiliation package is always ready for dispatch, 24/7. In a blink of an eye, you'll be picking up the ball from your net.

Rising Rookie:
Unable to comment due to insufficient information.

Predictions
Bendy:
Other than a few, the whole team is an unknown to all.
How will they fare?
With Edwin and Jason Selva providing cover behind and with Sasi runnng the solo show up front, it would be more than enough to keep them alive in D1. Maybe even spring some surprises along the way.

4th looks achievable but others are eying for that spot as well. How often can Sasi appear will determine their final placing.

Jose:
All eyes will be on their star player on whether he will be able to make it for the league matches. If Sasi misses most of their matches, there is every chance for Dalat Eagles to get relegated this time round, unless their unknown players are ex-ice hockey players or are players that previously play in Sweden or Finland.

Otherwise, Edwin - Dalat Eagles' goalie will be a busy man in goal to help keep Dalat Eagles in the game as much as possible. This goalie is known for his acrobatic save selections and should be quite interesting to watch.

Spritzer:
Very hard to predict simply because it's a mysterious team, for now at least.
We don't know many of their players and haven't seen them played as a team.
But if they are half as good as their Division 2 team last year, they'd probably be chasing 4th to 5th placing.