Team Review: Frontliners Spartans

Frontliners Spartans

Final standing: 2nd/6
Goals scored: 21
Goals conceded: 18
League form: WDWWL

Biggest win: 8-3 against Dalat Eagles
Biggest loses: 2-6 against Contact FireAnts
Highest scoring match: 8-3 against Dalat Eagles

Top scorer: Lee Su Rong - 6 goals
Top assist: Khor Kuan Yang/ Nicholas Teoh - 3 assists

Point leaders:
1. Lee Su Rong - 6 points (6+0)
2. Khor Kuan Yang (2+3);
Nicholas Teoh (2+3);
Kenny Ng (4+1) - 5 points

Best player:
It was so much of a team effort that it’s almost impossible to decide. For each match, different players stepped up, and for each match, different players fumbled. But a decisions have to be made, so at the end of it all, the Best Player goes to Kuan Yang.

In a team that was up one moment and down the next, Kuan Yang stayed steady throughout. It was consistent play in and out from him; something badly needed by this inconsistent team. He had vision, he had strength in tackles, and he still had a mean shot. It was his defensive nous and sacrifice that gave others like Kenny, Nick and Su Rong the chance to bombard forward and win matches.


Borak says:
Brilliant one half, anonymous the next… or is it the other way around?
Anything goes.
Spartans were the masters of the hit-and-run game this year; at least until suffering a major taste of their own medicine in the game against UniHawks.

If driving was an analogy for Division 1 this year, then Spartans would be the drivers who drove at breakneck speed, did death-defying stunts then slammed on the brakes just hard enough to avoid falling over the cliff to a fiery end.

Theirs was hardly a version of joga bonito, but it didn’t matter how they won, any three points gained were gladly welcomed.

It must also be said that the fixtures played a good part in Spartans’ fairytale. They were blessed by good fortune that Ztec were not at full strength, that Innebandy took long enough to get started, and that UniHawks ran out of steam; but it must be said that fortune favours the brave. No one could have seen Spartans achieving silver this year, and no one can possibly see what the see-saw Spartans come up with next year.

Match Review: Stinging the Spartans!

Contact FireAnts vs. Frontliners Spartans
28th July 2009, Tuesday
6-2 (4-2, 2-0)

0358 0-1 Own goal by Nicholas Yeoh (CFA)
0548 2 mins bench penalty for Header: Joerel Marcus(CFA)
1040 0-2 Lee Su Rong (Khor Kuan Yang)
1208 1-2 Nicholas Yeoh (Bryan Looi)
1402 2-2 Bryan Looi (Nicholas Yeoh)
1422 3-2 Nicholas Yeoh (Edward Lim)
1640 4-2 Bryan Looi (Nicholas Yeoh)

0457 2 mins bench penalty plus 10 mins personal penalty for Unsportsmanlike Behaviour: Henry Cheang (CFA)
0551 5-2 Nicholas Yeoh (Bryan Looi)
0836 Time out by Frontliners Spartans
1434 6-2 Bryan Looi
1746 2 mins bench penalty plus 10 mins personal penalty for Unsportsmanlike Behaviour: Henry Cheang (CFA)

It looked like a case of the culmination of two trends: one upward and another downward. Contact FireAnts reached their peak. Frontliners Spartans hit their bottom.

Contact FireAnts, after starting poor and slow, hit jackpot that day. Frontliners Spartans, after starting on turbo boosters and having had all cylinders firing, finally grinded to a rude stop.

Too bad this game counted for nothing.
Let’s look at the different reactions from the team managers.

BBF talked to Kuan Yang (KY) of team Frontliners Spartan about the match and the league:

BBF: Your first big loss in the league. Tell us, what was the primary objective in this particular match, and do you think your team achieved it?

KY: Yes, our first loss. To some it might mean no chance for gold; a halt in our unbeaten run, but coming into this match, as a team, we have already exceeded our own expectations. Plus, realistically, I don't see Ztec throwing away their last game (laughs). Because of that, I have decided to tweak the team a little for the final match. First, is to give some of the players who have sat with the team throughout the league and yet had played little time extra game time; and also to expose certain players to different positions as it is important for me, as a coach to understand my players more and so hopefully to improve the team as a whole in the future. Did we achieve it? I would yes, to a certain extent, but as the result suggests, there's a whole lot of areas to work on.


BBF: As a coach for your team, what do you think is the biggest hurdle against a team like Contact FireAnts with the types of players you have currently?

KY: Contact strength has always been their team play. Their movement as a team, with or without the balls and their team synergy is their main weapon. Compared to Spartans, well, we have always build the team based on physical fitness and speed but we always have big headaches tactically. We often pressed up to high and failed to dropped back quickly enough or we would run around, headlessly as the ball is being move around. Which I thought was well proven in the match. FireAnts capitalised on us pressing high, and hit us hard at the counter.


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

KY: Hmmm.. I would like to say all games are hard (laughs). But to pick one, I would have to go for the match against UniHawks. Boy did they make us sweat. In truth, I was well aware of Minden's ability to hit us at the counter but not with that kind of effectiveness. Down by 3 goals within the first 10 minutes and crawling back up and win by a goal, it was the craziest match ever!


BBF: This is your last game of the league and it's safe to say that Frontliners, without a doubt, has been one of the few teams that have risen to the occasion. As a coach, how do you feel your team fare and what do you have to say to them?

KY: It seemed to be a trend for Frontliners to struggle and fight for our life in Penang League, and if things go too well, normally we would fall at the very end when it matters most, like last year. This year, the team faced a lot of setbacks in preparation and personally, we were expecting the worst. However, with the Spartan spirit burning and raging, it kind of gave the team an extra kick during matches, and with a few calculated gambles, it brought us unexpected results. Getting a medal was never in the plan, so looking at where the team is on the league table, I would say we have way way surpassed expectation.

As for players, congratulations and see you in training! (Laughs)


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

KY: I would have to go for Nicholas Yeoh. He together with Bryan was sizzling throughout the match and had a hand in all the goals, but I though Nick was sharp that day, getting into the danger zone, hitting rebounds and often speeding towards over goal on the counter, a real trouble maker for us that day.

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

(BBF could not get Contact FireAnts representative for a chat about the match, hence, the exclusion of their interview)

Borak says:
Carrard:
Contact FireAnts made Spartans look like a very ordinary, schoolboy team. Spartans simply had no answer to the attacking trio of Bryan, Edward and Nicholas, and more importantly, FireAnts’ overall teamplay.

And there’s the word-- FireAnts simply outplayed Spartans that day.
Even with not one, but two, 10-minutes penalties for FireAnts, it never looked likely that Spartans could summon up another miracle.

Why?
Maybe if there was still something to play for, things would have been very different. But with nothing to play for, FireAnts really unleashed all their potential upon the hapless Spartans, and Spartans… well, they’d already won the silver, hadn’t they?

Yet even circumstances cannot change the flavors of the game, for victory tastes as sweet, and defeat just as bitter.But for the neutrals that day, true floorball triumphed over hit-and-run floorball.And that is how it should be.

MoMs
It’s been Bryan Looi who’s been hogging the spotlight since day one, and rightfully so, but this time Nicholas Yeoh just edges him out. Take nothing away from Bryan—it was his playmaking and vision that created holes for Nick the poacher to take advantage of. However, Nick was chosen because of, strangely, his own goal in the opening minutes. Most players would not be able to pick themselves up and move on, but Nick rebounded quickly and scored three and assisted in two, making him FireAnts’ man of the match.

It was Nicholas Yeoh for FireAnts, now, it’s Nicholas Teoh for Spartans. Always willing to run, always willing to cook some trick up then try it, always willing to do the unorthodox—that’s Nick Teoh for you. Not as perfect a game as Nick Yeoh, but a good one, if held up to his team’s standards.

(A big thank you to KY for the interview!)

Match Review: The Come Back Spartans

Minden UniHawks vs. Frontliners Spartans
21th July 2009, Tuesday
4-5 (3-2, 1-3)

0255 1-0 Rishvan Sasidaran (Gary Chong)
0622 2-0 Sarah Ng Sue Yen (Christopher Koh)
1452 2 mins for incorrect substituition: Sanjeevan A/L Sivaraj(FLS)
1536 3-0 Sarah Ng Sue Yen
1558 3-1 Kenny Ng Yew Leng (Nicholas Teoh Ping Hooi)
1808 3-2 Khor Kuan Yang

0054 4-2 Rishvan Sasidaran (Sarah Ng Sue Yen )
0507 4-3 Nicholas Teoh Ping Hooi
0811 2 mins for incorrect hit: Lim Chin Jeck(MDU)
1043 4-4 Nicholas Teoh Ping Hooi (Kenny Ng Yew Leng)
1553 5-4 Lee Su Rong


In the matches before this, Frontliners Spartans had walked into the court holding the title of underdogs and relegation candidates.

But this time, the roles were reversed.

UniHawks were now the true underdogs, fighting for a chance to stay up, and Spartans were the high-flyers coming into this match.

UniHawks knew it was win or go down; Spartans knew it was win and exceed all prior expectations.


BBF interviewed Jason Chan Ming Hwee (MH) of Frontliners Spartans:

BBF: The Hawks sure did pull off a surprise by leading the score line for quite some time in the match. What were the strategies given and what were the expectations of the game?

MH: The Unihawks certainly played very well against us. They almost beaten us. I'd say they've beaten us if we weren't that lucky. Coach Kuan Yang said he wanted to try something newer than the usual gamble strategy he had been using. He wanted us to be more aggressive in our attacking against the Unihawks.


BFF: You guys were trailing off for some time and then bounced back, ultimately, winning the game. What do you think contributed to the win?
Unihawks played a very tight game. They counter-attacked us and got the best out of our flimsy defense. You can see the "Great Wall of China" in front of the UniHawks' goal. It was real stubborn defense. I have to give them the credit for that.

MH: I guess we probably had better fitness and slightly better overall skills, coupled with our never ending tries, so eventually that wall had to to be broken. Plus the fact we are more experienced in comebacks in the past. So that's a mental edge. I'm not too sure but they seem to slow down the second half, correct me if I'm wrong.


BBF: The league is coming to a close. Your last game will be against Contact? How do you foresee that game will turn out to be? Prediction?

MH: (Laughs) I'm not too sure about Contact. They're the best tactical team to me. We're probably one of the worst tactically. Winning or losing the next game won't change our fate anyway. Our coach might be thinking of experimenting new stuffs. My guess and prediction... Contact will have an advantage. Historically, we've never beaten them for years even when we tried hard. Of course I hope that we'll beat them this time round and maintain an unbeaten run.


BBF: Another win for the Spartans, looks like you guys are really turning the heat on in the league table this year. How do you feel as a coach/team manager/player so far and what are your hopes for the club?

MH: We're not there yet but we've definitely surpassed all our expectations. Silver in hand. This is the greatest achievement in our club's history so far.

I feel that all the effort, sweat, tears, hard work, and perseverance finally paid off. It was worth the wait. We were hungry and we didn't give up. Every blow is a step forward. I hope that the next generation of Spartans will continue to preserve the Spartan Spirit of never ever giving up till the day they reach the top. We can lose anything but the Spartan Spirit.

We still have lots of work to do. Its a long journey ahead. This is a big encouragement to many people in our club especially for myself and the coach. Finally we get to see some fruits after sowing for many many years :)


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

MH: Who else if its not Sarah Ng. The big sister plays like a man. Now you know why she's the big sister. Scoring 2 important goals for the UniHawks. What else can I say?

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

(Note: BBF could not get hold of UniHawks interviewee, hence, the missing interview from UniHawks.)


Borak Says:
Carrard:
Many times UniHawks sliced through Spartans’ defence like a hot knife through butter. In other words, they bypassed Spartans’ defence with great ease, while Spartans found it hard to break down their compact and disciplined defence.

But hit a shot at goal enough times, and surely, at least one will go in (unless even God has decided to close the goalmouth). This looked to be Spartans’ philosophy that night, so it made a very entertaining, end-to-end, hit-and-run game by both sides.

In truth, UniHawks’ keeper had very little to do in the first half other than to pick the ball out of her net twice. This summed the whole match up for Spartans: lots of shots, but few quality ones. Kuan Yang was kept under close wraps all the way, Nick and Algin were often outmuscled by UniHawks’ tough men, while Sarah, Chris and Rish had a great time in attack, finding holes and channels everywhere to run in.

So what was the deciding factor that gave Spartans, and not UniHawks, the win?
I think it was UniHawks who scored and closed shop too early. Already after scoring the first two goals, all five retreated into defence, clustered around the goal, ready to hang on for the next thirty minutes for the win. Plausible, yes.
This enticed Spartans to attack more and more, and of course, left holes for speedy forwards like Rish to exploit, but the later the game wore on, the slower they ran. And Spartans made them pay.

In conclusion, this game was in no sense an epic, beautiful game. Rather, it was like street football: where it was twenty-a-side and free-for-all. Lots of guts and sweat and effort; beautiful in its own weird, ugly way.
No one deserved to lose that night...

MoMs:
It was Chris and Sarah for UniHawks who did all the behind-the-scenes work to make sure Spartans' charging forwards would not even get near the ball. But it is Sarah’s two goals that tip the balance in her favour, so she gets the pick once more. Her work ethic, willingness to step up to the occasion and all-round game play show why she’s still the top player among Penang’s ladies.

As for Spartans, pacey Nick Teoh gets our nod. Although still not fully converted into a Floorballer, he used his speed and trickery playing like a winger as he bombarded down the flanks. Always on the run, especially on the break when UniHawks' attacks were countered, the boy was not afraid to take on the defender as he penetrated UniHawks defence via sheer pacey or a nutmeg or two. He was the pivotal key that unlocked UniHawks stubborn defence leading Spartans to a narrow victory.

(A big thank you to MH for his time!)

Match Review: Spartans too strong!

Frontliners Spartan vs. Innebandy! Co.
7th July 2009, Tuesday
3-2 (3-0, 0-2)

0255 1-0 Kenny Ng
1315 2-0 Kenny Ng
1735 3-0 Kew Pei Li (Nicholas Teoh)

1400 3-1 Deswyn Wan (Sam Teoh)
1938 3-2 Deswyn Wan

The cursed match.
Innebendy has never beaten Frontliners before.
And so the end of a gruesome fight between the both, the curse stood unshaken, unbreakable.

The mighty Spartans continued their victorious endeavour yet again, toppling the Inne-credibles. Surely, they must be on a high by now. Let's see what both managers have to say about the match.

BBF interviewed Sam Teoh (ST) of team Innebendy:

BBF: Frontliners managed to steal a point when they played against Ztec. They have definitely surprise all of us in the league. Were you more cautious in your approach against Frontliners? What was the strategy?

ST: Not really. Because I believe in my team that we are capable to play them. Besides, most of us played floorball longer than most of the Spartans. The strategy was to play like how we played in the previous two matches. But I guess this strategy wasn't good enough as we were down 3 goals in the first period.


BBF: Your defensive line has been a major issue in this league. Besides inexperience, what else do you think contributed to the goals scored by Frontliners against Innebandy?

ST: Our defensive line played the tightest so far compared to all the previous games. However Spartans was able to capitalised on their strength which gave them the lead. We were not playing hard enough against them on the 1st period.


BBF: There's a huge dependency from your team mates on Deswyn and yourself. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? How does this affect the team as whole?

ST: To people the team seems to rely on both of us more, but to me all the Innebandiens played to their best potential. The score board doesn't only show both of our names. Captain E, Valerie, Nic, Andrew, Darien and Rooban made it as well. Just because we are the ones creating the opportunity doesn't mean that they are not playing their role well. All of the teams in Div 1 are also relying on their national capped players. If it affects my team, it will affect every clubs and the whole Div 1 as well.


BBF: Your first loss of the league. How did the team take it? As a coach, what is the one thing you would want your team to improve to play against a team like Frontliners?

ST: The team wasn't shaken by the defeat at all I would say. As long as Innebandy!Co played together and tight as a team, it will not be a defeat to us at all. It was a good game of Floorball after all. In my opinion it wasn't hard to play against Frontliners at all. We made 2 easy goals against them on the 2nd period. However they managed to maintain the lead over us until the end of the game. As a coach, I would like to see my team to improve on their ball possession during a game playing against team like Frontliners.


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

ST: Kenny Ng. He is just full of energy.

At the other end, we caught up with Jason Chan Ming Hwee (MH) of team Frontliners for the interview:

BBF: Coming out against a team like Innebandy is never easy. Apparently you gambled once again? What was the game plan this time around?

MH: We gambled, because our coach loves to gamble. Innebandy has beaten us before during the pre-league friendlies, 8-3. The gameplan was the same, line one, defensive, line two getting out there for the goals. True enough Line two scored all the goals. Spartans play in a very simple and straight forward play reason being, were not so good technically. :)


BBF: You guys pushed really hard in the first period but then played more conservative in the second half with a tighter defense. However, you guys still let in two goals. What happened? Was that a case of bad strategy?

MH: I think people assume our strategy was to play aggressive first half then lie low in the second half. Hmmm... not true. We "tried" to play hard all the time. BUT the general fitness of the team got PUNCTURED in the second half. So relatively, it looks like defence was tighter because we played more in our half. Innebandy pushed harder the second half, knowing that they've got nothing to lose with 3 goals down. With Deswyn organising the attacks, we hunted him down every step he took. Anybody running against him will always get tired because you know he's fit like a bull. Good call by their coach. They capitalized on our slowdown. If the game was to be played another period, we would have lost to Innebandy. It was all "mental" at the end of the day.

I think that the 2 goals we conceded were not due to wrong strategy, but small petty mistakes which proved to be costly. First one, because Kuan Yang (mental tak kuat) went out of the court at the wrong time. Second goal was due to Steven's assumption (terlebih relax) that there's no one around when suddenly Deswyn appeared to score.


BBF: What do you think was Innebandy's weakness and how did you capitalize on those weakness?

MH: Innebandy needs time to build up in their attacks. In the past, they've always played in a very organized manner - quick passes, well coordinated game play. However, this style is only played within their stronger line.

They use to have Deswyn, being the centre, Sam being the forward and Nick being the marksman. That trinity no longer exist when Nick could no longer play due to injury. Deswyn can supply the ball, but unfortunately, the finishing was lacking.

Lack of defensive strength, made Sam a little more conservative than his usual style. Perhaps, due to that , he made less run ups than during the pre-league friendly match.

Innebandy is generally not a physical team. Side by side, Spartans are more physical. That's also why the game was faster because there were not many fouls.

We were gambling from the start. So I wouldn't say we capitalize on anything. Its a gamble. That's it.


BBF: Frontliners have been cruising in this league and have definitely surprised all of us. What do you expect of the upcoming matches in hand?

MH: Surprised all of us? WE ARE ALSO SHOCKED.

Borak-borak has already written us off since day one. Our pre-league games have sold us off. Team had low morale. Technically we're inferior to the other teams around. Coach had a headache with lack of players.

Because of all these, we didn't have expectations from the start. Our challenge was about getting the team together, work together as one, support one another, and get ourselves super highly motivated. That was the challenge.

When we stop thinking about winning that's when we play better. We just want to play like SPARTANS. Doesn't matter who's the opponent, we will play them hard.

So what's the expectations? Well, we don't really care because we just want to play our game and develop our new and younger ones.

Next few games will be tough because we will lose 2 important players but we will try our best to win every game and take it a step at a time. All opponents in division 1 are strong or else they wouldn't be here.


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

MH: I would give Deswyn Wan for the man of the match. Do I even need to explain???

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

So at the end of the day, it was really a close fight, it all came down to 'mental'.
Frontliners still at their peak while Innebendy faced their first loss of the league.
Seems to us that Frontliners is messing up the league table.
But they sure won't mind, and will be glad to be doing so until the league ends!
Bravo to team Spartans!

Borak Says:
Carrard:
It was Spartans who raced into a shock 3-0 lead very early on, making it a nightmare opening for Innebandy.

There was good distribution and penetration in attack, but when the ball came into their own half, the players kept backing and backing, giving Spartans seemingly all the time in the world to waltz through their static line. Not enough cover from the center in defence, and no cutting edge nor creativity, if compared to Spartans’ direct approach.

The two goals conceded by Spartans were schoolboy errors by two of their most experienced players. Credit is given where credit is due, and both teams deserve equal credit: Spartans for extending their fairytale run (they do seem to have a lot of those..), Innebandy for never giving up.

However, this 3-2 scoreline is like a pretty cloth covering a whole lot of questions and shortcomings.

For Innebandy, it just takes an off-form Deswyn and Sam for the team to look very ordinary. It will be interesting to see how they can rebound against a flying Ztec. Win, and the title race stays wide open. Lose and all but hand the title to Ztec. All of Penang will be waiting for this match with bated breath, I can tell you.

For Spartans, how long can this crazy streak last? Will they stumble against winless UniHawks, like last year and forsake all chances of getting a medal? If they win, it will most certainly be an entertaining final round in this league!

Jose:

Kudos to the Spartans as they continued their amazing run of form by beating Innebandy by 3 goals to 2. Frontliners has always been the nemesis to the mighty Innebandy and has not lost to Innebandy for almost a year now (NOT including the 8-3 Pre-season Friendly). In this match, Spartans started the match just like how they played Ztec 8cers, defending tightly using their 1st line and going gung ho with their second line. And it was the second line, that got the goals for them all in the first period of the game. The Spartans really defended like Spartans in the first period, getting to every single lose ball and neutralizing Deswyn from the center. Innebandy weren't able to get a single shot at Sharon's goal.

The 2nd period saw Innebandy not giving up as they tried to close the gap of the scoreline. Tired legs and a lost of focus saw Innebandy reducing the 3 goal deficit to 1, but it was all too late as the Spartans were able to survive the onslaught in the dying minutes of the game. Innebandy were really lacking both in defence and attack on that day. They would have done better, if Nicholas was available for this league as they sorely miss his goal poaching instincts in front of goal.

MoMs:
Kenny Ng, who shows you what cutting edge really means. No opening? He makes one. And in this game, he waltzed through Innebandy’s defence, took one look up and coolly lifted the ball past Lin Ken. Twice. He wins this title hands down.

For Inne, a pretty obvious one. They too boast a 2 goal hero, Deswyn Wan. The centre was the rise and the fall of the team. Tightly marked and without sufficient support, the team look ordinary in the first. But give him an inch or two, he'll turn tables and punished you. Spartans were at the receiving at as they huff and puff in the second period, conceding goals via silly mistakes, almost cost them the game if not for the final whislte.

(3 cheers to Sam and Jason for their insights!!)

Match Review: Spartans 'whoosh-ed' out Ztec.

Ztec 8cers vs Frontliners Spartan
30th June 2009, Tuesday
3-3(1-1, 2-2)

0636 Hands - Chan Ming Hwee(FLS)
1112 0-1 Kenny Ng
1551 1-1 Ter Min
1902 Incorrect pushing - Chong Wei Jian(FLS)

0352 1-2 Su Rong
0529 1-3 Algin Tan
0649 2-3 Oliver Cedric
0931 Lying play - Kenny Ng(FLS)
1148 Incorrect hit - Kuan Yang(FLS)
1354 Incorrect entering of the rink - Sanjanvan(FLS)
1409 3-3 Jo-Wyee(Oliver Cedric)
1655 Incorrect hit - Stevan Tay(FLS)

SOTs 16-15

Definitely the most entertaining match so far.
The story of the underdog rising up to the occasion against the best team in the league almost came true for Frontliners Spartan.
But it just wasn't meant to be. So near yet so far. We shall leave the reviews to both the teams. BBF caught up with Ztec's captain of the night, Oliver, and Frontliners Spartan's coach, Khor Kuan Yang, for further insights on the match.

The following is the interview between BBF and Ztec's captain, Oliver (O):
BBF: Frontliners came out hard with a point to prove. Did you guys expected them to play that hard offensively or did you guys expected them to go for the defense instead? What were the expectations prior to the match?

O: We did expect a tough match as we knew they had hard hitting and fast players. We also knew that it would have been a challenge for us as we did not have our full squad there that night and that we would be tired out. We have speed that can match theirs, however, how long can one keep running like that? It was obvious that we were tired out. We knew that they had their runners like Nicholas and Kenny back with them, so we expected a tiring and tough match ahead.


BBF: You guys were without the presence of Sjaiful and Hafiz. Did that actually affected the team's spirit, performance and game play?

O: Well, first and foremost, Ztec is a TEAM. Not having just one of its players there would mean a lot. In this case, two of our players were not able to make it. I would say yes, the team was affected. However, the spirit of Ztec was still alive. We did what we could, played with all our hearts. WE also definitely had to come up with a new game play that would suit our situation. So the answer is yes, Ztec was really affected without the presence of two of our players.


BBF: Frontliners pulled a surprise by hitting in the first goal. Obviously that affected your team's confidence. But they didn't stop there. They extended their lead by 3-1 later on in the game. Did you and your boys dropped mentally after that? And if so, what were the strategies or steps taken to counteract those situations?

O: Well, every team dreams of scoring the first goal. In this case, Frontliners had that dream come true. Kudos to them. It was obvious that our mental dropped as we were already tired. And you know that when you're exhausted, your mind and your thinking would not be working well. The match against Frontliners was not Ztec's best game. We were going too fast and playing not as a team. After the half time, Jeremy, our coach, gave a few words, that really boosted us up. And that was when we made a comeback. We started playing as a team again. Movement, flow, that's what Floorball is all about. We played with our heads and also our hearts.


BBF: Much has been said regarding Ztec's capability of winning every match in the league. However, you guys almost lost in this particular match but in the end, emerged strong and manage to grab a point a piece. Is it right for BBF to say that the confidence that you guys have as a team has, to a certain level, been dampened after this match? How will this draw affect your team?

O: Well, it is true that the morale of the players after this match has been a little dampened. Which team wouldn't feel that way? But this will NEVER keep us down. We may feel down for awhile, but I know my guys, and I believe in them. This is just a wake up call and a trigger that would make us come back roaring louder than ever. Ztec will never want a repeat of what happened. And we will NOT allow it to repeat itself. Individual players in Ztec are good, but put us together and Ztec becomes a team that is a force to reckon with. We will perform again. This will not hold us down.


BBF: Last but not least, who do you think should be voted as the man of the match for team Frontliners? And why?

O: Man of the Match would definitely, in my opinion got to Kenny. I believe He was the one running the most. His speed and Good positioning was reason of Ztec having a hard time due to fatigue. His presence was truly felt. Great job Kenny. Awesome runs.


The following is the interview between BBF and Frontliners Spartan's coach, Khor Kuan Yang (KY):

BBF: Going up against a team like Ztec is never easy. What more when the odds are against you. What was the strategy that you came up with to play against a team like that?

KY: One word, Gamble (laughs). Gamble with some tight defending from the first line, with one lone forward harassing their defender; gamble with counter attacks by supplying long ball; gamble again with the second line with our speedy forwards to get some goals.


BBF: Obviously, your strategy worked for you since you guys banked in the first goal and later on, led by 3-1. Do you think the gamble your team took paid off OR do you think Ztec wasn't at their best? What do you think was Ztec main weak link in this particular match that has helped you guys earned the draw?

KY: Weak line? Do they have one (laughs)? I believe there were several elements that determine the result for the match. Sjaiful and Hadfiz's absence certainly played a part as Ztec had less rotation in defence which resulted in offensive players like Ter Min dropping down to fill the void; their finishing was pretty off on that night, fortunate for us, especially the close range ones; and I was banking they would start slow like they did in our previous friendly, and press them early on.

On our side, I tried and get the players' mind set correct and urged them to put on a fight against Ztec. Which they did. Especially in defence, the defending although at times desperate but they showed more discipline in tracking back and keeping it as tight as possible compared to the previous match. All this, adding on to our gamble have contributed to the result.


BBF: You guys led... twice! 1-0 and then 3-1. But eventually, succumbed to Ztec's attacking forces and ended up gaining a draw instead. As a coach, are you upset with the results when you're this close from clinching a win from a team like Ztec? What do you think went wrong?

KY: I would say we led a bit too early. It was just 5 minutes into the second half, and against Ztec, it would be a bit too dangerous to drop down too deep, so we continued to press on, but this time it just didn't work out like the first half. How I wish the game would have ended when we scored the third (laughs).

The consecutive sending offs later on certain didn't help and there were a lot tired legs on the court. Some were pretty dubious and frustrating, but that is the nature of the game, these are things that you cannot control so we move on and thankfullly, we managed to held on for the draw.

Upset? No at all.
It was a gamble from the start. You gain some, you lose some. 3 goals was totally out of the blue and way above expectation. Although it was a bit disappointing, but I am still happy with the draw nevertheless.


BBF: Your team is definitely boosted for the games ahead after this rather unexpected draw. Fancy going for a silver or bronze now?

KY: Its a tough call. It is always a coach's nightmare when expectations are building up fast and high, where players become overconfident and lose focus during the match. And I must say, Frontliners have a long history of crumbling when things go too well (laughs).

Definitely a booster for the team, but I hope they keep their heads down and look forward to the coming matches. The league is still an unfinished marathon. Innebandy, UniHawks, FireAnts, all formidable foes. The highest quality of focus and the same attitude and fighting spirit is much needed for the games ahead, I hope the players would give their best in the remaining matches like how they did on Tuesday, and only by the final whistle, we look back at the result. Let the process determine our final standing.


BBF: Finally, who would you vote as the man of the match for team Ztec? Why?

KY: This is really testing me because there was barely anytime to focus on the opponent during the match.
Jeremy and Oliver did caught my eye in the match. Jeremy with his mazzy runs and threatening distribution up front. Oliver, like always, hard runner and took quite a number of shots.

I would have to go for Oliver. Was continuously on the run, and not afraid to go in for a tussle, a pain for defenders. Moreover, tested Sharron on numerous occasion and scored one pass her.

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

If you guys missed this match, it's really a blow. Wonderful match and great floorball from both sides.

This draw could well be in favour not just for Frontliners, but also for the rest of the teams in the league to know that, the much talked about Ztec 8cers can be stopped. For Ztec, however, it is a wake up call. And will they wallow in defeat after this draw? We reckon not. Just like their captain said, they will definitely be more cautious and furious than ever from hence forth.


Borak Says:
Carrard:
On paper, it looked like only one side could win.
On court, it was anything but that.

And that’s the whole beauty of it.

Frontliners Spartans took the game to Ztec right from the very start. Throughout the first half, Ztec looked nothing like the team they were against Contact. Lacking imagination and drive through the center, they gave Spartans too much breathing space. The ball was moving very well in Ztec’s own half, but once it crossed the half-way line, there was only one way to go: down the sides. A Ztec onslaught was expected in the second half, but whatever magic Kuan Yang had in him, he certainly turned it on in his half-time talk. In the first few minutes, Spartans hit Ztec with a double, and it looked like Ztec were staring at an embarassing defeat. Yet they slowly but surely gained ascendancy in the game, pressing forward and pushing the Spartans further back, stringing some great cross-court passes together. Inevitably, they levelled the scores, but only after another scare when Kenny of Spartans had the ball in the net only for the goal to be called off.

In a way, it was sad to see Spartans ending up with just one point after an amazing fight where Spartans posed many questions about Ztec’s title credibility. Some might consider this draw as a victory for the Spartans, but it is up to them to hit the ground running and show that this wasn’t a one-off thing. And who better to prove it to than against undefeated Innebandy? Fresh from their great win over Contact, Ztec were brought down hard to the ground and given a dose of humility. They now know what not to do in a match against underdogs. This will help them against Dalat Eagles: another team that plays hard and keeps fighting. Will they have learnt their lesson by then?

MoMs:
Steven Tay. What a day for the captain marvel of Frontliners to roll back the years. Each time he plays, he manages to exude an aura of calmness, bringing a positive feeling to the defence, but in this game, there was something extra. Making block after block, enduring cramp after cramp, and he still managed to do it all with a smile. Perhaps a little at fault for the second goal, giving Oliver too much time and space to shoot. So not a perfect game, but an excellent one, by any standards.

From the opposing end, Jeremy Yeap of team Ztec 8cers seemed to get the nod from everyone else. Spending months in the States without much exposure to floorball, one would wonder if this guy has anything to offer for Ztec. Well, wonder no more. This guy showed how valuable he is with his versatility in the team.

With his team down 1-3, he stepped up his game, playing more forcefully in defense while at the same time daringly pushing himself up front to help the attacking line in some fire power. Although his shots were all over the place, his effort caught our eyes. In addition, he seemed more compose than the rest of his team mates even though they were down by two goals. His presence both in defense and attack was a constant threat to Frontliners. And considering the fact that he's been away for quite a while, not bad at all.
He's got two thumbs up from Borak Borak!

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.

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

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: Frontliners Spartans

Frontliners Spartans(Frontliners Floorball Club)

Last season: 3rd/4

Meet the Spartans. Again.

Frontliners Floorball Club, known as one of the forefathers of Floorball in Penang, has for some reasons, struggled forever to stamp their mark in the scene.

Last year, a breakthrough was in touching distance as a decent run in form saw them closing in for a silver. A victory against the winless Minden UniHawks on the final day was all they needed. Yet in the do-or-die match, Spartans were out of sorts and succumbed to a far more hungrier opponent who had a point to prove.

The "Floorballers" in the end, went home empty handed, but the team had potential and was worth looking forward to in this campaign. However, a glance on the team roster suggested otherwise.

Other than the likes of “Kung Fu” goalie, Sharron; old guard Stevan Tay together with national players, Kuan Yang and Ming Hwee forming the core, the team is once again… A new team.

Almost near nill retention and hence no continuation in the development of the team as a whole. Although there are some decent recruits like Nicholas Toeh and Kenny Ng who made it in for trials with the State Team, it will still be an uphill task for coach/player, Kuan Yang to guide the reformed Spartans against experience old foes (Innebandy and FireAnts.) and newcomers (Ztec and Dalat) with huge appetite, ready to impress.

Having said that, most of us have been there long enough to know that nothing is absolute. Even the underdogs have their day. Plus the freshness of having newbies may just make them even more unpredictable. And let's not forget, the Spartans did give the Persians a whacking before they went down!

Key Player:
The seniors will have huge responsibilities in leading the team, but it will be the goalie who will be the most important piece.

The goalie who earn the tag "Kung Fu" Spartan via her heroic saves in the previous campaign will be call upon once again, shouldering even more burden as the key in providing stability for the Spartans.

Her form will be crucial to the morale of the team. Break her, break the team. Spartans will be going all out in preventing that.

Rising Rookie:
Su Rong. BBF has personally seen the boy’s play. Tough, rough and uncompromising. The forward is well built and doesn’t mind giving the defender a body check or two. On top of that, he has reasonable positioning instinct which is hard to come by.

Adding it up, this makes him an asset to the team, making him an eyesore to the defenders. The only short coming is in technique, so expect the finishing to be lacking.

Prediction:
Bendy:
The deafening cheer has always been impressive; the play… lacking. And once again, a disappointing team roster with a whole lot of new faces.

It would be a tough season ahead, with only 1 or 2 games to look forward to for a win. Should be able to survive relegation if the core players perform. Best bet, 4th. Anything more is bonus.

Jose:
It is by no means an easy task when playing against the fast running Spartans. This team is made up of runners that will push their opponents to their limit. However in Division 1, it takes more than just a bunch of runners to win you the championship. And with so many new faces on the team sheet, it will be hard for them to challenge the top 3 teams.

It will be down to the matches against UniHawks and Eagles respectively that will decide where Spartans will stand this season. Remember UniHawks beat Spartans last season, which ultimately cost them the silver medal. Will it happen again this time? We shall wait and see.

Spartans to finish 4th this season.

Spritzer:
Probably sharing similar fate as UniHawks, it will be a tought competition ahead of them. Then again, they have a pretty decent core team lined up, which will definitely play a crucial role in their play time.

The leadership of the more experience players will determine the fate of each game for them. How they motivate the team and how they play their game will be crucial. Finishing 4th seems to be the best position for now.