The annual school nationals are always a tightly contested affair, with the first matchup highly anticipated due to the strong rivalry between powerhouses Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong.
Despite confidence running high on both sides, HC got off to a somewhat shaky start, conceding two goals which put Raffles at a two goal advantage at the end of the first quarter. The squad picked themselves up after, however, putting up a tenacious defense to shutout Raffles and score three straight goals to give themselves the edge over their opponents at the end of the first half.
The game continued in similar fashion after the short interval, with both teams tussling to forge ahead but neither managing to gain the advantage. The entire team functioned together to display incredible fighting spirit and determination to claw back from dangerous situations, with their hard work paying off as, with three minutes remaining in the game, HC appeared to hold the upper hand over Raffles with a 6-5 lead.
Things were not meant to be, however, as a lapse in concentration followed by a swift counterattack led to Raffles leveling the score with 2 minutes remaining. Despite this major setback, the HC players fought on, attempting to find the winning goal again. HC hit the post on two successive attacks, and it looked like the game was heading for a draw until a cruel twist of fate led to a surprising reversal which saw Raffles score the decider with little less than a minute remaining. Although HC remained calm and battled to the very end searching for an equaliser, it seemed that Lady Luck was not on her side, as Raffles clung on to their slender lead for an eventual 7-6 victory.
The loss of an opening match is never easy for any team, but the HC team has shown remarkable resilience and spirit to pick themselves up from this defeat and face their following matches with an upbeat attitude.
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