RI edge past HCI in water polo final
Raffles Institution (RI) beat Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) 6-4 to lift the Schools Nationals boys' A Division water polo title at MOE (Evans) Swimming Complex yesterday.
The two teams were neck and neck for much of the thrilling encounter, until the defending champions thumped in three goals in the final quarter to put the game beyond HCI's reach.
Chester Ng opened the scoring for HCI late in the first quarter, but RI hit back swiftly through Marcel Lim.
BEST GAME SO FAR
The Rafflesians took the lead through Daniel Ang in the second period, only for Ng to equalise with his second goal of the match four minutes into the third quarter.
Both teams then scored one more goal apiece to enter the final quarter deadlocked at 3-3.
RI's vice-captain Aaron Tan showed his team the way when it mattered, smashing in a long-range effort before Lok Yan Xuan and Matthew Lee also got on the scoresheet.
Sow Jeng Wei's goal for HCI proved too little, too late.
A jubilant Tan, 18, said: "Today was the best game we played so far. We really came together as a team to shut HCI down."
However, RI coach Yu Lei, 44, feels his team could have done even better.
He said: "Both teams played very well today, but we were lucky in the last quarter."
"Everybody in the team did well but, attacking-wise, we could have been better."
HCI coach Lee Sai Meng, 39, was graceful in defeat and praised his boys' efforts.
He said: "The result is not the best, but I am still very proud of the way they played today."
In the girls' A Division final, RI demolished Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 15-1 to take the crown.
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