Sunday, February 28, 2016

TNB CUP: Easy draw for SSTMI Thunderbolts

DIVISION One League champions SSTMI Thunderbolts received a bonus draw when they were paired with Division Two's Perlis Young Lions in the TNB CUP quarter-finals on March 4.
  Perlis is the weakest team in the knock-out stage, and they have been paired with the strongest side in the Junior Hockye League.
  Yesterday, Perlis held Sabah Sports School to a 2-2 draw in the Division Two third-fourth play-off but lost out 3-1 in the penalty shoot out.
  The other q-finals will see BJSS Thunderbolts play their brothers BJSS Juniors, while Division One runners-up SSP-MSP will meet Sabah Sports School. UniKL young Guns, third in Division One, have been paired with Anderson Thunderbolts.
  Yesterday, Anderson Thunderbolts beat BJSS Juniors 1-0 in the Division Two play-off final.
  On paper, all four Division One teams should proceed to the semi-finals barring upsets.
  UniKL Young Guns, who last lifted the TNB Cup in 2010, aim for a home run this seaon.
  "Even though Anderson (Thunderbolts) are from Division Two, we will still give them the respect all the other three Thunderbolts teams deserve. Tenaga Nasional would not have picked them to be under their programme if they were not strong in basics," said UniKL Young Guns coach I. Vickneswaran.
  The interesting part of the draw is that UniKL, if they advance to the semis, will avoid SSTMI and SSP-MSP as they are drawn against the winners of BJSS Thunderbolts or BJSS Juniors.
  "Yes, but it is also interesting to note that we beat SSTMI and SSP-MSP in the League but were beaten by BJSS. So, there are no easy matchesmin the knock-out stages," said Vickneswaran.
  RESULTS -- JHL Division Two play-off: Final -- Anderson Thunderbolts 1 BJSS Juniors 0; Third-Fourth: Sabah Sports School 2 Perlis Young Lions Juniors 2 (Sabah win shoot-out 3-1).
  March 4: TNB Cup q-finals First Leg: SSTMI Thunderbolts v Perlis Young Lions Juniors (to be decided), SSP-MSP Thunderbolts v Sabah Sports School (Bukit Jalil), UniKL Young Guns v Anderson Thunderbolts (Bukit Jalil), BJSS Thunderbolts v BJSS Juniors (Bukit Jalil).
  March 6: TNB Cup q-finals Second Leg: Perlis Young Lions Juniors v SSTMI Thunderbolts (to be decided), Sabah Sports School v SSP-MSP Thunderbolts (Bukit Jalil), Anderson Thunderbolts v UniKL Young Guns (Bukit Jalil), BJSS Juniors v BJSS Thunderbolts (Bukit Jalil).