20 April 2009, Singapore: The opening day's second game started 10 past 9 and was incident packed. The Hollandse Club Blue (Blues) team who boasted a team completely of Division 1 players from last season proved to be too strong for the Mucha Hockey (Mucha) side.
The latter were also playing on home ground but struggled from as soon as 2 minutes into the game. Pascal Blanchet, the French inspiration behind this Dutch team spurn into the "D" and reverse sticked the ball past Rob Glover for the Blues' opener.
It was one way traffic from there on end till half time which came 5 goals later courtesy of Jonathan Price from a penalty corner, Michiel Bouwman twice, Blanchet added another and Hans Sluyser once. At 6-0 up the Blues were cruising to a huge opening day victory.
However, the unique feature of the league where you can score points in each half galvanised the Muchas. They came out with renewed vigour and did a great job in denying the Blues time and again.
Unfortunately the nippy Blanchet's drive into the "D" on numeorus occasions was checked disastrously by Glover in the Mucha goal. He came out and made himself big innocuously and regretably struck Blanchet on his left eye socket. A bloodied Blanchet left the field with a cut nose bridge and another one a milimeter below his left eye, lucky lucky:)
A sporting Blanchet cleaned himself up with first aid provided by the ever present Vear Singh and watched a little more before heading home by which time Bouwman and Sluyser had added 3 more goals to the good for the Blues.
Mucha treathened to pull one goal back but to no avail. They however look sufficiently improved to live to fight another day.
With the 9-0 win the Blues lead the standing after Matchday 1 with 11 points (3 for winning the 1st half, 3 for winning the second half, 4 for wining the game and 1 bonus point for winning by 3 or more goals margin.
Bouwman's one-two with Wim Ten Hof which produced goal number three for the Blues was the play of the day.
Next up 27 April 09 8pm Merlions v Temasek and 9pm Hollandse Club Oranje v Mucha Hockey.
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