KUALA LUMPUR: The TNB Cup final turned out to be an eight-goal thriller which went into a penalty shootout today. Finally, it was Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) who emerged worthy winners with a score of 2-0 at the National Hockey Stadium.
THT's Syarman Mat Tee and Firdaus Rosdi were the only ones on target in the shootout while Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) failed in four attempts.
The regulation time score, after a roller-coaster battle, was 4-4.
UniKL were unlucky not to claim a Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) treble after winning the Charity Sheld and League titles earlier with ease.
The THT goalscorers were Faizal Saari (15th), Arif Syafie Ishak (17th), Akhimullah Anuar Esook (21st) and Faizal Saari (38th).
UniKL got their goals through Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (ninth, 13th), Razie Rahim (35th) and Ashran Hamsani (51st).
It was a double blow for UNIKL as their women's team, UniKL Ladies fell in the Vivian May Soars Cup final.
UniKL Ladies paid a heavy price for being complacent in a match they dominated, and handed Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UniTen) the Vivian May Soars Cup on a tame 1-0 score.
And as predicted by Timesport, UniTen's wily coach Lailin Abu Hassan used a hidden "slice" weapon to defend their title.
League champions UniKL Ladies had five penalty corners and wasted them all, but UniTen nailed their only corner in the 54th minute with a low "slice slap" by 21-year-old Nurul Faezah Shafiqah Khalim.
It was Nurul Faezah's only third goal of the tournament, and UniKL Ladies defenders did not anticipate such a spin.
And when the ball crashed into the board, it extinguished the fire in the League champions and broke their unbeaten run in the Malaysia Hockey League.
"I told my players before the match that all we need is one penalty corner in the final, and it will be the game changer.
"I had noticed that there is a 'hole' in their penalty corner defence and I planned to hit that spot," said Lailin.
Faezah had trained on Friday, and when her only chance came, she made it count.
"When I stepped up to that penalty corner, I knew it was now or never, and sliced the ball just at the right angle and it turned our fortunes around," she said.
Lailin added: "My players were really determined to retain our Cup even though UniKL were the dominant side today.
"We had lost the League match 3-0 to UniKL but I saw that my players have the qualities to improve, and I impressed on them a 'winning mentality' and the Cup fell into our laps for the second consecutive year."
RESULTS
TNB Cup final: Universiti Kuala Lumpur 2 Terengganu Hockey Team 0, penalty shootout (4-4 regulation time)
Third-fourth: Maybank 0 Tenaga Nasional 1
Vivian May Soars Cup final: Universiti Kuala Lumpur Ladies 0 Universiti Tenaga Nasional 1
Third-fourth: Police Blue Warriors 4 Sabah 0