JUSA Jaguar’s floorball team’s first match of the semester took place last Wednesday, March 8. Their opponent was none other than the other Jaguars at JU, the hockey team. The hockey team secured a 6-5 victory. Here is a recap of the match and some impressions from players and supporters.
Reflecting on the game after the final whistle, Fanny, captain of the JUSA Jaguars, said with a smile and humour “The stakes are very high, I mean, we’re playing floorball against the hockey team, I would think we would win, and I would think we would have the advantage.”
Results
The result of the match was 6-5 in favour of the hockey team. The match began with a strong period for the floorball team, who took a 3-1 lead before the hockey team caught up and finally took the advantage.
Fanny, JUSA’s coach, analysed this turning point “we started off good, 3-1 in the first period, but like all games I’ve played, as soon as you’re leading, you calm down, and then they get an advantage really quick, and I think we got so stressed that we lost it.”
Goalkeeper Gustav shares similar views, noting that the team “switched off” after the first period. “We didn’t really play. They won their 1v1 duels.” he explained.
The hockey team started slowly, struggling to convert possession into clear chances in the first period, but gradually grew into the game and became more efficient in their duels. The hockey players acknowledge their slow start but want to emphasize their resilience. “In the first period we really weren’t there but we kept going and managed to find our game and managed to close it in the 3rd period.”
The JUSA coach recognises that “we don’t make it easy on ourselves, we don’t do these easy passes to get the ball up, we try to pass in the middle of them, we lose players in front of the goal.” However, she acknowledges the positive elements. “We did what we were supposed to do today. Yesterday when we trained, we were so stressed. I think we really calmed down. The first line especially they were able to roll the ball the whole time.”
On the other team’s side, the plan was clear. “We had a plan of being very tight in defense zone and just get the ball high and run after it and shoot as much as we want and hopefully score.” explained Gustav Göransson, one of the hockey players.
Supporters
On the left stand, loyal floorball supporters came to cheer on their team such as Jonte, who has been watching every game for the past two years and Thea, who has played floorball for ten years. “It was a fun game.” they agreed.
On the other side, hockey team supporters such as Alfons, came to cheer on the reconverted hockey players (the time of one match). Encouraged by his classmates who told him to “come and you enjoy the show”, he is not disappointed: “From what I’ve watched it’s good.” During the 3rd period, when the hockey team was leading, the spirits were high: “right now I’m pleased with the show, 2 points lead, it can’t be better”
For Lukas and Oskar, the match was “chaos.” The two friends attended to “to see hits”. As they had friends in the two team, they didn’t care on the outcome. However, they felt the players kept playing back and forth, and that the game lacked possession.
Take-aways:
Despite the defeat, the coach remained positive.
“This is the first game we have been able to play for the semester, so we’re still pretty happy, I think the hockey team is happy as well. It’s still funny games”
After several cancelled matches, the aim was especially to play and to strengthen the team cohesion. “I just wanted the players to get a game to really just actually put all the things we’ve practiced in real life, in the court.” explains Fanny. She adds that “It’s also a way for the team to get together, getting closer cause we’re going to party after this. Going to aka is the plan, if we can get a pre-game, we’re hoping.”
On the other side, the hockey player – neophytes in floorball, enjoyed the challenge. “It’s pretty tough because you can’t glide here, you just have to run all the time.” Naturally, they also enjoyed the score “It’s really fun, and it is really fun to get a win against the floorball team.”
The match marked one of the hockey team’s final appearances of the season, as they concluded their schedule with this internal match.
On the other hand, the Jaguars are eager to continue their season. The floorball team is hoping to face Linköping away next week and are planning a home match against Växjö on April 22nd. If you would also like to come and cheer on the Jaguars.
What is floorball?
Maybe you have seen the team train, but if you are not familiar with floorball, here is a quick explanation of this popular indoor sport, originally from Sweden.
Floorball is often compared to indoor ice hockey, although it is a non-contact sport with simpler rules. It is played indoors between two teams of six players, including a goalkeeper, with unlimited substitutions. The court is roughly the size of a handball pitch and is surrounded by low boards that keep the ball in play. Players use a lightweight stick with a curved blade that can be used on both sides and a very light ball which has holes.
Writer: Amy Villette
