Afraid of the Dark: Beyond the Stage

By Limey Chhor

At the beginning of the semester, pages were laid neatly into tiny piles on the wooden table near the Singapore Room. Dalat students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, auditioned for a play they would later come to know as Afraid of the Dark by James Reach. 

Throughout the three performances, the audience witnessed the sweet love of the newly-wed Chauncey, played by Michael Silverstein (11) and Lilum, played by Olive Berends (9). The romantic and quiet honeymoon that Lilum expects comes crashing down with the thundering voice of General Lee, played by Gabriel Roylance (11) and his sidekick, Gridley, played by Jun Sheng Leow (12). Despite the craziness of the tenants, Lilum insisted on staying, only to regret her decision when the big reveal that they had been caught in the middle of an extensive espionage unfolded in the Third Act. Each performance keeps the audience on the edge of their seat and ends with roaring applause from the audience. 

Dalat Drama Production extends beyond the three performances offered near the end of each semester. For over four months, Miss Geiman and Mrs. Ho directed the drama kids to project their voices, practice significant expressions and gestures, and pull everyone together to put on amazing shows for the Dalat Community. Even though a few cast members were sick, the Lord put His hand on them and gave them the strength to finish strong. 

Although Afraid of the Dark ended, the friendships formed during short and long rehearsals persisted. Jun Sheng Leow (12) noted that his favorite part of tech week was “the fact that all of us (drama actors and crew) worked together to make the production a success from scratch multiple times.”

Many drama kids decided to join Dalat Drama Production again next semester. They may not know what the next play will be, but they are sure they will have more fun together.

Never Miss Drama

 By Aidan Leong

“One hundred and fifty billion dollars!” exclaimed Mata Hari (Limey Chhor, 12). 

Exactly how much I thought this production was worth.

Dalat Drama production once again delivered with a great play called Afraid of the Dark. 

The play boasted a diverse range of real-life characters, from Mata Hari to Queen Elizabeth the First to even General Robert E. Lee. Moreover, the actors brought these characters to life with phenomenal acting and voice projection. 

Jun Sheng Leow (12), a vibrant and enthusiastic actor who played the role of Admiral Gridley, describes acting on stage as “a chance to make me feel… …alive in some odd ways I can’t describe. I just like to act different from my character contrary to what people would expect about me.”

The show went on for two days, one show on Friday and two on Saturday. At first, Michael Silverstein (11), one of the main leads, said they were very nervous and tense before performing. But by the third showing, he told me they were elated and joyful—singing together even seconds before the show started. 

Like the actors, the audience had great joy and laughter from the humorous moments in the show. Not only was it funny, but the story had me at the edge of my seat with multiple plot twists at the end—finally revealing the true antagonist. It had also gone smoothly, even from the tech team. A crew member, Emma Yeap (12), said, “I finally got to program the light myself. Thank goodness I didn't mess up.” 

Overall, the hard work showed in their final product. The play was a blast, but it also provided something more than entertainment. In the audience, there were people from elementary to high school and many parents who all came together to watch. This show brought the community together. This is what Dalat is about. 

Behind the Curtains: Tech Week Uncovered

By Dora Liu

It’s time to take a peek behind the curtains. 

Last Friday, November 17th, Dalat Drama Production returned with another showpiece, Afraid of the Dark. The premiere night was an immediate success, packed with an excited audience. Tech Week, usually the most busy time of year for cast members, was especially significant to the show's success. 

What is Tech Week? Tech Week is the first time most of the “tech”—lighting, sound, etc, become part of the rehearsal, which usually takes place in the week leading up to the actual show. 

Due to the tight schedule, all actors and backstage crew must stay in Harbor Hall and rehearse every night of Tech Week until the premiere night. Nightly rehearsals can run from 4 until 8 or 9 pm, with at least one full-dress rehearsal that simulates an actual performance to ensure everything goes smoothly. 

Wonhoo Shin (9), one of the backstage crew, discloses his schedule for Tech Week. “I would have to do everything from 3 to 4 before drama, or go home and stay up until 12 to finish,” he says, “but sometimes when I’m really tired or didn’t have any homework, I would just go home and sleep. It’s hectic but also fun.”

Luckily, Ms. Geiman’s cooking came to the rescue when the cast needed strength. Emma Yeap (12), also a backstage crew, remarks, “Every day she cooked, apart from Thursday because it was Thanksgiving, so we had a lot of leftover food from PTO. On Saturday we had breakfast for dinner, waffles, sausages, things like that.”

In the months before the performance, drama members attend rehearsals every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for around 5 hours of rehearsal per week. Apart from weekly rehearsals, every cast member must attend two workday sessions on Saturdays before production night. All the work amounts to the impressive stage set to accompany the play. Eric Shyu (11), who played Joe the Telephone Man, says, “The walls, the doors, basically everything were painted by us.” It’s easy to see how much effort was put in to ensure the stage looked perfect for the scenes. 

Every impressive performance takes hard work. Despite the long hours during Tech Week, the cast members gained experience and had fun working on the production. With delicious meals as a bonus, wouldn’t you want to sign up next time?

Sugar Rush

By Packia Alagu Nagarajan

The Senior class of 2024 invites all elementary school students to bond over freezies and a fun game of duck-duck-goose. As a senior, I remember in my elementary days, I used to be intimidated by the seniors. I would genuinely think they were going to bully me and be mean to me on purpose, so, as the five-year-old that I was, I used to avoid them at all costs. However, as a senior, I realize what the elementary students think when we walk past them. Most of them look up to us, wonder what it’s like to be the oldest in the school, and wish to grow up just like us.  

The senior class planned this event as an opportunity to let the elementary students know that we’re really not that scary. In fact, this is the first step taken to bond with them over a freezie and some games they enjoy playing. We decided it would work best to split the elementary school grade-wise to be more organized. During their morning recess, a group of seniors volunteered to cut up freezies, engage in meaningful conversations, and play fun games with the kids. I was thrilled that their recess was during my study hall and online class block, so I got to participate and engage with all the elementary students.  

They were mostly shy, but once they slurped away at all the freezie juice, they were in the mood to chat and play games with us. Popi Grous (12), who played games with the kids said, “It was gratifying playing with the kids and seeing them have fun.” It was such a fun way to start the morning for both the seniors and the elementary students. 

However, the only people who were concerned about the aftermath were the teachers of the students who had an incredible amount of sugar so early in the morning. Luckily, the games drained most of their sugar rush. We also had a few of the seniors documenting these precious memories. 

Aileen Kim (12), a Journ student said, “It was a healing process to take photos of elementary children as I don’t get the chance to do it frequently. I felt glad to be able to serve the children in a different way.”  

Bonding with the elementary students made me realize one thing. Like these kids, our parents still view us as their precious children. My mum always told me that whenever she saw me now, she could only see the three-year-old me wearing two ponytails on either side with a big smile on my face. As I move on to the next phase of my life, going to college and living independently, I know that my parents are incredibly proud of the young adult I’ve become, and they’ve played a crucial role in who I am today. So, to all the parents reading this, we appreciate your efforts and everything you’ve done for us.  

Don’t Forget Your Flashlight

By Sam Owen

It’s time to face our fears. 

At least for those of us Afraid of the Dark.

Opening night is finally upon us. After months of preparation, our drama department is ready to present its production. Crowds will make their way to Harbor Hall to be seated tonight at seven p.m. as the pride and joys of our upcoming play realize the fruit of their efforts.

Elizabeth Silverstein (12), one of the tech students responsible for the sound effects that hold the power to make or break a performance, embodied the emotions of many of her crewmates, expressing, “I feel like we are almost there and, although it is stressful, everyone is filled with anticipation and excitement to share what we have worked so hard on.”

Returning veteran Emma Yeap (12) is also a devoted crew member. She opened up about tonight’s performance, explaining, “I am feeling excited and nervous for the play. I am glad that it is coming up and really proud of the cast, the props, and the programming that everyone worked really hard to put together. Hope that everyone enjoys the show as much as we enjoyed putting it together for all of us.”

Three long-awaited showtimes have been prepared as students have poured their time, energy, and passion into doing James Reach’s Afraid of the Dark justice. This adaptation has intertwined mystery and comedy in an experience you won’t want to miss.

All’s not lost if Friday’s not for you. Tickets are available for two p.m. and seven p.m. the next night for any of the Dalat community excited to come out and support their own. All you have to do is head on down to the front office or contact a student involved in putting on the production. Just that and bring ten ringgit for the transaction.

Tickets are available. Show times are abundant. What’s stopping you from enjoying your weekend with a little extra laughter?

Freaky Turn of Events

By Drew Worten

On November 10th, 2023, there was an event called Freaky Friday hosted by the Dalat senior class for grades 5th through 8th. They did many events that day, including Capture the Flag, Knockout, Cat & Mouse, Just Dance, Min to Win It, Tic Tac Toe, Trivia, and water balloon fights. 

This event is a time where seniors can be role models and leave lasting memories on the Dalat community. Cullno Mah (12) was a leader for one of the middle school grades; he said, “For some reason, I really bonded with the sixth-grade middle schoolers on Friday till they even said hi when I’m around. I had a deep talk with one of them about growing up and maturing, and he said he was too mature and apologized for his grade when they kept shouting at me. They also decided to throw their one water balloon at me, and I even banter with three sixth-grade girls who were shouting and complaining about Freaky Friday and we laughed about it. Their core memory was probably me, not gonna lie, and my voice now is destroyed, screaming over 60 kids to pay attention.” Cullno got to bond with the middle schoolers and give insightful information to these kids about growing up and life. He got to connect with the middle schoolers and left an impact on these kids they will probably never forget.

They organized this event in such a way that the seniors got to interact directly with the middle schoolers in these games. This event was organized with multiple seniors at each station, facilitating the fun in a way that they are interacting with them, and it was also organized with one senior leading each grade to the different stations and games. An example of the seniors interacting with the middle schoolers through the game is the water balloon fights; even the seniors got to join in and play with the middle schoolers. 

Elizabeth Silverstein (12), the senior class president, said this about the event,  “Over all, I felt like both seniors and middle schoolers had a fantastic time having fun together. My favorite part was watching the middle schoolers run around laughing and throwing water balloons at each other. I would plan another day like it in a heartbeat.” 

Not only did the middle schoolers have fun, but the seniors also had fun together with them. And they wish they could plan another day like this.

Freaky What?

By Douglas Koay

Freaky Friday is a long-standing tradition in Dalat, where seniors run games, provide food, and have fun with the middle schoolers. This year, it allowed seniors to give back to the Dalat community by providing a night filled with various activities, including Capture the Flag, Cup Pong, Just Dance, Knockout, and many others for the kids in school. 

With so many activities needing to be set up, the senior class had to prepare the stations before the wave of kids flooded in. Stations of games were set up in Harbor Hall, Just Dance was projected onto the screen behind the stage, and 600 water balloons being filled in anticipation of the kids led to more water on the seniors than in the balloons. 

Senior ExCom Service Coordinator Aidan Leong (12) said, “Many seniors came together to help out in Freaky Friday to bond with the middle schoolers, which made the process smooth and enjoyable.” The middle schoolers were bursting with excitement and glee, participating in the games and jumping from one station to the next. 

Joseph Lee (12), who was in charge of the knockout station that night, says, “It felt sentimental to be able to help out with Freaky Friday because I did it in middle school and had a lot of fun doing it, and now having the opportunity to serve back made me kind of emotional.” 

After a whole day of activities, the middle schoolers were split into their respective grades, armed with water balloons, and engaged in a war-like battle, ending the night in a blur of chaos, laughter, and so much screaming. This experience with the kids gave us a new understanding and gratitude to the seniors when we were middle schoolers who spent their time with us in our Freaky Friday. With this tradition continuing, we hope the kids we serve will one day be filled with the same nostalgia and gratitude as we were when they become seniors.

One Month Left

By Josiah Andrews

One month. One month away until the final bell of the semester. A day that is hard to imagine that will come on the first day of school. Having said that, that specific bell is starting to loom over the heads at Dalat.

That bell will be a relief for some freshman who survived the first of eight semesters in their high school years. That bell also will mean that there is only one last semester for the Class of 2024 until their high school journey ends. Many seniors have started to feel some signs and symptoms of Senioritis. Even so, the excitement to graduate and be done grows. In contrast, the motivation and want to attend school dissipates quickly amongst the Co24. 

Holding us students back from that freedom is the dreaded final exams. Preparation for exams is about to get underway if it hasn’t already. This period of time before the exams and after the mid-semester break is what I like to call “the quiet before the storm.” The phrase often describes a peaceful point for someone before a significant event occurs just over the horizon. Finals are definitely anything but peaceful. 

Often, one can make out the distant frustration of a sophomore struggling to study Geometry or Algebra or the sound of two seniors arguing whether AP Chemistry’s or AP Biology’s final will be more brutal. One bright side to the first semester is the lack of AP finals. Since the AP finals aren’t until the next semester, students find themselves up against the tests of their teachers and not of CollegeBoard. A task that seems much more familiar and a good warm-up for the pinnacle in less than six months' time. 

Overall, however, there is excitement around the air as students and staff fantasize about their newfound freedoms that the final bell will sound for them. Dreams of Christmas breaks in home countries, get-togethers with friends and family, and, of course, the much-needed extra sleep. The break will allow those to recharge themselves for the second half of an already eventful year for Dalat. 

DJ Yost (12) highlighted his excitement by saying, “I’m most excited to see my sister who is coming back; I am also excited to have the free time to train for a half marathon.”

The end of Christmas will mark the start of the end for all of us. While it may seem improbable, even impossible, the beginning of the end for seniors all over has begun. Even though there is a quiet period they are in now, that bell in December will mark the warning call to enjoy the last months of childhood before life outside high school starts—a proper storm in itself. 

Big Things Coming

By Savanna Choi

The last volleyball net descended, cleats gave way to high-top sneakers, and the balls were finally allowed to touch the ground again. The echoes of cheers and claps that filled the gym just a few weeks ago faded away with the sounds of dribbling on the hardwood floor and concentrated breaths. The new season surfaced among high school students in the form of basketball players. 

You heard it right: it's basketball season. 

Players who eagerly counted the days to this moment gathered in the gym last Thursday and Friday to kick off the season. Dozens of students, freshmen and seniors alike, exchanged glances filled with purpose and anticipation. As the whistle blew and tryouts began, the once-nervous expressions on their teenage faces transformed into the determined looks of professional athletes. 

Caitlyn Chan (11), a returning Varsity Girls Basketball player, shared her experience, saying, "I was so nervous before tryouts, but being back on the court with these familiar faces and playing the sport we all love made it all worthwhile." 

Meanwhile, Wei Ee Goh (12), a returning Varsity Boys Basketball player, admitted, "[I] wasn't nervous before the tryouts, but the tryouts were harder than I thought—it was hard to perform as good as [I] wanted to," emphasizing once again the competitiveness and significance of making the basketball team in Dalat. 

Among all the talented players who tried out for our basketball teams, the 23-24 Varsity and JV Basketball teams met for their first practice this week. The courts once again buzzed with the enthusiasm of our basketball players eager to perform to their full potential for the upcoming season. However, as good as we are at it, sports in Dalat aren't all about the scores; it's also about the teammates the players get to know and grow together along the way. 

Both Alexia Nyul (12), a returning senior on the Varsity Girls' team, and Lora Choi (9), a new freshman on the JV Girls' team, expressed that they're "excited about the amazing group of girls [they] have the opportunity to bond and work with this season" as much as playing basketball itself. 

As we begin this thrilling basketball season, we're reminded that the path ahead leads in only one direction: onward and upward. With the season set to conclude in February after the highly-anticipated ACSC tournament and the Island Shootout just three weeks away, our student athletes—as much athletes as they are students—are gearing up to start the season as strong as ever. 

You can hear it in every dribble, every pass, and every shot. 

Big things are coming. 

A Humble “Hallelujah”: Notes from Spiritual Emphasis Week

By Abbi Rinkenberger

Darkness cloaked the room. I stood with my eyes fixed on the lyrics on the screen. My hands were lifted, open. The soft strum of the guitar and the quivering of the piano and violin died out, but the voices of the students continued. In unison, we filled the air with worship, whispering words from Brandon Lake’s song Gratitude: “I've nothing else fit for a King / Except for a heart singing hallelujah.” I experienced a sense of unity and faith in that moment. While this experience occurred during the last night of SEW, the humility palpable in Brandon Lake’s lyrics mirrored the atmosphere of Spiritual Emphasis Week as students and speakers offered their voices, talents, and hearts to Christ. 

During chapels and night sessions, we had the honor of listening to speakers from Avant Life Church in Canada. In alignment with the theme of Pursuit, Ps. Sarah Graston guided us through the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son. She touched the audience with her vulnerability by relating the stories to her career and focusing on the purpose God has for us. 

Aidan Leong (12) conveys, “Pastor Sarah paralleled the parable of the prodigal son with her own life, which made the story feel very personal and meaningful to me as a listener.” 

Further, Limey Chhor (12) remarks, “My favorite part of SEW was the reminder that Jesus hasn't given up on me. Her quote says, “The moment you take a step toward Jesus, He'll come running toward you. You have a choice to go home or not.” 

In the evenings, Pastor Ben spoke about the kindness of God in reaching out to us and how we can reach our hands out to him in a posture of worship. 

Arielle McIver (12), an attendant at the evening sessions, comments, “One thing Pastor Ben said that stood out to me is that ‘God desires for the return of all His sons and daughters.’” The messages of the speakers carried truths that touched the students in different ways. 

On the final day of SEW, the evening session was senior-led. Seniors employed various forms of art to worship God that night. Through words, seniors shared their testimonies, reaching the audience with their vulnerability. Through an original song, Caleb Jun moved individuals with his raw lyrics and euphonious voice. Through movement, a small group of dancers led by Joyce Wan radiated grace as they danced to worship music. Humility pervaded these performances. 

At the close of the night, attendants stood in circles and prayed for one another. I appreciated the opportunity to receive and offer prayer for others. God’s presence pervaded Spiritual Emphasis Week, and I pray that, when the memory of SEW vanishes, we students will continue to offer Christ a humble hallelujah. 

Pursued. Repentance. Transformation.

By Kathryn Boyd

Pursued was the phrase that came into the minds of the Leadership Development Class of Dalat International School when deciding the theme for the Spiritual Emphasis Week this year.  Anna Ruble (12) explained her thoughts behind the theme this year, “I think that the theme ‘Pursued’ accurately depicts God's love and desire for a relationship with us. We are His creation, and He desires so strongly for us to accept what He did for us on the cross. I really enjoyed the theme this year and the sermons that came with it.”

Three days, three nights. The sound of praises unto the King of Kings echoes from the Harbor Hall. A team from Avant Church in Vancouver, Canada, joined the students and parents for an amazing three days of grasping the truth of the Gospel and God’s love for us. The Avant Church team spoke to the Elementary, Middle, and High schools. They shared stories from Luke 15 about the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. Through these stories, the students gained a deeper understanding of God’s pursuit of each of them through His Son, Jesus.  Many students attended morning and evening sessions to hear about and experience God’s love for them.

SEW is a week that many students look forward to, not just for the no-homework rule, but also to grow closer to God. The second night, Pastor Ben Narayanan spoke about the pursuit of God, the importance of repentance, and how through repentance, God transforms us as our eyes are fixed on Him and His plan for our lives. This impacted many students that night to draw closer to God and understand His grace and forgiveness. 

The third night was student-led worship. There were three powerful testimonies from the senior class about how Jesus transformed Isaac Beaman, Arielle McIver, and LiMey Chhor’s lives. There was also a beautiful dance choreographed by Joyce Wan (12) and a beautiful song written by Caleb Jun (12) that talked about Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and the grace He has given each and every one of us. Students were given the opportunity to receive prayer and go to two different stations that would allow students to meditate on the messages shared over the past three days. It was clear that God was breaking the chains of sin in many students that night. 

Isaac Beaman (12) shared his testimony that night and explained his feelings, “I just felt God was totally behind me, and I saw his presence in the crowd. It was just joy. As I saw the clock in the back ticking up to 8, I couldn't stop crying.”

At the night's end, Pastor Bob called forth the parents to pray for the students, individually or in groups. This promoted unity between the older generation and the younger generation over God’s pursuit of them. Throughout the week, God showed His heart for the students through the people, worship, prayer, and speakers. Overall, many students felt the pursuit of God for them this SEW week.  

Single or Taken

By Noella Seevaratnam

The heart of mankind indulges in two distinctive desires. To pursue and to be pursued. Often, the word “pursued” demonstrates a state of wantedness and being sought after. It’s what translates a soul from a place of individualism and singleness to a partnership of sorts, being “taken.” Unsurprisingly, that desire stems from a deeper longing of the heart to be pursued and to pursue God. During our annual Spiritual Emphasis Week, our speakers from Avant Life Church in Canada spoke about how God pursues mankind. 

Upon the arrival of the speakers, the Leadership Development Class was given the opportunity to choose the theme for S.E.W., and the choice was formulated based on what the Leadership Development (L.D.) class thought the school needed the most: to know the pursuit of God. Being a part of the L.D. class myself, the motive behind choosing the theme was to see our campus aware of the radical love of God, a move from mere legalism and religion into a genuine relationship. All the sermons were surrounded by the parables in Luke chapter 15: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Boy. The similarity in all these parables was something of value being lost and the withholder demonstrating an active pursuit in retrieving them. From a state of solitude to responding to the pursuit, all these parables ended with a permanent union. In the parable of the Lost Boy, Pastor Sarah highlighted how the father let the son go, but when the son realized what his life looked like outside the protection of his father, he ran back home to find his father waiting with open arms. Likewise, as a school, we were called into a similar response, not just to notice the pursuit but to respond. Pastor Ben, during the night services, emphasized the importance of repentance and how God’s kindness, God’s pursuit, leads us to repentance. Pastor Ben talked about how repentance isn’t just a heart posture but a direction, and that direction is our pursuit of God. 

God’s movement was indisputable during those days, and His heart for our hearts was notable. After each night service, the L.D. class and speakers prayed for students, and it was powerful to see how much God had touched our communities’ hearts. On the last night, a couple of seniors shared their personal stories and encounters with the love of God. There was also a beautiful dance performance and song presentation. 

Himani Alagan (12) shared some of her experience by saying that “there was something so powerful and magical about the prayer session on the third night, you could really feel the presence of God. The senior testimonies as well were so brave and moving, and it felt like God was really speaking to me through my classmates.” 

All week, we were shown how God pursues us. The question that remains now is, do we respond to the pursuit by repentance and union, or do we remain single?

Evaluating PSATs: Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

By Ha-Eun Jeon

Tuesday, October 24, 2023. While the rest of the highschoolers get a day off, the sophomores and juniors faced another day in school. The reason? The PSAT. 

The PSAT is an exam the sophomores and juniors take every year. This year, the exam was taken digitally. This exam helps students prepare for the upcoming SATs, letting them experience how the exam works. The PSAT is also known as the NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), if a high score is achieved in one’s junior year, a merit scholarship is rewarded to the individual. However, this scholarship only applies to United States citizens. Unlike the SAT, which is out of 1600, the PSAT is out of 1520. 

This year, most of the students found the math module more challenging (36.2%), than the reading and writing module (30.4%). 14.5% of the students found it both equally challenging and 18.8% of them did not find the modules challenging at all. 

With data collected form 34 juniors and 35 sophomores, 31.9% said that they felt fully prepared for the PSAT, 43.5% felt a little prepared, and 24.6% weren’t so prepared for the PSAT. Even though there were different preparation levels, surprisingly, the majority of the students did not find the PSAT as stressful. 53.6% of the students found it mildly stressful to not stressful at all, 21.7% of the students found the exam to be neutrally stressful, and 24.7% of the students found it very stressful. A junior, taking the exam for the second time stated, “It eased my nerves since I knew what was coming this time. Also, because it’s online, it felt a lot more ‘go at your own pace.’” 

The Digital PSAT is slightly shorter than the paper PSAT. The digital one takes around 2 hours and 14 minutes to complete, while the paper one took 2 hours and 45 minutes. The digital exam consists of 98 questions. 32 minutes for reading and writing module 1, 32 minutes for reading and writing module 2, 35 minutes for math module 1, and 35 minutes for math module 2. The paper exam consists of 129 questions. 60 minutes for evidence-based reading, 35 minutes for writing and language, 45 minutes for math with the calculator, and 25 minutes for math without the calculator. 

Warmest congratulations to the sophomores for completing their first PSAT and to the juniors for their last PSAT! 

Gruelling Games

By Wei Ee Goh

Through ankle sprains, bruises, blood, sweat, and pain, the Varsity Soccer Boys team gave ACSC everything they had.

On Tuesday, October 17th, at 5 AM, the Varsity Boys Soccer team arrived at Dalat to leave for Chiang Mai. The first flight was to KL, then a 4-hour layover before taking another flight to Chiang Mai. After reaching Chiang Mai, the boys had an hour ride in a red truck, which is a leading form of transportation of the people in Chiang Mai. The day of travel ended by reaching the Alpine Golf Resort and with a team meeting to get everyone in the right mindset for the many gruelling games ahead.

The first game started with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Morrison. Although the team got the win, the team felt that it shouldn’t have been that close as they were better technically than the other team but struggled to score easy goals. In the second game against ICS Hong Kong felt more or less the same. The Dalat players were much better technically but could not gain a more comfortable lead as they won 3-1. In the last game of the round-robin, the Dalat boys played against YISS. The game was even throughout the first 50 minutes, but the tide shifted after Dalat team captain Romeo Kontsas (11) managed to get a goal after attacking high into the YISS defense, causing the them to make a mistake. 

Starting the official tournament bracket to determine placing was a wake-up call, as any games lost at this point would result in placing fourth or below. The boys faced SPH in the quarter-finals, and the game was a hard-fought but comfortable 2-0 win for the Dalat boys.

In the semi-finals, the Dalat boys had to play Grace, who were the hosts for the tournament. Grace played passively without pressing much of the Dalat defenders but counter-attacked fast and aggressively. The game was at a standstill, neither team having clear chances for 60 minutes. At the end, the Dalat defense accidentally made a mistake, causing a Grace striker to be able to score. Losing this game meant the team could only make it to 3rd place at best.

The next day, the boys woke up with hunger and thirst to win after the heartbreaking loss the day before. The weather was unfavorable for all teams as it rained heavily. Despite this, the Dalat captain, Josiah Andrews (12), told the team, “Guys, this is the last game for you seniors. Leave everything you have on the pitch, and don’t regret anything. Underclassmen, play your heart out for your seniors and yourselves. Give this game all you have, and let’s get this win!” The boys played their best game, getting a 4-0 win over ICS Hong Kong to get the third-place spot. Although this wasn’t the result the boys wanted, they celebrated together, knowing they all played their hearts out for one another.

Photo by: Joyce Tang

 

Soccer at a Golf Resort

By Joseph Lee

Ten weeks of hard and gritty work of practices and games all amount to a week of soccer. A week at a Golf Resort in Chiang Mai where eight teams compete against each other for the ACSC Soccer champion crown. Last year, Dalat saw a lot of success by easing through the tournament with a comfortable 6-0 record, making ACSC history by not losing a single game. But this year, we knew the stakes were different since we were the team to beat. 

We started our first game off against Morrison, where we would see victory with a 2-1 win. Our second game was against ICS-HK, which we won 3-1. Our last group game against YISS was a hard-fought and intense match where we saw victory by scoring in the last five minutes, winning 1-0. These three group games placed us as the first seed, facing the other group’s last seed for the first bracket game.

We started our bracket journey against SPH, a tough and physical game that we won 3-0, which set us against Grace, the host team, in the semi-finals. Grace was a very physically strong and well-built team, and since this was the game to go through the finals, we knew that it would be a battle. It was a very even match, but Grace got the slight edge over us in the last minute, ending the match in a 0-1 loss, Dalat’s first soccer loss in two years of ACSC soccer.

It was a very disappointing loss, but we still had one more game to go through to make sure we brought some silverware back home. It was the third-place match against ICS-HK. Though we won them in the group stages with a comfortable 3-1 victory, we still wanted to ensure that third place was ours. We did this by winning the game 4-0, finishing our season with a third-place finish at ACSC. 

Wei Ee Goh (12) said, “Although it was very disappointing that we couldn’t play in the finals, I am still happy that the boys were able to push through and place third.”  

It was not the placement we wanted, but we are still happy that we could bring back silverware home. And seeing how the team rebounded from the unfortunate semi-final loss gives us hope for the years to come for the Dalat Varsity Boys soccer team.