Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) advanced to the semi-finals of the National Women’s Hockey 5s Championship at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. In yesterday’s quarterfinal encounters, Perak edged Negeri Sembilan 3-1, Kuala Lumpur defeated defending champion Selangor 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw in regulation time. Penang triumphed 4-2 over Malacca while PDRM secured a 3-1 victory over Pa Penang and PDRM will face off in the semifinals while Perak and Kuala Lumpur will also battle for a spot in Saturday’s final. In the Group C preliminary round matches, PDRM defeated Penang 3-2 and hold the advantage in this return clash. Penang coach Vincey Leo, however, is optimistic about his players turning the table on PDRM today. “We made some mistakes in the pool match that allowed PDRM to score. The players were devastated by the defeat and aimed to bounce back with a win,” he said. Meanwhile, PDRM captain Noor Hazliza Md Ali warned her teammates to stay calm and not be overconfident in the clash against Penang. “The semi-finals is a different stage and I’m expecting a tough game. We should go into the match with a new challenge. Put our win against Penang in the preliminary round behind us and start from fresh again,” said Noor Hazliza. Perak, coached by G. Sasitheran, defeated Kuala Lumpur 6-4 in the Group D preliminary match and go into the semifinals encounter against their opponent high on confidence.