KUALA LUMPUR: Uniten Thunderbolts reignited their form to thrash Sarawak 9-1 in the women's Malaysia Hockey League today.
The win placed them at number two, with Negri Sembilan leading the standings at the tail end of the first leg.
UniTen's only blemish was a 1-1 draw against Negri, who are making their league debut but have some of the best players in the country.
Meanwhile, Premier Division Tenaga Nasional coach Nor Saiful Zaini finally let loose his players, and the result was a 3-0 win over Maybank yesterday.
According to the coach, he changed his strategy to free-flowing hockey and let his players attack and defend as they pleased.
"All this while we had a system where we defended more and went up when it was 'safe' and the results were not forthcoming.
"So, against Maybank, I told my players to take a different approach and instead of marking their zones, they could become more flexible in their approach.
"That was the only difference, and we beat a strong Maybank side to keep our hopes alive in the return leg," said Nor Saiful.
Thursday was a day of upsets, as UiTM HA had surprised Charity Shield holders Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) by dishing out a 1-1 draw performance to throw the men's league title wide open.
Currently THT, Maybank and UiTM HA have seven points each, but UiTM have played one less match.
Tenaga, who have also played three matches like UiTM, are fourth on six points.
RESULTS: Women: Mutiara Impian 1 Sabah 4; KPT-UniTen Thunderbolts 9 Sarawak Ladies 1