She may have left for Virginia last August to pursue her academic and footballing ambitions at Old Dominion University, but every return to Singapore brings Madison Telmer back to where she feels most at home — the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team.

Last weekend, Madison made a surprise appearance for the Sailors in a top-of-the-table Women’s Premier League (WPL) clash against Albirex Niigata (S). While the result did not fall in their favour, the joy of rejoining her teammates outweighed any disappointment.

Now, the 20-year-old midfielder is fully focused on helping the team bounce back this Saturday (24 May), as the Sailors take on Balestier Khalsa at Choa Chu Kang Stadium.

“This team has a really special bond, and I always feel welcomed whenever I come back into training,” said Madison. “Having been with the team since 2022, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how far we’ve come, and I’m honoured to be part of that journey.”

Having now dropped four points in six games, the Sailors find themselves in a tightly contested battle at the top of the WPL table. With just one point separating them from title rivals Albirex Niigata (S) — who still have a game in hand — the race is likely to go down to the wire, and possibly even goal difference.

That makes every goal and every minute on the pitch count, starting with their next clash against Balestier.

“We know how crucial it is to score as many goals as possible and maintain a strong goal difference,” said Madison. “We’ll continue to give everything in each game, and hopefully other teams can take points off Albirex.

“With the loss to Albirex, the title is no longer in our hands. It now depends on how they perform for the rest of the season. What we can do is stay focused on our matches and control what we can.”

Teammate Dorcas Chu echoed Madison’s perspective, but also underlined the importance of mental resilience and growth through adversity.

“I believe this is the moment that will truly reveal what we’re made of,” said Dorcas. “In the end, what matters most is the character we build as a team, because that’s what will stay with us long after the final whistle.”

Reflecting on their recent defeat, Dorcas added, “The game against Albirex exposed areas we need to improve — being more clinical and taking more shots. That’s what we’ll look to put right against Balestier.”

Like Madison, Dorcas also recently returned to action after spending time on the sidelines recovering from a knee injury.

For the 22-year-old forward, it was the grit and fight shown by her teammates that reaffirmed why there’s no other team she would rather go through the highs and lows with.

“My fitness and endurance still aren’t where they used to be, and there’s definitely room for improvement,” said Dorcas. “But stepping back onto the pitch and seeing how hard everyone fought made me want to give everything I had.

“By the time I was subbed out, I was completely spent. My jersey was soaked from constantly throwing myself into challenges — every step felt heavier, but I left it all out there. Though we gave it everything, the result just wasn’t in our favour that day. Still, it’s a loss we’ll learn from to come back stronger.”

The Sailors are no strangers to high-scoring affairs — having already netted 28 goals this season — but with goal difference now potentially deciding the title, there’s a renewed focus on sharpening their attacking edge.

“As a team, we want to be more clinical in front of goal,” declared Madison. “We had good opportunities in the first half against Albirex that we didn’t convert, and that ultimately cost us the game. We’re also looking to improve our attacking movement and runs to create more chances as we head into the final stretch of the season.”

With limited games left in her stint before returning to the U.S., Madi is determined to make every appearance count.

“I know I won’t be around for many matches, so I want to leave a positive impact in each one,” she added. “Of course, a big part of that was trying to get a better result against Albirex, but now, my focus shifts to helping the team be more effective in front of goal and contributing in training by raising the intensity.”