Weekend Hockey Match Report
[Hockey match reports from the week ending April 2, written by Kaywell Outerbridge]
Women’s A League
Budgies A vs Ravens A
Final score: 1-0
Budgies were not going to give it up easy to Ravens, the A league title winners, on their last league game of the season. Some very skilled stick work by Jennifer Beech allowed Budgies to move the ball up the left side of the field. Budgies were able to keep a strong defense and did not give Ravens’ forwards many clear chances to score. Budgies’ midfield did what they could on breakaways, running the ball most of the way up the pitch evading the Ravens’ defense and from a penalty corner shot in the 49th minute Keishae Robinson’s shot dropped into the net making the score 1-0 for the Budgies.
Men’s League
Panthers vs Polecats
Final score: 2-6
With the season nearing its conclusion, Polecats decided to field 3 of their junior players Reuben Bulhoes, Josh Stevens and Donte Kellman who have been working hard all year in the junior league.
The game began with the Panthers fielding 8 players which included junior Justin Ray. Polecats took advantage of the strength in numbers and went on the attack early and often at the start of the game. Panther’s defence held the Polecats attack at bay through great defensive efforts and some great saves by ‘keeper’ Manny Faria. Polecats finally broke through in the 10th minute from a powerful strike of the ball from the top of the circle by Donnie Simmons from a penalty corner and would double the Polecats lead in the 11th minute off a neat little flick from the top of the circle from another penalty corner.
With Panthers now at full strength as additional reinforcements had arrived, their attack began to pick up steam. Panthers were unlucky not to score in the 14th minute from a penalty corner when Tony Ward’s shot struck the post and was cleared out by Polecats’ defence. The teams traded attacks throughout the remainder of the first half, and it was Polecats who broke through again when Byron Rencken scored from another penalty corner shot in the 18th minute pouncing on a rebound off Panther’s goalkeeper who had made the initial save on a shot from the top of the circle. In the 26th minute, Polecats earned a penalty stroke when a great pass from midfielder Andrew Brouwer released to Polecat’s striker Hannes Robbertze through a one on one with Panther’s ‘keeper’ who took out the player without making contact with the ball and a penalty stroke was awarded. Polecat’s Simmons converted the stroke to complete his hat-trick. Polecats were unlucky not to have scored again in the 28th minute when junior Reuben Bulhoes stopped a ball in the left hand corner of the circle just before the base line, and crossed it into the circle across the face of goal, but no player was able to get a touch on the ball to deflect it in. Panthers continued to fight hard and were rewarded for their efforts when Jack Finlay played a nice one two combination with Jeremy Shrubb in the 29th minute that resulted in Finlay beating Polecat’s ‘keeper’ Jason Ming and two defenders to end the first half at 4-1 to Polecats.
Both teams came out fired up in the second half which saw a lot of open play. The crowd came to life when junior Justin Ray collected a ball on the right and with a cross-over dribble to beat two of the Polecats’ defenders and earned a free hit just outside the circle. Panther’s drew first in the second half in the 40th minute when a 16-yard hit trap caused a turnover and resulted in Tony Ward getting the ball at the top of the circle and dribbling it past the Polecats defenders and firing home a scorching shot into the left-hand corner of the goal to cut the score to 4-2. Polecat’s responded two minutes later with Richard Marriott fired home a blast off a penalty corner to make the score of 5-2. Polecat’s Simmons rounded out the scoring in the 65th minute with his fourth goal of the game which now ties him with Chameleons’ Richard Cox for the league leading goal scorer of 15 goals for the season.
