Sport
19 July, 2023
Close matches make teams sweat
The Wimmera Hockey Association season played round 10 over the weekend and reached a significant milestone, with each opponent now played twice and each team having enjoyed the same number of byes, giving a good indication of where each team sits...
The Wimmera Hockey Association season played round 10 over the weekend and reached a significant milestone, with each opponent now played twice and each team having enjoyed the same number of byes, giving a good indication of where each team sits within their competition.
A late-week venue change from Warracknabeal to Dimboola did not detract from the action on the field, with two draws and two matches decided by two or fewer goals, and even the matches with a larger scoreline were still entertaining encounters.
- Women -
The Women’s ladder retained a familiar look with no position changes after all teams increased their points tally by two, with two drawn matches and the Nhill Thunderbirds also receiving two points for the bye.
The battle for the top of the ladder couldn’t have been more even, with Kanvia and Yanac playing out a scoreless draw, with Kaniva earning five penalty corners to Yanac’s two, but all were successfully defended.
With only one win separating the undefeated Kaniva from Yanac, who has only lost one match to Kaniva back in round three, the battle for the minor premiership may not be settled until these two teams meet again in the penultimate round.
With their chances to make the finals diminishing with each loss, the Warracknabeal Women played a determined game against the higher-ranked Horsham Jets.
A Horsham goal in the first quarter, and one each in the second, saw the teams go into the long break with Horsham holding a slight advantage, but Warrack’s persistence paid off with an equalling goal in the third quarter, which proved to be the last score for the game.
After this two-all draw, just four points separate the Jets in third, the Nhill Thunderbirds, and then Warracknabeal in fifth place, keeping all three in contention for the last two places in the finals.
- Open -
With outright second place on the line, the Horsham Hurricanes took on the Warracknabeal Hoops.
The Hurricanes took the early lead with a well-executed penalty corner two minutes into the game, and in a hectic quarter of play, both teams scored again before quarter time, with Horsham retaining the lead at the first break.
The game continued at a frantic pace, but with a couple of extra rotations off the interchange bench, the Hoops could maintain the pressure and had equalled the scores by halftime before drawing ahead just before three-quarter time.
In an even final period of play neither team could add to their score, leaving the Hoops with the win, which now has them four points ahead of the Hurricanes in second place on the ladder.
Although the scoreline might suggest otherwise, the match between the Yanac Tigers and Kaniva Cobras was entertaining.
The Tigers controlled much of the play in their attacking half of the field, but the Cobras’ defenders repelled many more scoring attempts than they conceded, and the final five-goal scoreline was still a reasonable effort against the strong Tigers forwards.
- Under 16 -
The top three teams in the Under 16 division are separated by just two points, with the Horsham Bombers regaining the top spot on the ladder after a seven-goal win over the Warracknabeal Revengers, but they only hold that position courtesy of a marginally better goal difference over the young Kaniva Raiders, who lost a close encounter with the Yanac Warriors who are now just two points behind the two leading teams.
Round 10 Results
Open: Yanac Tigers 5 (Goals: K Croot, R Croot, Z Dorrington, H Pedie, N Colbert; Best: R Croot, B Alexander, N Colbert) defeated Kaniva Cobras 0 (Best – J Bedford, N Krelle, T Carter).
Warrack Hoops 3 (Goals: J Harris 2, M Williamson; Best: J Harris, S Schultz, B Williamson) defeated Horsham Hurricanes 2 (Goals: J Horsfall, J Borlase; Best: J Horsfall, M Goodwin, P Mackereth).
Ladder: Yanac Tigers 34 points, 42 goal diff.; Warrack Hoops 24, 12; Horsham Hurricanes 20, -1; Kaniva Cobras 14, -16; Nhill Rangers 8, -37.
Women: Kaniva Women 0 (Best: Q Pearse, N Hutchins, J Braisby) drew with Yanac Women 0 (Best: E Alexander, M Mackley, C Alexander).
Horsham Jets 2 (Goals: E Morrow 2; Best: L Schilling, E Morrow, K Krahe) drew with Warracknabeal Women 2 (Goals: B McMaster, L Eilola; Best: B McMaster, L Eilola, C Hadzig).
Ladder: Kaniva Women 34, 25; Yanac Women 30, 27; Horsham Jets 14, -7; Nhill Thunderbirds 12, -12; Warrack Women 10, -33.
Under 16: Yanac Warriors 3 (Goals: Archie Zanker, Asher Zanker, A Pedie; Best: Archie Zanker, Asher Zanker, C Zanker) defeated Kaniva Raiders 1 (Goal: C White; Best: C White, L Krelle, R Williams).
Horsham Bombers 7 (Goals: T Batchelor 4, J Mackereth, H Mackereth, S Schwarz; Best: T Batchelor, J Schwarz, S Schwarz) defeated Warracknabeal Revengers 0 (Best: H Lomax, N Eilola, S Williamson).
Ladder: Horsham Bombers 28, 22; Kaniva Raiders 28, 18; Yanac Warriors 26, 8; Nhill Leopards 14, -5; Warrack Revengers 4, -43.
Under 12 Development Program: Warracknabeal Avengers 0 v. Yanac Lowan Stars 2 (Goals: A Zanker, S Dickinson).
Dimboola Kookaburras 1 (Goal: R Hadzig; Encouragement Awards: R Wallace, I Ward) v. Kaniva Rampagers 2 (Goals: J Beattie, J White; Encouragement Award: A Bedford, A Beattie).
Horsham Black Hawks 2 (Goals: L Hobbs, J Mackereth; Encouragement Award: J Luy) v. Nhill Bandits 5 (Goals: D Bee 3, B Clark, C Bone).