At the halfway point of the hockey season, there are some very pleasing results for our teams. And it’s great to see that even at this stage of the season, we still have new members joining our teams.
Kookas Junior
Team Red were determined to avenge past losses against Team Orange this week, and began strongly with some nice attacking moves from Ella and Sam H. Great defence by Zac, Sam S and Jai saw Team Orange regain control and put the pressure back on Red’s defence lineup, with Amy showing great ball control and strong passes to team mates. After half time, a position and team change saw Zac creating forward moves for Red with a using the space behind the ball to find team mates. Great skills by all players with improvements in ball control and passing resulting in some very enjoyable and competitive games.
Under 8
Newtown Rebels vs Golden Plains 2
This week the Rebels came up against a very competitive side in Golden Plains 2, making the team earn every goal. Hamish played with confidence, keeping the Golden Plains forwards at bay and fending off several attempts at goal. Once again Hana was impressive with her all round skills, getting down low when intercepting, putting pressure on the opposition and then moving the ball forward to her team mates. Scarlett worked hard through the midfield taking possession of the ball from some very skilled opponents – her constant pressure resulted in several turn overs. Great work Scarlett! In the first half Georgie used her stick well, stopping the ball and taking control before pushing, resulting in two well deserved goals. In the second half, Surry found a path through a very tough defence, running the ball downfield scoring an amazing goal. Mai showed lots of determination and focus this week, listened to Colleen’s instructions, and received player of the day award. Well done Mai! We also welcomed Hattie to her first game of hockey. Super effort Hattie!
Newtown Strikers vs College Green
We faced a tough opponent in College Green this week. Ruby showed great coverage of the field and was always there to support the goal keeper. Eliza showed great coverage of the field and her footwork was impressive. Alex S was always following the ball on the field and made some strong defensive tackling. Amy and Emma held their positions on the wings when the game became congested by the opposition play in front of goals. Amelia and Isla shared the role of goal keeper, replacing each other after each sustained injuries. Thank you both for sharing the role and to all the team for showing concern for your fellow team mates.
We needed to concentrate on better choices for our passes and trapping the ball as the easy turnovers lead to College getting the upper hand throughout the game. Also when making passes from the side we needed to be in front of our opponent to receive the ball instead of trying to pass through the opposition. Ruby was awarded Best Team Player for her willingness to help her team mates out on the field.
Remember no hockey this week. Enjoy your weekend and see you all back on 18th June when Rosemond will be back as coach.
Newtown Spirit v Newtown Raiders
Newtown Spirit put in a determined performance against Newtown Raiders at Lloyd Reserve on Saturday. Spirit players worked hard to mark their opposition effectively and pass the ball cleanly to team mates. Meyah, starting at left half, was always scouting for good opportunities to move the ball forward. She didn’t waste time, taking her free hits quickly and precisely, reaching moving targets including fellow half back Nate. Nate was relentless in attack and defence, moving the ball skilfully and proving a danger to the opposition. Spirit players all dug deep and kept their work rate high in the first half, earning applause from Coach Kellie. At half time Kellie urged them to look to the sidelines for passing options and use their stick skills to spin with the ball so they could work out where their team mates were before sending the ball their way.
After a position reshuffle Spirit came out firing, peppering the goals with some great play. Right half Lucy and centre half Ruben got some clever shots away while Avah and Charlotte made their mark on the forward line. Pollyanna, left half, showed she was not scared to get involved in the action in only her second game in the Under-8 competition. The players showed they’d listened to their coach’s words, sticking to their positions more effectively, marking their opposition and working the ball from team mate to team mate. More than half the side took part in one stand-out passage of linked play, with Meyah, Lucy, Charlotte and Nate combining through great passing to send the ball deep into attack while skilfully avoiding the talented Raiders outfit. Meyah, who graced half back, forward and goalie positions during the game, won the Best Team Player award for her persistent good work across both halves.
Newtown Raiders vs Newtown Spirit
The teamwork and strategic play of Newtown Raiders continues to improve each week, with players concentrating on the play and quick movement of the ball. Great defensive efforts by our team to confront the opposition and gain possession, resulted in forward moves with strong passing and controlled dribbling. Great position and determination by Cate earned her the Best Team Player award this week. Speedy play by Isabel, Eliza-May and Cate created some fantastic play for Raiders, and with Charlotte and Oscar in good position to receive the ball, there were a number of chances to score. Jesse and Eamonn contributed to the play with sticks on the ground, and good passing, always ready to support team mates and gain an advantage for the team.
Under 11 North
Newtown Rebels vs Bellarine Thunder 9-0
The U11 Newtown Rebels met Bellarine Thunder at Lloyd Reserve on another drizzly day last Saturday. Newtown went into attack quickly and our attacking pressure all game was too much for Bellarine, with Newtown winning 9-nil. Well done to Imogen for scoring her first goal of the season – and narrowly missing out on a few more goals. Other goal scorers for the day were Kiah (3), Sam (2), Basyl, Patrick and Luca. Thanks to Grace for being Goalkeeper on the day, and well done to the whole team for their exceptional teamwork.
Under 11 South
Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 1-2
This weeks game was somewhat different to games we have played in the past. From the very start the Spirit team were on the back foot as Kardinia scored a very quick, unexpected goal. From this moment on the Spirit were a little flustered and seemed to forget to play in their position and to trust their team mates that they knew what to do. Lots of crowding took place and I think Kellie was getting a little tired of telling people to find a player!
Having said all of that. There were some stand out performances on the day. Harry (despite feeling rather ordinary) played a great game on the wing and often placed himself in great positions. Daniel also had himself in excellent positions on the other wing. As a result he inadvertently scored himself a goal while on the post and connecting with a great cross from the right from Angus. He looked quite bewildered when all the parents and kids started to celebrate the goal. I am not sure he actually realised what had happened. Ruby also played well in the back line in the second half which saw her get the Best Team Player award along with Harry.
We were very unlucky not to score more goals as the second half was dominated by our forwards but the Kardina defence stood up well. Angus was quite unlucky not to score with 2 great crossed balls from the right of the circle missing by not very much and the goalie blocking another of his strong balls very well. We were undermanned again this week, but once again Nate and Ruben stepped up from the Minkeys to fill our gaps. Ruben went one step further and volunteered for goalie. A very big thank you to him. With a week off we should all be back in 2 weeks at full strength (hopefully) ready and raring to go.
Newtown Strikers vs Golden Plains 3-1
A much better game by Strikers with Jack, Nathan and Michael making some great saves and defence interceptions, not allowing Golden Plains to dominate. Great midfield play by Sam S and Owen blocked many of Golden Plains attacks and turned the ball back into attack. Great running and support for team mates saw Declan score the first goal, with many forward moves by Basyl, Zoe and Grace. Good focus and concentration on the ball saw Chris gain possession and allow Strikers to move into attack. Best Team Player awards to Basyl and Chris.
Under 13
Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 7-0
Round 7 saw U13 Spirit play KIC it was great to have a win (7:0). From the sidelines we saw some great passages of play with great passing and teamwork to get the ball up through the field and also some great efforts by several players to get back in defence when KIC threatened. It was most pleasing to see 6 individual goals scorers in the match which demonstrates the great team effort of the win. Riley played a great game on the wing and positioned himself well to score a great goal. Archie also played really well scoring his first goal. It is great to see the team improving each week.
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay Tornadoes 8-1
Under 15
Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 12-0
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 2-3
Round 7 brought the best game so far this season, even though the Strikers went down 3:2 against a very strong Torquay the level and quality of play was first rate. Playing as a full team, make very good use of team plays and using the open wings it was only bad luck that did not see the game ending as a draw. Both of the Newtown goals came from short corner opportunities thanks to strikes from Oscar and Miles. Luka in goals had his work cut out for him, especially in the first half in which he fended off 14 seperate attacks, earning him our Most Valuable Player award for the game. Our latest team members, Ella and Will have slotted into the team well, both performing very well and finding good position through out the game.
Under 17
Newtown Strikers vs Saints 13-0
Another excellent team performance by the Strikers this weekend. We jumped to an early 6-0 lead by the 15 minute mark of the first half thanks to some great displays of skill from our fill-ins, Gus and Gabe. We continued to play very well as a team for the rest of the game with good passing and distribution from the backline with Corey and Hudson providing an impenetrable wall; Luka did not have to touch the ball in goals for the entire match. Despite a convincing lead, we did not relax our work rate and continued to work hard on the little things that make a difference like leading and dragging opposition players out of the play when we needed to open up space. We ended up with a good distribution of goals scorers with Will and Erin both slotting in some nice deflections in the second half. Another pleasing performance for both the players and the spectators alike.
Newtown Spirit vs Torquay 3-1
Division 1 Men
Newtown Falcons vs Torquay Tornadoes 4-0.
Newtown Strikers vs Saints 2-9
As is becoming an unfortunate trend for the Strikers, we took to the field undermanned with a player short after two players didn’t show up, against a full strength Saints team sporting three players on the bench. Even with this disadvantage, Strikers played a gutsy hard fought game against a full strength Saints.
The score certainly didn’t reflect the way all players worked super hard to support each other and we held our own playing some great team hockey. With the much appreciated help of two stars doubling up from the Falcons, Lachie B and Nic M, we were able to slot some nice goals from quick play on frees catching the opposition off guard. There were a number of attacking plays that resulted in some classic tomahawk goals from Nic M. With the defence under constant attack Simon (GK) was awesome!! It was a shame there weren’t more spectators there to witness his incredible goalie feats. Save after save he kept denying the Saints easy goals, with a couple of awe inspiring full stretch glove saves. The majority of Saints goals were scored from short corners which is a testament to Simon’s fantastic goal keeping saving countless other attempts, but what was even more impressive was that after each setback on the scoreline, the team rallied and set about rebuilding and continuing to play the short, sharp possession hockey which has been a standout for this side throughout the season. A big thanks to Richard Stella who was our sole full back who did a stellar job (pardon the pun!), and David C and Corey, coming up from the Spirit team, who provided some nice options in attack. The help of Nic M and Lachie B was much appreciated, but not to overshadow the standout efforts of the regular line up of Hamish B, Simon, Carl and Nick P. Well done team, an enjoyable loss!!
Definitely looking forward to the break next weekend, hopefully it will give some injured bodies a chance to heal and we’ll be back even stronger for the remainder of the season.
Division 1 Women
Newtown Falcons vs Saints 0-2
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 1-5
Division 2 Men
Newtown Spirit vs Corio 5-6
Division 2 Women
Newtown Rebels vs Torquay 2-3
A game of firsts – first senior game for Rachael, first game in goals for Kellie, first game ever and first goal for Aniqa.
Humid conditions welcomed the Rebels, complete with new players Aniqa and Rachael S to the line up. With a succession plan in place, Kellie stepped into goals, firing on all cylinders. Despite Torquay taking off to a quick lead, Rebels were able to find their players and force many passoffs and slow down play. Rebels were rewarded in the early second half with goals from Peta and Aniqa. Sound defence again from Jacinta, Bron and Rachael to keep Torquay at bay.
A huge thank you to Bron K for filling in. Hopefully Aniqa and Rachael can return to the lineup! Well done girls.
