As the 2016 hockey season progresses, teams are beginning to settle, with new players and new line-ups working well together. Some great skills and game strategies are on display at all levels.
Kookas Midweek
Great passing and teamwork between Hayden and Sam was a feature of the game this week, with Amy showing great persistence in chasing the ball and pressuring the opposition. Some nice passes by Grace to team mates created plenty of attack for the Orange team. Square passing and switching of play created an open game, with good use of the wings by both teams. Good calling by Jai, Ben and Cate for Team Red and running to open space resulted in speedy play and quick movement of the ball. Team Orange were the winners with a couple of goals but some really great teamwork by all the players was pleasing to see.
Under 8
Newtown Strikers vs Golden Plains 2
Another great game from everyone this week. Our opposition Golden Plains 2 were short on players. Thank you to Amelia and Emma for volunteering to play for Golden Plains for the first half. Some strong passes from Eliza helped the team to maintain possession of the ball. Early in the first half Amelia scored for Golden Plains while Emma was defending goals. The team showed great coverage of the field and are starting to run on after taking shots. Alex also had an attack on goals and Isla also regained possession in front of the Golden Plains goals. Amy assisted Ruby to score in the first half.
In the second half Alex replaced Emma in assisting Golden Plains. There was also some great calling to each other and great movement into positions from everyone. Ruby and Eliza both went onto to score. Some great defending from Emma and Amy. Well done everyone. Best Team Player this week was Eliza.
Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Spirit
This week the Newtown Rebels team came up against Newtown Spirit. It was great to see all members of the team present and raring to go. The first half was rather congested through the middle section of the ground, however with Kellie providing some great umpiring and insisting that players move back the required distance from a free hit, both teams started to spread out, move around and look for options. The most pleasing passage of play moving the ball forward came when Surry took a free hit from half-back, pushed it out wide to Seb on the wing and he quickly passed it down the line to Hamish who dribbled it into attack. This movement avoided any congestion in the centre and efficiently moved the ball to teammates. Well done to Scarlett for finishing off some good attacking pressure in the forward line.
In the second half, the game appeared more spread out as Rebels players tried hard to stay in a set position and were more prepared to look sideways for a passing option. Some strong and persistent stick work in the middle of the ground resulted in a number of fast breaks and good finishes, including a great running pass to share the ball successfully. Georgie and Mai made noticeable efforts to move around to provide a good option to pass to and Hana and Hannah showed increased confidence to attack the ball with their sticks firmly on the ground.
Some tips to remember: Trap the ball first before passing it off to avoid lifting it, look out wide for teammates and only one Rebels player contesting the ball at a time. Surry was awarded Best Team Player for good ball movement and bringing others into the game.
Newtown Spirit v Newtown Rebels
Newtown Spirit went into its clash with stablemate Rebels with a plan to pass the ball out wide and avoid centre congestion in the Under 8 hockey season at Lloyd Reserve on Saturday. With accurate and timely passing under the spotlight, Spirit threw itself into the encounter with enthusiasm and worked hard to shut down many forward attacks by the opposition. The half backs – Charlotte, Nate and Meyah – were tireless and talented, stopping many fast breaks and feeding the ball to the waiting forwards. Charlotte’s play showcased her growing skill and confidence, characterised by strong ball control and clever passing.
In the second half Avah, playing full back, kept her cool in the face of a rampaging break on goal by Rebels, repelling a one-on-one attack with great poise. Ruben and Lucy got into the action too, while Summah, stepping up from Joeys, gave Spirit another welcome option up forward. The match, played in good spirits, allowed both teams to work on their positioning and passing. Spirit players, while still getting bogged down in the centre of the field at times, improved their tackling in the second half and tried to open up the play by using the sidelines more. The team’s refusal to give up was impressive to watch and they kept battling to the final whistle. Charlotte, who put in a commanding performance at centre half back all game, received the Best Team Player award for the round four encounter.
Newtown Raiders vs Torquay Tornadoes
The best game yet for Newtown Raiders with better use of the wings and some good runs forward to the scoring area. Good positioning by Oscar and quick free passes from defence saw Newtown move into attack, and with Cate and Eliza-May aware and ready for passes from team mates, we were able to create a good contest. Isabel defended well, with great tackles and interceptions, and a good game from Jesse, with his stick down ready to gain possession, saw him provide some forward thrust. Best Team Player was Charlotte, with some great focus on the ball and good scanning to see where her team mates were.
Under 11 North
Newtown Rebels vs Geelong 4-2
Newtown Rebels played Geelong for the second time this season, at Lloyd Reserve. Playing on a grass pitch made it harder to hit the ball out to space, so there was more crowding around the ball than in previous rounds. The Geelong team was also determined to make this a much closer contest than when the teams last met. It was pleasing to see great passes from the midfield through to our attackers, with Olivia, Patrcick, Sam, Kiah and Teijai all having some great scoring opportunities. There were also some excellent clearing its out of defence. The final score was Newtown 4-2, with goals to Patrick (3) and Sam (1). Thanks to Kiah and Genevieve for topping up the Geelong team as they were a player short.
Under 11 South
Newtown Spirit vs Torquay Tornadoes 5-0
This weeks game saw the return of Harry and Matilda after a few weeks away. It was great finally having them back with us. Round 4 saw the Spirit team in control for the majority of the game over Torquay with Oliver stepping into the goals for us this week. I think he enjoyed this position as he did not touch the ball for the entire game! The ball was moved around really well.
Kellie was most impressed with our clearances out wide instead of into the area known as ‘Jakarta’. This weeks game saw Jamie score his first ever goal in hockey after only 4 games! Everyone was very excited for him. The newer players to the Under 11 competition are certainly finding their feet very quickly and the team is coming together very nicely indeed. Everyone should be very happy with their performances. Goal scorers for the game were Angus, Mia, Jamie and Nate who stepped up from the Under 8 competition. He was a great asset to the team and is very comfortable on the Under 11 stage.
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 0-2
A much better game this week by Newtown Strikers saw a good tussle with Torquay. Torquay attacked well, and Michael in goals stopped a number of shots, but our defence was unable to clear the ball away quickly enough to prevent the followup shots by Torquay. Nathan, Kenna and Declan again defended well, and with Grace B and Gil in good position in the midfield, we used square and through passes to avoid the congestion in the centre, and get the ball down the wing into attack. Some great running and determination to get the ball by Max, stepping up from Under 8, and he missed scoring from a very acute angle by a matter of inches. Good passing between forwards Jack and Luca put some pressure on the opposition defence but unfortunately without a result on the scoreboard. Best Team Player awards to Grace B and Max.
Under 13
Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia 3-1
The U13 Strikers met Kardinia on a wet Mothers Day morning. Firstly thanks to a range of players for making up places in the team being Will, Charley, Imogen and Basyl. Both teams had periods in possession during the first half and the Newtown defence of Jonah, Angus and Angus was called upon several times. It was nil all at half time. In the second half the Strikers found more space and after Ella opened the scoring in close, Olivia scored a further two goals from set pieces. The Strikers ran out winners by 3-1. Basyl provided some incredible outside run and discipline in crossing down the right wing and Charlotte played her best game for the year and in all it was a terrific morning of hockey.
Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains Bellarine 5-0
Another strong performance by the U13 Spirit team resulting in a 5:0 win over Golden Plains Bellarine this week. Congratulations to Bailey for playing his 25th game with Newtown. There were some strong passages of play both in attack and defence. Well done to Angus for a great game and his goal. Congratulations to Charley for her first goal and to Jamie for another strong performance and 3 goals.
Under 15
Newtown Strikers vs Bellarine Storm 0-3
The round 4 game against Bellarine Storm saw the Strikers go down 3 nil in a tough game against a very strong team. With a number of the team’s players unavailable for the game we pulled on U13 players to fill the gaps. Thanks to Max, Ely and Will who all stepped in and played very well.
Most valuable player this match went to Rachael for her running game and positioning, setting up multiple scoring opportunities that were unlucky not to land home.
Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains 6-0
Under 15 Spirit continued their strong start to the season with a 6-0 victory against a tenacious Golden Plains. From the outset the Spirit dominated both possession and field position creating numerous chances only to be denied by outstanding goal keeping. Not to be frustrated the team, to their credit, continued to follow the instructions from Niko and Brendan to run and spread the ball. After a further period of missed opportunities the stalemate was broken by a goal from Angus well set up by Tom. Tom quickly followed up with one of his own (whilst on his way to the interchange!). The teams dominance continued in the second half with goals to Olivia, Tom, and Miles (2) along with at least a dozen shots on goal being denied by the Golden Plains goalie. Fantastic to have under 13 players, Harry and Jarrett, joining the team. Both fitted in well and grew in confidence as the match went on.
Under 17
Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 5-0
Unfortunately, Kardinia were unable to field a team, so Newtown Spirit gained a win on forfeit.
Newtown Strikers – Bye
Division 1 Men
Newtown Falcons vs Geelong 12-0
With a number of players unavailable for the Falcons this week, it looked a tough encounter to face the newly promoted Geelong team. With a full bench, Geelong looked to push their advantage of fresh legs. The Falcons managed to push their experience and high levels of skills to their advantage and held control for the majority of the first half, but to their credit, Geelong held out well and repelled a number of attacks. Finally the Falcons managed to put one past the Geelong keeper, and from there the floodgates opened with 7 goals scored by the Falcons by half time.
A similar game followed in the second half with the Falcons managing to hold the majority of possession and attack with an additional 5 goals going in the back of the net. However, the scoreline could have been much more in favour to the Falcons, if not for the impressive effort from Geelong’s goalkeeper.
Goals to Will (2), Sean (3), Adam G (1), Nick H (1), Jimmy J (1), Nik M (1), Michael P (1), Clarke (1) and new-found Falcons star striker Lachie Birse (2).
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 3-3
Confirming the positive development of the Strikers team over the past few games, in what I’m sure Torquay thought would have been an easy win, they barely got away with a draw. During the game a combination of continuous pressure in defense and offensive pushes had the lead changing back and forth multiple times throughout the game. At full time there were a lot of tired and in Justin’s case injured bodies, and although not a victory on the score card, it was another indication of the potential of the D1 Strikers.
Division 1 Women
Newtown Falcons vs Geelong 2-2
A good game both in defence and attack, with a very good team game resulting. In the first half we were awarded a penalty shot on goal which Deb successfully converted. Geelong attacked hard and managed to get a goal back. The second half was very even play with Geelong managing to get another goal. This made our ladies very determined to get another goal, which they succeeded to get with both defences working very hard, ending in a 2 all draw. Great passing and co-operation all over the field with Grace, Nicole, Bec C and Elese working the ball into the circle well. Ainsley defended very well, cutting off many Geelong attacks, and was well supported by Emma P, Deb and Bec W. Goals to Deb and Flora. Well done ladies under rainy condition for working hard to get a draw.
Newtown Strikers vs Bellarine Storm 3-4
A great game by Strikers this week, coming back from 1-4 down at one stage. Good defence by Penny, Meg and Sam created forward moves with Shannon R, Georgie, Julie and Erin making great moves to space and good passes to team mates. Eliza, Kate and Shannon J turned back many attacks by Bellarine and saw Newtown gain possession and put pressure on the opposition. A great team game.
Division 2 Men
Newtown Spirit vs Geelong 1-5
Division 2 Women
Newtown Rebels vs Saints 0-3
From the first whistle Rebels played well to keep the fast running Saints at bay. Solid defence from Andy, Tracey and Jacinta ensured the wings, Kirstie and Nicola, were well fed with passes. Again Eichelle, Hillary and Colleen thwarted many of Saints attempts at goal from corners. Katelyn, Sharon and Kellie worked well to advance play for Rebels, with the reward of a corner late in the second half. Despite the score, a great game from Rebels to match Saints large bench. A big welcome back to Katelyn, who quickly found her feet in her new position as inner, and to Sharon who also graduated from fullback to centre forward in great style!
