2017 Hockey Season – June 17 & 18

 The 2017 hockey season is heading into the home stretch, and teams are showing how well they have learnt to play together.

Kookas

The 2017 hockey season has shown that Team Orange vs Team Red is always a closely contested game, with some great skills on display. A fantastic reverse stick trap by Emily was a highlight this week, and her positioning and support for her team mates helped Team Orange to move the ball into attack well.  Charlie’s speed and focus on the ball sees him gain possession often, passing to advantage and in the right position to score. Excellent running by Ebony, with the ‘give and go’ game sitting well in her arsenal. Tom and Lenny made some great passes and used the space created by team mates well.

Under 8

Newtown Spirit v Torquay Tornadoes

Spirit had to dig deep in defence when it came up against a rampaging Torquay Tornadoes in Under 8 competition at Lloyd Reserve on Saturday. The Newtown side had a tough match on its hands right from the starting whistle as the orange army pushed forward relentlessly towards their goal. Full back Summah worked hard in front of goals, while half backs Michael and Avah showed great skills in intercepting many Tornadoes passes and clearing the ball from the danger zone. The half backs combined well, firing off clean, square passes to each other and directing the ball up the sidelines on several occasions.

Centre forward Pollyanna and wings Braydn and Drew provided their defenders with effective passing options, with the wings both staying wide to help open up the play. Coach Kellie praised Spirit for their first-half effort at the break, saying they were quick to get into position and were using the “out wide” option effectively. She also applauded their marking of the opposition but asked them to call more and “try to be ready an extra second early” to get to the ball first.

While Spirit enjoyed more attack in the second half, Tornadoes didn’t let up for an instant. Pollyanna, who switched to full back, stopped a couple of great opposition runs at goal, clearing the ball away swiftly. Michael, who never gave up and never stopped running, made the most of every opportunity and, on one occasion, got around opposition players in a sprint towards the goals. Drew, at half back, powered some great free hits to waiting forwards to help drive Spirit into attack against a talented opposition. Drew was also effective in consistently marking Torquay players.

After the game Coach Kellie said it was good to see the team staying wide, marking strongly and moving to the ball quickly. She urged Spirit to get into position a bit quicker after winning a free. Pollyanna won the Subway Best Team Player award for the game for her effective use of the ball, looking before making passes and getting back in position quickly. Well done Pollyanna.

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay

A great game by Strikers, with all the players working hard to gain possession and play as a team.

Newtown Raiders vs Newtown Rebels

What a fantastic game by Raiders this week, with great focus on the ball and on keeping sticks on the ground.  Chloe did an excellent job at full back, minding the goals well and saving a number of shots by Rebels. Chloe adjusted her position well when Rebels passed the ball around and her forward moves toward the ball saw Rebels make mistakes in front of goals.

Great work by Isabelle in covering her opponent denied Rebels possession and created forward moves for Raiders, with quick free passes. Lily’s ball control was excellent, and she was able to maintain possession with some lovely spins. Jesse, Oscar and Hannah were all watching the ball very well, and ready to intercept whenever Rebels moved forward. Good running and support for team mates from Oscar and Hannah got the ball into Raiders attacking area on a number of occasions.

Subway Best Team Player awards to Chloe and Isabelle.

Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Raiders

Rebels had a fantastic match this week against Newtown Raiders and are continuing to show great improvement. In the first half there was an early attack from Rebels, with some close chances on goal from Tommy. He was backed up by Audrey along with Annabelle who made some accurate free hits. Rebels showed great tenacity, passing well and continually keeping up the pressure on Raiders.

At half-time Colleen praised the team’s strong performance and stressed the importance of Rebels keeping their sticks down and calling to one another.

In the second half Rebels again moved forward well and kept up the attack. Genevieve and Aiden worked well together and constantly chased the ball. Neve, Paddy and Sophie also showed great improvement moving forward and contributing to the team. All in all, Rebels displayed great team work and had an amazing match!

Audrey was awarded Subway Player of the Week for most improved player.

Under 10 South

Newtown Strikers vs Geelong College 2-0

Firstly thank you to Ollie for helping out the team with filling in. Congratulations to Emma on your 25 game milestone.

Strikers had a great game with everyone knowing their role and never giving up. Amelia, Anna and Thamindu made up the defensive back line and stopped some very close shots on goal. Welcome back Jai, playing his first game back from a broken arm and was straight back into the action. Emma, Elliott, Eliza May, Charlie and Eliza kept the ball moving through out the field and looked for the best options to pass to. Ruby and Alex worked on pushing the ball forward. There was a great momentum after the first goal was scored and everyone lifted and we were rewarded with another goal being scored.

Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains 0-0

Another great game by Spirit this week and what a match to watch too, both sides remained scoreless, with both attacking and defensive plays seen all game. Kellie talked about the surface we were playing on and how it was a difficult one to play on but gave the team some strategies to help. The longer grass does hinder longer passes so the team had to position its self better (be at least 5 steps away from our own players – avoiding the crowding), hold/carry the ball for 3 seconds before trying to pass it off and pass through the legs of the opposition therefore increasing the chances of it being touched by the opposition.

There were times when we needed the players to be ahead of the ball so that passes could be made, the second half saw this happen a lot better. Kellie continued to encourage the side plays rather than the centre, to trust in ourselves and our team mates. Congratulations to Hana as goalie this week, she helped defend a number of goals. Players of the week were Hamish, Meyah and Seb – Well done guys.

Under 12

Newtown Rebels vs Kardinia 2-1

Newtown Rebels had one of their strongest performances of the hockey season this weekend, beating top of the ladder Kardinia 2-1. The ball spent most of the first half in the mid-field, with neither team able to break through the strong defence of their opposition.  Kardinia scored the only goal through a corner penalty.

The second half saw Rebels play one of their best halves for the hockey season.  An early goal to Rory equalled the scores 1-1.  The passing from defence through the mid-field to the forwards was outstanding.  The fast transitions made it difficult for Kardinia to defend and when the Kardinia defence had the ball, Rebels worked extremely hard to keep the ball in their offensive half.  Late into the game, the outcome seemed destined to be a draw until a late goal by Basyl gave Rebels the win.

Well done to all players, it was a great team effort.  A big thank you to Eliza, Archer and Rory for filling in this week, and Isobel who did a great job in the goals.

Newtown Spirit vs Bellarine Lightning 1-0

It was a was an early start for the Spirit team on Saturday but the sun was shining which always makes Stead Park more appealing!  With an almost full team Spirit took to the field ready to warm up. Archer put the goalie gear on which I think he was happy about but of course was wanting to run a little more than he got to! The first half was not the best hockey that has been played by the team in this hockey season with a lot of crowding and not so much position play. The team looked a little rattled for some reason. There was a lot of putting the ball back to the exact place it had originally come from and it appeared that the team had the blinkers on.

Towards the end of the first half things settled down a bit but not before Lightning gave the back line a fright and had Archer stretching for a great save. We were lucky to not have had a goal against us at the end of the half.

The second half saw the return of the Spirit team we have come to know with much better passing and not so much play in the center. Wide passes were better and positions were held. Matilda seemed to spend a little time on the ground as result of determined defence and Liam also bit the turf literally but was ok. As the team settled they were able to move the ball forward and apply a lot more pressure on the opposition. A goal through Angus saw us 1-0 up. However the next few minutes caused stress to those watching with Lightning coming off the Center pass like ‘lightning’. They were quick and once again Archer was called on to make a great save. Spirit were very luck to get away with a win.

Newtown Strikers vs Geelong College 3-0

What a stunning game on display on Saturday against Geelong College. It was such an enjoyable spectacle from start to finish. Strikers dominated the first half by keeping possession of the ball, clever passing and, as always, our amazingly strong defence stopping that ball from reaching our goalie. This was the first week that Jamie was kitted out as goalie and it was great to see he didn’t touch the ball all game! We did have a few missed opportunities in the first half with great attempts by Adam and Alice that were saved by the goalie. We were eventually treated to a fantastic Tomahawk goal by Jack to finally score. Late in the half Chloe also came very close to sneaking one in, always being in that perfect position.

Strikers appeared even more confident in the second half sensing how well they were playing and communicating with one another. It was great to see them switching play and going out wide when needed. Alice had a couple more attempts at goal finally creating a short corner which resulted in a beautiful goal by Archie. Chloe had another great attempt which only narrowly missed and Kenna did some great work in her wing position creating another short corner. Adam scored a great goal with strong support by his teammates and Archie scored another late in the final term to seal the win.

It was another one of those weeks where it is almost impossible to choose best on field as they all played exceptional but this weeks standouts were Jack, Adam and Kenna.      Well done Strikers! You all deserve a pat on the back for a very entertaining and skillful game.

Under 14

Newtown Spirit vs Geelong Jaguars 10-2

Newtown Spirit hosted Geelong Jaguars on Sunday morning for their Round 7 clash. The first half was a fairly even contest, with Spirit making a few attacks early and Jaguars also applying good attacking pressure. Charley was able to draw a short corner through some good work in the circle, but Jaguars defended really well and held Spirit out. Another short corner at the 17th minute was too wide. Harry gave some good passes to Riley and Charley but both were defended by Jaguars

Soon after, Jamie navigated the heavy traffic to get through a goal and take Spirit to 1-nil. Soon after, Nick passed the ball through to Jamie who slotted through a goal for 2-nil. Will moved around attackers nicely and he and Harley worked well together in the last line of defence, while Angus’ powerful hits out of defence were a little easier to trap after getting the message from the coach to keep the ball flat.

Coach Carl praised the team’s passing and asked for quicker ball use in defence, and to pass out wide to avoid crowding the circle. Assistant coach Darren asked the team to push the Jaguars attackers out wide and channel them over the sidelines.

The floodgates opened after half-time, with Harry scoring 4 goals, Will moving into attack and getting 2 goals, Jamie scoring another goal to take his tally to 3. Nick had a few hits defended by the keeper, then ultimately scored his first goal of the season by making great position on the post to receive a cross from Jamie. There was some really nice work from Amelia, Olivia and Charley, with passes which set the team up well near the circle to provide scoring opportunities.

Coach Carl was really happy with how the team made good position throughout the game, and how we pressed the Jaguars attacks in on the lines to take possession. We need to be careful of fast breaks by the opposition when we have most of the team attacking up forward. Assistant coach Darren wants to see the forwards ‘pull the trigger’ for a shot at goal as soon as we reach the circle.

Thanks to Oscar who defended well in goals all game, to Olivia from U14 Strikers for giving us some good options on the post and up the wings, and to Angus for topping up the team in defence.

Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia 2-1

A great team game saw a win to Newtown Strikers over Kardinia. Newtown kept Kardinia scoreless until the last 5 minutes of the match. Great defensive play from Ben and Oliver did not allow Kardinia to gain any dominance. Harry scored 2 great goals.

Under 17

Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains 3-2

The round 7 match against Golden Plains proved to be far more of a challenge than the first encounter in Round 2.  Golden Plains were first on the scoreboard when a long ball found an unmarked player on the post. Newtown was awarded successive short corners towards the end of the half and Oscar was able to flick one past the goal keeper to equalise.

Newtown had the lion’s share of possession in the 2^nd half and eventually went ahead following a well executed short corner with Oscar getting the final touch again. The Newtown defence was somewhat complacent after taking the lead and Golden Plains were quick to equalise. Much of the remaining time was a stalemate between the 25’s and with the clock counting down, Hudson took matters into his own hands and carved his way through the field at pace and straight into the D for a 3^rd goal to end the game 3:2.

Notable stand outs in what was otherwise a scrappy affair were the wings Brianna and Emily who stuck to their positions and created options to get the ball forward and into the D. Both were unlucky not score. Thanks to Max from U14 for keeping goal.

Newtown Strikers Bye

Division 1 Women

Newtown Strikers vs Saints Black 0-8

The Strikers started the game with 11, including two players doubling up from the preceding Falcons game (thanks Georgia and Hailey) and Deb moving from the Falcons’ field to the Strikers’ goals, so running out the game against the Saints (and their enviable bench) was always going to be tough.

After a fairly even start to the game, Em A. was very unlucky to find her nose on the receiving end of a deflected ball inside the circle; fortunately Noel Russell was on hand to provide some much-needed expert medical attention and we’re all wishing Em well for a speedy recovery.  The game soon resumed with the Strikers reduced to 10 on the field.  The defence was, however, terrific this week with Kylie and Meg on the backline making it tough for Saints to get through and, when they did, Deb produced some terrific diving saves.

The second half saw great passing from Kylie and Meg on the backline through to Shannon on the wing to set up some great forward plays – with some particularly impressive runs from Erin, Dom and Hailey – which resulted in a several shots on goal; unfortunately none quite accurate enough to get past the goalie!  Despite the scoreline, it was an impressive team game and one of the Strikers’ best for the season.  Nice job ladies!

Newtown Falcons vs Geelong 0-3

A great game by Falcons against the strong Geelong team. Great running by Georgia O who maintained possession well, remaining calm and with the ball tight to the stick. Nicole in her first game back since injury in Round 1 may not have run quite as hard as usual but was very effective, gaining possession and passing well to team mates. The defence stood firm against many Geelong attacks and Deb, Bec and Emma were well supported by Jess and Georgia who provided avenues out of defence and into the forward line. Falcons mounted a number of attacks but were not able to score despite the pressure applied by Amanda and Hailey. The second half saw Falcons reduce Geelong’s chances in the circle, with Ainsley and Kellie making great position to intercept and support team mates. A great effort by the team, playing without an interchange after Kate went off with an early injury.

Division 1 Men

Newtown Falcons vs Torquay Tornadoes 7-6

A difficult start to the game for Falcons, with only 7 players arriving. Thanks to Alex and Daniel for filling in, making a team of 9 – a great effort by them.

Falcons looked outmatched and outplayed and were down 0-1 within a matter of minutes. The score spurred the Falcons players on however, and they replied with a nice forward play which started from the half way line, down the left, then switched to the right into the 25 yards area, and finished with a switch into the goal by Gus. But Torquay came back to score and it was 1-2.

This was going to be a case of who can win first. Then another open play goal from Jimmy brought the score to 2-2. Torquay scored again and it was 2-3, and another before the break to make it 2-4.

A quick chat at half time told the players what they needed to do, but Torquay still were pushing hard and the score was 2-5.  Great efforts and perseverance by Falcons brought the score back to 4-5 with Gus scoring the double. Another goal to Torquay and it was 4-6. Then from a passage of open play, Jimmy crossed the ball to the middle for Hamish to score. It was 5-6 but time was running out! More great work in open play saw Hamish cross the ball nicely and Sean chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 6-6. With seconds left in the game, Falcons finished off with another goal to steal the win 7-6. A very great game, and a great effort by the team of 9 players, who gave 100% despite the pressure put on them.

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 1-13

Division 2 Women

Newtown Spirit vs Saints Red 1-2

One of the best games for Spirit for this hockey season and it was so nearly a draw.

The availability of an interchange player gave the team a positive outlook from the start, and despite some changes to the recent team makeup, there were some very positive signs immediately. We welcomed Katelyn back from an extended illness break; Kirsty A played her first game for 18 years, and Tracey played her first game since the birth of her baby. Great defence by Tracey and Kirsty, with effective free passes and cool, calm play by both – always in the right position. Wendy moved out to half back and continued her impressive form, covering her opponent well and hassling whenever Saints gained possession. If the ball did get through, Eichelle was resolute in her attempts to deny any score, stopping many shots at goal.

Kellie and Andie as always worked hard and made many second and third effort tackles to make Saints earn the right to have the ball. Peta’s determination to hold the ball and strong hits to Katelyn, Katie, De and Kirsty running into space on the forward line saw Spirit make progress and put pressure on the Saints goalkeeper and defenders. A number of opportunities were created in front of goal, and Katelyn capitalised on one of them, pushing the ball under the keeper to score.

A short corner on the full time whistle had to be played out, and unfortunately, a deflection saw Saints score to claim the win.

An excellent game by all players with some great teamwork and thoughtful passing to team mates showcases the improvement in the team in this second half of the season.

Division 2 Men

Newtown Spirit vs Geelong Jaguars 3-1

Refreshed after the bye, Newtown Spirit were keen to consolidate a place in the top four. Joe and Nathan returned after extended time off. Darren “Daggles” M played his first game, dazzling the younger guys with his intercepts and skill. Age may have slowed him a touch but his skills and attacking style were clearly evident. Geelong scored the first goal from a drag flick from their first corner. Spirit replied with a Fitzy overhead to winger Joe in space who passed to Ian for an impressive finish.

In the second half, strong mid field play by Beau, Adam and Gordo created many opportunities. A low drag flick corner goal by Beau broke the deadlock and was followed soon after by a clever field goal by Daggles. Geelong never gave up but strong rebound defence by Gwyn and Marty linked up well with Alex and Luke.

Spirit are at times playing very good hockey. Some areas still to improve are team communications and defensive positioning.