Another great round of matches for Newtown Hockey Club teams.
Under 10 Lloyd Reserve
Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Spirit 7-0
This week Rebels played Spirit and came away with the win, scoring 7 goals and keeping Spirit from scoring. It wasn’t easy to keep Spirit from scoring as they did some great attacking play. Rebels all had to work hard in defence, Harry and Caspar played in defence in the first half and both did some great tackles and saves. There was lots of running in this game as the two teams kept the ball moving up and down the field. Florence and Charlie were both running hard for the whole game. Charlie kept attacking as he also does, and moving the ball forward, while Florence did lots of tackling and working hard to run into free space.
Freddie did some great sharp passes early on, and Caspar did some great long passes down the field, it was wonderful to see all the Rebels lift with their passing game. In the midfield we saw some great calling for the ball from Esther as she was moving into free space while Abby and Beatrix got involved in some great tackles. This week we had Harry score his first goal for Rebels, Charlie scored 2 goals and was part of some goal assists while Caspar scored 4 goals. It is great to see Rebels practicing working as a team. Thanks for a great game Spirit and great work Rebels!
Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Rebels 0-7
Newtown Spirit played Newtown Rebels last Saturday. Spirit had many strong passages of play, working the ball towards the circle and winning penalty corners, as well as defending strongly. Each week our passing is getting stronger and more fluent. Oranges at half time were a hit for most players. Thanks to Leila for filling in for Rockets for one half.
Newtown Dynamos vs Newtown Rockets 1-2
This week we had three Myers family players! Edward, Eliza and Albert. Albert, who had been sick for a couple of weeks, put in a great effort in the forward line.
The first half was evenly matched. No goals were scored, but plenty of goals missed. Dynamos were finding it difficult to keep their forward line spaced apart with the Rockets back line making them pay for it each time an attacking play was initiated.
In the second half a very nice goal was scored by Edward. The passing game began to improve for both sides and soon a goal was scored by Rockets.
Eliza ended up with a sore foot as the ball found her big toe – ouch! After a few minutes of massaging it she was back and very active in the forward line. There were a lot of penalty corners for both sides which everybody enthusiastically participated in.
Flynn’s intercepting of Rockets players and passing out from the back line was great to watch. Another goal for Rockets in the final seconds of the game sealed the match 2-1.
Newtown Rockets vs Newtown Dynamos 2-1
There were 5 players today for Rockets: Austin, Elspeth, Harry, Nora and Tom. Leila from team Spirit filled in for us for the first half of the game.
With a smaller team there was much more space on the field for the team to spread out and look for gaps when passing. There were a lot of short corners and Rockets defended them really well. Dynamos scored a goal in the first half.
At half time Claire talked to the team about using signals and eye contact to communicate when passing the ball. Great passes again by the team.
Second half Austin and Harry both scored goals meaning a win for team Rockets!
Under 10 Stead Park
Newtown Strikers v Saints 6 – 0
Strikers were one player short this week, however they did not let that slow them down. Thomas scored the first goal of the game in the first few minutes, followed by goals from Edward, James, Felix and Henry in the first half. Harry was the speedster of the game against a very determined Saints player. However, Harry was equally determined and kept the ball running down the entire pitch.
For the second half both teams did a switch-up and played bibs against no-bibs. All should be very proud of displaying good sportsmanship. Clearly the Strikers paid attention to Claire’s coaching instruction from the week as there was some great passing and ultimately resulted in a very confident goal scored by Harry. Some great tackling by Thomas put pressure on the other side, and Edward made some great intercepts. Well done to all for keeping sticks on the ground and being part of a really fun game.
Under 12
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 5-1
A solid team performance resulted in a comfortable 5-1 win over Torquay. In the first half Mitchell, Eddy , Eliza, Paddy and Alex all had key moments where all demonstrated great ball control resulting in multiple forward thrusts resulting in goals to Eddy and Georgia (her first for the season) and some shots on target by Cooper.
It was a similar story in the second half with Joey, Jack and Eva all scoring goals off the back of slick team passing and some strong tackling pressure from Albie. The team’s focus on game day was to play on fast and take territory which was well executed by all players.
Well done Strikers on another great team result but also for showing great sportsmanship and care for our opponents.
Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 1-0
Spirit dominated possession and territory in the first half but could not capitalise on some golden opportunities and three short corners. One break away counter attack from Kardinia was well saved by goal keeper Harriett.
The second half was again dominated by Spirit but Kardinia stopped numerous goals on the line. Finally Ved got some open space in the circle and capitalised. A late flurry by Kardinia to try and even the scores but the goal was not seriously threatened.
Under 14
Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia 1-9
Strikers started well against Kardinia, with an early goal in the opening minutes from Cormac, which Kardinia were unable to answer until late in the half.
Kassidy continued a run of good form with many saves in goal, restricting Kardinia to just two goals late in the half.
In the second half, Kardinia came back strongly, scoring several unanswered goals. Despite their best efforts Strikers were unable to find the goals again.
Under 17
Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia Blue 0-4
In a Sunday showdown against Kardinia, Newtown Strikers were challenged with player unavailability and fatigue from some players from a prior game, yet their spirits remained high. Right from the start, Newtown showcased energy and communication, setting the stage for an intense clash marked by a drive to move the ball through the wings and fierce one-on-one defensive battles.
Despite their strong start, Newtown found themselves trailing 2-0 at halftime after conceding goals in each quarter. However, goalkeeper Kassidy’s resilience kept them in the game by denying Kardinia numerous scoring opportunities.
In the third quarter, Newtown sparked hope with creative plays and promising opportunities including forcing a short corner and several shots on goal. Eventually fatigue and a lack on bench rotation had an impact and Kardinia capitalized in the final quarter, scoring twice from short corners, despite the intensity of Newtown’s efforts.
The lopsided scoreline was not fully reflective of the true intensity of the match, and a big thanks for the Strikers players, especially those playing their second game, for their effort and unwavering commitment. We eagerly await a rematch with Torquay next week, with hopes of redemption bolstered by the return of some players.
Division 1 Women
Newtown Falcons vs Saints Black 0-1
Another week of warm weather (we’ll be complaining it’s too cold soon) and after some help from Georgie in the background organising players for the two women’s sides, we took to the field with the luxury of a bench which has been sorely missing in the last two games.
Having the extra player was definitely needed as the game was played at a fast pace and through consistent pressure, Newtown were able to force numerous turnovers which in turn created opportunities on the forward line to score.
It was positive to see everyone supporting each other across the field with a lot of off the ball running and backing each other up so that while we attacked together, everyone got back and defended when there was a turnover.
For most of the game, both teams had chances to score but it wasn’t until the last few minutes of the game where Saints were able to find the back of the net.
Although this was a frustrating way to end the game, we’ve now seen the three teams that we’ll be up against in the div 1 competition this year and although we have things to work on, the team has been competitive and one that opposition teams will have to take seriously throughout the season.
Thanks again to everyone that doubled up so that we could have a full side this week. With Beth back from holidays and some handy new recruits joining the team, we’ll be able to build on the positives from this weekend’s game.
Division 2 Men
Newtown Falcons vs Torquay D1 5-9
Newtown Falcons played a strong Torquay D1 lineup on a warm Sunday afternoon. We scored first through Harry. Our effort, passing and defensive pressure were strong through the game. We traded goals with Torquay for most of the game (5-5 at one stage in the second half). Torquay scored some high quality goals late in the game to win 9-5.
Division 2 Women
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 2-3
The game began with great anticipation while being aware that a number of players had just played for the D1 team in the previous game. Torquay pushed forward early, with some speedy moves which kept our defence on the move. Good marking by Rachel and Deanne was well backed up by Kirsty and Alex. Proactive play from Alex saw a number of interceptions which sent the ball into our attacking zone.
Torquay were able to find space in the middle of the field and put plenty of pressure on the defence. Newtown struggled at times to get the ball out of defence, but when we did, there was plenty of positive play from Georgie, Hailey, Kim, Charlotte, Claudia and Sofia, who made her senior debut.
Tighter marking in the second half and great fighting spirit saw Newtown create a number of chances. Ainsley was again our scorer with 2 goals on the board. The second half featured a penalty stroke which had to be retaken as an incorrect ball had been used – missed the first one, saved the second!
Good work by all players with some excellent teamwork on display.
