Tag Archives: hockey

 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 18^th 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.

The 2016 hockey season is about one third of the way through and already we can see great improvement in skills and team play from all teams, and some good indications of a great season for many teams.

Kookas Midweek

Another great game this week in the Kookas battle of Team Orange vs Team Red.  Excellent ball control skills by Ella, and with good running to space by Amy, Team Orange were able to create some forward moves and a couple of near misses in front of goal. But great teamwork and passing by Team Red, with Sam S switching the play to Sam H and Jai in space saw Team Red successful in putting the goals on the board. Some nice firm passes to team mates by Hayden S also set Red up for a great possession game. Hayden E worked hard to block forward moves by Team Red, and taking up a great defence line to the goals, stopped many threatening attacks before Red could convert. Sam R couldn’t resist a break from line marking and joined the game too, adding some extra strength to Red’s attack.

Under 8

Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia

To help rotate the players on the field to learn different positions we introduced a rule for a goal scorer then takes over the goal keeper position. Welcome back to Alex S who remained in his position and showed some good passes through the centre. In the early minutes of the match Isla successfully scored from a difficult angle on goal. Amelia then worked with Amy for nice passes on the wing. Amy had a beautiful curve ball along the sidelines keeping the ball in for Newtown. Some great tackling from Eliza and Emma was shown throughout the day. In the second half Alex S had an attack on goal and was very close to scoring. A reminder for everyone, after taking a shot you need to follow up on the ball. The second half also saw everyone up the ante with the defence. Alex J managed to also sneak the ball through to score. Thank you to Ruby for volunteering to help out with another Newtown team.

Best Team Player was awarded to Alex S. During the week please work on your running backwards. After the match a few players stayed back to work on pushing the ball rather than hitting.

Newtown Spirit v College White

Newtown Spirit showed its ongoing skill development in an encouraging display against College White in Under 8 competition on Saturday. Spirit took to the Lloyd Reserve field armed with instructions to ‘look to their team mates’. And they did, passing wide to each other in an attempt to avoid the highly congested centre corridor. The players worked hard for the ball, going back for second and third attempts and never giving up. After a position reshuffle at half time, the team continued its strong form. It was particularly pleasing to see the Spirit players keeping to their positions more effectively. They showed good vision with their passing and awareness of team mates around them.

Coach Kellie praised her players for their effort, setting them the challenge next week of improving their marking of the opposition. Nate won the Best Team Player award for the game after showing great control of the ball and good vision in his passing.

Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Raiders

The Rebels team played fellow Newtown team, the Raiders this week. We were grateful to have Ruby volunteer to play for us, particularly with a last minute withdrawal due to illness. Evident from the start, was the much improved confidence of the Rebels players to attack the ball when it was in their vicinity. Hana highlighted this early on, with a strong move in the centre, staying low and keeping her stick on the ground earning her a free hit. Well done Hana!

In the first half, much of the play was focussed in the centre third and defensive area of the Rebels. Rebel’s players made sure they were getting back to help out Surry on the last line of defence with Hamish noticeably pushing back hard when there was a change of possession. There were a  couple of positive opportunities moving forward. Hamish was working well with Georgie and Scarlett and a great passage of play involved all three moving the ball quickly from half-back across to the wing.  The effort of all players to move around when a teammate was taking a free hit was clear to see and helped spread out the play. Great work Hamish and Ruby in this area.

In the second half, some more attacking plays resulted with the move of Surry into a forward position and he made the most of his opportunities in the play. A strong and accurate pass through a gap to Ruby was also a highlight of the Rebels improved teamwork. Best Team Player was awarded to Hamish for an all-round solid performance, making space, chasing back and confidently attacking the goals.

Newtown Raiders vs Rebels

A great game with some good use of space allowed both teams to move the ball around well. Raiders defence skills were called into play early, and Oscar, Cate and Isabel showed great focus on the ball and great determination to confront the opposition and gain possession. Nice work by Charlotte, Jesse and Eamonn, playing his first game, saw them maintain possession of the ball until they found a team mate to pass to. Eliza-May was always in good position and provided the opportunity for the play to switch into open space on the opposite side of the field, leading to a number of strong moves into attack. The game showed the continuing improvement in team play and awareness of taking quick free passes to capitalise on possession.  Best Team Player award to Eamonn – great work keeping his stick down to gain possession and maintaining control.

Under 11 South

Newtown Spirit vs Geelong College White 4-0

This weeks game saw another stunning day of weather which made everyone feel very uplifted. We were short a few players but Nate and Ruben stepped up from the Under 8 competition to help us out. Ruben went one step further and padded up to be our goalie. He did  a great job despite the gear being a little big for him!

It was a wonderful game against another College team with the result in our favour this time around. Kellie was very happy with the team’s effort and was especially happy with the passing out wide and the talking in the second half. The pressure was certainly placed on the oppositions goalie often. Both Mia and Angus found the backboard in both halves with Angus’ second goal being an absolute pearler despite being hit in the head with a stick earlier in the game.

Best Team Players this week were Angus and Daniel who played a truly great game out on the wing and always being in the right spot.

Newtown Strikers vs Geelong College Green 1-5

 Strikers fronted up against a very polished opposition this week, and missing a couple of regular players, were very grateful to have Sam S and Basyl fill in. Sam’s ball control and distribution skills saw him control the midfield, but somewhat crowded play and lack of square passing opportunities meant College were able to regain possession. Nathan did a fantastic job at full back, stopping many College forward moves and taking quick free passes to try and clear the defence circle. An injury to Kenna early in the game left the team at a disadvantage. Some nice saves in goals by Michael but College were quick to pounce on any loose balls. As the game went on, we saw Owen, Jack and Grace gain some possession and push forward into attack, and a switch to the right and a great run by Basyl resulted in a goal to Strikers. Chris and Gil moved to great positions to tackle and hold up College, but the slick passing from College was difficult to stop. Best Team Player awards to Sam S and Owen.

 Under 11 North

U11 Newtown Rebels travelled out to St. Ignatius College for their match against Bellarine Thunder this week. Bellarine Thunder came out strongly and tried to get forward but Newtown’s coverage in the midfield and in defense all morning was fantastic. The ball was soon in our forward half and Teijai and Patrick teamed well up forward to score a number of times. Basyl and Olivia also showed their skills navigating through heavy traffic up forward and were rewarded with goals in the first half. In the second half coach AJ again switched attackers and defenders and this gave Grace, Charlotte and Genevieve the opportunity to take the ball into attack a number of times, with Grace scoring 2 excellent goals. The final score was 11:0 with scorers Tejai (3), Grace (2), Olivia (2), Patrick (2), Basyl (1) and Sam (1). Thanks to Brandon for being this weeks Goalkeeper.

There were no games this week for the U13, U15 and U17 teams because of the Victorian Junior Country Championships.

D1 Men

Newtown Falcons vs Newtown Strikers 12-0

There is an old Chinese adage, thought to have surfaced during the Ming Dynasty, that describes an eternal truth about life and hockey: Man who shoots from baseline, should not score. SFG has obviously not heard this adage and if he has, blatently disregards it. While Coach Redbeard tears his hair out trying to explain to SFG why you should not shoot from the baseline he scores from the baseline again. Anyway, we had a constructive game against Newtown Strikers with some very nice passages of play, particularly focussing on using the width of the pitch to open up the game. Birsel spent some time up forward which made people smile, and the dynamic duo Pinnie and Rosso had to withstand considerable pressure from Strikers till the final whistle. We would like to congratulate Leo Fitzgerald on being voted in as the Falcons captain for the 2016 season and look forward to ‘The Captain’ steering the Starship Falcon across various solar systems and galaxies.

Newtown Strikers vs Newtown Falcons 0-12

In a clash of the titans both teams came out swinging, and for the first 10 – 15 minutes things where looking pretty good for the Strikers with our defense holding up and a few plays into the attacking half of the field.  Unfortunately, playing at that level is both physically and mentally tiring, and by the end of the first half we’d let a few goals through. On the scoreboard the second half didn’t get much better with the remainder of the 12 goals being scored in faster succession as the game progressed through to the final whistle.

 That being said, it was a positive game with some great hockey being played by both teams, we were able to consistently get the ball out of defense throughout the game and set up some goal scoring opportunities.  The key problem being that when we made mistakes or didn’t man up properly the Falcons were able to capitalize usually resulting in a goal (though the freakish baseline tommer goal from Sean was going a little too far… 😉  ). Collectively we’re looking forward to next weeks game vs Geelong, last time we played them we narrowly lost 3 – 2, so it will be a good chance to see how much we’ve improved since the start of the season.

Division 1 Women