Semi-final Stingers spurred by team-first attitude
Injuries to key players will force Trinity Stingers into a major reshuffle for Thursday night’s Cairns Hockey Association A-grade women’s elimination semi-final against Saints. But, captain Lola Pastrana isn’t concerned.
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Injuries to key players will force Trinity Stingers into a major reshuffle for Thursday night’s Cairns Hockey Association A-grade women’s elimination semi-final against Saints.
But, captain Lola Pastrana isn’t concerned — it’s something her side has had to come to terms with during the coronavirus-affected season.
“We’ve been a very flexible team,” she said.
“We had to start moving players around and had to start playing in positions that we had never played in before.
“To be able to put players in different positions and still get the best out of the team, it says a lot about who we are as a team.
“We step up even though it’s not our position — we don’t complain, we play for the team.”
Pastrana said it was the team-first attitude that had been driving Stingers’ premiership aspirations in the condensed season, and they would need to lean on it again in Thursday’s do-or-die clash against Saints.
“When I came to Cairns three years ago, we were definitely not the best team in the league, and I still don’t think we are the best team in the league,” Pastrana said.
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“But we fight very, very, very hard for each other and that’s why we’ve been succeeding the last few years, not because we’re better than before, it’s about how much we want this for the other, more than for ourselves.”
Stingers will be without Jade Valmadre, Heather Langham and Sacchi Carr after the trio suffered injuries in the last round of the regular season.
Valmadre and Carr have been ruled out for both this week’s semi-final and next week’s grand final, but Langham is a chance of returning for the decider, if her Stingers teammates can get the job done against Saints.
“That gives us possibly one sub for the semi-final, which is not ideal,” Pastrana said.
“Our biggest challenge will be to try and pass the ball a bit more and make the ball do the work instead of us running around.”
Pastrana was expecting a big game from midfield attacking weapon Jess Watson.
“She’s been very motivated and she’s been pushing the team forward this year,” Pastrana said.
“She’s definitely our strongest point in the midfield and is very important for us.”
She said the side was determined to go one better after falling short in last year’s grand final.
“I think it’s very important year for us to win this tournament.”
T HE DRAW
A-grade women’s elimination semi-final
Thursday 7.45pm: Stingers v Saints
A-grade men’s elimination semi-final
Saturday 6.30pm: Souths v Stingers
Originally published as Semi-final Stingers spurred by team-first attitude