REPLAY: BHA Division 1 semi-finals
Your home of hockey livestreamed today’s division 1 semi-finals between Commercial and Labrador and Pine Rivers St Andrews and Easts. WATCH THE REPLAYS!
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Your home of hockey, www.couriermail.com.au, livestreamed today’s division 1 semi-finals between Commercial and Labrador and Pine Rivers St Andrews and Easts.
Easts and Labrador won through to the grand final, with Easts claiming with a thrilling victory over Pine Rivers St Andrews while Labrador outlasted Commercial.
RELATED LINKS
Watch replays of all four BWHA senior grand finals
Watch replays of the under 18 boys Div 1 finals
Watch replays of the junior girls grand finals
Watch replays of senior Div 1 semi-finals
REPLAY: Easts def St Andrews 2-1
GAME 1
EASTS v PINE RIVERS ST ANDREWS
“I think what we saw today was a bit of bravery.’’
And with those words Easts coach Mark Knowles summed up a preliminary final classic as the Tigers inched past Easts 2-1 in a thriller.
Easts survived two penalty corners to win through to next Saturday’s BHA Division 1 grand final after a thrilling win.
With 51 seconds remaining Saints Zac Profke fired a rocket toward the Easts keeper, but the shot was saved by the Tigers.
Easts won 2-1 after inching ahead 1-nil in the first half and then 2-nil into the second quarter before predictably Saints rose to challenge.
Players from both teams had little in the tank as they left the State Hockey Centre, so frenetic was the match.
Easts had a chance to extend its advantage five minutes from time, but a Matt Pembroke penalty corner was well defended.
Saints then pressed hard for an equaliser in a tense last four minutes in what turned out to be a preliminary final classic.
“That is exactly what we expected from Saints while we expected a little bit more from our quality,’’ Knowles said.
“I am a hard task master on the boys and they know I always want a little bit more.
“I think what was exceptional was that we talked about the unit and today that was excellent.’’
Knowles said he was most pleased with “our back 40 defence and our penalty corner defence which has been a bit of an issue for us throughout the season’’.
Saints coach Andrew May could not have been more proud of his team.
“I can’t ask more from my players,’’ May said.
“From a 7-2 (loss) in the same setting last year to a 2-1 (today) ... and I think we probably created enough opportunities.
“But you can’t be disappointed with your guys when they play like that.
“At the end of the day it was just not our day to win.’’
Leading 1-nil at halftime, Easts extended its advantage to 2-nil halfway through the third quarter when Jacob Webber converted a penalty corner.
Pine Rivers St Andrews then struck back almost immediately when Liam Hart joyfully found the back of the net from a field goal after, just seconds earlier, Zac Profke’s shot from a penalty corner had been blocked. It was 2-1 and the game was on.
Earlier, Easts drew first blood in the first quarter with a superb team goal which was originally instigated by excellent defence at one end of the ground and finished by Scott Boyde at the other.
A penetrating run from Easts Mackenzie Warne led to Michael Doan crossing to Boyde who magnificently finished the movement while partly off balance.
Early on David Hubbard (Easts) had a ding-dong battle with Saints spearhead Liam Hart in a clash which emphasised the mouth-watering nature of the semi-final.
On the stroke of the first quarter break, Saints No.4 Max Harding earned a penalty corner for his side but Easts were able to deflect Mark Wilcox’s shot away.
Saints next best chance to score came six minutes before halftime when Hart freed himself of the defence enough to fire a backhander that was lifted wide of its mark.
But the shot underlined the danger he posed to Easts.
Harding also showed enough to emphasis that Saints would be asking questions of the Easts defence all afternoon.
GAME 2
LABRADOR v COMMERCIAL
Blake Wotherspoon scored four goals as BHA Division 1 Premiers Labrador powered into another grand final over a never-say-die Commercial late today.
Wotherspoon entered the preliminary final as the competition’s leading scorer with 26 goals, and today added goals No.27, No.28, No.29 and No.30 as Labrador out scored Commercial 4-2.
Commercial went toe-to-toe with their highly fancied rivals and played their part in a gripping preliminary final showdown.
In fact with seven minutes to play Commercial hit the post, just missing a goal that would have sliced Labrador’s lead to just one goal.
And then three minutes from time Commercial’s Jay Pavitt wound up but missed with a shot.
Boy it was a close call.
“They were up for the contest,’’ said Labrador coach Darren Fowler said praising Commercial
“We were probably not at our best but it is pleasing we can get through while not being at our best.
“I am not happy with a lot this week, our speed of play and our essential skills.’’
Wotherspoon, the penalty corner king, produced a third quarter strike into the back of the goals that importantly elevated Labrador to a 4-2 advantage.
Commercial fought hard to stay in touch and the side must be given great credit, given the mood the opposition were in.
Both teams traded early goals as Labrador, Commercial, Labrador and Commercial again took time to score.
Wotherspoon scored in the opening and closing minutes of the first quarter as Labrador exploded off the mark.
But far from being intimidated, Jarrod Carseldine also scored a double as Commercial gained parity not only on the scoreboard, but on the pitch as well.
Then the dangerous Wotherspoon added a third goal five minutes into the second quarter as the scorers struggled to keep up with the scoring deeds.
More coming
THE TEAMS
LABRADOR
9. Joseph Reardon, 11. Joey Sandor, 13. Ethan White, 12. Luke Tyne, Goal keeper Aaron Weiss, 25. Brent Livermore, 2. Will Mathison, 7. Adam Imer, 26. Dylan Wotherspoon, 10. Reagan Martin, 8. Blake Wotherspoon, 14. Corey Piggin, 1. Kyle Prestwich, 15. Sam Young, 3. Brad Hughes, 5. Lucas Brown
PINE RIVERS ST ANDREWS
9. Josh Mynott, 4. Max Harding, 1. Luke Reddiex, 5. Regan Weatherhead, 10. Mitchell Bolton, goal keeper Andrew Butterini, 8. Thomas Madden, 12. Zac Profke, 13. Nathan Case, 6. Liam Hart, 14. Paul Hubbard, 15. Shaun Smith, 2. Mark Wilcox, 11 Liam DeYoung, 3. Zac Andrews.
EASTS
5. Scott Boyde, 1. James Easton, goal keeper Lee Casey, 8. Matt Shaw.
2. Mackenzie Warne. 15. Will Prest. 11. Matt Pembroke, 10. Tyler Spry,
13. Michael Doan, 7. Arin Doig. 4. David Hubbard, 12. Jacob Webber, 9. Hugh Pembroke, 6. Zac McCoombes, 14. Oliver Roberts, 13. Kane Posselt.
COMMERCIAL
Goal keeper Matt Finn, 3. Shane Kenny, 10. William Padman, 4. Jared Taylor, 11. Paul Comerford, 5. Matthew Hough, 12. Kye Hawgood, 8. Ian Schulz, 6. Joel Torrisi, 2. Jarrod
Carseldine, 7. James Hawley, 6. Bryce Morley, 4. Matthew Lagerroth, 7. Cooper Cabot, 9. Caleb McCoombes, 13. Jay Pavitt.