Watch replays: Hockey Queensland championship finals
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Hockey Queensland championship grand final day has finished, with both grand finals and play-offs livestreamed by www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin and News Corp affiliates.
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TOOWOOMBA 2 v GLADSTONE
Gladstone has earned a place in the 7-8 women’s play-off late today after defeating Toowoomba 2 in an entertaining opening to finals’ day at the Hockey Queensland Championship.
Gladstone will confront Townsville after getting past the home side Gladstone 6-5 after a field goal and conversion by Aleesha Spyve.
Toowoomba 2’s Lauryn Anderson had sent her team into the lead for the first time in the game midway through the fourth quarter with a converted goal – her second of the match – after capitalising on a missed trap from a penalty corner.
Toowoomba 2 seemed home – until Spyve effort two minutes from time.
The coffee had hardly been poured at the ground when Gladstone’s Aleesha Spyve seized a sixth minute chance to snare the opening goal.
Gladstone added another first quarter goal when its captain Jessica Moffatt scored, then converted her goal to establish a 3-nil advantage.
But back Toowoomba 2 came, with Anderson converting her field goal to narrow the margin late in the second quarter.
Eloise McKenzie then scored for Gladstone in the third quarter, but Toowoomba’s response came swiftly courtesy of Heidi Phillips scoring.
Phillips found the back of the goals after Ainsley Clanchy had received the penalty corner and passed the ball on. The score was 4-3.
On Field No.2, a converted goal by Grace Ella was the difference for Tweed in the 5-6th women’s play-off against Sunshine Coast.
FRASER COAST v GOLD COAST (5-6th play-off men)
Fraser Coast claimed the 5-6th play (men) with a three goal third quarter performance.
Bryce Robinson broke the game open when he converted his goal, and was quickly followed onto the scorer’s sheet by Jordan Griffin just two minutes later.
From a 2-1 lead, Fraser Coast had a 5-1 break which finished the winning score.
Earlier on, the deadlock was broken courtesy of a penalty stroke by Gold Coast specialist Ryley Kroning who nailed his goal from the spot in the second quarter.
Fraser Coast keeper Blair Burden may not have saved that goal, but he did repel Sam Young’s vicious strike just minutes later.
Lachlan McLennan then instantly put Fraser Coast into the lead during the second quarter when he scored – then converted his goal for a 2-1 advantage.
On field No.2 in the men’s 7-8th play-off, it rained goals early when Kane Bradford (Toowoomba 2) scored in just the second minute – followed by Trent Goldenstein (Ipswich) in the fourth minute.
Both teams then settled, with the next score not until Oliver Harding’s 22nd minute strike which broke the deadlock for Toowoomba 2.
Goldenstein scored again in the third quarter and the match, but it was not until Jack Hill scored in the final minutes that Toowoomba 2 were safe – winning 4-2.
IPSWICH v TOOWOOMBA 1 (women’s 3 v 4 playoff)
Katie Wollstein was a two goal hero as Toowoomba 1 defeated Ipswich to snare third place at the Hockey Queensland Championships.
Wollstein scored in the third quarter to lock-up the scores 1-all, and then again in the fourth quarter to ease her side to the front 2-1.
Wollstein was also headed for another goal in the third quarter after stealing possession, but Ipswich’s Sara Rogers came out of the ground to tackle her.
Rogers’ effort, and Ally Eleison’s blocking of a subsequent penalty corner a minute later, highlighted the desperation in defence which was exhibited across the game by both teams.
Earlier, Ipswich’s Gabby Nicholls opened the scoring with a sensational goal, crisply firing the ball beyond Sarah Steinhardt.
It had to be a good shot to beat Steinhardt, and it sure was, earning applause from her teammates further up the field.
In an evenly matched game, Ipswich looked to have scored again early in the third quarter, but the ball only just failed to cross the line after hitting the corner post and rebounding away.
On field 2, country cousins Townsville and Rockhampton went to work in the men’s 3-4 playoff.
Rockhampton’s Dan Buckley scored 20 minutes into the match, and there the score remained for a majority of the game.
But goals in the 47th minute to Ben Rennie and the 56th minute by Cody Rintala lifted Townsville over the top.
GRAND FINAL
BRISBANE v TOOWOOMBA 1 (men)
Brisbane pulled the Hockey Queensland Championship out of the fire with a sensational shootout victory over home team Toowoomba this afternoon.
The game was plunged into a shootout after it finished 3-all at full-time.
Brisbane goalkeeper Mitch Nicholson was a hero, twice denying Toowoomba goals after Toowoomba pair Max Harding and Elijah Mathewson had found the back of the net in the shootout.
For Brisbane Joel Rintala, Hugh Pembroke, Jarrod Carseldine and Matthew Shaw scored in the shootout.
“I thought he (Nicholson) was sensational,’’ said Brisbane coach Matt Pembroke.
“They (keepers) practice every training session so to see him execute his skills in saving some of those was really pleasing because he prides himself on performance.’’
On a drama-charged afternoon, Toowoomba almost dragged the game out of the fire twice in the final minute.
With 43 seconds to go Lachlan Brownhalls won a short corner which Brisbane defended, and then with four seconds left Toowoomba again were waved a corner, only to see Josh Bidgood’s shot chased down.
It was a game of two halves.
Brisbane were the better side in the first half while Toowoomba outpointed their rivals in the second half.
Toowoomba hit the front one minute before the third quarter break when Josh Bidgood scored from a short corner.
Toowoomba’s Corey Guse had won the corner for his side, leading to the deadlock breaking goal that sent the hometown crowd roaring.
This was after a revitalised Toowoomba. down 2-nil, emerged from halftime to score almost immediately through Wilson Love.
It was like Toowoomba had swapped places with the Brisbane players, such was the up tempo nature of their play as they surged through the Brisbane defenders leading to two chances before Love scored.
Unlike the first half when one sensed Toowoomba players were sitting back waiting for Brisbane to make a play, Toowoomba raised its intensity whether they were in possession or not.
“We spoke a lot about executing in the circle, and probably let ourselves down. But to Toowoomba’s credit they came out in the second half firing. I was happy to get through it and it was a great clash,’’ said Brisbane coach Pembroke.
Toowoomba goalkeeper Tom Lebsanft also set the highest of standards, denying Brisbane any result from its short corner drag flicks.
Earlier, Toowoomba’s first scoring chance – a penalty corner – was run down by Brisbane and its second penalty attempt, fired off by Josh Bidgood, was blocked by the Brisbane defenders.
Brisbane defenders were then forced to scramble in front of its net as Toowoomba maintained the pressure.
Joel Rintala then responded beautifully for Brisbane by creating a half chance for Will Prest, while Prest was again in a potentially goal scoring position minutes later, only to be denied by Toowoomba keeper Tom Lebsanft.
It was Rintala who scored first, and his conversion of his own goal gave Brisbane an early 2-nil advantage.
Coach Pembroke said he was proud by the manner in which Brisbane players carried themselves throughout the championship, and was also delighted to successfully blood some youth players.
“Brisbane teams obviously have a lot of expectations on them when you come to a national state champs, and I think the way the boys conducted themselves was probably the most pleasing part. The result was just the cherry on top.’’
GRAND FINAL
GOLD COAST v BRISBANE (women)
Brisbane survived three successive short corner attacks by Gold Coast to claim the women’s Hockey Queensland Championship 2-1.
In a cliffhanger, the Gold Coast attacked Brisbane with three drag stick shots from corners inside the last three minutes, only for Brisbane to survive.
A goal by Brisbane’s Lucy Lanigan eight minutes into the third quarter, which she then converted under the new rules, proved the difference.
Talicia Canty created the chance which Lanigan seized by somehow poking her stick through a sea of defenders to beat Coast keeper Madeleine Smith.
Lanigan, a Scottish international, was engulfed by celebrating teammates who would have been as relieved as they were joyful, such was the intensity of the contest.
Gold Coast coach Kerrie Schmidt could not have been more proud of her team’s effort in defeat.
“Their effort and the way they came together was a highlight,’’ Schmidt said.”They left nothing out there.’’
Schmidt said Natalie Smith was a “rock’’ across the tournament for the Gold Coast, but ‘’all of the girls were good’’.
She did pay tribute to Keeley Walker and her keeper Madeleine Smith.
Brisbane coach Matt Bradley said it was a wonderful experience for his young side to claim a final with a “good, solid’’ performance.”They played until the last second.’’
Both teams were reduced to 10 players for a period in the final 10 minutes which threatened to open up the match.
Brisbane’s Carty almost created for Cassidy Knuth to wrap up the match, but typically Gold Coast repelled them, and then Carty went on a solo run herself, lifting the ball just wide of the goals.
The Coast had scored early then defended for all they were worth.
In many ways it was a typical grand final, with defence and more defence poured into the contest quarter after quarter.
It was Gold Coast’s Natasha Patricks who scored first in the grand final, but ironically it was Brisbane who probably shared their rivals in the opening quarter.
Brisbane had multiple circle entries, but just could not convert them as the Gold Coast scrambled back, defending the house down.
Brisbane’s Lucy Lanigan was a danger in the opening half-hour, but it counted for nothing when Patrick’s broke the nil-all deadlock.
Gold Coast goalkeeper Madeleine Smith was outstanding early, and when Brisbane were awarded a succession of short corners, she stood tall and delivered for her side to deny Brisbane from scoring.
LIFESTREAM SCHEDULE
8.30am, field 1 women 9th play-off: Gladstone v Toowoomba 2
8.30am, field 2 women 5-6 play-off: Sunshine Coast v Tweed
9.55am, field 1 men 5-6 play-off: Gold Coast v Fraser Coast
9.55am, field 2 men 7-8 play-off: Ipswich v Toowoomba 2
11.20am, field 1 women 3-4 play-off: Ipswich v Toowoomba 1
11.20am, field 2 men 3-4 play-off: Townsville v Rockhampton
12.45pm, field 1 men GRAND FINAL Toowoomba 1 v Brisbane
12.45pm, field 2 men 9-10 play-off: Mackay v Sunshine Coast
2.10pm, field 1 women GRAND FINAL: Gold Coast v Brisbane
2.10pm, field 2 women 7-8 play-off: Townsville v Gladstone
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