Martina Williams a hattrick hero for high-flying NSW State U15s

North Coast’s hattrick hero helps NSW State cement top spot leading into the finals series at Bathurst. SUBSCRIBE to watch all matches LIVE and REPLAY.

The NSW State side has been on a goal-scoring frenzy at the Australian Under-15 Girls Hockey Championships at Bathurst this week. Click InFocus

Grafton’s Martina Williams has starred for the high-flying NSW State team at the 2021 Australian Under-15 Girls Hockey Championships.

The tournament is being played at Bathurst alongside the Under-15 Boys, and together with the Under-18 Boys and Girls at Launceston, are being livestreamed all this week, exclusive to NewsCorp publications including The Daily Examiner, Coffs Coast Advocate and Northern Star.

How to livestream EVERY MATCH from the Australian U18 and U15 Boys and Girls Hockey Championships

Williams, who is one of 19 North Coast based players involved in national titles, scored a hattrick in Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Queensland Gold to take her tournament tally to six, and confirm NSW State’s position at the top of Pool B at the end of the preliminary rounds.

NSW finished top of Pool B with four wins and a draw. Click InFocus

NSW State has so far enjoyed an emphatic campaign scoring a total of 30 goals and conceding just three across five matches, with wins over Northern Territory (3-0), Victoria Development (14-0) and ACT (5-0) before being held to a 3-3 draw against pool runners up Western Australia Gold.

Williams is her team’s equal leading goal scorer with Lahni Woodger, while Queensland Maroon’s Kara Bradley has six and her Sophia Papantoniou is the tournament’s leading goal scorer with seven.

Queensland Maroon has been equally dominant in Pool A scoring 32 goals and conceding three with five wins.

It sets up a mouth-watering finale at 12.10pm on Thursday should both sides negotiate their semi-final opponents on Wednesday, with Queensland Maroon coming up against Western Australia Gold at 10.20am and NSW State taking on Victoria at 1.40pm.

Meanwhile NSW Blue finished fifth in Pool A and will take on the Victoria Development squad at 8am in the first leg of playoffs for ninth spot.

Full draw and ladder here

NSW State also topped their pool with three wins and a draw in the Under-15 Boys, while NSW Blue ranked fourth.

NSW Blue takes on Queensland Maroon at 10am in the battle for minor placings while NSW State gets its finals campaign underway against Western Australia Gold at 3.20pm.

Full draw and ladder here

Ashleigh Ensbey, Rhys Cropper and Mackenna Ensbey are among a contingent of Grafton hockey players selected to represent NSW teams at national championships this year. Photo Bill North / The Daily Examiner

Meanwhile, it’s been a frustrating five days for the four New South Wales sides at the Under-18 Championships in Launceston.

Despite being perennial heavyweights, the NSW State Girls missed the semi-finals, finishing fourth in Pool A with two wins, two draws and a loss. They will take on South Australia in the battle for seventh and eighth at 3pm on Thursday.

The NSW Blues outfit upstaged their older state counterparts and will finish higher in the overall rankings after coming third in Pool B to earn the right to play off against Tasmania for fifth and sixth at 5pm on Thursday.

Full draw and ladder here

The NSW State side in the Under-18 Boys was involved in a must-win clash for second spot in Pool B against ACT tonight, while the NSW Blues finished fifth in Pool B with just one win from their campaign.

Full draw and ladder here

Several North Coast-based players are involved in both the Under-18s titles at Launceston and Under-15s at Bathurst:

In the Under-18 Girls, Ashleigh Ensbey (Grafton), Maddison Drewitt (Port Macquarie Hastings), Breah Fischer (Coffs Coast) and Maya McGrath (Far North Coast) are all representing NSW State who will playoff for seventh and eighth after finishing third in Pool A.

Meanwhile, at the time of writing NSW Blue featuring younger siblings Mackenna Ensbey (Grafton) and Hayley Fischer (Coffs Coast) were in a battle with South Australia for third spot in Pool B.

FULL LIST OF NORTH COAST REPRESENTATIVES:

U18 Girls NSW State: Ashleigh Ensbey (Grafton), Maddison Drewitt (Port Macquarie Hastings), Breah Fischer (Coffs Coast), Maya McGrath (Far North Coast)

U18 Girls NSW Blues: Mackenna Ensbey (Grafton), Hayley Fischer (Coffs Coast)

U18 Boys NSW State: Rhys Cropper (Grafton), Tyler Gaddes (Grafton)

U18 Boys NSW Blue: Billy Bradford (Far North Coast), Ambrose Page (Coffs Coast), Bayden Smith (Port Macquarie Hastings)

U15 Girls NSW State: Martina Williams (Grafton), Hollie Matthews (Far North Coast)

U15 Girls NSW Blue: Emersyn Smith (Port Macquarie Hastings), Lillianah Williams (Port Macquarie Hastings)

U15 Boys NSW State: James Coleman (Far North Coast), Kalani Franklin (Far North Coast), Connor Makings (Far North Coast)

U15 Boys NSW Blue: Finnigan Robinson (Far North Coast)