Toowoomba takes fifth at state champs

DESPITE being relative newcomers to the sport, the Funnel Webs have performed strongly at the Indoor Hockey State Championships.

The U13s Toowoomba Funnel Webs contested the Indoor Hockey State Championships in Maryborough.

INDOOR HOCKEY: Toowoomba has performed admirably at the U13s Boys Indoor Hockey State Championships in Maryborough.

Placed in a strong division one pool alongside powerhouse regions Maryborough and Mackay, the Funnel Webs came through the preliminary stage with a 3-2 win over Ipswich, to go along with a tight 1-0 defeat to Maryborough.

They kept their momentum going into the final day, finishing the tournament in fifth place after downing Ipswich 1-0 in a playoff.

It marked a fitting conclusion for the relatively inexperienced side, many who are still trying to transfer their skills from conventional field hockey to the indoor version.

Team manager Emma Ziviani said that the side, featuring a pair of 11-year-old players, was able to adapt to conditions and combine strongly as a cohesive unit.

“A lot of the boys came across from field hockey, and it’s only Toowoomba’s third year of indoor hockey, whereas other associations have been playing it for much longer,” Ziviani said.

“They’re still very new to the sport, but this group was extremely courageous. They fought right until the end.

“They lacked a few of the fine motor skills associated with the sport that other teams have, but they played above expectations.

“We have a core group of players that have been in the side for a couple of years now, and they’ve done a good job in working well with those less experienced.

“They all improved out of sight from the start of the tournament through to the end. They’re a great bunch of kids.”

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