Livestream Australian U15 hockey championships: winners, best players, awards

The medals have been decided and the winners announced. The winners, grinners and award winners at the Australian under 15 hockey championships.

Winners are grinners at the hockey championships at Bathurst.

The Australian under 15 boys and girls hockey championships at Bathurst have been done and won.

And there is no happier state than NSW who took out both the boys and girls titles after thrilling gold medal matches.

We take a look at the winners, the grinners and the award winners and the players who stood out at this fantastic tournament.

AUSTRALIAN U15 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL WINNERS

U15 BOYS

Gold Medals (1st place): NSW STATE

Silver Medals (2nd place): TASMANIA

Bronze Medals (3rd place): VICTORIA

NSW dominated the boys competition at the Bathurst championships.

U15 GIRLS

Gold Medals (1st place) NSW STATE

Silver Medals (2nd place) WESTERN AUSTRALIA GOLD

Bronze Medals (3rd place) QUEENSLAND MAROON

Highly successful NSW players competing at the Bathurst championships.

PLAYER OF THE U15 AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Boys Just Hockey Player of the Tournament: Oliver Stebbings, Tasmania

Girls Just Hockey Player of the Tournament: Lily Richardson, Queensland Maroon

AUSTRALIAN U15 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS AND GIRLS TOP SCORER

Boys Top Goal Scorer: Joshua Robson, NSW state.

Girls Top Goal Scorer: Martina Williams, NSW state, Queensland Maroon Sophia Papantoniou.

AWARD WINNERS

BOYS

Play the Whistle Award (Fairest) – ACT

Umpires of the Bronze Final – Cooper Alderton, Hayden Michel, Jaren Maddocks

Technical Official of the Bronze Final – Mike Trenery

Umpires of the Gold Final – Nathan McDonald, Cameron Rutley, Joshua May

GIRLS

Play the Whistle – NT

Umpires of the Bronze Final – Sarah Steinhardt, Jemaya Staines, Madeline Smith-Gander

Technical Official of the Bronze Final – John Newman

Umpires of the Gold Final – Madeline Dooley, Annemijn Flokstra, Natalie Walker

Technical Official of the Gold Final – Fiona Porter

NSW players competing at the Bathurst championships.

GOLDEN TIMES FOR NSW HOCKEY

NSW coach Kieran Knowles said his team played with “great heart’’ in their gold medal match win over Tasmania.

“It was a tense game, really tight and Tassie really took it to us,’’ he said.

“Full credit to them. They came in with good attitude and structure.

“But our boys rose to it. They have just come together as a team so well. They work so hard for each other and they have been really willing to learn and improve.

“They showed a lot of heart out there and I am rally proud of them.’’

Knowles identified midfiel marshall Toby Collins, scoring gun Josh Robson up Ethan Nichols as among the top NSW players.

WATCH THE REPLAY: FINAL DAY OF U15 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

NSW girls coach James Birkfield was delighted with his charges 5-3 win over Western Australia Gold.

“They have faced some adversity this week, injury and tough games so I couldn’t be happier,’’ he said.

“I can’t get over it really. They have been great. It’s been their togetherness and the fact they have benne willing to stick to the processes that has worked.

“They trust in our structures and plans work.

“They have giant hearts as well. After yesterday they could have flattened out but they turned up full of beans - for the seventh game in a row.’’

TEAMS IN THE FINALS OF THE GIRLS U15 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Shootouts, nine-goal extravaganzas and low-scoring thrillers. The Australian under 15 hockey championships had it all as teams battled for the sports in Thursday’s medal matches at Bathurst.

One of the most thrilling games of the day was the extraordinary semi-final between NSW and Victoria in the girls competition.

With neither team able to score during regular time the match went to a shootout dominated by NSW 5-2.

The win booked NSW into the gold medal decider against Western Australia Gold after their low-scoring 1-0 win over Queensland Maroon earlier in the day.

“They are tired but there’s only one game to go. They will be fine,’’ said NSW coach James Birkfield.

“I think they are in a great head space heading into the final.’’

The other semi-finals looked to also be heading for a shootout before the deadlock was finally broken in the 54th minute by Western Australian Eliza Swain.

TEAMS IN THE FINALS OF THE BOYS U15 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

NSW scored one of the most emphatic wins of the day with their 4-0 victory over Western Australia Gold in the boys second semi-final to book a spot in the gold medal decider against Tasmania.

The NSW team were never in doubt of advancing, dominated both halves of the match.

NSW went into this late afternoon game armed with one of the leading goal scorers in the competition in Joshua Robson, who had netted seven goals before the semi.

Action at the hockey championships at Bathurst.

And it was Robson who opened the scoring for NSW with a field goal in the ninth minute.

His teammate Kane Nutley added another in the 27th with James Coleman contributing off a penalty corner in the 48th.

Oskar Smith then struck in the 58th to deliver NSW a 4–0 win and a spot in the gold medal playoff.

It was a goal-fest in the semi-final between Victoria and Tasmania.

The Victorian lead early but the Tasmanians launched a stunning comeback to take the game 5-4.

Crucial to their win was a 10 minute purple patch where Tasmania scored four goals - Angus McMullen in the 27th, Rhys Wilkinson in the 29th and Oscar Sproule in the 32nd and 34th minutes.

“It was a terrific fightback from our guys. It’s the third time in the tournament we have come from behind,’’ said Tasmania coach Stephen McMullen.

“There were so many good goals and Victoria really were excellent early.’’

The hockey championships have been played at Bathurst since last week.

NSW EARNS SEMI-FINAL SPOTS AT UNDER 15 HOCKEY NATIONALS

While their rivals relaxed on a tournament rest day, the NSW U15 girls team were hard at work practising their short corners.

The same day, the NSW boys team were given the whole day off to rest and freshen up for the business end of the tournament.

These two different approaches both worked for NSW who are into the semi-finals of both the boys and girls divisions at the U15 nationals.

NSW girls coach James Birkfield said he wasn’t the most popular man in Bathurst when he had his players out training on Monday’s rest day.

“But the extra short corner practice paid off,’’ he said.

WATCH THE AUSTRALIAN U15 LIVESTREAM REPLAY

Lola Dorman is in the NSW state team heading into the semi-finals..

“They were annoyed at me but they got a few in today’s game so they are happy now.’’

NSW beat Queensland Gold 5-0 to book their spot in the semi-finals on Wednesday against Victoria.

“Victoria are very disciplined and organised so we will have to be on our game,’’ Birkfield said.

Martina Williams scored a field goal and twice off a penalty corner while Lahni Woodger slotted in one from the field and another off a corner in the win on Tuesday.

The boys team also racked up a big win in the final round match of their competition, beating Tasmania 4-1.

NSW pair Kane Nutley and Joshua Robson scored two each to help NSW into the semi-finals of against Western Australia Gold on Wednesday.

“We just want them to execute what we have been working on,’’ said coach Kieran Knowles, who gave his charges a full day off on Monday “to keep them fresh’’.

“I think our midfield has been strong and our goal scoring has been strong also.’’

Action at the under 15's event in Bathurst. Click InFocus

In the others girls semi-final, Queensland Maroon will play Western Australia Gold.

In the boys, Victoria will take on Tasmania.

HUGE WIN BY NSW GIRLS AT AUSTRALIAN U15 CHAMPIONSHIPS

If anyone ever doubted the NSW state hockey team was serious about winning an Australian crown in coming days they need to take a peek at an early result at the Bathurst national championships.

In an extraordinary result on just day two of the tournament, NSW produced one of the biggest scorelines anyone can remember in girls under 15s national hockey in recent times.

The 14-0 drubbing of the Victorian Development side confirmed the teams intentions at the championships being livestreamed across News Corp websites, including The Daily Telegraph.

WATCH THE U15 DAY 2 LIVESTREAM REPLAY

WATCH THE U15 DAY ONE LIVESTREAM REPLAY

The trouncing was the most emphatic victory of the girls competition, which runs until next Thursday, to date.

“To score that many goals is great. Traditionally in girls hockey you don’t score that many goals,’’ said Hockey NSW Pathways Manager Richard Willis.

“There was a lot to like about it.

“It puts then in good stead for the rest of the tournament. They are enjoying playing with each other.’’

HIGHEST SCORE AT AUSTRALIAN U15 GIRLS HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Prior to Saturday’s result, the biggest score accrued by a team had been by the Queensland Maroon girls with their 8 to 2 victory over South Australia.

It also exceeded any match in the boys competition with Queensland Maroon defeating Western Australia Black 8-0 on the opening day.

NSW hockey player Bella Crocker.

NSW SCORERS AND TOP PLAYERS AT AUSTRALIAN U15 GIRLS HOCKEY

Sydney Northern Beaches star Ziggy Leong and Sydney south hockey gun Lahni Woodger were standouts in NSW’s extraordinary 14-0 victory on day two.

Leong scored a field goal in the second minute, another in the 49th and her third in the 60th.

Woodger also produced a hat-trick, scoring off a penalty corner in the 24th and then firing in back-to-back field goals in the 29th and 34th minutes.

Lily Kable from Bathurst and Lola Dorman from north west Sydney both scored twice.

Kable netted in the 14th and 55th and Dorman in the 45th and 59th.

Also scoring was Makenna Barnett-Suey in the first minute, Hollie Matthews in the 12th, Bella Crocker in the 15th and Taylah Jones in the 39th.

Action in another great girls battle at the under 15's event in Bathurst. Click InFocus

The championships in Bathurst conclude this coming Thursday with matches from both the under 15s and the under 18s championships being livestreamed.

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