Replays: Relive all the exciting action from the final day of the U15 Australian Hockey Champs
The future of hockey in NSW is looking healthy if the results of the girls and boys U15 Australian Championships gold medal playoffs are any indication. RELIVE ALL THE ACTION.
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The future of hockey in NSW is looking healthy if the results of the girls and boys U15 Australian Championships gold medal playoffs are any indication.
Relive all the action of an exciting final day of action in Bathurst.
RESULTS AND REPLAYS
Girls, Gold Medal Match, WAG 3 NSWS 5
NSW went into this championship decider with top form and two players high on the individual goalscorer is list in Martina Williams and Lahni Woodger. The young pair had scored six goals each during the event.
NSW also had further attacking strength in Lily Kable and Ziggy Leong, who had five goals each in lead-up matches.
Western Australian Gold had secure their spot in the gold medal match with a 1–0 victory over Queensland Maroon.
In an extraordinary match, NSW had beaten Victoria 0-0 (5–2) in a shootout to secure their spot.
On Thursday, NSW took the title after beating the game West Australians 5-3 in a real goalfest.
Taylah Jones scored first for NSW in the fifth minute before Leong nailed a field goal ione minute later and Williams adding a third in the 10th minute.
Western Australia grabbed one back through Georgia Hiskins in the 21st minute and then a field goal from Sienna Robinson in the 32nd minute made things very interesting.
Williams scored again for NSW in the 35th with Ellie Samsa slotting in a field goal for WA in the 38th before Grace Jones securede the victory for NSW off a penalty corner in the 48th minute.
NSW coach James Birkfield was delighted with the win.
“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 been willing to stick to the processes that has worked.’’
Boys, Bronze Medal Match, VIC 5 WAG 2
Victoria scored first in this crucial battle for the bronze with Duncan Jackson firing in off a penalty stroke in the ninth minute.
Western Australia Gold’s Patrick Eastwood levelled the score off a penalty corner in the 11th before Victoria smashed in three goals in succession.
Joshua Allen scored in the 19th, Henry Laussen in the 27th and Joel Taylor in the 30th to give Victoria a 4–1 lead at half time.
Emerson Hodder shot in another for Victoria in the 53rd with Eastwood scoring WA’s second in the 5-2 win by Victoria.
Boys, Gold Medal Match, TAS 2 NSWS 4
There was great anticipation this was going to be one of the best games of the tournament and no-one was disappointed.
NSW boasted one of the top goalscorers in the entire competition in Joshua Robson heading into this game.
Robson had nabbed eight goals in lead-up matches and was a big part of the NSW attack.
Tasmania had their own impressive strikeforce in Oscar Sproule and Oliver Stebbings, who had both scored six goals in leadup matches.
Tasmania made their way into the final after a torrid 5–4 victory over Victoria in their semi-final. NSW had an easier time in their semi, beating Western Australia Gold 4–0.
It was Robson who opened the scoring off a penalty corner for NSW in the third minute with teammate Ethan Nichols adding a second just two minutes later.
Tasmania then retaliated, with Stebbings scoring off a penalty stroke and then a penalty corner to level the game.
But goals from Robson in the 38th minute and Henry Tyree in the 51st secured NSW the gold medal.
NSW coach Kieran Knowles said his team played with “great heart’’.
“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 really proud of them.’’
Knowles identified midfield marshall Toby Collins, scoring gun Robson and Nichols as among the top NSW players.
Girls, Play-Off for 5/6, WAB 2 QLDG 1
Neither Western Australia Black or Queensland Gold could break through for goals in the first half of this tough match.
The deadlock wasn’t broken until the 37th minute when Ella Frost scored a field goal for WA.
Bailey Old then slotted one in from the field in the 57th minute to give Western Australia breathing space before Tammin Andrews reduced the deficit with a field-goal for Queensland Gold in the 60th.
Girls, Bronze Medal Match, QLDM 4 VIC 1
Queensland Maroon boasted the two top scorers in the girls competition in Sophia Papantoniou and Kara Bradley going into this game.
The pair had scored seven and six goals respectively before this match.
And Bradley was one of two Queenslanders to score in the first half with a field goal in the 24th.
Meka Crick’s field goal in the 16th helped give the Queenslanders a 2-0 half time lead.
Papantoniou then scored a penalty corner in the 36 minutes to extend Queensland’s lead before Victoria struck via Elise Fitzpatrick in the 45th to change the scoreline to 3-1.
Mihaylia Howell sealed the deal for Queensland with a goal in the 53rd minute for a 4–1 victory.
Boys, Play-Off for 5/6, ACT 1 QLDM 2
There was plenty to play for in this match, which featured one of the top scorers of the entire competition in Cooper Mackenzie.
The young Queensland Maroon star had smashed in eight goals for the tournament, including five field goals and three off penalty corners.
So it wasn’t unexpected when Mackenzie scored the first goal of the match off a penalty corner in the 11th minute.
The ACT went into the break trailing 0–1.
Blake Dooley then equalized for the ACT with a field-goal in the 52nd minute.
Dominic Anderson saved the day for the Queenslanders with his penalty corner conversion in the 59th delivering them the 2–1 victory.
MORE U15 ACTION:
2021 U15 AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY GIRLS POOLS
Pool A: NSW Blue, Queensland Maroons, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia Black.
Pool B: ACT, NSW State, Northern Territory, Queensland Gold, Victoria Development, Western Australia Gold.
2021 U15 AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY BOYS POOLS
Pool A: NSW Blue, Queensland Gold, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia Gold.
Pool B: ACT, NSW state, Queensland Maroons, Tasmania, Victoria Development, Western Australia Black
Originally published as Replays: Relive all the exciting action from the final day of the U15 Australian Hockey Champs
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