DHL23 Prelim finals: Shootouts, stoppage time winners and heartbreak

From last second winners and shootouts, to heartbreak and elation, this year’s A and B grade hockey prelims had it all. Read how each game unfolded.

A last second tip-in by a club president, shootouts and a winner after the buzzer in stoppage-time, the Darwin Hockey League preliminary finals were full of upsets and storylines.

See how each prelim final unfolded below.

B-GRADE WOMEN

(Banks 2 def. 1 Commerce)

The first game of the night and where all the madness begun, Banks secured an improbable 2-1 victory, cementing themselves in next week’s grand final.

Taking an early lead through a crafty individual goal from Samara Modra, Commerce held on to a 1-0 lead until the third quarter.

Danielle Tchemjiri put Banks on the board after a missile of a shot from a set play, taking the game at one a piece headed to the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was then a back and forth affair with both sides having a number of decent opportunities to take the lead.

With the game seemingly over and both sides looking like they were resided to extra-time, it was an unlikely goal by none other than fill-in and club president Joanna (Joe) Wallace that booked Banks’ spot in the big dance.

“I realised that there were only 58 seconds left (on the clock) until the end, and I was like, ‘we have to score, we can’t do another seven minutes each way, let’s go and get it done,” Banks’ Melissa Harkness said post game.

“Mikayla (Borg) sent in a long and bouncing ball from the sideline and Joe managed to get a touch on it in the (shooting) circle and it went in.

“We were all so stoked.”

Banks player Melissa Harkness has her sights set on the premiership. Picture: Keri Megelus.

Now, with all the momentum and wind in their sails, Banks are looking to repeat their 2019 heroics, their last premiership winning season.

“The last time we won was back in 2019, but we did the same thing we’re looking to do at the moment, coming from fourth/third to win,” Banks’ Jodie Zanini said.

“We are looking to do the same as today and cause a bit of an upset.

“We will prep the same as this week, with normal training and not changing anything as what we’ve been doing has been working for us.

“There will definitely be a focus on starting a lot better and not conceding (a goal) early as we were a bit rattled after that.

“But, we’ve demonstrated a few times now that we are more than capable of clawing back a win, but we’ll need to be set from the start.”

Banks will face-off against the Waratahs on Saturday, 16 September, at 2pm at MWT Hockey Centre.

B-GRADE MEN

(Saints 5 def. 4 Banks)

A game that neither side deserved to lose, the B-grade preliminary final had all the highs and lows any hockey fanatic knows all too well.

The most evenly fought game of the night, Banks and Saints threw everything at each other; hit for hit, gamesmanship for gamesmanship and goal for goal.

The game started at a frantic pace with neither side having the majority of momentum until Saints got on the board after the siren to end the first term.

The second was much of the same, a lot of chirping and tough play until Banks’ Peter Pangquee hit a rocket off a set piece to level the game 1-1.

The third looked to be a carbon copy of the first two quarters until Saints’ Cooper Ranie took on their entire Banks defensive line, weaving his way through challenges and set up his partner in crime Michael Coleman to retake the lead.

It wasn’t until the dying stages of the fourth that Banks drew level after a retaken penalty corner saw Nathan Trindall pummelled the ball into the top of the net.

After regulation time and at 2-2, the game headed to the allotted 14 minutes of extra time.

Still not enough time to separate the two sides it came down shootouts.

Slotting three of five, Saints claimed a audacious yet well earned win, booking their place in the grand final.

The Saints will have an uphill battle ahead of them, as they take on this season’s juggernauts Tigers for the title.

The Tigers finished top of the ladder, 18 points ahead of second place, with one loss from 16 games.

The sides will square off this Saturday, 16 September, 4pm at MWT Hockey Centre.

A-GRADE WOMEN’S

(Commerce 1 def. 0 Waratah)

Familiar foes and fierce rivals reared their head in Saturday’s do-or-die clash between Commerce and Waratah.

With the Redbacks looking to continue their era of dominance and the ‘Tahs hoping to finally snap their post-season hoodoo, the match was an out-and-out slugfest that saw emotions and tensions at a maximum.

The girls from Commerce got out to an early lead in the first quarter, courtesy of a scrappy goal off of a corner from Allisa Robertson.

The second quarter was similar to the first with both side’s creating chances on goal but brilliant goal keeping from both keepers and scramble defences kept the score at 1-0 headed to the break.

Commerce-Pint are looking to make it four premierships in four years this Saturday. Picture: Paul Markou.

The second half was much more frantic than the first; Commerce lost their cool on a number of occasions, receiving two yellows and a second green card.

It was in the fourth quarter where all the chaos and drama really peaked.

With 10 minutes to go, ‘Tahs hit the post and would have scored off the rebound if not for some individual brilliance from Commerce’s goalie.

Then in the ensuing eight minutes, Commerce’s goalie Stephenie Reeves stood on her head and came up with more clutch saves off of open play and from the four penalty corners her side conceded.

At the full time buzzer, the score read 1-0 to Commerce who have now beaten the ‘Tahs for the fourth year in a row in finals and are gunning for their fourth premiership in as many years.

Commerce will face East Darwin this Saturday, 16 September, 6pm at MWT Hockey Centre.

A-GRADE MEN

(Waratah 4 def. 3 East Darwin)

The final game of the night was worth the wait.

An upset and a seven goal thriller, the prelim came down to the final stroke of the game as Aiden Abel struck the ball into the bottom-left corner, securing his side a well deserved grand finals berth.

“We were definitely nervous at the start there when they (Easts) scored an early goal,” ‘Tahs superstar Zach Rakkas said.

“We just stayed in the game.

“They got a couple of short corners and shots on but our keeper (Riley Butcher) was on fire and kept us in it.”

The attacking weapon put the win down to the side coming together as a unit and fighting till the final whistle.

“After we scored our first goal we got on a bit of a role and started linking up really well in attack, and fought back,” Rakkas said.

“It’s a great win for us considering where we’ve come from and we are looking for another upset next Saturday (in the grand final).”

The ‘Tahs will play Banks for the 2023 DHL premiership this Saturday, 16 September, 8pm at MWT Hockey Centre.