Territory Stingers men, women miss cut for Malaysian Hockey League finals
The Territory Stingers’ men and women’s Malaysian Hockey League seasons have come to an end as they both missed out on finals. Check out how their season went.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Territory Stingers’ inaugural Malaysian Hockey League season has come to a close as both the men and women failed to progress to the post-season.
The two sides finished outside finals qualification after an exhausting, heavily condensed fixture.
The men placed 10th/10 on 6pts with a 1-3-5 record and -25 goal difference while the women placed 5th/7 on 6pts with a 2-0-4 record and -1 goal difference.
The men finished their season first, going down 4-1 against the top of the table side, the Terengganu Hockey Team.
Isaac Farmilo got the NT off to a great start with a goal in the fifth minute.
However their opponents fought back, scoring a goal in both the second and third finishing the match with a double in the last.
As for the women they also suffered defeat in a clash against Malaysian University, which was rescheduled due to heavy rain and severe lightning storms over Kuala Lumpur.
The women were fighting for a spot in finals and managed to keep a clean through the first quarter.
However, they conceded twice off penalty corners in the second.
Malaysia University then scored two in the fourth extending the lead to 4-0 before Jemma Buckley snatched one back for the women in blue with a penalty corner in the 60th minute.
In an emotive letter, Hockey NT CEO Jason Butcher said the Stingers representing the Territory in Malaysia was about more than just hockey.
“Representing the Northern Territory has never been about convenience. It’s about showing up, no matter the odds,” he wrote.
“It’s about grit forged in isolation, about refusing to let what we lack define us and instead standing tall on what we do have - an unshakeable belief that we belong.
“For decades, we’ve been punching above our weight, stretching every sinew, wringing every resource dry, and pushing past the brink.
“There’s no relaxing, no safety net - just relentless effort, an unyielding will, and the quiet understanding that our survival has never been promised.
“And yet, we’re still here. We’ve been chasing the impossible for as long as we’ve existed. It’s woven into who we are.
“But this is more than hockey. It’s about the kids back home who dream big from small places. It’s about proving that geography doesn’t dictate greatness. It’s about resilience, adaptability, and the quiet courage it takes to say, “We belong,” even when the world forgets to send an invitation.
“The Stingers are more than a team - they’re a testament. A reminder that sometimes, the most powerful stories aren’t about the teams with the most resources or the flashiest headlines. Sometimes, they’re about the ones who refuse to be overlooked.”
Territory Stingers women on cusp of finals as men look to save face
The Territory Stingers women are facing an uphill finals battle following two consecutive defeats.
The women were in search of a third victory following a narrow 1-0 defeat against top of the table Blue Warriors in their penultimate fixture.
The Stingers got out to a dream start against Qnet Phoenix as Naomi Evans scored in the third minute off a penalty corner.
A scoreless second saw the Stingers hold a one-goal lead into the half, however that was quickly evaporated as the Phoenix netted two in the span of five minutes.
With the heavens opening up in the fourth the Stingers pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
Julia King found space in the circle but was unable to capitalise through a sound defensive play for a Phoenix defender.
Controversy struck as a ball came off goalie Jordan Bliss, that deflected off a Phoenix striker that extended the home side’s lead to 3-1.
Despite protests from the Stingers’ captain, the goal stood, sealing the result, keeping the side fifth on the table.
The loss means the women must win their final match against fourth placed Malaysian University for a finals berth.
Elsewhere the men’s side have been through the wringer following a string of unfavourable results.
After a draw against Armed Forces the Stingers were humbled in an 8-1 rout against Matador Hockey Club.
The Territory’s seventh match in nine days due to a condensed schedule is one to move forward from.
The Stingers rebounded in their eighth game, recording a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Maybank in a shortened clash due to a lightning storm.
They will play the undefeated, top of the table Terengganu Hockey Team in their ninth and final game of the tournament.
Split-second lapse costs Territory Stingers in MHL clash
The Territory Stingers men’s side have been left ruing its missed opportunity to seal a second victory in the MHL after a split-second lapse in concentration cost the side dearly.
The men from the NT got straight into the action against opponents Liaoning, taking control of possession early.
Neither side able to get past the other it was Liaoning who looked the most threatening early in the second, peppering the Stingers back line through deep aerial balls.
Able to nullify their opponents and turn defence into counterattacking phases it was Banks’ Billy Fahy who broke the deadlock in the 24th minute following a breathtaking sequence initiated by Haami-Jones saw Fahy eliminate a defender before striking the back of the net.
It was the perfect reintroduction for Fahy who had been sat on the sidelines for the Stingers over the past two-years, ruled out of both the 2023 and 2024 Festival of Hockey with hamstring injuries.
Making his performance all the more impressive was his late arrival to the side, having landed in KL the morning of his first match.
Unfortunately for the NT its lead evaporated minutes later as Liaoning scored a quick goal, the Stingers setting up for a 16-yard hit only for Liaoning to take a quick long corner and walk the ball into the goal unchallenged.
Liaoning doubled its tally in the third to take a 2-1 lead into the fourth.
The Stingers dug deep in the last as the match looked to be slipping away, Fahy integral yet again, setting up Luke Broadway who broke through the Liaoning defence and set up Mitch Northcote who finished with a reverse-stick shot to level the game.
The Stingers now sit ninth on the table – second last – with a 1-2-2 record.
The men and women take to the turf this afternoon (February 12), the women playing at 5.30pm and the men at 7.30pm – both matches will be lifestreamed on the Territory Stingers Facebook page.
Territory Stingers men, women go down fighting in tough clashes
The Territory Stingers men and women had a tough day at the office losing both matches in narrow scorelines.
The women, fresh off their historic maiden victory, suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Negeri Sembilan.
The Stingers had to dig deep for the majority of the game, relying on their rigid defence to stay in the contest.
Goalkeeper Ash D’Souza was the side’s standout player in the game and was under assault early however managed to keep the score nil-all into the second.
The Stingers were again pinned inside their half for the majority of the quarter, with D’Souza making a number of big saves and contributions from Chloe Pendlebury helping keep the ball out.
A scoreless third term for both led the two sides to push for a result in the fourth.
Despite the Stingers’ numerous attempts, the Negeri Sembilan players were a wall at the back.
Ultimately Negeri Sembilan broke the deadlock in the dying stages of the game, handing the Territory a 1-0 defeat.
As for the men, the Stingers came out the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline leaving their season tally at one win, one draw and two losses.
The Stingers’ opponent UiTM HA-KPT struck first off of a well organised counter-attack, later extending their lead to two after Lachlan Walters’ efforts in the net were in vain after a third ball drag flick.
Luke Broadway got one back for the boys in blue in the third, but the deficit went back to two as UiTM HA-KPT scored its third four minutes later.
Despite a strong finish, the Stingers couldn’t find the breakthrough in the final quarter, with Tarrant Haami-Jones and Huw Wiltshire leading the charge.
Territory Stingers women seal dominant victory in MHL debut
The Territory Stingers women’s side passed its first test with flying colours recording a resounding 4-1 victory.
Despite missing key players Julia King, Jemma Buckley and Elly Buckley, the junior Stingers stood tall in their absence, the likes of Holly Beath, Jordan Bliss, Naomi Evans, Estelle Hughes and Maya Nunn in particular impressing.
Playing the bottom of the table Mutiara United, the Stingers wasted no time getting in the thick of the action, scoring in the first quarter courtesy of a Destiny Batman-Peris volley off Naomi Evans’ well placed crash ball.
Evans scored a goal of her own 10 minutes later, striking a loose ball off a penalty corner.
United got one back before the break leaving the score 2-1 in the Territory’s favour.
Sound defensive efforts from a number of backs namely Sam Pangquee and Estelle Hughes set the tone in the third, resulting in Elle Richardson scoring her first of the clash via a reverse stick.
With the wind in their sails the women were full of confidence in the final quarter, maintaining high intensity game play.
As a result, Richardson was able to score her second goal in the 50th minute solidifying the victory.
Elsewhere the men were thumped 7-0 in their third game of the tournament.
Brought back down to earth following their unbeaten two game opening run, the men had no answers for the frenetic play and aggressive pressure of opponents Tenaga Nasional Berhad.
The second placed TNB cracked the Stingers’ back line in the 10th and 11th minute of the first to take a 2-0 lead.
TNB followed it up with a goal in both the second and third before adding insult to injury with two goals in the fourth.
Both the women and men take to the field again Sunday evening, the women at 5.30pm against Negeri embilan and the men at 9.30pm against UiTM HA-KPT.
Fans can live stream the matches here: rtmklik.rtm.gov.my/live/okey
Territory Stingers claim first Malaysian Hockey win
The Territory Stingers men have claimed their first win in the Malaysian Hockey League, as the women gear up for their first match of the season.
The Stingers started strong despite challenging wet conditions and playing just their second game on foreign soil as Territory talent went on full display in the win over Nurinsafi.
It followed their 1-1 draw against TNB Thunderbolts in the first match of the season, a game where the likes of Adam Luck and Leon Hayward showed their talents in goal.
Their positive play again paid off against Nurinsafi as they controlled possession and known talents such as Zach Rakkas were a constant danger.
Their performance was rewarded with the opening goal from an Adrian Lockley penalty stroke, but Nurinsafi’s short-range overhead game and speed in behind caused problems throughout the match.
Nurinsafi equalised at the start of the second quarter with a well-executed deflection from a penalty corner.
The Stingers steeled themselves and responded quickly to regain the lead through a scrappy field goal driven by Calvin Farmillo’s determination and finished by Jason Talbot.
Nathan Hochman controlled the midfield, setting the tempo and linking play effectively, while Karl Hochman was instrumental defensively, making key one-on-one stops around the circle and shutting down Nurinsafi’s attacking threats.
Lachlan Walters made his tournament debut, stepping up in the second half with multiple key saves, including a crucial phase of five consecutive repeat penalty corners as the Stingers lifted the tempo.
Despite a dominant period led by Lockley, Jeremy Mayne, and Rakkas, the Stingers couldn’t extend their lead and held a 2-1 advantage at three-quarter time.
The fourth quarter was scrappy from both teams, with Mayne taking a nasty strike to the face, forcing the Stingers to shuffle their line-up.
However, a brilliant penalty corner variation finished by captain Lockley sealed the result in the final stages.
The win marks the Stingers’ first victory in an elite competition in more than a decade, with Joe Lauritsen and Max Fraser also making their Stingers debuts.
The women will start their campaign inspired by the victory as they take on Mutiara-MSSSP-PSHA-PKS Uniten at 4pm local time on Saturday.
Fans can watch the match live here: rtmklik.rtm.gov.my/live/okey
The historic clash marks the Stingers women’s return to a competitive league, with current leaders Blue Warriors dominating the table with 12 points from four consecutive wins.
While the team will be without key players Blackstick Julia King and dynamic duo Elly and Jemma Buckley for the opener, all three are set to join the squad in the coming days.
Instead it will be a chance to blood some junior talent with Jordan Bliss, Holly Beath, Maya Nunn, Estelle Hughes and Naomi Evans all set to make their debuts.
Co-captain Samantha PangQuee said the side was excited to kick off their MHL journey and showcase Territory talent.
“The girls have put in the hard yards into our preparation and now it’s time to get onto the field, show skills and get the wins under our belt,” she said.
”It’s been a long awaited return for our Stingers men and women and we want to show we mean business and are here to stay.”
NT left in lurch as second Melbourne Hockey One team favoured
While NT hockey languishes in terms of facilities and no access to the national competition the Labor government has pledged half a million dollars to a second Melbourne-based HockeyOne team to provide pathways for Indian national players.
Territory talents selected for AFL National Academy showcase
A trio of talented Territory footballers have been given the opportunity to display their skills against some of the country’s best rising stars in the AFL National Academy showcase.