An intriguing semi final awaits at Brisbane’s State Hockey Centre as the Brisbane Blaze take on Tassie Tigers for the chance to meet either NSW Pride or HC Melbourne in the season decider.
The teams enter the finals with contrasting results from their most recent matches. The Blaze were humbled 5-0 by NSW Pride at home, while the Tassie Tigers continued their late season surge with a 4-0 win over the Perth Thundersticks.
The Tigers will be brimming with confidence having won their past three matches, although their last loss was a heavy 7-0 defeat to the team they face on Saturday.
Inspirational captain Eddie Ockenden has been instrumental in Tassie’s impressive run into the finals but it he has not played a lone hand. Fellow Kookaburras Jeremy Hayward, Jack Welch and Josh Beltz have played their part, as has goal scorer Sam McCambridge, veteran Tim Deavin and the exciting host of young local talent.
The Blaze were showing all the signs of a championship contending team until their loss to the Pride, and the defeat on the eve of the finals may be just the tonic to jolt the Queenslanders into a producing their best form and show the performance against the Pride was just an aberration.
Both teams have only one change with Justin Douglas coming in for Luke Tyne for the Blaze, while goalkeeper Grant Woodcock replaces Henry Chambers in the Tassie goal.
The semi finals of the Sultana Bran Hockey One League pits 1v4 and 2v3, with the winners to progress to the Grand Finals. The Sultana Bran Hockey One League 2019 Grand Finals will be played as a double header on Saturday 16 November 2019 at the home venue of the highest ranked women’s team to qualify.
Tickets for all of the Sultana Bran Hockey One League semi finals are available through Ticketek, while the matches will be broadcast LIVE and exclusive on Kayo.
Match Details
Brisbane Blaze v Tassie Tigers
Saturday 9 November 2019
State Hockey Centre (QLD)
Match Start: 6:30pm local (7:30pm AEDT)
Tickets: Click here for ticketing details
Broadcast: LIVE and exclusive on Kayo
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #BBZvTIG #HockeyOne
Brisbane Blaze Men’s team: 2.Shane Kenny, 3.Corey Weyer, 4.Hugh Pembroke, 5.Scott Boyde, 7.Joel Rintala, 9.Jacob Anderson, 10.Robert Bell, 12.Jake Whetton, 15.Justin Douglas, 16.Tim Howard, 19.Blake Wotherspoon, 23.Daniel Beale, 26.Dylan Wotherspoon, 32.Mitchell Nicholson (GK)
In: 15.Justin Douglas
Out: 14.Luke Tyne
Tassie Tigers Men’s team: 2.Nicholas Leslie, 4.Hayden Beltz, 11.Eddie Ockenden, 12.Sam McCulloch, 13.Josh Beltz, 14.Jack Welch, 15.Kieron Arthur, 18.Grant Woodcock (GK), 19.Tim Deavin, 20.James Bourke, 21.Ben Read, 27.Gobindraj Gill, 29.Sam McCambridge, 32.Jeremy Hayward
In: 18.Grant Woodcock (GK)
Out: 23.Henry Chambers (GK)
Past Match Results
Brisbane Blaze Men’s Team (Finished 2nd)
Rd 1 v Canberra Chill (A): W 4-1 (Rintala 20’, Douglas 41’/41’, Anderson 52’)
Rd 2 v HC Melbourne (A): W 4-2 (Whetton 14’/14’, Boyde 47’, Taylor 49’)
Rd 3 v Adelaide Fire (A): W 5-1 (Weyer 5’, Rintala 10’/30+’/45’/58’)
Rd 4 v Tassie Tigers (H): W 7-0 (Beale 1’, Rintala 17’, Weyer 25’, D.Wotherspoon 36’/36’/38’/38’)
Rd 5 v Perth Thundersticks (H): W 5-1 (Weyer 15’, Rintala 26’, D. Wotherspoon 29’/29’, Beale 54)
Rd 6 BYE
Rd 7 v NSW Pride (H): L 0-5
Top goal scorers: Joel Rintala 7; Dylan Wotherspoon 6; Corey Weyer 3
Tassie Tigers Men’s Team (Finished 3rd)
Rd 1 BYE
Rd 2 v Adelaide Fire (H): W 5-1 (Leslie 10’/10’, McCambridge 24’, Hayward 28’, H.Beltz 43’)
Rd 3 v NSW Pride (A): L 2-4 (McCambridge 9’, Ockenden 13’)
Rd 4 v Brisbane Blaze (A): L 0-7
Rd 5 v Canberra Chill (A): W 6-2 (Ockenden 4’/15’/53’/53’, Hayward 24’, McCambridge 33’)
Rd 6 v HC Melbourne (H): W 6-5 (McCambridge 21’/43’, Hayward 43’, Ockenden 46’/59’/59’)
Rd 7 v Perth Thundersticks (H): W 4-0 (J.Beltz 4’, McCambridge 8’/8’, Gill 19’)
Top goal scorers: Eddie Ockenden 8; Sam McCambridge 7; Jeremy Hayward 3