Round 2 of the Sultana Bran Hockey One League men’s competition saw 19 goals across the three matches as NSW Pride, Tassie Tigers and Brisbane Blaze all displayed their title credentials.
Amazingly, all three double headers in Round 2 saw the results split with one club winning the women’s match and the men’s match result going the other way.
After a tight first half that had NSW Pride holding a slender one goal lead over Canberra Chill through a Tom Craig strike, the visitors exploded in the last quarter. Doubles from Kurt Lovett and Tim Brand, together with a second goal to Blake Govers saw the final result blow out to 7-0. The final score line arguably did not reflect the tightness of the contest, Lovett and Brand’s second goals coming as they converted their subsequent one-on-one opportunities (click here for a full match report).
The Tassie Tigers Men gave plenty for the parochial home support to cheer about in their first match of the season as they put five goals past Adelaide Fire.
Nick Leslie opened the scoring for the home side with a field goal and doubled the advantage when he beat Adelaide Fire keeper Eddie Chittleborough again with the resultant conversion chance.
Sam McCambridge then made it 3-0 in the 24th minute before Darwin born Kookaburra Jeremy Hayward endeared himself to the Tasmanian faithful with a successful drag flick from a penalty corner on the stroke of half time. Hayden Beltz rounded off the scoring for the hosts before Zendana Hirotaka struck a late consolation for the Fire (click here for a full match report).
Tassie’s ominous first up performance sets up a mouth watering clash against Brisbane Blaze men next weekend after the Queenslanders made it back-to-back wins, two last quarter goals seeing them outlast HC Melbourne 4-2.
Two quality penalty corners from HC Melbourne’s Josh Simmonds either side of Jake Whetton’s double for Brisbane Blaze in the 14th minute had scores locked 2-2 at three quarter time, but goals from Boyde Scott and Jared Taylor ensured the Blaze took the points back to Brisbane.
Round 3 fixtures sees NSW Pride at home to Tassie Tigers and Perth Thundersticks against Canberra Chill on Saturday 12 October, followed by Adelaide Fire hosting their first matches of the season as they welcome Brisbane Blaze on Sunday.
Tickets to all Sultana Bran Hockey One matches are available through Ticketek and every match is LIVE and exclusive on Kayo.
Men’s Competition
Canberra Chill 0
NSW Pride 7 (Craig 30’, Govers 42’/58’, Lovett 51’/51’, Brand 56’/56’)
Saturday 5 October 2019
National Hockey Centre (ACT)
Canberra Chill Men’s team: 1.Aaron Knight, 2.Ben Staines, 3.Anand Gupte, 4.James Day, 7.Kazuma Murata, 8.Daniel Conroy, 10.Owen Chivers, 11.Garry Backhus, 12.Jake Staines (c), 13.Manabu Yamashita, 17.Aaron Kershaw, 26. James Jewell, 27. Kentaro Fukuda, 30.Andrew Charter (GK),
NSW Pride Men’s team: 1.Lachlan Sharp, 2.Tom Craig, 5.Ash Thomas (GK), 6.Matthew Dawson (c), 8.Nathanael Stewart, 11.Hayden Dillon, 12.Kurt Lovett, 13.Blake Govers, 18.Tristan White, 19.Jack Hayes, 23.Ryan Proctor, 24.Dylan Martin, 26.Ehren Hazell, 29.Timothy Brand
Tassie Tigers 5 (Leslie 10’/10’, McCambridge 24’, Hayward 28’, H.Beltz 43’)
Adelaide Fire 1 (Hirotaka 57’)
Saturday 5 October 2019
Tasmanian Hockey Centre (TAS)
Tassie Tigers Men’s team: 2.Nick Leslie, 3.Kurt Budgeon, 4.Hayden Beltz, 6.Joshua Brooks, 11.Eddie Ockenden (c), 12.Samuel McCulloch, 13.Joshua Beltz, 15.Kieron Arthur, 18.Grant Woodcock (GK), 19.Tim Devan, 20.James Bourke, 21.Ben Read, 29.Sam McCambridge, 32.Jeremy Hayward
Adelaide Fire Men’s team: 3.Lachlan Busiko, 6.Angus Fry, 9.Fred Gray, 11.Cameron Joyce, 13.Luke Larwood, 15.Andrew Leat, 18.Alastair Oliver, 19.Glyn Tamlin (c), 21.Simon Wells, 22.Chris Wells, 23.Cameron White, 24.Zendana Hirotaka, 25.Watenabe Kota, 29.Eddie Chittleborough (GK)
HC Melbourne 2 (Simmonds 4’/43’)
Brisbane Blaze 4 (Whetton 14’/14’, Boyde 47’, Taylor 49’)
Sunday 6 October 2019
State Netball and Hockey Centre (VIC)
HC Melbourne Men’s team: 2.Max Hendry, 3.Simon Borger, 5.Andrew Philpott, 7.Will Gilmour, 9.Nathan Ephraums, 10.Russell Ford (c), 13.Jayshaan Randhawa, 14.Jonathan Bretherton, 15.Josh Simmonds, 17.Kiran Arunasalam, 18.Johan Durst (GK), 21.Jake Sherren, 23.Joel Carroll, 25.Aaron Kleinschmidt
Brisbane Blaze Men’s team: 3.Corey Weyer, 4.Hugh Pembroke, 5.Scott Boyde, 7.Joel Rintala, 9.Jacob Anderson, 10.Robert Bell, 12.Jake Whetton, 14.Luke Tyne, 15.Justin Douglas, 16.Tim Howard, 23.Daniel Beale, 26.Dylan Wotherspoon (c), 27.Jared Taylor, 32.Mitchell Nicholson (GK)