The points have been split in the final double header of Round 2 of the JDH Hockey One League, with the Tassie Tigers men mauling Canberra Chill, only to see the Tigers women’s side frozen out by a strong performance from the home side.
The Tassie Tigers feasted on the Canberra Chill men’s side with a thumping 7-0 victory, as their new-look forward line gelled in spectacular fashion.
After recording just one field goal in the 2022 season, the Tigers had two field goals and a conversion after just two and a half minutes of play.
Jeremy Edwards had opened the scoring after just 39 seconds with an intended cross turned in but was unable to convert on his reverse stick side.
There was time for Rupinder Pal Singh to see his penalty corner flick well saved by Tigers keeper Max Larkin, before Sam McCulloch found himself in the right spot after teammate Ehren Hazell’s shot was blocked to double the visitor’s advantage.
McCulloch made it 3-0 with a no-nonsense tomahawk strike that sailed into the roof with his conversion chance.
Momentum stayed with the Tigers after quarter time with Player of the Match Jack Welch nailing a penalty corner flick, before McCulloch created something out of seemingly nothing to deflect home from the baseline after 26 minutes.
The former Development Squad member and Burras star claimed a four-goal haul when he calmly slotted the ensuing conversion chance under the encroaching keeper.
Recovering from a 6-0 deficit was always going to be a mountain for the Canberra Chill but they continued to work tirelessly, led by Davis Atkin and Jay Macdonald.
The Chill failed to take advantage of four consecutive penalty corner opportunities before the Tigers wrapped up their scoring with Hazell cleverly touching home on the goal line from Jeremy Edwards’ direct aerial, after the Chill had withdrawn keeper Brendan Hill.
“That was a very important win for us, not only the points, but the four field goals,” Tigers coach Stephen McMullen said.
“With the other results, it’s a tight ladder, so the season is back in our hands.”
“With time on and off the field, our forwards are connecting, and now working for each other, creating space and pressure.”
“The defence was exceptional, particularly in the latter stages when Canberra were throwing everything at us.”
In the women’s match, Irish international trio Kate Mullan, Sarah Hawkshaw and Roisin Upton had a day out in guiding a strong Chill team performance to a goal in every quarter to defeat the Tassie Tigers 4-0.
After an early penalty corner sighter, the Chill opened the scoring with Naomi Evans’ reverse stick deflection from a perfectly executed pass from Upton after just five minutes.
The Tigers squandered consecutive set piece opportunities at the other end, while skipper Sarah McCambridge had a chance blocked by Chill keeper Rene Hunter after 22 minutes.
But Player of the Match brought the crowd to their feet with the Irish captain collecting the ball deep on the by-line, cutting inboard to deliver an unstoppable tomahawk strike high into the net.
Tigers keeper Cami Vaughan commenced an impressive individual performance, denying Mullan’s conversion opportunity, but did need the support of Maddi Brooks on the goal line to keep the Tigers within touching distance at the half.
The pair continued to trade set piece chances, before Mullan and teammate Catriona Bailey-Price both crashed reverse stick chances goalward without success.
Late in the third term, Madeline Dooley capped off her Chill debut with a perfectly executed aerial pass to Evans, who earned a penalty stroke for New Zealand international Kaitlin Cotter to score in the 42nd minute.
Vaughan returned with a brilliant stick save to deny Evans on the conversion attempt, but Mullan continued to inspire the Chill with forward thrusts.
The Chill’s remarkable team game was capped when Lauren Yee squeezed a fore-stick shot for Irish number 11 Hawkshaw to touch home at the far post.
While Vaughan would claim her third conversion win of the afternoon, and denied Commerford a late cherry on top, the Chill banked their first points for the JDH Hockey One League.
“It was excellent. The crowd was excellent. The atmosphere was excellent. I think the Chill put on a really good display and it was easy to get up for the game,” Mullan said post-game.
“We wanted to get last week’s game out of our system because we were disappointed, and I think today we showed what we can do. It’s very exciting and I’m very proud of the girls.”
“It has been a brilliant experience so far. There’s such a professional set up here and we eat, sleep and breathe hockey at the minute, which is what we’ve always dreamed of and to be here with two of my closest mates is fantastic.”
Every match of the JDH Hockey One League 2023 Season is LIVE and free on 7plus.
Match report courtesy of Adam Clifford.
Match Details – Men’s Match
Canberra Chill 0
Tassie Tigers 7 (Edwards 1’, McCulloch 3’/3’/26’/26’, Welch 21’, Hazell 56’)
Sunday 15 October 2023
National Hockey Centre, Canberra
Canberra Chill Men’s Team: 2.Ben Staines, 4.Jaume Torras, 6.Connor Tuddenham, 8.Sean Baker, 9.Jamie Hawke, 10.Owen Chivers, 11.Garry Backhus, 12.Jake Staines, 15.Hayden Dillon (c), 17.Aiden Dooley, 22.Jay Macdonald, 24.Davis Atkin, 26.James Jewel, 32.Brendan Hill (gk), 33.Rupinder Pal Singh
Tassie Tigers Men’s team: 3.Alex Shaw, 4.Hayden Beltz (c), 6.Josh Brooks, 7.Josh Mardell, 9.Jeremy Edwards, 12.Sam McCulloch, 14.Jack Welch, 19.Tim Deavin, 20.Ehren Hazell, 25.Max Larkin (gk), 27.Gobindraj Gill, 28.Lachlan Rogers, 30.Alistair White, 32.Jeremy Hayward
Match Details – Women’s Match
Canberra Chill 4 (Evans 5’, Mullan 24’, Cotter 42’, Hawkshaw 52’)
Tassie Tigers 0
Sunday 15 October 2023
National Hockey Centre, Canberra
Canberra Chill Women’s team: 2.Katie Mullan, 5.Claudia Johnston, 6.Roisin Upton, 7.Naomi Evans (c), 8.Sarah Hawkshaw, 11.Tamsin Bunt, 14.Emily Robson, 16.Georgie Smithers, 17.Kaitlin Cotter, 21.Mikaela Patterson, 23.Kalindi Commerford, 25.Lauren Yee, 28.Catriona Bailey-Price, 29.Madeline Dooley, 32.Rene Hunter (gk)
Tassie Tigers Women’s team: 1.Sarah McCambridge (c), 2.Jemma Kenworthy, 3.Lucy Millington, 4.Maddison Brooks, 5.Taylor Brooks, 7.Jade Smith, 9.Emily Donovan, 11.Isabelle Sharman, 12.Louise Maddock, 13.Phillida Bridley, 15.Lucy Cooper, 16.Maddison Clark, 17.Kathryn Lane, 21.Lauren Canning, 23.Camila Vaughan (gk)