Adelaide Fire ruined HC Melbourne’s perfect season, Brisbane Blaze locked up a home semi final, while Canberra Chill snuck into the finals courtesy of the Tassie Tigers’ stunning win over the Perth Thundersticks.
And the semi finalists for the inaugural Sultana Bran Hockey One season have been decided following a final round of matches that threw up some intriguing and surprising results.
The round began in Hobart with the Tassie Tigers producing their best performance of the season to notch their first win and extinguish Perth Thundersticks’ finals hopes in the process.
Needing to defeat the previously winless Tigers to secure a top four spot, the Thundersticks received the perfect start when Karri Somerville struck in the 4th minute. But by half time they found themselves 3-1 down after Sarah McCambridge scored and then Sophie Rockefeller fired home a brace with a field goal and resultant successful conversion.
Renee Rockliff reduced the deficit early in the final quarter but the massive boilover was complete with three minutes remaining as Phillida Bridley scored from general play and then converted her one-on-one opportunity to give the Tigers a thrilling victory and send retiring goalkeeper Holly Bonde off a winner.
The State of Origin rivalry was reignited in Queensland as the Brisbane Blaze and NSW Pride welcomed back a host of their Hockeyroos stars for a match that had the Blaze aiming to sew up second spot, while the visitors had just their namesake to play for.
Blaze goalkeeper Hannah Astbury made a stunning early save to keep scores level and in a tightly fought contest, two quality drag flicks from Hockeyroos duo Jodie Kenny and Madison Fitzpatrick was enough to separate the teams and ensure Brisbane Blaze would host a semi final.
Finally, after a tense scoreless first three quarters, HC Melbourne and Adelaide Fire turned on a thriller at Melbourne’s State Netball and Hockey Centre.
A well taken drag flick by Hockeyroo Karri McMahon eventually broke the deadlock to give the Fire the lead in the 53rd minute, but just as the visitors appeared to have inflicted HC Melbourne’s first loss of the season, Kristina Bates pounced on a loose ball to smash home an equaliser in the dying seconds.
Bates had a chance to win it with her resultant one-on-one conversion opportunity but Fire goalkeeper Ashlee Wells pulled off a fine save with her left leg to send the match to penalties.
In the shootout it was the Adelaide Fire who would hold their nerve, HC Melbourne’s Madi Ratcliffe missing her penalty to give the South Australians a memorable victory and plenty of confidence heading into their cutthroat semi final against Brisbane Blaze.
All four semi finals will be broadcast LIVE and exclusive on Kayo with the Grand Finals to be shown LIVE on Fox Sports.
Sultana Bran Hockey One 2019 Season – Round 7 Results
Women’s Competition
Tassie Tigers 5 (McCambridge 25’, Rockefeller 29’/29’, Bridley 57’/57’)
Perth Thundersticks 3 (Somerville 4’, Rockliff 47’, Vanderzwan 60+’)
Saturday 2 November 2019
Tasmanian Hockey Centre (TAS)
Tassie Tigers Women’s team: 1.Sarah McCambridge, 2.Amelia Spence (c), 3.Hannah Richardson, 4.Nicole Geeves, 5.Molly Haas, 8.Holly Bonde (GK), 9.Emily Donovan, 10.Laura Spandler, 13.Phillida Bridley, 15.Sophie Rockefeller, 16.Samantha Lawrence, 19.Esmee Broekhuizen, 20.Katerina Lacina, 21.Lauren Canning
Perth Thundersticks Women’s team: 1.Phillipa Morgan, 3.Candyce Peacock, 4.Jemma Buckley (c), 8.Georgia Wilson, 9.Shanea Tonkin, 12.Liné Malan, 14.Roos Broek, 15.Caitlin Pascov, 16.Karri Somerville, 17.Annie Gibbs, 18.Renee Rockliff, 19.Aleisha Power (GK), 21.Jade Vanderzwan, 29.Agueda Moroni
Brisbane Blaze 2 (Kenny 26’, M.Fitzpatrick 41’)
NSW Pride 0
Saturday 2 November 2019
State Hockey Centre (QLD)
Brisbane Blaze Women’s team: 1.Savannah Fitzpatrick, 2.Madison Fitzpatrick, 3.Layla Eleison, 4.Ashlea Fey, 5.Rosie Malone, 6.Morgan Gallagher, 7.Jodie Kenny (c), 8.Jordyn Holzberger, 9.Jesse Reid, 14.Meg Pearce, 15.Hannah Astbury (GK), 19.Morgan Mathison, 20.Aleisha Neumann, 22.Britt Wilkinson
NSW Pride Women’s team: 1.Jocelyn Bartram (GK), 2.Sarah Johnston, 7.Grace Stewart, 10.Greta Hayes, 14.Kaitlin Nobbs, 16.Jessica Watterson, 19.Morgan Blamey, 20.Maddison Smith, 21.Alice Arnott, 22.Kate Jenner, 23.Abby Wilson, 28.Casey Sablowski (c), 29.Courtney Schonell, 31.Emma Spinks
HC Melbourne 1 (3) (Bates 60’)
Adelaide Fire 1 (4) (McMahon 53’)
Adelaide Fire win 4-3 on penalties
Sunday 3 November 2019
State Netball and Hockey Centre (VIC)
HC Melbourne Women’s team: 1.Sophie Taylor, 2.Aisling Utri, 3.Nicola Hammond, 5.Kristina Bates, 7.Kary Chau, 10.Laura Desmet, 12.Carly James, 14.Laura Barden, 20.Hayley Padget, 21.Florine van Grimbergen, 22.Madi Ratcliffe, 23.Samantha Snow (c), 25.Hannah Gravenall, 27.Rachael Lynch (GK)
Adelaide Fire Women’s team: 1.Linzi Appleyard, 3.Brooklyn Buchecker, 6.Jane Claxton, 7.Emma De Broughe, 8.Holly Evans (c), 13.Sarah Harrison, 15.Euleena Maclachlan, 17.Karri McMahon, 19.Gabi Nance, 20.Hattie Shand, 21.Miki Spano, 22.Leah Welstead, 25.Kate Denning, 30.Ashlee Wells (GK)
Sultana Bran Hockey One League – Women’s Semi Finals
Brisbane Blaze (2) v Adelaide Fire (3)
Saturday 9 November 2019
State Hockey Centre (QLD)
Match Start: 5:00pm local (6:00pm AEDT)
HC Melbourne (1) v Canberra Chill (4)
Sunday 10 November 2019
State Netball and Hockey Centre (VIC)
Match Start: 2:30pm local (2:30pm AEDT)