Hockey
29 May, 2025
Close contests highlight round four
A series of close matches, on the field if not on the scorecard, highlighted round four of the Wimmera hockey season on Saturday.
While there were no significant upset results, most games were decided by four goals or less, with late scores after otherwise closely fought matches, creating the larger margins.
Open
While the Open ladder has taken on a familiar look, with perennial leaders the Yanac Tigers and Warrack Hoops currently sitting at the top, the Horsham Hurricanes are making some big statements suggesting that they intend to join them, and even the fifth-placed Nhill Rangers are showing some form that will worry the teams above them as the season progresses.
The Hurricanes have looked impressive so far this season despite entering round four without a win, as they were unfortunate to suffer one-goal losses to the two leading teams in their opening two games before a bye, but they flexed their muscles this week against the Kaniva Cobras with a four-goal win.
The game was still in the balance at halftime, with the Hurricanes only ahead by one goal which was scored by Thomas Batchelor in the first quarter, but they took control after halftime with goals to Fraser Cullen and another to Batchelor in the third, and sealed the result with another off Paul Mackereth’s stick within seconds of the start of the last period of play.
Traiyth Leffler was named as the Hurricanes’ best player along with Cullen and Charles Hassall, while for the Cobras, regular top performers Clint Beattie, Lachie Mills, and Adam Wallis caught the eye of the umpires for all the right reasons.
This has seen the Hurricanes move into third on the ladder, equal on points with the Cobras, but ahead with a superior goal difference.
In the other Open match, the Tigers dominated with most of the play in their half of the ground, but the Nhill Rangers’ defence held strong for almost three quarters, before the first goal for the match came within seconds of the whistle for three-quarter time, when Brad Alexander scored off a penalty corner.
The margin was set at three after a flick into the top of the goal from field play by Shaun Alexander and a goal to Kim Croot late in the last quarter, but the Rangers were not disgraced by this result as they kept the pressure on the competition leaders for the entire match.
Todd Alexander and Simon Farmers dominated in the midfield for the Tigers, and goalkeeper Henry Gill was the Rangers' best player.
The Tigers remain on top of the ladder, just ahead of the Warrack Hoops, who had the bye this week, and although the Rangers are in fifth place, they are still a real threat of breaking into the top four over the coming rounds.
Women
The leading three teams in in the Women’s competition enjoyed success this weekend, with wins to Yanac and the Dimboola Roos which sees these two teams undefeated, setting the scene for a big game when they meet next Friday evening, and a solid win by Kaniva appears to have their season back on track.
Yanac had to work hard for their win over the Nhill Thunderbirds, as although they dominated the attacking, with seventeen penalty corners and a penalty stroke for the game, the ‘Birds’ defence successfully defended them all.
The game was decided in Yanac’s favour by three field goals, two by Erin Alexander and one by Mikayla Mackley, while Nhill was unable to convert any of their attacking moves.
Alexander and Mackley were Yanac’s best players, and midfielders Kendra Clark and Cally Shurdington played well for Nhill, who, despite the loss, remain in the top four due to a positive goal difference.
The Dimboola Roos didn’t have much trouble accounting for the struggling Warracknabeal, with Ellie Baldock scoring three goals and Jennie Hauselberger two, and four teammates scored single goals to make up the total of nine, and Sam Williamson and Ellie Williamson both played well for Warracknabeal.
After a slow start to their season, the reigning premiers, Kaniva, recorded their second win in succession by defeating a shorthanded Horsham Jets 4-1.
The Jets made the better start, with a goal from a penalty corner ten minutes into the match, but the momentum began to shift after the first break, with Kaniva equalising the scores by halftime.
This continued into the second half, highlighted by Kaniva earning ten penalty corners after the long break, and they controlled the play and scored another three goals.
This earned them a comfortable victory, which has moved them into third place, still two wins behind the leaders, but one ahead of the Thunderbirds.
Kaniva had four individual goal scorers, one of whom was Imogen Williams, who was also named as their best player, ahead of Lisa Stimson and Hannah Braisby, with Kylie Eilola, Annabele Heal, and Lorna Schilling the best for the now fifth-placed Jets.
Under 16s
All three Under 16 matches were very competitive, with one draw and the other two decided by a single goal each.
The Yanac Warriors remain undefeated on top of the ladder after inflicting the Nhill Leopards’ first loss for the season 3-2, but despite the loss, the Leopards still hold on to second place.
The Warrack Revengers only scored once for their win over the Dimboola Kangaroos, which has firmed up their hold on a place in the top four behind the Kangaroos, who are on the same points but remain in third place with the better goal difference.
In the match-up of the teams outside the top four, the Horsham Bombers and Kaniva Raiders are both still looking for their first wins for the season after playing out a very even game that ended in a 1-1 draw.
– SIMON KING
