Futsal
Regional Championships Orange
The seven teams met at school at 7am and there was a sense of anticipation for the day ahead. Three teams made it to State last year, could we do it again?
The first round started with the U14 Girls qualifying for State due to two teams withdrawing. Macquarie Anglican drew 1-1 with us in the first practice match. The girls started to gel as a team and were able to beat Macquarie 4-0 in their second practice match. In their third match, they kept working on their passes and defensive skills and played with confidence and control, losing 2-1.
The Open Girls had an exceptional start with a 9-0 win against Wellington. Chloe, Ginger, Montana and Jacqui all scored doubles. The girls met Dubbo in their second game and Dubbo started with great defence and a 2-0 lead, early on. The girls settled into sound defence with Ginger scoring to the account to 2-1 down at half time. Chloe scored twice more, however the girls went down 4-3 in a nail biter. The girls played Wellington again in their third game and started with a very even first half at 1-1. Both teams displayed excellent scrambling defensive efforts, stifling scoring opportunities. A brilliant backward overhead cannon by Montana saw them ahead 2-1 at the break. Wellington hit straight back for 2-2. Both teams worked very hard to get the decider, but excellent defence from both teams produced a draw 2-2. The girls faced Dubbo again in a critical game for position on the ladder. The girls started with composure, controlling the tempo and spacing of the game. Agonisingly, their goalie saved four great shots by Montana. Finally Ginger needled a loose ball past for a 1-0 score line at half time. A game of attrition was finally broken by another goal from Ginger, leading to 2-0 win. In the semi-final against Dubbo South, we managed to get out to a 1-0 score by half time and won the game 3-0 through a great team effort. Well done for qualifying for State Finals. The final was a brutal affair of hard fought defence, with the girls drawing 1-1 after Montana tied it up, with less than a minute remaining. After three minutes of extra time and desperate defence, it was time for our second penalty shootout of the day! Montana drilled home our first shot. Danielle saved all three shots by the opposition. Chloe was able to ricochet our second off the goalie's foot and Ginger wrong footed their goalie to win the final 3-0 to cap off a great competition.
The U14 Boys Red team played a very slick Macquarie Boys team and lost 10-0. After improving against our Blue team, the boys displayed increased confidence and were able to put pressure on the opposition. However, the opposition was just too strong in the middle, stealing so many balls and winning 10-0. The boys then played a very strong Mamre Anglican, fought hard all game and did not lose heart. They lost to a very good team.
The U14 Boys Blue team played their first game against our U14 Red team. After tough defence from both teams, the Blues scored the first two goals off header crosses. Passing accuracy was the key difference, seeing Blues win 8-0. The boys then played Macquarie and settled into rhythm against a quality opposition. A wonderful six pass offensive play led to a 1-0 lead early on. Bevan proved the difference with expert anticipation, scoring twice more. Zac was able to save two great attempts to hold our score at 3-0 at the half. The boy’s teamwork and use of space was impressive, establishing control of the field and finishing with a 6-0 win. The boys then played Mudgee Anglican in a nail biting game, in which both teams displayed offensive and defensive brilliance. The boys had a penalty goal disallowed late in the game, leading to a 2-1 loss. The semis saw them face Macquarie Anglican in a tough game of strategic defence. Critically, Zac saved quite a few strong shots at goal. The game was still 0-0 late in the second half as their goalie just kept saving shot after shot at goal. Extra time after still being goalless for both teams. Their goalie was just too good. Time for a penalty shootout! Their goalie again saved our first shot, however Zac saved two and we won 3-2 for a place in the final. The boys faced a very good Mamre team in the regional final. Both teams started the game with great defence, as the tempo increased. Trialling different combinations was the aim of the game, as they had already qualified for state. The boys lost 5-2 and deserved their silver medal in the Regionals.
The Open Boys team started their campaign against Dubbo. They faced a well-drilled team who simply had a brilliant passing team game and went down 18-0. They played Mamre in their second game and met another well-drilled team. The boys kept playing positively and displayed improving teamwork against a very good team, losing 18-0. The boys continued their valiant efforts against Kelso and displayed much improved defence, however, they went down 17-0. The boys played Wellington in their fourth game and again showed promise early. They defended very well and missed a few excellent attempts at goal leading to a close 0-1 at half time. The boys fought brilliantly however, Wellington were able to punch one more goal off a rebounding post-strike and a goal in the dying seconds for a 0-3 loss. The boys finished their tournament against Dubbo South and again displayed heart and commitment with Ethan scoring the team's first two goals of the day! They lost 11-1.
The U16 Boys Blue team started their campaign against Macquarie Anglican. Matt Dun scored off an excellent passing move, right off the starting whistle, setting up a strong win, 9-0. The second game was against St Matthew's Catholic School Dubbo. The boys started with a very composed movement game and dominated the attacking half of the field, seeing three chances knocked out by the opposition goalie. However, a brilliant corner saw them lead 1-0 at the half. The game tightened to 1-1 and a frantic pace ensued by both teams, as they tried to get that critical goal. A wonderful five pass attacking sequence off an intercept saw the boys win 2-1, as the clock ran out. The boy’s third game was against Mudgee Anglican and fought hard for a 1-1 draw at the half. The boy’s fourth game was against an intimidating Mamre Anglican. Their warm up drills were a showpiece of precision. The boys were not put off and managed to score the first goal, with Mamre scoring twice just before half time. The boys fought valiantly for a 6-1 loss. The boys got off to a flying start in their semi-final against Dubbo South, scoring first and pressurising their passes for most of the first half. However, Dubbo scored all three times off a loose ball, leading to a 5-2 loss. Well done for making the semis in a hard competition.
The U16 Boys Red team played Lithgow and went down 2-0, however, their teamwork became effective. The boys played Dubbo in their second game and played valiantly against a skilful side, losing 5-0. Their firepower up front was just too strong. Wellington also proved to be a tough game, leading to a 7-0 loss.
The U16 girls were our last team to play round one against Dubbo. Their defence got better and better, while the accuracy of their passing also improved. The girls did exceptionally well to catch up and draw 2-2. The girls played Mamre Anglican next and had to deal with intense pressure and a 0-3 score line early. Hannah saved two goals to deny them a bigger score line. Dubbo South was a very hard game and the girls went down 9-0 to a very good opposition. In their last round game, they faced Mamre again who went through undefeated. Despite losing 7-0, the girls had a chance in the final for the second spot for State Championships. In the minor final, the girls started strongly against Dubbo South, defending very well, against a spirited offence and scoring the first goal in the first half. Dubbo managed to score midway through the second half, setting up a thrilling finish. Sadly, Dubbo stepped up a gear and scored again, to see the girls just miss the second spot in the State Championships.
Overall, all seven Cowra teams played with distinction, displaying exemplary behaviour and sportsmanship in every game. We were the largest school team to participate on the day. Jessica Finn, Elizabeth Pattingale and myself were proud to support our students in this enjoyable tournament. Bring on the State Finals!
Scott Levick
Teacher-in-Charge Futsal