Hockey

After a special pre-competition training on the turf hockey fields and regular trainings at lunchtime on the courts, the Mater Dei girl’s Hockey team were prepared to face some tough opponents. The competition was tight in this year’s girl’s Hockey Combined Wagga competition. 

Our first opponents were TRAC. At the end of the first half we had conceded only two goals and were very confident going into the second half. After holding TRAC out the whole second half we ended our first game with a 2-0 loss. Despite this, new defence skills and hope was taken from our second half performance. 

Against Kooringal High we did well in shutting down their stronger centre players and moving the ball wide to make progress up our side of the field. Like TRAC, it was 2-0 at half time but we were beginning to break down their plays at the end of the half and went into the second half strong. We held Kooringal out until, in the last ten minutes, they put two quick ones in the goals. 

We faced Wagga High with some hope, aware of the fact that their star player was out injured. Mater Dei scored the first goal of the game, and of the girl’s Hockey team history. Wagga High hit back but Mater Dei held on until the very last minute when a corner right on the bell was played out and Wagga High broke the 3-3 score to win the game 4-3. 

Mater Dei scored its first win in history in a dominant game against Kildare. The game ended 2-0 but most of the game was played in our attacking half which gave us a major confidence boost and an opportunity to play off for 3rd and 4th in the competition, something which we had never done before. 

The Mater Dei girls went into our final match against TRAC with more confidence than ever. The game was our toughest yet and we ended the first half 0-0 after strikers, Jasmine Hutchinson, Brandy Nicholson, Molly Kingwill, Carly Salmon and Louise Baker made valuable runs and passes up through TRAC’s defence. They created many attacking opportunities and the main reasons that our attacking short corners fell short was the loss of injured player Ashleigh Jamieson, who usually has strong and accurate shots on goal. 

The defence was outstanding with Montana McKenzie directing her backs and informing them of attacking players. Alyx Casey and Alex Williams left it all on the field for the final year and held the constant attacks of TRAC’s forward line out each time. 

After the second half bell rang it was still a deadlock at 0-0 and we went into 5 minutes of extra time each with no golden goal. In the first few minutes of our extra time an incredible goal by Amber Jones was scored to put us in front, so that all we had to do was keep minimise TRAC’s opportunities to score. 

Fantastic defence and mid-field play by Hailey Hutchinson and Jane Arragon strengthened the whole team as we finished the first part of extra time. A bit confused about what to do each team shook hands, believing that we had won, until the umpires told us we had to play another 5 minutes with TRAC starting with the ball. 

Our defence was rock solid as TRAC kept trying to break through it and we finished the 5 minutes without TRAC scoring any goals. So we began celebrating our momentous win…until the ref called a short corner against Alex Williams. “All we have to do is get the ball out” was repeated amongst backs and halves in the goal. 

We ran out and TRAC took their shot…and again it hit Alex Williams so another short corner was called. So we went again sprinting out trying our best to clear the ball, finally Alex Williams cleared it…but it was illegally over the backline so another corner was called. 

Our spirit was beginning to dwindle as we ran out for a third time and Hailey Hutchinson was injured by a strong shot from TRAC and another corner was called. Alex was the only person who saw light in this moment as she wasn't, for the first time in the past few minutes, responsible for the corner. 

Anyway, we returned back and set up for our fourth corner. As the ball was pushed out we all sprinted as hard as we could at our opponents. The ball reached the striker at the top of the circle and she took a shot, it was airborne and we all thought it would end up in the back of our net and we would have to do run-ins. But by some miraculous luck it went to the left of the goal and we celebrated, this time correctly, as we had achieved our best result in the history of girl’s Hockey at Mater Dei, 3rd! 

Special thanks to Miss Paul, who coached and encouraged us so well during the season and our Year 12s, Jane Arragon, Alex Williams and Alyx Casey, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Jane and Clare Arragon