Saturday was a huge day for Gloucester Hockey Club’s junior players, kicking off semi-finals at 8:30am, followed by a fun match between parents and players before the grand-final match.
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It was a hot day, with a hotly contested semi-final match between the Wildcats and the Devils. Bethany Hester was first to score for the Wildcats and this is how the first half finished.
The second half saw a second goal from Bethany before Nathan Woods could respond for the Devils. With five minutes to go, Lucas Summerville scored to level it up. The game went into extra time and after 10 minutes with still no result, some players were pulled.
Further time elapsed without result, again players were removed until only four players left on each side. With limited time left, Ryan Beggs intercepted a great cross and put the ball solidly into goal to see the Wildcats into the grand final.
The second semi-final was shorter and an upset as competition leaders, Sharks were bested by the Dragons as Nick Maslen converted two goals. While giving the players recuperation time, parents took to the field for fun against the remaining juniors. Despite some dubious umpiring, or perhaps just some deliberately unhelpful calls, the parents still managed to get the upper hand 1-0.
The fiercely contested grand final between Denell’s Transport’s Wildcats and Gloucester AutoPro’s Dragons had both sides showing great skills and determination. The Wildcats were outnumbered nine players to 11, but this didn’t prevent them from giving their all, lead by captain Bethany Hester.
In the end, they couldn’t keep up as Justin Battams outmaneuvered the opposition to put a goal in the first half and seal the match with another goal late in the second half. Dragons won 2-0.
After the trophies, competition awards were presented:
Most Improved - Amy Fry, Sienna Macdonald, Jackson Blanch, Pryce Crane, Sam Ellis, Selina Denyer
Best and Fairest - Keira Macdonald, Thomas Hooke, Nick Maslen, Elyssa Keen, Kyden DeAngelis, Jackson Moore, Nick Edwards.
Encouragement Award – Ellie Bird
Junior Club Person of the Year – Paula Blanch and Andrew Germon
Junior Player of the Year – Toreen Denyer
A big thank you to all parents for their wonderful support and encouragement throughout the year.
We look forward to another successful year in 2018.