HOCKEY TASMANIA Online

The 2008 U18 Australian Women’s Championship resumed over the weekend at the State Netball Hockey Centre in Melbourne, and the Tassie girls fired up to gain two more wins to place them in serious contention for a finals spot.

NSW Arrows 4 defeated Victorian Vipers 3; Canberra Strikers 4 defeated NT Pearls 3; SmokeFree WA Diamonds 2 defeated OAMPS Queensland Scorchers 1; Southern Suns 1 defeated Wrest Point Van Demons 0

The OAMPS Queensland Scorchers are now the only undefeated team at the women's AHL tournament after handing the Canberra Strikers their first defeat.

SmokeFree WA Diamonds 1 Victorian Vipers 0; NSW Arrows 6 Southern Suns 1; OAMPS Queensland Scorchers 4 Canberra Strikers 2; NT Pearls 5 Wrest Point Van Demons 1

A healthy day of rain welcomed Day Three of the U18 Australian Women’s Championship and the big winners today were NSW and WA who continue to dominate the competition.

The Tassie girls have lost their second round match to NSW, 1-4. Emily Lawson scored Tasmania’s lone goal by converting a penalty corner in the 49^th minute; NSW goalscorers were N Christian (10 FG), K Pearce (11 FG & 56 PC) and K White (52 PS).

OAMPS Queensland Scorchers 4 defeated NT Pearls 0; SmokeFree WA Diamonds 4  defeated Southern Suns 0; NSW Arrows 2 defeated Wrest Point Van Demons 1; Canberra Strikers 2 defeated Victorian Vipers 2 (6-5 penalty shoot out )

Tasmania has made a great start in the Under 18 National Championship. They have defeated South Australia, 3-0 with goals scored by Ashley Bodell (14 FG), Blair Patten (36 PC), and Eliza Flanagan (52 FG).

The Victorian Vipers, SmokeFree WA Diamonds and the Canberra Strikers all recorded comfortable victories while the OAMPS Queensland Blades just scrapped home against the NSW Arrows on day two of the women's AHL tournament.

Canberra Strikers 6 Southern Suns 2; SmokeFree WA Diamonds 6 NT Pearls 1; Victorian Vipers 5 Wrest Point Tassie Van Demons 1; OAMPS Queensland Blades 1 NSW Arrows 0

The NSW Arrows have pulled off an upset against the reigning AHL women's champions to defeat the SmokeFree WA Diamonds in the final match of day one at the AHL.

The OAMPS Queensland Scorchers have also put their hand up to be the team to beat at the AHL tournament while the Victorian Vipers and Canberra Strikers recorded close victories over the NT Pearls and Wrest Point Van Demons respectively.

The 2008 Women’s AHL will be played in Perth from 24 March to 5 April and will consist of seven rounds of regular competition followed by two rounds of finals.The top four (4) teams on the premiership ladder at the conclusion of the round games shall compete for the League Final. Classification matches will be played to determine the remaining four teams' final positions.

Although victory will be on the minds of each team at this years women's AHL tournament, the two week campaign holds even more significance for dozens of the country's elite players.

The WA Thundersticks defeated the Qld Blades 4-2 in the final of the AHL Championships in Canberra yesterday. The score was locked at 1-1 until half way through the second half when the Thundersticks began to dominate what up until then had been a game of dominant defences.

Two goals scored in the 60th and 62nd minutes by Vic Vikings Luke Doerner and Luke Geraghty were enough to overcome the MIA Tassie Tigers' resistance in the Bronze Medal match of the 2008 AHL Championships in Canberra yesterday.

SmokeFree WA Thundersticks 4 defeated OAMPS Queensland Blades 2 (1-1 half time)  Goals: SmokeFree WA Thundersticks: 4 (Dancer, Brett 22nd min FG; Charlesworth, Jonathon 54th min FG; Smith, Andrew 60th min FG; Hopkins, Aaron 64th min PC)  OAMPS Queensland Blades: 1 (Elder, Troy 32nd min PC; Eglington, Nathan 79th min PC)

The OAMPS Queensland Blades will face the SmokeFree WA Thundersticks for the second year in a row after both teams made their way into the AHL championship match at the expense of the MIA Tassie Tigers and Victorian Vikings respectively.

The Qld Blades yesterday defeated the Tassie Tigers 3-1 in their semi-final of the AHL Championships in Canberra. This was the first v fourth game, the Tigers having beaten the Blades on Wednesday to secure fourth spot over the SA Hotshots. Qld moves into today's championship decider against the winner of the Vic (2) v WA (3) encounter. Tassie will play the loser to decide the bronze medal.

Victorian Vikings 4 Southern Hotshots 0
NSW Waratahs 7 Northpharm NT Stingers 0 (4-0 half time)
SmokeFree WA Thundersticks 1 Canberra Lakers 0 (1-0 half time)
MIA Tassie Tigers 5 defeated OAMPS Queensland Blades 4 (extra time) (2-3 half time)

Geoff Cock wrong-footed the Qld goalie and smashed home the last of his three goals against a Queensland Blades team bristling with Olympians to keep the Tigers in the game early in the second half in last night's thrilling encounter.

The Tassie Tigers lost to the SA Hotshots in Canberra yesterday, early in the second period of extra time. The Hotshots had come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the score at 3-3 just before the siren.

Canberra Labor Club Lakers 4 Northpharm NT Stingers 2 (2-2 half time)
Southern Hotshots 4 MIA Tassie Tigers 3 (extra time) (1-3 half time)
Victorian Vikings 1 NSW Waratahs 0 (0-0 half time)
OAMPS Queensland Blades 3 SmokeFree WA Thundersticks 2 (extra time) (0-1 half time)

Round 5 AHL results:
SmokeFree WA Thundersticks 4 MIA Tassie Tigers 2 (3-1 half time)
Canberra Lakers 4 NSW Waratahs 3 (extra time (1-3 half time)
OAMPS Queensland Blades 5 Victorian Vikings 2 (2-2 half time)
Southern Hotshots 3 Northpharm NT Stingers 2 (2-1 half time)

The WA Thundersticks proved a little too strong for an injury-stretched Tassie Tigers outfit in Canberra yesterday, winning their critical encounter 4-2

The MIA Tassie Tigers moved to third on the men’s National League hockey ladder with a commanding 4-1 win over the Northern Territory Stingers in Canberra yesterday.

The MIA Tassie Tigers had a convincing win in Canberra yesterday against an error-prone NT Stinger outfit. The final score was 4-1. Within the first 30 seconds, David Guest turned the ball over in midfield before finishing off his excellent work in the same movement with a crisp goal.

OAMPS Queensland Blades 3 Canberra Labor Club Lakers 2 (1-0 half time)
Victorian Vikings 0 (5) SmokeFree WA Thundersticks 0 (4)
MIA Tassie Tigers 4 Northpharm NT Stingers 1 (3-1 half time)
Southern Hotshots 3 NSW Waratahs 1 (1-0 half time)