Tigers bring momentum home for Friday night Chill clash

Published Thu 22 Oct 2026

The Tassie Tigers will look to carry their momentum from a successful road trip to Adelaide into a Friday night double-header against the Canberra Chill at the Aurora Energy Tasmanian Hockey Centre.

Coming off victories for both teams, the Tigers return home with the Men chasing a third consecutive win and the Women looking to build on their first victory of the ONE Active Hockey One League season.

The Men open proceedings at 6:00pm in a clash between two unbeaten sides, before the Women face off at 7:45pm.

Men targeting greater efficiency

The Tigers Men have opened their campaign with a 4–2 victory over Perth and a commanding 9–1 win against Adelaide, but young star Angus McMullen says there is still room for improvement.

“We’re looking to continue on from last week and be more efficient with our circle entries,” McMullen said.

“We’ve been really good at getting the ball in there, but we still have a few things to tidy up.”

Canberra arrive with an equally impressive record, having beaten Adelaide 9–1 in Round 1 before defeating the Melbourne Cobras 4–2 last weekend.

Both teams have scored 13 goals and conceded just three across their opening two matches, setting the scene for an entertaining contest between two dangerous attacking sides who occupy the top two spots on the ladder.

“Canberra are a very attacking team, so it will be a very good game,” McMullen said.

“They went into the circle 10 times against Adelaide and scored nine times, so that shows how dangerous they can be. That’s what we want to do, be efficient with our circle entries.

“Both sides play a really attacking brand, so it should be a good game.”

Oscar Pritchard returns to the side for Friday’s clash in the only change to the Men’s squad, replacing Tyson Johnson.

After playing in hot conditions in Adelaide last week, McMullen said Friday’s warm forecast was no concern, with the youngster looking forward to a vocal home crowd getting behind the Tigers.

“We played in the heat in Adelaide last week, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.

“You notice the crowd at times, and it can definitely affect the other side. It’s good to have that support, so hopefully we can get a good crowd behind us tomorrow night to cheer us on.”

Women seeking to build momentum

The Tigers Women head into Friday with renewed confidence after their 5–1 victory over Adelaide, having opened the season with a 3–0 defeat against reigning champions Perth.

Team Captain Penny Squibb said the Adelaide performance provided encouragement, particularly the team’s ability to score in different ways.

“In the first week, there were things we were happy with and things we needed to work on,” Squibb said.

“Against Adelaide, it was nice to put a few goals away from both penalty corners and field play, and to convert those one-on-one chances. That will become important throughout the tournament.”

An unchanged Tigers squad will face a Canberra side also holding a one-win, one-loss record. The Chill opened with a 7–3 victory over Adelaide before falling 3–1 to the Melbourne Cobras.

Squibb expects a closely contested match, with making the most of periods of control likely to prove decisive.

“It would be nice to take that momentum into the clash with Canberra. We stack up well against them,” she said.

“It will be one of those games that goes back and forth, but if we can take our chances and score when we get on top, we’re a good chance.”

With the Tigers’ new combinations continuing to develop, Squibb believes the squad has the potential to make a significant impact this season.

For now, the focus remains on the steps needed to realise that potential.

“If we get things right, we have a group that can go deep into finals,” she said.

“For us, it’s about making sure we get our processes right and not worrying too much about outcomes. They will follow if we stick to our strengths and play to the best of our abilities.

“If we do that, anything is possible. We need to make sure we believe that.”