Tigers Fall On The Road To H.C Melbourne

The Tassie Tigers endured a tough Friday night on the road against HC Melbourne, with the men going down 5–1 in a rematch of last year’s Grand Final and the women falling 6–1 despite a much-improved second half.

Welch fires on return but Tigers fall in Grand Final rematch

The Tassie Tigers men fell 5–1 to ladder leaders HC Melbourne on Friday night, with the defending premiers taking control in the second quarter and fending off a Tigers fightback either side of half-time.

Melbourne nearly took the lead inside the opening minute, but Magnus McCausland got down sharply to make a pad save. It set the tone for a fast, open first quarter as the sides traded chances and the play swung from end to end. McCausland stayed sharp throughout the contest, and neither side could find a breakthrough before the first change.

The hosts lifted the tempo again in the second quarter and struck twice in the opening five minutes. Cooper Burns set up the opener for the competition’s leading scorer, Nathan Ephraums, before McCausland denied Ephraums’ conversion to keep the margin at one.

Burns then got on the scoresheet himself and finished his one-on-one conversion, taking Melbourne from 1–0 to 3–0 in quick succession.

The Tigers responded late in the half. Jack Welch, back for his first appearance of the season, rifled home a penalty corner to cut the deficit to 3–1 and give Tasmania some momentum heading into the break.

The Tigers carried that momentum into the third quarter and had the better of the opening 10 minutes. They earned several penalty corners and had opportunities to bring the margin back to a single goal, but Melbourne held firm.

The hosts made the most of a spell of Tigers card trouble later in the quarter. Ephraums scored his second field goal and this time made good on the conversion, stretching Melbourne’s lead to 5–1. That proved the final score as the Tigers were left to rue the chances they had created earlier in the term.

Tigers lift after half-time, but Melbourne’s first half dominance proves too much

The Tassie Tigers women went down 6–1 to HC Melbourne, denting their finals hopes, but produced their best hockey after half-time and twice went close to reducing the deficit.

Laura Barden put Melbourne ahead in the third minute before Penny Squibb responded from a penalty corner, drilling home her third of the campaign to make it 1–1. The hosts regained the lead on the stroke of quarter-time when Zali Ward fired home and converted to make it 3–1 at the first break. 

Mihaylia Howell scored and converted in the second quarter as Melbourne capitalised on turnovers deep in the Tigers’ defensive half to lead 5–1 at half-time with the Tigers frequent turnovers leading to consistent attacking opportunities for the hosts. Howell took her personal tally to three early in the third quarter with Melbourne’s sixth, before Evie Dalton saved the ensuing conversion. 

The Tigers then put together their best spell of the match. Isabelle Kruimink found the back of the net midway through the quarter, only for her strike to be ruled to have come from outside the circle. Replays suggested it was a marginal call. Phillida Bridley went close soon after when her tomahawk crashed into the post and stayed out, which summed up the second half for the Tigers.

Tasmania kept pressing through the final quarter and held Melbourne scoreless in the last term, but couldn’t turn its improved play into another goal. The Tigers now likely need to win their final two matches and have other results fall their way to reach the finals.