U18s National Championships Roundup

What an incredible run in Perth our teams had! The U18 girls and boys travelled to Western Australia for the Hockey Australia National Championships, presented by Polytan, on July 4th - 12th. Upon their return, we've had the absolute pleasure to hear from Jenny Geeves and Lynette Stebbings about their time away:

The U18 Hockey Australia National Championships concluded in Perth with Tasmania’s boys’ team finishing a sensational campaign by claiming the Bronze medal – a testament to their grit, discipline, and unwavering self-belief. 

Day 1 saw the girls play against the strong NSW State team. The score line was 0-6, with the player of the day being Frances Boyles. Their second game was against SA, coming away with a 0-3 loss, and Rosie Salmon was being player of the day. With their final game in the pool matches as against Victoria, the girls unfortunately  lost 0-2. Sophie Kruimink was named player of the day. The girls had a tough start with NSW State and Victoria eventually playing off in the gold medal match. Their improvement was outstanding and had started to be extremely tough on the ball and started to combine well with hard work off it.

The tournament began with a mixed run of results in the pool rounds for the boys, who opened strongly securing a dominant 6-0 win over Northern Territory, before narrowly falling 2-1 to Victoria in a hard-fought clash. A 5-1 loss to NSW State followed, but the boys’ determination never wavered. Finishing 3rd in their pool, Tasmania progressed to the repechage match against NSW Blue.

The girls also went into the repechage match, but against WA Black. This resulted in a hard fought 1-1 draw. The game went to shootouts but, unfortunately, WA were successful 3-1. Harriett Sproule scored for Tasmania with a superb deflection. Harriett also won player of the match. The Vic Development team was next, and it was a hard-fought game. A lapse in concentration with 3 minutes to go allowed Victoria to score. During the game, the girls further improved with good combination passing and improved basic skills. Goalkeeper Lucy Anders won the player of the match award. The girl's sixth game was against NT, where they received maximum points with a 2-0 win. Goal scorers were Rosie Salmon, who scored her 1^st goal for Tasmania, and Lucy Miekle, from a powerful penalty corner strike. Cadelle Harris was awarded player of the match.

The girl's final game was a re-match against SA, and the girls really showed their improvement. With scores locked at 0-0 at full time, they were taken to shoot outs. Unfortunately, Tasmania lost 0-3. Sophie West won player of the match.

The girl's MVP for the Championships was Rosie Salmon, and coaches award was presented to Frances Boyles.

In the boy's repechage, the team showed noticeable growth in structure and teamwork, earning a confident 3-0 win, which propelled them into a quarter-final rematch with Victoria. Fuelled by belief and previous experience, Tasmania entered the quarter-final determined to flip the result. Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime, they stormed back in the third quarter with goals from Patrick Donegan and Ben Sargent, before Trent Smith sealed a 3-1 win with a final goal, sending Tasmania into the semi-finals.

There, they met an undefeated Queensland Maroon side. Tasmania struck first through an Angus McMullen penalty stroke in the 13th minute, but Queensland equalised just before halftime. The boys went ahead again in the third quarter via a Blake House field goal, and when Trent Smith added another in the fourth, the upset looked possible. However, a late Queensland goal forced the match into penalty shootouts. Despite goalkeeper William Dixon’s heroics in goal, the team fell just short in golden goal and missed out on a place in the final.

Undeterred, the boys regrouped to compete for bronze against a strong Queensland Gold side. Tasmania came out firing, scoring twice in the second quarter to take control and build belief that the medal was within reach. But Queensland wouldn’t back down, levelling the score with two goals of their own in the third quarter. The game tightened in the final stages, with neither side able to break the deadlock.

For the second time in as many days, the result came down to a shootout. This time, William Dixon was determined to make amends – and he did. In another dramatic golden goal shootout, Tasmania held their nerve and delivered when it mattered most, clinching a well-deserved Bronze medal.

Throughout the tournament, the Tasmanian boys showcased developing skill, mental toughness, and unity. Their performances on the national stage have earned them not only a medal, but admiration across the hockey community.

A huge congratulations to all of the athletes, award-winners, and to our officials Minka Woolley, Deb Dalton, and Vincent Harman for representing Tasmania. 

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