Under 16 National Championships: Repechage Day Brings Mixed Fortunes

Published Thu 16 Apr 2026

Girls Advance, But Shootout Pain For Boys

Day 3 was a day of mixed results for Tasmania at the National Under 16 Hockey Championships in Hobart, with the Girls' side advancing to the Quarter Finals of the tournament, whilst the Boys' team suffered a heartbreaking defeat in a penalty shootout.

The Girls punched their ticket to the Quarter Finals with a 3-2 victory over the Victoria Development side. After a slow start that saw Victoria leading 1-0 at halftime, the Tasmanians started to find their rhythm in the second quarter and levelled the game via Savannah Rice midway through the second quarter. The third term saw Tasmania start to dominate and Essie Pelham and Amaya Williams found the back of the net within 2 minutes of each other, as they extended the lead to 3-1 heading into the final term. A nervy finish ensued, with Victoria amassing penalty corners in the final 10 minutes and cutting the lead to 3-2, but some solid goalkeeping from Abigail Smith saw Tasmania hold firm and secure the win.

The Boys side fell heartbreakingly, losing 2-1 to Queensland Gold in a marathon penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. The first half was a cagey affair, with very few scoring chances and the defences well on top. After a scoreless third quarter, Joey Bush struck his sixth goal of the tournament midway through the fourth quarter to put the side ahead. But as has been the case throughout the tournament, there was a sting in the tail. With just 90 seconds remaining, Queensland earned a penalty stroke, which they converted to force the game into a penalty shootout to determine who would advance. Tasmania took an early lead when Lachlan Rafferty converted, but he would be the only one to do so, as Queensland eventually prevailed 2-1 despite some quality saves from Tasmania's goalie Hamish McGuire, with the shootout reaching sudden death before being decided in the 8th round.