Victoria, Queensland move through Day-6 Games with victories: U-21 Australian National Hockey Championship
Victorian and Queensland rendered their best performances and managed victories against Tasmania and Western Australia (WA) respectively by 6-1 and 2-1 in the Day-6 Games of the U-21 Australian National Hockey Championship being played at the National Hockey
Centre in Lyneham, Australia.
In the first game, Victoria, the team standing at the fourth position at the point's table, impressed the on-lookers with its shining performance and scored six goals against the one of Tasmania. It was a great comeback from the Victorian side after missing
a game in the hands of New South Wales (NSW) in the Day-5 fixture.
Nonetheless, the two teams opened the game by exchanging a couple of attacks, but it was Victorian team that drew the first blood in the 4th minute. They received a short-corner and Michelle Tuhan was the player who availed the opportunity and
put her team ahead in the point scoring.
Regardless of best efforts from the Tasmanians, they failed to stop the Victorians from hurling back-to-back fires at their goal. After some easy play, Sarah Breen of Victoria scored off another penalty-corner in the 20th minute and increased
the lead up to two.
The Victorians, after making a 2-0 lead, were playing a cool and calm game. However, Tuhan marked a couple of more goals in the wanning minutes and increased the advantage. She obtained a couple of goals respectively in the 28th and 30th
minutes and made the comeback impossible for the Tasmanians.
The second period also belonged to Victoria which obtained a couple of goals, while allowing opposite Tasmania only for a single goal. Shara Cousins managed a goal from the field in the 57th minute, while Hayley Padget closed the session with
a fine field effort in the 68th minute.
Keely Hunter, the only goal scorer from Tasmania, lit the lamp in the 64th minute, but that could not save them from a five-goal defeat, 6-1.
In the other game, Queensland delivered one of the best shows in the tournament and booked a berth among the top four squads.
The crucial match was quite hard-hitting from the very start and both the teams swapped dangerous moves in the 25-yard D-line.
The strikers from the Queensland played the game at a very fast pace and their efforts paid them off in the 18th minute, when Kandice Oliveri knocked a shot into the goal-post of Western Australia. It was the only goal from Queensland in the first
round.
In the second half, both the teams exchanged a goal, but Queensland was still ahead. Kathryn Slattery achieved it for WA, while Alyssa Kerr did it for Queensland. The score remained same till the final whistle and Queensland won the match at 2-1.
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