Grafton Hockey Association has had more success in the State Championships, with the Under 15 Boys winning silver in 2nd Div.
The result made the long trip to Wagga Wagga feel justified for the team and their families who travelled with them. Grafton Hockey also had another 5 players who competed for other associations over the weekend.
Coach Rob Third prepped the team to start strong and fast and the team did exactly that with a 6-1 win over Bathurst, with solid performances across the pitch, and 6 different goal scorers. The second game of the day proved a bit more challenging, with Goulburn providing a very physical game, but the Grafton team prevailed with a 2-1 win.
Day 2 started with another physical battle against undefeated South East Sydney, with Grafton able to take the win 2-0. The pool games wrapped up well with a 6-0 win over Manning Valley. This placed Grafton at the top of their pool and set to play Far North Coast in the semi-final.
Far North Coast had proven very strong in defence over the round games, with only the top team of their pool managing to put any goals in the net against them, so the Grafton boys knew they would have a tough job ahead of them. That proved to be very true, but they managed to get one in on a well-executed penalty corner, to win 1-0.
This left New England Hockey standing in the way of a premiership. New England had moved through the tournament without really being challenged, with 26 goals for, and only 3 against.
The grand final started with New England showing their confidence and intensity, scoring within the first minute of the game. Despite this, Grafton rallied, with end-to-end hockey for the rest of the half. The half time talk lifted the boys, and they scored early in the second half to equalise 1-1. An unlucky call or 2 in the defensive circle gave New England an opportunity, and they unfortunately capitalised, taking the win 2-1.
Players Max Oxenbridge, Jack Cheney, Gus Lobsey, Chase Callaghan, and Zayden Third were rewarded for their efforts with selection in the 2024 Under 16 State squad. Coach Rob Third and Manager Matt Cheney expressed how proud they were of the whole team for their effort and behaviour over the entire weekend.
Angie Day