Round 16 Review

Yanac Women move into fourth spot
Yanac moves ahead of Kaniva on the women’s ladder after defeating them in a close battle in Wimmera Hockey Association’s round 16 at Horsham on Saturday.
The first half was very even but Yanac made the most of limited opportunities scrambling a goal through Sheree May. Yanac’s momentum continued until the break. Even play followed in the second half with both teams setting up good scoring chances and were rewarded with one goal each. Natalie Farmers scored for Yanac before Kayla Saunderson scored one back for Kaniva with a solid hit on a short corner. The match ended in Yanac’s favour 2-1.
Mandy Falting, Sarah Coughlan and Mikaela Jago were Yanac’s best. Kayla Saunderson, Claire McDonald and Kelsey Webb worked hard for Kaniva.
Yanac is now equal on points with Kaniva but has a three-goal advantage with one round to go.
Highlanders continue to surge ahead on the women’s ladder after defeating their nearest counterparts 3-0. Highlanders scored early through Ellie Morrow but were not dominating. Dimboola Women were unable to make use of their forward moves due to Highlanders’ solid defence. Michelle Searle was strong for Dimboola while Jac Zordan was best for Highlanders.
Warrack Women took advantage of an undermanned Thunderbirds side, dominating play. Nhill did score one goal through Grace McLeod. It was one way traffic in the second half. Warrack should have scored several more in their 7-1 win. Jenny Gaulke was best for Warrack while young Brittany Dickinson was awarded best for Nhill.
Leopards move back into the number two position on the junior ladder after a 4-0 win over Revengers. Both sides showed great team work. Ben Smith scored two goals and was best for Leopards. Mark Hewitt was strong for Revengers.
Kangaroos dominated Bombers winning 6-0. Bombers had a few quick runs up the field but were unable to score. Nathan Jorgensen scored twice and was best for Kangaroos. Sean Creek did well for Bombers.
Warriors lost their match 5-3 to Raiders and now slip back into third spot. It was a fast attacking game with good skills from both sides. Warriors had an early lead with speed through the Alexander twins and two goals while Erin Blackwood was solid in defence. Raiders came back in the second half scoring five goals with excellent team play, with their younger players stepping up and making a difference. Kendal Meyer was best for Raiders while Nathan Alexander best served Warriors.
Kaniva Men were not strong enough for top team Tigers who took the win 3-0 in a fast paced match. Simon Farmers was best for the victors. Clint Beattie was best for Kaniva.
Rain met the later men’s matches. Nhill Men made Hoops work hard in a fiery game with plenty of play midfield. Both teams displayed good defence with Warrack only penetrating Nhill’s once through Scott Morrow to win 1-0. Jarrod Knoop shone for Hoops while Jarryd Bendall did well for Nhill.
Nhill’s loss puts them out of a chance for the final four in the men’s competition.
Dimboola Men gave Hurricanes a run for their money with a majority of early play. Good work in the circle led to good goals to James Klinge and Josh Halsall. Hurricanes stepped up the pressure after the break and persistent attack eventually led to a goal and then another not long after. With only minutes to go Ben Schwedes scored for Hurricanes to win the game 3-2. Richard Kemp defended well for Horsham while Beau Lovett gave Dimboola good drive. Richard Kemp and Luke Dunn scored Horsham’s other goals.
- Rachel Clark