Grads favourites with their peers
NORTH- WEST Graduates will be shooting for back-toback women’s hockey Premier League trophies when they face DiamondBacks in tomorrow’s grand final.
Despite falling 4-1 to the Maroons in an embarrassing semi-final capitulation, Graduates are the overwhelming choice of their Premier League peers to triumph this weekend.
Of 10 local players polled, OHA skipper Jean Flanagan is the most confident of seven who are siding with the defending champions, predicting a 3-0 win, while Canterbury’s Molly Rasmussen (2-0) and Derwent’s Jess Tremayne (3-1) suggest two-goal margins.
“North-West have been the stronger team all season and they have a very highly skilled group, so my money is on them,” Rasmussen said.
“I think that DiamondBacks will struggle with how fit and fast Graduates are in the front half of the ground.”
Nellie Paynter (2-1), Eliza Westland (3-2), Sarah McCambridge (3-2) and Molly Haas (2-1) also opted for Graduates by a tighter margin.
But Canterbury star Katie Hopkisson said that DiamondBacks would prevail 3-1 as the ghosts of fallen finals campaigns came back to haunt Graduates.
“DiamondBacks are my choice as their intensity and creation of goal-scoring opportunities in the semi-final, especially from Pippa Lewis, was so good, unlike North-West, who seem to have really lost their form during finals,” Hopkisson said.
The English import was joined by goalkeepers Kacee Ponting and Merinda Sainty, who both selected the Maroons in a 2-1 win.
“If you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have said North-West, however, off recent performances, I’m tipping DiamondBacks to win in a nailbiting game,” Ponting said.
But both sides were keen to paint themselves as the underdog, with Graduates coach Chris Hazelwood pointing to DiamondBacks’ strong semifinal performance.
DiamondBacks enjoyed a competitive hitout last week against a mixed Premier League side to stay battle hardened and they welcome back talented striker Phillida Bridley to their starting line-up.
“I have complete confidence in the group to put forward an excellent display of women’s hockey and really put North-West under pressure from the start,” DiamondBacks coach Sarah Birch said.
Regardless of which side can convert opportunities, the battle between Premier League Player of the Year Em Newbold and DiamondBacks star Pippa Lewis will be worth the admission fee alone.
The women’s first-grade grand final between OHA and Derwent is at 10am, with the Premier League showdown at 2pm at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre.