Family ties spur Knights in Cup

THE Glenorchy Knights are looking to make a deep run in this year’s Lakoseljac Cup, according to coach James Sherman who says it means more to his club than any other.

Sherman said the impact of the Lakoseljac family in the history of the Knights was an extra motivator ahead of their quarter-final clash with Taroona on Saturday.

“I’ve been involved at the club a long time — and this competition — it [means] a little bit more to Glenorchy Knights. You can’t get away from it,” he said.

“There is something there that the Lakoseljac family has given to the Glenorchy Knights and it’s an honour to be able to able to work at Glenorchy Knights and represent them in the competition.”

With four points separating his side from ladder leader Devonport, Sherman’s aspirations include a league and cup winning double.

“We want to win both,” he said. “We prepared at the start of the season to put a side together that would hopefully put us in a position to do those things and if we perform consistently in games, we give ourselves a good opportunity to do that.”

On Sunday, University faces a daunting task when it meets the resurgent Olympia Warriors.

The Students are looking to make back-to-back semi-final appearances after going out at the hands of Devonport last year in the final four.

Coach Jake Undy said there was no additional motivation required for the clash however and he is confident that his side has something special.

“We’re all confident in the team and our approach to the game,” he said. “The team spirit, the skill and the camaraderie — it was then, it has been, and it continues to be fantastic.

“For this weekend, as always, we’ll take the field and play with a lot of energy, courage and mateship.

“We’ve got a way in which we want to play, we know we can do it and we’re ready.”

In other games, Hobart United faces the struggling Launceston City at KGV, while Sunday will see the only allNPL clash. South Hobart meets the Kingborough Lions just three weeks after it scored an emphatic 5-0 win when the sides met in NPL round five.