Tigerstix have many grounds for success
terry.wilson@news.com.au at home on the old surface – and they went down 4-3 in Round 18 of the 2016 season.
Easts then trumped Labrador in a knockout semi-final, also by 4-3.
“It’s fair to say we definitely owe Easts one,” Labrador club president Scott Beasley said.
“It is definitely good to get a game at home again because it has been a long wait finally getting back to the new Keith Hunt Park.
“And playing the top side makes it an even bigger occasion.”
The Labrador Families Field, which will become a permanent venue for Brisbane Hockey League games, is situated east of the Commonwealth Games ground.
That field has been used for a series of matches between the New Zealand Blacksticks and a Queensland Blades squad.
The Tigerstix hit top form last weekend when they beat University of Queensland 5-1 in a BHL clash at St Lucia in Brisbane.
However, it was not quite enough for the Gold Coast side to qualify for the midseason Memorial Cup final.
To qualify for that event, contested by the two top teams at the halfway point of the season, Labrador needed a huge win over University and have Commercial beat Pine Rivers-St Andrews.
Labrador won easily and Commercial beat the Saints, leaving the Tigerstix tied with University for second place on 19 competition points.
The students have a better goal difference than Labrador, by seven goals, leaving University and Easts to contest the Cup final on June 17.
Jason Wilson and Joe Reardon each scored two goals and Sam Young one as Labrador recorded a fourth straight win over University.