Hockey resumes at Dimboola

Wimmera Hockey Association competition will resume at Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre this weekend after all teams had a bye last week for Victorian Junior Country Championships.

The opening game on Friday evening will see Horsham Jets attempt to break their six-game losing streak when they take on Kaniva Women.

The teams occupy fifth and sixth places on the ladder, and victory could see the Kaniva team rise as high as third. A win for Jets will keep them within reach of the top four.

The second game of the evening will be an opportunity for Horsham Hurricanes to get their season back on track if they can overcome Kaniva Cobras in open division.

The Horsham team has not won since round one, and while Cobras have enjoyed two wins and a draw so far this season, each victory has only been by the narrowest of margins.

On Saturday, the first game will see the top-placed team in the under-16 competition take on the bottom-placed team.

Despite their relative positions on the ladder, Nhill Leopards will still need to play at their best against Dimboola Kangaroos, who will be playing on their home ground.

A clash between Kaniva Raiders and Horsham Bombers could be the most keenly fought for the round.

Both under-16 teams have only registered one win each so far this season, but they have both shown they are capable of pushing any opponent for a full game.

A game involving Warrack Revengers and Yanac Warriors is another that is hard to predict with both teams capable of skilful hockey when they have their full list of players.

In the women’s competition, Nhill Thunderbirds and Dimboola Roos both go into their clash equal on points, with two wins and a draw each.

The winner should be the team that can put more of their best players on the field for the game.

Improving Warrack Women will get a chance to gauge where they stand after they take on a ladder-leading Yanac team under lights on Saturday.

On recent form the Yanac side should take the points, but Warrack has provided some surprises so far this season.

The feature game in open competition will be the encounter between Yanac Tigers and Warrack Hoops.

These two teams have established a strong rivalry dating back to the early 1990s, which has rarely seen their games decided either way by more than two goals.

Yanac goes into the game undefeated and the Hoops have only suffered one narrow loss so far this season.

In the final open game, Dimboola Burras should be able to finish ahead of struggling Nhill Rangers.