CARINYA Christian School has gone through the NSW CIS hockey tournament undefeated for the third year in a row but it wasn’t easy as the side came back from 3-nil down with four minutes to go in the final.
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The six-a-side mixed hockey carnival uses modified rules with games played across half a normal hockey field with smaller goals, and goals from outside the 16-yard circle worth one and from inside the circle worth three.
The school is in a purple patch of hockey talent at the moment, with one student taking CIS’s top honour as well as being named captain of an Australian merit side.
Antony Doolan was awarded a CIS Blue last week for his efforts on the field last year, and is keen to do even better this time around.
“CIS has never won the championships,” Doolan said.
“We have a pretty good side so hopefully this can be the year.”
It was the likes of Doolan, his sister Abigail, and Isaac Woodley as well as a few others that give the team their strike power, with Antony leading from the front.
The other members of the squad, the Powell sisters Maddie and Dolly, and Annie Fotheringham also all made the CIS squads, with Tom Schwenke choosing not to take a spot in the CIS squad despite scoring the winning goal.
The side breezed through the pool stage and into the finals and, while there were a few close games, they were the form team and the one to beat.
Nowra Christian School thought they had done just that with four minutes to go in the final.
Down 3-nil, many teams would give up, but not this Carinya side.
The team pulled together, and somehow kept calm heads as they drew the game back to even before the siren.
The match went into extra time and, with two minutes remaining in the first period, Schwenke smashed one into the back of the goal and secured the third undefeated championship on the trot.
Carinya sports co-ordinator Charles Bickersteth said every member of the squad was amazing throughout the carnival.
“The side went with only one female reserve and was able to withstand some high temperatures and squads of almost double the size,” Bickersteth said.
“In the face of some fierce defending in the final, real character was shown in holding their nerve in the face of tough opposition.”
Antony Doolan and Woodley were selected in the CIS opens squad, with Abigail Doolan and the Powell girls selected in the girls’ opens and Fotheringham in the girls’ U16s.
Last year Doolan captained every side on his way to the Australian All Schools merit squad, including NSW All Schools and CIS.
The humble young star is balancing the HSC and hockey this year but has a bright future ahead of him.
Bickersteth can’t speak highly enough of the up-and- coming star.
“He is just so humble about everything,” Bickersteth said.
“You ask him how he went and he just says ‘pretty good’ but he actually just became captain of an Australian side or won a championship or something like that.
“He is a great hockey player and just a really down to earth kid as well.”
Unfortunately Doolan couldn’t be at the ceremony to receive his sporting blue. He was at hockey training.
