The NSW Arrows and Waratahs will both match up against Western Australian opposition when the Australian Hockey League finals series gets underway on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
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Both sides suffered losses in their final home-and-away games in Canberra on Saturday with Georgina Morgan and Kate Jenner’s Arrows side going down to the Canberra Strikers 2-nil in a weather-affected clash while the Waratahs were beaten 3-1.
Tamworth’s Ehren Hazell was making his first appearance for the Waratahs after returning from Australian under-21s duties.
They came close early from a short corner, before Glenn Turner opened the scoring for the hosts with a 10th minute field goal.
The former Kookaburra stepped up and wrong-footed NSW keeper Ash Thomas from the resultant conversion to make it 2-0.
NSW pulled one back a minute later when Jack Hayes fired in a rocket from a penalty corner.
The Waratahs kept up the pressure but couldn’t capitalise, before Canberra’s Lewis Shepherd made it 3-1 with a field goal in the 34th minute, although he shot wide from the conversion.
Both keepers made good saves down each end in the third period, with the Waratahs having the better of the chances but being unable to capitalise as the game ended 3-1.
The loss saw the Waratahs finish the pool stage in bottom spot, while the Arrows’ defeat saw them slip to second in their pool.
The match was delayed 30 minutes following lightning and storms in Canberra.
When it did get underway the hosts piled on the pressure with a series of penalty corners.
Eventually they broke through during their PumpPlay late in the first-half, when English recruit Beckie Middleton deflected home on the slide, with the goal worth double.
NSW mustered plenty of attacking threats but were unable to penetrate before the conditions worsened again with five minutes remaining. Play was suspended and the game eventually called off.
They will face the WA Diamonds in the final of the four quarter finals at 6.15pm on Thursday.
At the same time the Waratahs will do battle with the WA Thundersticks.
The semi-finals will be held on Saturday with the medal matches on Sunday.
Meanwhile the performances of five northern talents at the State Under-15 Indoor Championships have earned them a state call-up.
Tamworth’s Amber Witney and New England’s Chelsea Thornton were named in the NSW girls side and New England’s Tyler McCann and Rohan Lawrence and Tamworth’s Nicholas O’Connor the boys sides to contest the national championships in Goulburn from January 8-12.