Many results over the last few rounds of the Wimmera Hockey Association winter season have reflected the respective ladder positions of the competing teams, but in round six on Saturday over half of the games did not continue this trend.
Two previously undefeated teams experienced their first defeats for this season, one team scored their first goal and earned their first points for the season and for the first time since round five last year a different team has climbed into the Open division top four.
Open
The Horsham Hurricanes have added interest to the Open competition with a comfortable three goal victory over the Dimboola Burras which has allowed them to replace that opponent in the top four, for the first time since early last year.
Will Gulline scored all three goals for the Hurricanes and was voted as their best, whilst Brett Tischler was best for the Burras.
The Yanac Tigers remain unbeaten after a tight game against the Kaniva Cobras. Both teams were kept scoreless in the first half, and it was Shaun Alexander who converted a short corner five minutes after the break that put the Tigers in front, but Cobra David Cole was able to elude three defenders ten minutes later and push the ball over the goal line to even the scores.
The deadlock was broken within four minutes of the end of the game when Seth Croot of the Tigers was able to score to give his side the victory.
Limited rotational options with only one player on the interchange and a number of Women and Under 16 players fronting up for their second game for the day, was always going to put pressure on the Nhill Rangers against the free flowing game of the Warrack Hoops.
Paul Slater (above) was one of the best players for the Hoops in their victory over the Nhill Rangers on Saturday. - Photo by John O'Dwyer
Marcus Williamson scored two of the Hoops' five goals, but it was solid half back player Hamish Wagenknecht who got the best on ground vote.
For the Rangers, reliable Mont Miller at centre half back was the stand out player, along with Jason Reichelt and Kellie Farquharson, who both were playing their second game.
Women
A near full strength Horsham Jets team was able come away from their clash with the ladder leaders with the four points by inflicting the Dimboola Roos' first defeat of the season.
Horsham attacked strongly but solid defence by the Roos prevented any score until within the shadows of half time when Ellie O'Connor of the Jets was able to score giving her team the advantage at the break.
Both teams created opportunities in the second half, but neither was able to add to the score, giving the Jets a confidence boosting win over the previously undefeated Roos.
In a very hard fought game Alana Morrow scored the first goal for the season for the Warrack Women, which matched a goal by the Nhill Thunderbirds' Ellie Murden to make this game a draw but it was also enough to give the Warrack team their first points for 2017.
Both of the goal scorers were voted as the best player for their respective teams, with Faith Eilola and Cindy Zhou the others for Warrack to play well and Kellie Farquharson and Ameilia Rintoule amongst the best for the Thunderbirds.
The Kaniva Women have consolidated their position in the top four with a one goal win over the Yanac Women which resulted in them swapping places on the ladder, with Kaniva now in third place.
The ball was strongly contested in the mid field with Yanac penetrating into attack several times however it was Kaniva who was able to finish one of their few attacking moves to score the only goal in the first half through Olivia Williams.
In the second half Yanac continued to attack strongly but a solid Kaniva defence led by best on ground Rachel Clark prevented any equalising score. Carmel Beattie was the best for Yanac.
Under 16
The last remaining undefeated team in the Under 16 competition also lowered their colours to their nearest rival on Saturday when the Warrack Revengers scored a two goal victory over the Nhill Leopards.
Despite the loss the Leopards remain on the top of the ladder, but it has now been proven that they are not invincible which will give confidence to the other teams vying for the four places in the finals.
Blake Miller continued his consistent season with the nomination as the Leopards best player, whilst Oskar Bennett and Sandon Schultz, the two gaol scorers, were the best for the Revengers.
The Dimboola Kangaroos are maintaining the pressure on the top two teams with a win over the Horsham Bombers to keep them only one game behind the Revengers.
Dimboola dominated early and were two gaols ahead before the Bombers lifted their game and reduced the margin to only one goal by half time.
The second half was very even until midway through when the Kangaroos broke through the determined Bombers' defence and put on another three goals to extend the winning margin to four.
Daniel Danisch scored three goals and a best on ground nomination and Teo Haines scored the other two for the Kangaroos, and Stuart Hallett scored one for the Bombers.
The gap between the teams in the top four and those outside is already out to eight points and significant goal difference after the fourth placed Kaniva Raiders defeated the fifth placed Yanac Warriors by one goal.
The ball spent more time at the Raiders' attacking end of the ground but the Yanac backline repelled many of their advances, and it took a skilful passage of play between Luke Shalders, Max Goodwin and Briony Williams midway through the second half to score the only goal for the game.
Under 12
One draw and two games finishing with one goal victories were the highlights of a very even round six of the Under 12 competition.
The Warracknabeal team are yet to enjoy a victory, but by scoring four goals to the Nhill Bandits' five showed that they cannot be too far off their first win.
The Horsham Blackhawks registered a one goal win over the Dimboola Kookaburras, and the Kaniva Rampagers and the Yanac Lowan Stars played out a scoreless draw.
Victorian State Country Championships
There are no game scheduled locally this weekend as two teams from the Wimmera Hockey Association will travel to Melbourne and Geelong to compete in the Victorian State Country Championships between Saturday and Monday.
A Women's team will play at Stead Park in Geelong and an Open team will contest second division at the Greensborough Hockey Centre in Melbourne's north eastern suburbs.
The Open team will play against opponents including East Gippsland, Sunraysia, Latrobe Valley and Warrnambool, but the feature game will be against the neighbouring North Central Association which will be played on Sunday evening.
Semi finals and a grand final will be played on Monday.
The local competition will resume on Saturday the 17th of June with games split between the Kaniva and Dimboola venues.
Round Six Results
Open
Yanac Tigers 2 (Goals - S Alexander, S Croot; Best - S Croot, Shaun Alexander, T Alexander, Shanaye Alexander) defeated Kaniva Cobras 1 (Goal - D Cole; Best -L Shalders, D Cole, J Hendy, D Shalders)
Horsham Hurricanes 3 (Goals - W Gulline 3; Best - W Gulline, J Bannan, E Mellor) defeated Dimboola Burras 0 (Best - B Tischler, D Danisch, B Walker)
Warrack Hoops 5 (M Williamson 2, B Schilling, J Williamson, P Slater; Best - H Wagenknecht, R Bennett, P Slater) defeated Nhill Rangers 0 (Best - Mont Miller, J Reichelt, K Farquharson)
Open Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Tigers | 24 | 17
| | Warrack Hoops | 20 | 15
| | Kaniva Cobras | 12 | 1
| | Horsham Hurricanes | 8 | -6
| | Dimboola Burras | 6 | -8
| | Nhill Rangers | 2 | -19
|
Women
Horsham Jets 1 (Goal - E O'Connor; Best - E O'Connor, L Schilling, R Creek) defeated Dimboola Roos 0 (Best - A Baker, R Lovett, E Klinge)
Nhill Thunderbirds 1 (Goal - E Murden; Best - E Murden, K Farquharson, A Rintoule) drew with Warrack Women 1 (Goal - A Morrow; Best - A Morrow, F Eilola, C Zhou)
Kaniva Women 1 (Goal - O Williams; Best - R Clark, O Williams, S Williams) defeated Yanac Women 0 (Best - C Beattie, M Farmers, S Shurdington)
Women's Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Dimboola Roos | 20 | 10
| | Horsham Jets | 16 | 9
| | Kaniva Women | 14 | 0
| | Yanac Women | 12 | -1
| | Nhill Thunderbirds | 8 | -1
| | Warrack Women | 2 | -17
|
Under 16
Warrack Revengers 2 (Goals - O Bennett, S Schultz; Best - O Bennett, S Schultz, B Williamson, H Johns) defeated Nhill Leopards 0 (Best - B Miller, S Delaney, E Koop, E Murden)
Dimboola Kangaroos 5 (Goals - D Danisch 3, T Haines 2; Best - D Danisch, R Albrecht, T Krelle) defeated Horsham Bombers 1 (Goal - S Hallett; Best - J Schwarz, H Mellor, S Hallett, S Foot)
Kaniva Raiders 1 (Goal - B Williams; Best - L Shalders, B Williams, O Williams) defeated Yanac Warriors 0 (Best - J Croot, M Farmers, S Pipkorn, C Hassall)
Under 16 Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Nhill Leopards | 20 | 19
| | Warrack Revengers | 18 | 13
| | Dimboola Kangaroos | 14 | 6
| | Kaniva Raiders | 12 | -6
| | Yanac Warriors | 4 | -13
| | Horsham Bombers | 4 | -19
|
Under 12
Nhill Bandits 5 (Goals - I Deckert 3, T McBride 2) defeated Warracknabeal 4 (Goals - L Eilola 2, M Butcher, S Goodwin)
Horsham Blackhawks 1 (Goal - A Koch; Best - A Koch) defeated Dimboola Kookaburras 0 (Best - H Knoop)
Kaniva Rampagers 0 (Best - X Stimson) drew with Yanac Lowan Stars 0 (Best - H Pedie)
Under 12 Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Lowan Stars | 18 | 8
| | Horsham Blackhawks | 18 | 1
| | Dimboola Kookaburras | 12 | 13
| | Kaniva Rampagers | 12 | 2
| | Nhill Bandits | 12 | -4
| | Warracnabeal | 0 | -20
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