Another classic clash between perennial contenders the Yanac Tigers and Warrack Hoops and comfortable wins by the leading teams in the Women's and Under 16 competitions were the highlights of Round 8 of the Wimmera Hockey Association winter season which was played at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre over Friday evening and Saturday.

Open

In a fierce rivalry that dates back to their earliest grand final clashes in the mid 1980s and early 1990s, the Yanac Tigers and Warrack Hoops played out another classic encounter on Saturday evening.

The game started at full pace and did not slow down until the final whistle.

Both teams enjoyed periods dominating the game with the Hoops' precise short passing contrasting with the Tigers' strong long hitting game, but well coordinated defence at each end of the field kept the scoreboard empty until Seth Croot of the Yanac team was able to find a gap in the Hoops' defence and open the scoring with five minutes left in the first half.

There was more of the same intense play after the break and it took another 20 minutes before Hoops' Marcus Williamson scored with a sharp hit from the top of the scoring circle to even the scores.

Five minutes later Bradley Alexander converted a short corner to put the Tigers back in front and in a frantic final ten minutes of play neither team was able to breech their opponent's defence and the game finished as a two goals to one victory to Yanac.

Jayden Honeyman, Croot and Lewis Wheaton stood out for the Tigers, and Jordan Williamson, Hamish Wagenknecht and Simon King played well for the Hoops.

Despite this being the Tigers' fourth win from the last five games between these two teams, the Hoops showed enough to suggest that they could easily reverse this result in their much anticipated next clash in early August at Anzac Park in Warracknabeal.

The Kaniva Cobras remain in touch with the top two teams in the Open competition after a three goals to two win over the Dimboola Burras.

Neither team was able to score in a fast paced first half despite numerous shots which narrowly missed the goals.

After the break quick play from Dimboola allowed Jarryd Tischler to put his team in front with a successful shot from the top of the scoring circle, and three minutes later Bradley Walker extended the lead with another goal.

The last twenty minutes of play was dominated by the Cobras, with Lachlan Clark scoring a hat-trick of goals, all off penalty corners, to put them in the lead, and they were able to hold off the Burras attackers until the end of the game to claim the win.

Not surprisingly Clark was named as Kaniva's best player ahead of Duncan Shalders and Clint Beattie, and full back Caleb Halsall and forwards Tim Jorgensen and Lachlan Schultz were the better players for Dimboola.

Despite being yet to record a win this season, the Nhill Rangers continue to show that they can push any team when the scored first through a Kellie Farquharson converted short corner in their game against the Horsham Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon.

A field goal by Jarryd Bannan soon after the half time break levelled the scores but neither team was able to score again and the game finished in a draw.

Above - Kellie Farquharson of the Nhill Rangers puts pressure on Horhsmam Hurricanes' full back Aaron Carter. - Dimboola Courier Photo.

With this result the Hurricanes remain in the top four, but it also keeps the Rangers close enough to still be a realistic change of challenging for a place in the finals.

The better players included Lachie Wilde, Mont Miller and Sharma Delaney for the Rangers and Aaron Carter, Paul Mackereth and Bannan for the Hurricanes.

Women

For much of the first half of their game on Friday evening, the Kaniva Women matched the Dimboola Roos, but late goals by Adina King and Jennifer Klinge gave the Roos the lead by half time.

Meaghan Pohlner added another goal in the second half, and solid defence denied Kaniva any opportunity to score which gave a three goal win to the ladder leading Roos.

Ashlee Baker, Pohlner and Klinge were amongst the best players for Dimboola and Nyree Hutchins, Rachel Clark and Olivia Williams played well for Kaniva.

In a very tight game on Saturday evening the Yanac Women were able to hold on for a close win over a determined Warrack Women by two goals.

Control of the game was shared between both teams and both ends of the ground and it was well into the second half before Shanaye Alexander scored with a solid hit from the top of the circle and Susan Hedt scored another late in the game.

In a very even contest, Hedt, Caitlyn Smith and Mikayla Famers were selected as Yanac's best players whilst defenders Alana Morrow, Tiffany Bull and Kelly Krahe were solid contributors for Warrack.

The Nhill Thunderbirds could not field a team on the weekend and were forced to forfeit their game to the Horsham Jets. The resulting five goal victory margin awarded to the Jets keeps them only one win behind the first placed Dimboola Roos, but more importantly it improved their goal difference to equal that of the Roos, putting them in a prime position to challenge for the top of the ladder when these two teams meet next in round ten.

Under 16

Regular scoring throughout their game against the Horsham Bombers resulted in a nine goal victory for the Nhill Leopards, keeping them on top of the Under 16 ladder.

Sharma Delaney, Matthew Reichelt, Ellie Murden and Blake Miller all scored two goals each and Emily Koop scored once and this group of players shared the better player accolades for the Leopards whilst Tom Roberts, Stuart Hallett, Joshua Schwarz and Harvey Mellor stood out for the Bombers.

One goal by Lachlan Klemm and a hat-trick of scores by Sandon Schultz made up the Warrack Revengers score of four goals against a single goal, scored by Hannah Honeyman, by the Yanac Warriors.

This win keeps the Revengers only half a game behind the Leopards and increases the gap between the top four and the next two teams.

Schultz, Klemm and Oskar Bennett were best for the Revengers, and Honeyman, goal keeper Alister Dickinson, Sophie Pipkorn and Mikayla Farmers did well for the Warriors.

The Dimboola Kangaroos and Kaniva Raiders played out a two all draw in a very open game where both teams were competitive and played skilful hockey. Solid defence from both teams did not allow either team to gain an advantage by the end of the game.

Bradley Walker and Lachlan Geary were the goal scorers for the Kangaroos, and their team mates Tom Krelle, Daniel Danisch, Noah Krelle and Teo Haines were named as best players and Olivia Williams, Max Goodwin and Luke Shalders were best for the Raiders, with Shalders and Tyson Mitchell the goal scorers.

Under 12

Three even games of hockey were played in the Under 12 competition with the Nhill Bandits and Yanac Lowan Stars defeating the Horsham Blackhawks and Warracknabeal respectively and the Dimboola Kookaburras and Kaniva Rampagers playing out a draw.

Round Nine Preview

The feature game of round nine, which will be hosted at Nhill's Davis Park on Saturday, will be the Open division clash between the Warrack Hoops and Kaniva Cobras. A win to the Cobras would see them draw even on points with the second placed Hoops, but a win to the Hoops will see them retain an outright hold on that place on the ladder.

The Horsham Hurricanes who have a tenuous hold on fourth place will be able to judge exactly where they stand in the competition after they take on the undefeated Yanac Tigers, and the clash between the two teams outside the top four, the Dimboola Burras and Nhill Rangers, can keep one of these in touch with the leaders. Although he Rangers are yet to win this season, they are a real chance to change this on their home ground on Saturday.

The Yanac Women have the chance to consolidate their place in the top four when they take on the Horsham Jets whilst the Nhill Thunderbirds face the daunting task of taking on the Dimboola Roos.

The third game will see the Warrack Women have a good chance for their first win for the season against the Kaniva Women, but the Kaniva ladies will want the four points to increase their hold on a place in the top four.

The bottom two teams in the Under 16 competition will clash giving one of them the opportunity to stay in touch with the top four although both are currently ten points behind fourth place and have an intimidating task to climb the ladder before the finals.

The Dimboola Kangaroos take on the Nhill Leopards, who are in similar form to when they won the premiership last season, and the Warrack Revengers meet the Kaniva Raiders in two games that will clarify the difference between the top two teams and the next two.

In the Under 12 games, the Nhill Bandits will take on the Dimboola Kookaburras, the Kaniva Rampagers play Warracknabeal and the Yanac Lowan Stars meet the Horsham Blackhawks.

Round Nine Fixture - Saturday 1 July

- at Davis Park, Nhill

Field One

9.30 am - Under 16 - Kaniva Raiders v. Warrack Revengers
11.00 am - Women - Kaniva Women v. Warrack Women
12.30 pm - Open - Kaniva Cobras v. Warrack Hoops
2.00 pm - Open - Nhill Rangers v. Dimboola Burras
3.30 pm - Open - Yanac Tigers v. Horsham Hurricanes

Field Two

9.30 am - Under 16 - Nhill Leopards v. Dimboola Kangaroos
11.00 am - Under 16 - Yanac Warriors v. Horsham Bombers
12.30 pm - Under 12 - Nhill Bandits v. Dimboola Kookaburras
12.30 pm - Under 12 - Kaniva Rampagers v. Warracknabeal
12.30 pm - Under 12 - Yanac Lowan Stars v. Horsham Blackhawks
2.00 pm - Women - Yanac Women v. Horsham Jets
3.30 pm - Women - Nhill Thunderbirds v. Dimboola Roos

Round Eight Results

Open

Kaniva Cobras 3 (Goals - L Clark 3; Best - L Clark, D Shalders, C Beattie) defeated Dimboola Burras 2 (Goals - J Tischler, B Walker; Best - C Halsall, T Jorgensen, L Schultz)

Horsham Hurricanes 1 (Goal - J Bannan; Best - A Carter, P Mackereth, J Bannan) drew with Nhill Rangers 1 (Goal - K Farquharson; Best - L Wilde, Mont Miller, S Delaney)

Yanac Tigers 2 (Goals - B Alexander, S Croot; Best - J Honeyman, S Croot, L Wheaton) defeated Warrack Hoops 1 (Goal - M Williamson; Best - J Williamson, H Wagenknecht, S King)

   Pts      GD
Yanac Tigers 32 20
Warrack Hoops 24 17
Kaniva Cobras 20 4
Horsham Hurricanes 10 -9
Dimboola Burras      6 -11
Nhill Rangers 4 -21

Women

Dimboola Roos 3 (Goals - M Pohlner, A King, J Klinge; Best - A Baker, M Pohlner, J Klinge) defeated Kaniva Women 0 (Best - N Hutchins, R Clark, O Williams)

Yanac Women 2 (Goals - S Alexander, S Hedt; Best - S Hedt, C Smith, M Farmers) defeated Warrack Women 0 (Best - A Morrow, T Bull, K Krahe)

Horsham Jets 5 defeated Nhill Thunderbirds 0 by forfeit

   Pts      GD
Dimboola Roos 28 16
Horsham Jets 24 16
Yanac Women 16 -2
Kaniva Women 16 -3
Nhill Thunderbirds      10 -6
Warrack Women 2 -21

Under 16

Dimboola Kangaroos 2 (Goals - B Walker, L Geary; Best - T Krelle, D Danisch, N Krelle, T Haines)drew with Kaniva Raiders 2 (Goals - T Mitchell, L Shalders; Best - O Williams, M Goodwin, L Shalders)

Nhill Leopards 9 (Goals - S Delaney 2, M Reichelt 2, E Murden 2, B Miller 2, E Koop; Best - S Delaney, B Miller, E Koop, E Murden) defeated Horsham Bombers 0 (Best - T Roberts, S Hallett, J Schwarz, H Mellor)

Warrack Revengers 4 (Goals - S Schultz 3, L Klemm; Best - S Schultz, O Bennett, L Klemm) defeated Yanac Warriors 1 (Goal - H Honeyman; Best - H Honeyman, A Dickinson, S Pipkorn, M Farmers)

   Pts      GD
Nhill Leopards 28 30
Warrack Revengers 26 18
Dimboola Kangaroos      20 9
Kaniva Raiders 14 -8
Yanac Warriors 4 -19
Horsham Bombers 4 -30

Under 12

Nhill Bandits 4 (Goals - I Deckert 2, T McBride 2) defeated Horsham Blackhawks 1 (Goal - T Batchelor)

Yanac Lowan Stars 2 (Goals - Asher Zanker, A Farmers) defeated Warracknabeal 1 (Goal - H Zwar)

Dimboola Kookaburras 3 (Goals - L Krelle 2, E Simpson; Best - J Clark) drew with Kaniva Rampagers 3 (Goals - X Stimson 2, K Clark; Best - C Tink)

   Pts      GD
Yanac Lowan Stars 26 15
Horsham Blackhawks 22 0
Kaniva Rampagers 18 9
Nhill Bandits      16 -8
Dimboola Kookaburras 14 7
Warracnabeal 0 -23