The WA Thundersticks have snatched the 2011 Men’s Australian Hockey League crown from the grasp of the hosts NSW after a last minute goal secured a 4-3 win.
Led by a two goal performance from AHL Player of the Finals Series Sam Pike, WA was able to overcome a dogged NSW performance to lift the trophy at Sydney’s Hockey Centre.
The match took on an unusual character, with neither side able to assert control the contest for sustained periods of time. The first half reflected this as the hosts took a seventh minute lead through a field goal to Kookaburras representative Matthew Butturini. WA responded quickly, and equalised in the 19th minute through Craig Boyne, who scored off the back of a fluent Thundersticks attack. NSW completed the see-saw effect by wrestling back initiative with a goal to Duncan Pearce on the stroke of half time to give the Warratahs a 2-1 advantage at the break.
The Thundersticks however have proved unrelenting throughout the 2011 AHL campaign and struck soon after the resumption, with Sam Pike converting a WA penalty corner attempt after 37 minutes to put the Thundersticks in control.
That pressure multiplied some nine minutes later when international Brent Dancer capitalised from another WA penalty corner to give the Thundersticks the lead for the first time in match with time waning.
Any early WA celebrations were quashed on 65 minutes however when the match took another twist, with NSW levelling through an Ian Paterson penalty corner, seemingly sending the final into extra-time.
The mark of any champion team is to play til the final whistle, and both sides went for broke to avoid the dreaded extra-time format. Sam Pike delivered with one minute remaining, finishing a beautifully orchestrated WA move to spark scenes of jubilation for the WA team, whilst Pike earned himself equal billing as the competition’s leading scorer alongside Wouter Hermkens (ACT) and Simon Orchard (NSW).
WA Thundersticks Coach Chris O’Reilly was jubilant with the team’s win. A well-prepared unit, the WA Thundersticks were always medal contenders and dominated through to the final minute of the tournament.
“We knew that we could expose NSW by attacking out wide and getting in behind them.
“Today was a big occasion and every single player stepped up to perform as a team,” he said.
“Our senior players acted as fantastic role models to the younger members of the side who were exposed to some of the best hockey talent this country produces.”
“We have an excellent team culture and play every match win as a group. Any individual rewards such as national selection that may follow will be well-deserved and be celebrated by the group.”
Despite a second consecutive final defeat, NSW Coach Larry McIntosh remained optimistic about the NSW state team’s achievements. “We looked forward to this week of matches, it was an opportunity for the whole unit to come together and grow,” he said.
“Today we were certainly clinical in some sections, but not enough.”
