WA U21 Men Claim Aus Champs Bronze
The WA men’s U21 team has taken a bronze medal at the 2018 Australian Championships in Sydney following a 3-1 win over the ACT.
Western Australia qualified for the finals after topping Pool B win two wins and a draw.
In the semi-finals, WA ran into a white-hot Victorian outfit and suffered a 5-1 defeat but bounced back impressively in the third place playoff to ensure a podium place.
Victory was secured through a dominant second half after the opening 30 minutes had provided a stalemate.
Liam Flynn set WA on course with a field goal in the opening minute of the third term, which was consolidated by a penalty corner strike from Marshall Puzey just three minutes later.
Holding a two-goal cushion entering the final term, WA all but guaranteed bronze with a 48th minute field goal to Joshua Bowen.
With time ebbing away, ACT did manage a late consolation but WA held firm to record a deserved 3-1 victory.
The squad contained several WAIS hockey program athletes with Flynn joined in the WA U21 team by captain Matthew Fisher, along with Alec Rasmussen and Brayden King.
Meanwhile, in the women’s U21 Australian Championship which was also held in Sydney, Western Australia has finished in seventh place after winning their final classification match against Tasmania 7-2.
The campaign had begun brightly for WA who won two matches enroute to finishing second in Pool B. However, a cross-over defeat to Victoria followed by a classification defeat at the hands of NSW Blue on penalties, meant that Western Australia was relegated to the 7th/8th place playoff.
Ciara Faichney scored a brace in the five goal win over the Apple Islanders, whilst Shanea Tonkin, Sarah Byrnes, Claudia Nielsen, Bree Johnson and Renee Rockliff all added singles.
WAIS hockey program athletes Tonkin, Rockliff, Aleisha Power, Sara Foster, Annie Gibbs, Sienna Archer, Jolie Sertorio and Phillipa Morgan all represented WA at the Championships.
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