Another year of promise and hope on the hockey field, led by Niamh as the Captain and Mr Spronken and Ms Cochrane from the sidelines and supported by a wonderful and enthusiastic group of players and parent supporters..

Credit must    go to all the team for their determination and positive attitude to the cold early morning training (all be it inspired by Maia’s tunes and sound system) as well as a sometime very cold and wet Monday evenings. No one ever really complained and we used the time to bond, learn new skills and most importantly support each other and have fun!

The highlight for the coaches is always seeing who will step up and fill the gaps led by the players who have gone before. A special mention here of Niamh who played every moment for 2 teams and led from the front.

Mixi who started reluctantly in goal but went from strength to strength and saved us on so many occasions. To Jasmine who played every position (and got hit almost every game) and even filled in at goalie and stopped two goals in the playoff shootout to win us the game, we will miss her maniacal laughter next year. The seniors all tried so hard and it is great to see some year nine players pushing for the first team and seeing them excel in the six a side format.

Thanks to Neva and her whanau for enabling us to enjoy laser tag as our break up, even if it turns out that Maia plays semi professionally and Hannah Mattern is just very sneaky, everyone had a great time getting easy points off Mr Spronken. Also thanks to the Fagerlund’s for the donation of the masks we promise to look after them.

Overall a successful season and we hope to build on this and win a few more games next year, I would love to mention all the players but there are just too many moments to cover. However, if you miss a game it was always fun to look at the replays on the OHA website. The final word goes to Niamh.

Niamh:

Thank you Harold Spronken

A spectacular season with spectacular finals!

Our First XI team won their final against Columba College after Lily’s field goal, with Ella and Hannah securing the win in a nail-biting penalty shootout. Jasmine made spectacular saves as goalie, after being called up for the job on the night.

The Social team final was equally as exciting, with a thrashing 9-1 win against Kavanagh College.

Earlier in the season, both teams had lost to these opponents. But the results of the final are an example of how far each players’ skills and strength on-the-ball have improved. We have every rain-or-shine, early-morning training to thank for this, as well as our two incredible coaches, Mr Spronken and Ms Cochrane, whose dedication to the sport and to our teams has not gone unnoticed.

Beyond the skill development of players, it has also been wonderful to watch the team grow closer as the season progressed. Many of us had the opportunity to play together in the co-ed tournament as well, where we placed second. It was a shame to have to pull out of our own tournament in Ashburton due to numbers, but we certainly made the most of our time together, enjoying wins (over 70 goals!), losses, and some excellent laser tag.

So, thank you to the girls who made this season so much fun! I wish you all the best for next season.