Match Reports
U11Gold
Round 1 lost to Ryde 0-1
ND started the game with good structure and was beginning to dominate Ryde. Anna was finding plenty of space with great leads from right wing while Dylan was keeping the game moving by taking advantage of the new free hit rules. The ND forwards, lead by Harleigh, were unlucky not to score in the first 20 minutes. The first half ended strongly for our defensive line as they held out against two short corners after the siren. Ryde lifted their game in the second half although ND was still in control of the game. Bethany and Liam thwarted each attacking play Ryde made while Keely continued to move the ball back down the right side of the field in counter attack. Unfortunately mid way through the half Ryde managed to use a break away from a long pass to score. The last ten minutes of the game saw ND put a lot of attacking pressure on Ryde but time ran out. Overall it was a good start to the season and the way everyone played was very encouraging. The Ice Cup Award went to Bethany for solid defense, while the Players Player was a five way tie between Keely, Anna, Harleigh, Tyler and Dylan
U13Gold
Round 1 lost to GNS 0-1
A tough first round opponent and in the end only the 1 goal separated the teams. Gordon took the lead mid way through the first half after a move down the right side of the field & the shot squeezed past Adam B in goals. The second half was a much between team performance and despite creating a number of goal scoring chances the equaliser never came. We ended the game down to 10 players after Adam J was struck in the head with a deflected ball. Well played Scott & Adam in defence & Brodie in his first game for ND, Ice Cup award went to Caitlin.
Round 2 lost to Baulkham Hills 0-1
Against a strong Baulko team, this turned into a very even game & in the end a turn over just outside the defensive circle allowed Baulko the chance they needed. A quick, sharp shot was enough for them to score. ND created enough chances to get a better result from the game & was unlucky not to at least share the points.
Round 3 lost to Manly 1-2
We went into the game against Manly looking to post our first win of the season. In a close even game, Manly took the lead during the first half from open play; we came close to scoring of a penalty corner & Adam H also nearly scoring. One of the highlights of the first half was a sliding tackle from goalie Adam H to take the ball from the attacking forward. During the second half we continually pushed forward looking for an equaliser, but due to a lapse in concentration in defence, Manly made it 2-0 from a free hit dribbled into the circle for a free shot on goal. With 6 minutes left we opened our scoring account for the season with a goal to Jackson. A tense last few minutes ensued as ND pushed forward, Jackson had one more chance to grab an equaliser in the last minute, but the Manly keeper as he had done all game made the important save. Good games to Scott, Holly & Joseph. Ice Cup award went to Joseph.
Round 4 defeated Briars 1-0
With the addition of some new players we took on newly promoted Briars, unsure of how strong they would be. In what proved a close & tense game, Briars came at us strong & put pressure on the defence on numerous occasions with Adam B, Adam J, Linda & Callum keeping the ball out of the goals. In attack Cassy, Brodie & Adam H came close to scoring with chances just going wide, 0-0 at half time in an even contest. The second was much the same as the first & the result could have gone either way. A smart and cross from the right wing by Brodie allowed Adam H to sweep the ball past the keeper for a 1-0 lead. Shortly after it looked likely to be a second goal when Isaac round the last defender and as he readied to shoot slipped. The last 15 minutes was tense & both teams had chances to score more goals, but 1-0 it stayed for the teams first win of the season. Well done to Callum, Patrick, Isaac & Jackson B for their first game with the team, Ice Cup award went to Jackson B for his strong play and marking at left half.
Round 5 defeated Ryde 2-1
A slow start to the game saw Ryde pressing for a goal early, but some good saves by Adam B kept them out, while at the other end near misses from Isaac, Brodie, Cassie & Adam H couldn’t get ND on the board. Somewhat against the run of play Ryde scored & went into halftime leading 1-0. Some positional changes at half time & discussions about positional play brought more attack and better defence from the team & the pressure eventually told on Ryde when Adam H scored to level at 1-1. Brodie again came close to scoring only to be denied by the Ryde keeper. But the team wasn’t to be denied & Saskia scored from right half with a run from the 25 to place the shot into the goal making it 2-1 and wins 2 weeks in a row. Good games to Scott, Linda, Callum, Joseph & Cassie. Ice Cup award went to Saskia.
Round 6 drew with Manly 0-0
A close even game that ended in a draw to continue the steady improvement to the start of the year results. Some good constructive passing by the team was pleasing based on what we had done at training. Overall well done to the team with strong games in attack from Patrick, Brodie, Joseph & Jackson created chances & Linda steady at centre half. Ice Cup awards went to Adam J & Holly for keeping the Manly attack quiet.
Round 7 - Bye
Round 8 defeated Sydney Uni 3-0
Good solid win with the team scoring 3 goals. Well done to Patrick and Isaac scoring their first goals of the season and the other one scored by Jackson T. Ice Cup awards went to Isaac & Patrick.
Round 9 lost to Baulkham Hills 0-4
With some players out due to injury, illness or holidays the team started slowly and couldn’t find any rhythm. We couldn’t retain possession and this resulted in Baulko scoring the first goal. A second came from a penalty corner which was nearly saved on the line by Scott. As the half ended Baulko made it 3 and it looked like a tough road back in the second half. The team performed much better in the second half only conceding a single goal, while creating several chances at the other end. Ice Cup awards went to Jackson T & Brodie.
Round 10 lost to Gordon 0-4
The team started well and created some chances on goal early in the game. After an even first 15 minutes Gordon scored the first of the 2 first half goals. The second half started with heavy rain making play difficult. Despite the weather the team again created chances and some good shots on goal by Brodie and Patrick were saved by Gordon. Gordon maintained pressure on our defence and despite the efforts of Holly, Adam J, Jackson B, Callum & Adam B they eventually scored 2 more goals. With a few players out this week we only had 1 reserve and the team tried hard all game but eventually ran out of energy. Jackson & Linda ran hard & played well trying to set up play in the midfield. Ice Cup awards went to Linda & Patrick.
U13White
Round 1 ND White defeated Ryde 3-1
Round 2 ND White defeated Baulkham Hills 2-0
This was an excellent and entertaining fast paced game that saw great use of the entire field by both teams with good passing and rapid counter-attacks. Pressure was rewarded with points in the first half, as the forwards combined to create many opportunities for shots on goal, with Callum notching 2 goals in his opening game in the field. The backbone of this win was the hard work in defence which meant that few shots made by the opposition were unchallenged. Lucy gallantly took her turn at goalkeeper and showed impressive skills and commitment, excellently clearing the ball on the few occasions she was called upon. Great team work from the full backs (Brittany at right back all game; Adam at left back in the first half; Tim at left back in the second half) combining with excellent cover defence from the halves, particularly the fast work of India in cover defence, meant that Lucy was only occasionally required to use her protective gear to clear the ball. Both Brittany and Tim took their turns in defence this week, despite their greater experience up forward on the field. They are to be commended on how well they worked together as a unit and kept their positions and cool under pressure. Our mid-field marshalls Jackson and Patrick G, were run off their feet - they were constantly back to assist in defence, and helped with fast breaks up field and supporting their forwards in attack. So often the extra stretch of Patrick and Jackson cut off the clearing shots of the Baulkham Hills defence that would otherwise have resulted in a counter attack. By the end of the match neither of them could raise a trot. Our forward line up was a bit of a mix-and-match through the course of the game. Tim and Gaby played wings in the first half and helped cover the lines as Baulkham Hills moved wide, as well as provided width with our attack. When Tim was interchanged, Dylan took his place on left wing. In the middle of the 2nd half, Gaby was interchanged and Adam played at right wing; subsequently Gaby interchanged with Louise at centre forward, and just missed out on scoring late in the game. Louise at centre forward for most of the match was a lot more comfortable in more temperate conditions of the twilight this week, and was unlucky on a number of occasions not to put more goals on our scoresheet.
Round 3 ND White drew with Kings Langley 1-1
The first half was full of action with the score being 1- 1 at half time. In the first half the defence and attack were strong at the right time. Thanks go to Patrick G who was our supersonic goalkeeper throughout the match. The two strong defenders Nick and Lucy, destroyed many attacking attempts. The halves were strong, but there was one major upset in the game which was when Callum took a killer blow in the lower thigh which enabled Adam, our super-sub to come on and strut his stuff. Britney at left wing did an excellent job of converting a very well set up opportunity by Patrick N who showed some dainty dribbling and tricks during the match. Jackson as usual pulled more than his own weight, slaving away, setting up opportunities and at the same time sprinting back to defend. Louise our centre forward did a nice lot of work receiving rocket hits by Adam, Jackson, India and Callum. Gabby did an excellent job at right and left wing running when needed. Tim at inside forward easily received flying passes and hit them himself, being extremely versatile. In the second half the defence was like a rock with blocking and channelling by Lucy and Nick as well as the halves and inners. The ball got a spanking as Callum, Adam and Jackson sent the ball flying past the opposition attackers and halves. Our wings did as much work as they could have possibly done. Overall it was an excellent match and everyone did their bit especially our goalie Patrick G who was man of the match hands down. Well done team and keep up the good work!
U15Blue
Round 4 drew with Manly 2-2
Saturday morning saw the team return for their first game after Easter holidays and for the opening 10 minutes the team appeared to be still on holidays by the beach and not on the hockey pitch. Manly started more focused controlling the ball, possession and planted themselves in our half. Against this ND managed to avoid allowing the ball into the net helped in no small way by Anupesh in his first game as GK who made a number of excellent saves during this time to keep ND in the half. At this stage however it was shaping up to be a one sided game favouring Manly. Then suddenly, the team returned from holidays and started playing with greater purpose and began to gain equal share of possession. Erin against the run of play dispossessed a Manly player, passed to Lachlan who with Marius worked the ball into the circle then back to Lachlan who scored a classy goal on the rebound. The momentum of this half changed and in quick succession ND scored another goal with excellent lead up work through the centre and right side by Sam, Ahslee, Mark, Kegan with Red Ash beating the Manly keeper to take the score to 2-0 at the end of first half. The second half saw a more balanced performance with ND and Manly competing hard sharing possession and scoring opportunities. With Brooke, Simon, Francis and Lauren gaining confidence and setting up plays from the back ND were unlucky not to score a few more goals whilst Manly were able to convert 2 of their chances. With 2 minutes to play and ND still keen for the win we camped in Manly’s circle and gained 3 short corners giving us multiple solid shots at goal only to be saved on the line by a desperate Manly keeper. With the final whistle drawing the game to a close a win was not to be, however the result of 2-2 draw was a fair reflection of the game and an improvement on our efforts against the more fancied Manly last year. Many thanks to the Ash’s for helping out and Ice cup to Sam who, filling in for Sean at centre half showed great determination in defence combined with composed distribution and teamwork skills linking the back, half and forward lines throughout the game.
Round 5 - Bye
Round 6 defeated Baulkham Hills 7-0
This week the team came out fired up to play and with perfect passing and sharing the ball around we came up with a win. Thanks to Adam and Blake for filling in and doing a great Job. Our attack was relentless and came from all over the circle, penetrating passing shots across the circle and weaving solo effforts scoring. Goals to Lachlan 3; Marius 2; Keegan 1 and Anapesh 1. Fantastic team effort - the ball travelling from our half to Baulkham Hills half quickly, accurately and often resulting in a goal. Our defense was tenacious and effective holding Baulkham Hills to a 0 result. Well done team.
Round 7 drew with Ryde 0-0
A cold, wet and windy night greeted the U/15 Blue team but the hockey action proved to be pretty hot. Playing competition front runners Ryde HH, ND were expecting a tough, hard fought encounter and this is exactly what we got. Fortunately ND Blue arrived up to the challenge. The first 5 minutes saw Ryde start with a flurry controlling possession and camping in the ND half, fortunately our defence held strong during this period and ND began to hit back picking off Ryde’s through balls and venturing into Ryde territory creating numerous scoring opportunities. This half proved a see-sawing affair with determined defence and creative attack enabling ND to hold their own against Ryde and by late in the first start to gain the upperhand with numerous short corners and shots at the Ryde keeper. Unfortunately a goal was not to materialize during this half. As the weather deteriorated, NDs game improved and the second half proved an entertaining affair with ND picking up where they left off again pressuring the Ryde defence for much of the half and Ryde mounting a number of counter attacks. ND were unlucky not to convert their many shots and short corners being denied a goal after the ref had blown a short corner just before the ball hit the back of the net. Then with 2 minutes to go and tension mounting Ryde grafted a short corner. After a poor push out and second injection Ryde managed to convert into the net after a rebound off keeper Anupesh and were awarded the goal. This spelt bitter disappointment for the team who had worked so hard to gain an upper hand during the match, just when all seemed lost however the goal was overruled by the other umpire as a 2nd push out is not allowed during a short corner. Relieved the team played out the half and hung on to a well-earned 0-0 draw. Despite the draw, against tough opposition this was easily the best performance for the team this year with players across the field contributing to a superb performance in both defence and attack. The level of skill, teamwork, determination and the never give up attitude demonstrated by all was impressive and is the kind of form we will be aiming to deliver for the remainder of the season.