Hockey
29 May, 2024
Hurricanes and Hoops set to clash
The Wimmera Hockey Association ventures west on Saturday for its first visit to Kaniva this season, where round five marks the point when each opponent has been played once, giving a good indication of where each team stands.
- Women -
The Dimboola Roos’ impressive start to the season continued last weekend with a win over
the Horsham Jets, but they face their biggest test this week when they take on the reigning
premiers.
Although Yanac dropped a game to the Jets two rounds ago, they are still the
benchmark of the Women’s competition, so the Roos’ performance here will be a good point
of reference to their potential later in the season.
Kaniva Women will host the Nhill Thunderbirds, who, after their big win last weekend, will
start as favourites, and the inexperienced Warrack team has the chance for an upset against
the Horsham Jets, who have shown some inconsistent form this year.
- Open -
With just one win still separating places two to four on the Open ladder, any game can
significantly influence where a team will finish the round.
The big game on Saturday will see second place on the ladder on the line when the in-form
Hoops and Hurricanes clash. The Warrack Hoops have some momentum after a tight win
over the Cobras, while the Horsham Hurricanes fought out a draw with the competition-
leading Yanac Tigers from their last start.
The Hoops go into the round in second place, and a win or a draw will keep them there, but a Hurricanes’ victory would promote them to that spot.
The other Open match is a must-win for the Nhill Rangers when they play the Cobras where a loss will see the margin between these two teams widen to six points, making the Rangers task of claiming a place in the top four by the end of the season more difficult.
The Tigers will finish the round on top of the ladder after they have a bye this week.
- Under 16 -
The gap between the top three and lower three teams in the Under 16 competition continues to increase, making matches amongst the lower group significant to their chances of staying in touch with the leaders.
The Warrack Revengers and Horsham Bombers have this chance on Saturday when they
play off for a foothold in the top four, where the winner stays in touch, and the task for the
defeated to make the finals will become a little harder.
The meeting with the most interest will see the first-placed Kaniva Raiders take on the third-placed Nhill Leopards in a game that could go either way, and in the last Under 16 match, the winless Dimboola Kangaroos face a daunting task against the in-form Yanac Warriors.