IT WAS standing room only at the hockey on Saturday afternoon, when the local crowd was lucky enough to watch a fast flowing, high scoring match between the Men’s State Country team and the Upper Great Southern Presidents XI.
The State Country team had three local representatives, with Sam Broad (All Blacks) and Shawn Heil (Olympics) making their debut, along with perennial goal keeper Jamie Frost (Dumbleyung). The local boys would have had an early sniff of victory with the late withdrawal of ex-Olympian Bevan George from the Presidents XI.
The State Country team flexed their muscles early in the game with a penalty corner goal in the first three minutes of the game.
It didn’t take long for the Presidents XI to regain their composure, with a penalty corner flick by Steve Sexton (Olympics) slamming into the cross bar.
He didn’t make the same mistake in the next corner, putting the ball past Frosty in the goals.
It was one all at the 24-minute mark.
The State Country team again pulled ahead with a field goal, before Andrew Bairstow (Riffs) scored a remarkable deflection goal from a great pass across the D by Rhys Angwin.
Presidents XI scored again when Jason Lyneham (Olympics) tapped in their third goal.
At half time Presidents XI had a 3-2 lead.
A classy tomahawk from the spot gave the State Country team a quick reply in the opening minutes of the second half, which was then quickly matched by a field goal to Presidents XI player Miles Armstrong.
Another tomahawk to the State Country team again put them in the lead at the 25-minute mark. With two minutes to go until the final buzzer, Rhys Angwin scored for the Presidents XI from a pass outside the D from Owen Clark.
The score was 5-5 at the completion of the game.
At half time of the big match, a 75-metre sprint and over-head competition was held for local clubs. The women’s 75-metre sprint was won by Brookton player Delace Ugle and the women’s over-head was won by Laura Archer (Warriors).
Ex-local boy Rhys Angwin won the men’s over-head competition and a State Country team player won the men’s 75-metre sprint.
Upper Great Southern Hockey Association president Mark Regan described the game as the best match of hockey to ever be played in Narrogin and thanked all the boys for making the effort to travel to the game.
Thank you to all those that stuck around to listen to Matt Hough and enjoy a cold ale or five.
In local results, Olympics had a win over Riffs in the men’s A-grade on Friday night (3-2).
Steve Sexton once again led the way for Olympics, with good support from Bradley Staphorst and Jason Lyneham.
Better players for Riffs were Shaun McKay, Sam Pearce and Zac Hatfield.
Also on the Friday night was a close game played between Robins and Mighty Ducks in the women’s A-grade.
Robins ran out eventual winners (2-0), with the better players being Zeta Lancaster and Jonnelle Zabajnik (Robins), and Vanessa Perkins and Penny Angwin (Mighty Ducks).
In the women’s B-grade, Warriors had a win over Robins (4-2) and Williams defeated Brookton (4-0).
This weekend will see the Narrogin fields swamped by junior hockey players from near and far as part of the Narrogin Junior Carnival.
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