Another successful major hockey event is in the books following a week-long carnival at Shepparton Regional Hockey Complex.
The iconic Smurf Turf hosted a raft of girls’ contests in Hockey Victoria’s Junior State Championships, which ran in Shepparton and Bendigo (for the boys’ divisions) last week.
The under-14 and under-16 girls’ competitions brought a grand total of 60 games worth of breakneck-paced action.
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North West Tigers' Zoey Sykes was careful in possession. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 2 of 9
North East Red Devils' Claire Coulthard takes a corner. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 3 of 9
North West Tigers' Zara Kemal-Yates got on the move. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 4 of 9
North East Red Devils' Samara Azzopardi lines up her positioning. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 5 of 9
North East Red Devils' Eliza Creek accelerated through the centre. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 6 of 9
North West Tigers' Molly Noonan is in no rush with the ball. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 7 of 9
North East Red Devils' Harseerat Kaur looks to play through a teammate. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 8 of 9
North East Red Devils' Samara Azzopardi and North West Tigers' Gabriella Pezzimenti hunt the ball down in a contest. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 9 of 9
North West Tigers' Leah Vom prepares the backswing. Photo by Rechelle ZammitShepparton’s standing as a reliable host within the state and national hockey realm continues, having taken on the Victorian junior titles for the second time in four years after running national regional events in 2019 and 2023.
It was a northern regional double in the girls’ competitions as North West Tigers conquered North East Red Devils in a shootout to claim the under-14 title, while North West Lightning, captained by local Emme Cole, prevailed 2-0 over Western Wildcats in Sunday’s under-16 finale.
Chris Chittick of Goulburn Valley Hockey Association beamed in her account of a successful week.
“Although it was cold in the mornings, it turned beautiful and I don’t think we could have asked for better weather,” Chittick said.
“I even heard a couple of girls on the Saturday say it was quite hot, which was funny.
“I think everyone appreciated the facilities, not just at the complex, but throughout Shepparton, which was nice to see.
“They all had chants going and very professional warm ups and cool downs.
“When you get a chance to go beyond your one game a weekend and you’re instead in one place for a while, you can foster a lot of team bonding and spirit.”
At the heart of it all was community spirit, both in official sponsor form and that of the enthusiastic sideline supporters.
After all, some had covered remarkable distances to get their sides on the pitch.
“There were local grandparents watching their grandchildren play from other areas and a lot of family that had travelled a fair way to watch as well,” Chittick said.
“We had a number of people from our association who worked very hard.
“Obviously, the council support from Greater Shepparton was really important and we had local businesses supporting the whole competition, which was terrific.
“Everyone’s willingness to pitch in and help made it a really nice event.”