WERRIBEE can rest assured the toughest weekend assignment of the Hockey Victoria men’s league 1 season is over.
The Tigers had to face two premiership contenders less than 24 hours apart and embark on the toughest road trip in the competition in between.
Results wise, it was not pretty for the Tigers. A 3-0 home loss to Kew on Saturday was followed on a double-header weekend by a 3-1 road loss to Albury Wodonga on Sunday. But their solid performances against two of the competition’s yardstick has prompted a re-evaluation of their prospects.
“It’s the first time we’ve played a double-header and we probably played what we consider two of the top three sides in the comp,” Tigers captain Ross Cowlishaw said.
“We were pleased with how we played, but next time we’ll be looking for some points. I think we kind of underestimated ourselves and we can match it with these bigger clubs who are at the top end of the ladder.”
The two-goal loss to Albury Wodonga was the most promising for the Tigers.
They had to endure the longest road trip in the league on top of the fatigue from the game a day earlier.
You would not have believed it was their second game in the weekend from the way they played. They were full of run in the second half.
“The second half we sort of dominated, but we just didn’t score,” Cowlishaw said.
Dean Hopkins, one of the players who featured in just one game for the weekend, ran his heart out in the midfield to be the Tigers’ player of the match. He was rewarded with one of the best team link-up goals of the season, topped off with his superb back flick into the top corner.
“He had the fresh legs, played in the midfield and just ran rings around them,” Cowlishaw said.
At 1-1 at the break, the game was up for grabs.
The Tigers had their chances to reclaim the lead, but failed to convert.
“They probably had five shots and scored three goals, we had 10 and scored one,” Cowlishaw lamented.
The Tigers have a chance to pick up their first win of the campaign against bottom-of-the-ladder struggler Monash University away on Saturday.
In the women’s league 2, Werribee has moved up to third after a thrilling 4-3 win over Melton in one of the matches of the season so far.
Brittany McIntyre fired in a double for the Tigers, while Laura Baker and Jenna Howley also got on the scoresheet.
The Tigers travel to last-placed Frankston in Saturday’s fifth round
HOCKEY VICTORIA SCOREBOARD
Men: Werribee 0 Kew 3; Albury Wodonga 3 Werribee 1
Women: Werribee 4 Melton 3
