WHEN the game is on the line, you want your leader to stand up and be counted.
With seconds remaining in Saturday’s thriller, Werribee captain Ross Cowlishaw did just that with a goal-saving intercept lunge to ensure a share of the points in a 3-3 draw with Yarra Valley in the Hockey Victoria men’s league 1 at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.
“The reason why he’s the captain of the club is those sorts of efforts,” Tigers coach Cam Whyatt told the Weekly.
“Rosco dived in, he hit the ball away and cleared it out, and that was game over.
“He stood up when we needed him.”
Cowlishaw has been a steadying influence as skipper over a long period for the Tigers.
The midfielder has grown with a young side and been a constant in the face of a number of coaching changes in recent years.
Whyatt was not understating Cowlishaw’s influence over the team.
“He is one of those blokes, if you go to war, you’d want him in the trenches next to you, because he fights it out till the very end,” Whyatt said. “His leadership qualities, the way he talks to the boys, gets them up for the match is sensational. He’s probably one of the best leaders I’ve been around in hockey.”
The Tigers went into the match as slight underdogs but showed they were up for the challenge by taking a 2-1 lead into the break.
Sean Gardner scored with a diving effort and Josh Pace capped a breathtaking piece of individual brilliance.
Brandon Dent had the Tigers three-up after a reverse stick tomahawk goal.
But the Tigers could sense that Yarra Valley had more to give and they struck back twice to force a tie.
“They’re a team on the rise, so we knew they were going to come back,” Whyatt said.
“I was just glad the boys held on for a draw.
“At this stage of the year, any point is a bit of a bonus moving forward with the closeness of the competition, and we actually moved up a position.”
Sam Huxtable was best on field for the Tigers in his first game in a month.
The Tigers square off with Melbourne University away on Saturday.
In women’s Vic League 2, Werribee totally wiped out the Bayside Cougars in a 5-0 result at Presidents Park.
Jenna Howley had the midas touch with two goals, while Laura Baker, Catherine Gladman and Shannon Healand also scored.
The Tigers are sitting pretty in equal first place ahead of an away trip to Swinburne on Saturday.
