WOMEN’S 1 . Bello Beavers
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FOR THE third year running the Bellingen Beavers hockey team have won the women’s first grade Coffs Coast Hockey grand final after taking out the minor premiership.
The win was a great team effort from a side which comprised experience (the average players’ age being 42 years) with young talent.
Standout performers who combined well were Lynda Stilgo, the most capped player who has played for Australia in masters, and the youngest, Tiarni Naylor, who is about to start her HSC year.
The only team to beat Bello Beavers during the season was Southside Gems who they played in the grand final. It was destined to be a good hard game and that it was.
Down to one-all at full-time with goals scored by Jess Sharkey (Southside) and Bri Hope (Bellingen), the game went to extra time with drop-off to nine players per side. With all legs spent it was a hard nine minutes but with one minute to go Bri Hope scored a nice goal off a corner to win the golden goal.
Thanks to Southside for a fantastic game - it has always been a pleasure to play against such a great team of fantastic girls and the final could have gone either way.
Thanks to Bello’s Lizzy Gowan for her endless work rate and great hockey for three years – the team will miss you but there is always room when you marry a nice local boy.
Thanks to coaches Kieren Marshall and John Hope for everything – it was worth it in the end.
MEN’S 1 Bello Wombats
IT WAS a shaky start to the season for the Beiingen Wombats in the men’s first grade competition with a mix of seasoned players, novices (Jont Winfer) and new recruits, goalie Matt and Steve and Liam from Parkes.
Thanks to Kieren Marshall and John Hope who helped to recruit players and made it possible for Bellingen to field a men’s team.
There was a bit of rustiness early on with a couple of players not having played for four or so years (not to mention names Longy and Connor), but by midway through the season the side seemed to blend and coordinate.
The team morale was also great which made the job for the coach much easier and pleasurable. Novice to the game, Jont, a well-known soccer player, finally realising it’s better on the dark side (hockey). He also learnt that he could use his hockey stick instead of his feet and finished the season on fire.
The Wombats forward line of Freaky Freeman, Blinding-speed Brownlee, Pick-them-off Pete, Light-foot Liam, Stealth Bomber Steve, All Star Alford and Levitating Longy combined well throughout the season and especially in the end of year big games.
The defence were extremely solid all year with wildcard Winfer, Mastermind Marshall, Hit them Hard Hope, Bait-them-up Burley, Ginja-ninja Doolan, Workhourse Watson and of course Magnificent Matt in goals.
The talent and experience that Kieren, Justin and Ashley brought to the team made the Bellingen men gel and saw them over the line against Southside in the grand final. The game went to extra time with the score being one-all at full time. A great goal by Kieren opened the score for Bello.
The first 10 minutes of extra time with nine players per side saw many opportunities for both teams but the goalies were magnificent in the saves.
The game was sealed in the second set of extra time (down to seven men) when with two minutes to go, Justin Alford scored a scorcher. 2-1 to Bellingen.
It was a fantastic game to watch and a fantastic year.
Thanks Hopey for your patience with coaching.
Presentation night is on October 11 at 6 o’clock at Diggers Tavern.
Margaret Hope