No team could come between the Perth Thundersticks and their very first Liberty Hockey One League title as they dominated the defending champions Brisbane Blaze with a commanding 4-1 win to claim the gold medal in Hobart.
Dubbed a battle of David and Goliath on the eve of the final, the Grand Final was loaded as a match-up between the best team of the year and the best team in the League’s history.
Brisbane has never missed out on a spot in the final, having won three gold medals in the last four seasons, while the Thundersticks had never won and entered the final in the best form they’ve ever displayed.
Third lading goal scorer of the League, Líne Malan ensured Perth got off to their usual leading start, scoring a fantastic opportunistic goal and backing it up with a solid conversion to take a 2-0 advantage in the final.
On the backfoot, Brisbane desperately tried to get ahead, but they struggled to get past WA Hockeyroos goalkeeper Aleisha Power, as she went on to produce one of the best matches she’s ever seen, with a deserving Player of the Match performance after saving multiple match winning opportunities for Brisbane.
The only player who could get past her wall of defence was one of the best players in the world, Stephanie Kershaw as she claimed the Blaze’s only goal with a brilliant effort.
Perth captain Penny Squibb helped the Thundersticks regain a comfortable two goal lead with her penalty corner goal in the fourth before Georgia Wilson closed out the match and the title with a fine goal with just five minutes remaining.
“First and foremost this team is a quality group and a quality group of humans and I’m just so proud of the group,” Penny Squibb said.
“We’ve all got together and we’re a little family over in WA and we’ve come out here today and shown that on the pitch and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Earlier, the NSW Pride claimed the bronze medal over the Tassie Tigers in a thrilling 4-4 (3-0) shootout win, which saw NSW Abby Wilson claim a hattrick as she continued her impressive form in the League.
LIBERTY HOCKEY ONE LEAGUE FINAL RESULTS
WOMEN’S GRAND FINAL
PERTH THUNDERSTICKS: 4 (Liné Malan 16″, 16″ (FG, FC), Penny Squibb 52″ (PC), Georgia Wilson 55″ (FG))
BRISBANE BLAZE: 1 (Stephanie Kershaw 34″ (FG))
WOMEN’S BRONZE MEDAL MATCH
NSW PRIDE: 4 (3) (Abby Wilson 8″, 29″, 31″ (PC, PC, PC) Lily Neilson 50″ (FG))
TASSIE TIGERS: 4 (0) (Gitte Michels 12″ & 35″ (PC, PS), Ruby Harris 34″ (FG) Fiona Crackles 43″ (PC))
Hockey One
