H1 MATCH REPORT: Perth Thundersticks v Brisbane Blaze

The Perth Thundersticks produced a mix bag of results against the Brisbane Blaze, with the women claiming a shootout victory while the men just fell short and suffered defeat.

WOMEN

The Perth Thundersticks women finished off their regular season run in a shootout win over the Brisbane Blaze, with plenty of scoring from both sides the highlight. 

Brisbane Blaze’s Dayle Dolkens opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a field goal from a counterattack effort from the side. 

Thankfully for the Thundersticks women, Aleisha Power denied the conversion to keep the score at 1-0 in Brisbane’s favour. 

Moments later, a chaos ball into the circle for the Blaze ended in the lap of Dayle Dolkens once again, who found the back of the net and scored the conversion to take Brisbane’s lead to 3-0. 

A back-and-forth game in the second quarter was broken open from a counterattack for the Perth Thundersticks women, leading to a penalty corner opportunity. 

The Thundersticks opted to score from outside the circle, with a bouncing ball falling to the feet of Lexie Pickering who tapped it past the keeper and scored the conversion to take the scores to 3-2. 

It didn’t take long for the Thundersticks to pull back the lead in a red hot third quarter effort from the side. 

A rocket of a pass into the circle from Georgia Wilson hit Courtney Schonell, who drew the keeper out and constructed a deft pass back into Lexie Pickering who again found the net and scored the conversion, giving the Thundersticks a 4-3 lead. 

Just four minutes later, Liné Malan managed to extend the lead, getting on the end of a Jesse Reid pass and flicking the ball over the keeper to take the scores to 5-3. 

However, the Blaze lessened the impact of a strong quarter from the Thundersticks, with a Dayle Dolkens score resulting in a 5-4 Thundersticks lead heading into the final break. 

The first nine minutes of the final quarter remained neck and neck, until the Blaze pulled back with two goals through Madison Fitzpatrick to bring the scores back to a 6-5 Brisbane lead. 

The lead for Brisbane didn’t last long, with an immediate response from the Thundersticks seeing Courtney Schonell receive the ball in the circle, providing a bullet pass to Pickering once again to find her fifth goal of the match. 

A missed conversion from Pickering meant the scores remained tied at 6-6, resulting in the game going to shootouts. 

Three crucial saves from Lizzie Duguid in the shootouts proved to be the difference, with the Thundersticks taking home the extra point in a shootout victory.

Match Details  
Perth Thundersticks 6 (5) (Lexie Pickering 24’/24’, 32’/32’, 55’, Liné Malan 36’) 
Brisbane Blaze 6 (4) (Dayle Dolkens 6’, 13’/13’, 43’, Madison Fitzpatrick 54’/54’) 
 
Perth Thundersticks team: 1. Pippa Morgan, 5. Courtney Schonell, 6. Lexie Pickering, 7. Penny Squibb (C), 10. Jesse Reid, 12. Liné Malan, 14. Elizabeth Duguid (GK), 15. Bellé Ramshaw, 17. Annie Gibbs, 18. Kaitlin Nobbs, 19. Aleisha Power (GK), 20. Karri Somerville, 21. Saysha Pillay, 22. Jolie Sertorio, 24. Eva Drummond, 28. Georgia Wilson 
 
Brisbane Blaze team: 1. Savannah Fitzpatrick, 2. Rosie Malone, 3. Kendra Fitzpatrick, 4. Claire Colwill, 5. Morgan Gallagher, 8. Dayle Dolkens, 9. Casey Dolkens, 10. Madison Fitzpatrick, 11. Morgan Mathison (C), 12. Jade Smith, 13. Karissa van der Wath, 14. Stephanie Kershaw, 15. Jade Reid, 20. Jamie-Lee Surha, 88. Jordan Bliss (GK)

MEN
 

Brisbane applied the pressure early, with a barrage of penalty corner opportunities denied of scores through strong defensive pressure from Ben Rennie and his defensive unit. 

The Blaze eventually broke through, with a clever penalty corner pass from Corey Weyer deflecting off the stick of Jacob Anderson to open the scoring in the 13th minute. 

James Day pulled the score for the Thundersticks early in the second quarter, with a rocket of a drag flick finding the top corner to bring the sides level at 1-1. 

The Blaze responded quickly, with Anderson scoring another deflection but unable to score the conversion to give the Blaze a 2-1 lead heading into half time. 

A deadlocked contest in the third meant the score remained at 2-1 heading into the final break. 

The Harvie brothers finally provided a breakthrough for the Thundersticks in the final quarter, with a Tom Harvie drag flick landing on the stick of Jake Harvie to find the back of the goal and even the scores. 

But once again, Jacob Anderson provided an answer for the Blaze, scoring his third goal and again unable to convert to keep the score at 3-2. 

Brisbane’s Corey Weyer and Jayden Atkinson provided the final blow, earning a penalty stroke and scoring the conversion to give their side the 5-2 win. 

Perth Thundersticks defender Brayden King said although the result didn’t go their way, the side now has an opportunity to work on key areas of improvement during the bye next week. 

“For us, the result didn’t go our way, but now we can see we have some things to work on and we have a bit of time now with the bye next week to get on top of thing,” King said. 

“I think there will be a key focus on the defensive side of our game, but we will also place a priority on getting some run into our legs to make sure we are at our peak come finals.” 
 
Match Details 
Perth Thundersticks 2 (James Day 17’, Jake Harvie 47’) 
Brisbane Blaze 5 (Jacob Anderson 13’, 26’, 50’, Corey Weyer 59’/59’) 
 
Perth Thundersticks team: 2. Will Battistessa, 3. Brayden King, 4. Jake Harvie (C), 5. Tom Wickham (C), 8. Coby Green, 9. James Day, 11. Tom Harvie, 13. Sam Ashton, 14. Chaz Davies, 15. Matt Bird, 16. Brodee Foster, 18. Ben Rennie (GK), 20. Angus Adamson, 22. Max Freedman, 25. Fraser Heigh 
 
Brisbane Blaze team: 2. Shane Kenny, 3. Corey Weyer, 4. Noah Fahy, 6. Kyle Jefferey-Prestwich, 8. Adam Imer, 9. Jacob Anderson, 10. Daykin Stinger, 11. Michael Francis, 13. David Hubbard, 15. Jayden Atkinson, 16. Tim Howard (C), 17. Scott Boyde, 21. Max Harding, 23. Danie; Beale, 32. Mitchell Nicholson (GK)