This past weekend served as a glittering example of such after Hockey Victoria’s 2024 Senior Country Championships took place within the lush confines of Parkville’s State Sport Centres.
Group stage play for the men began on Saturday afternoon as Iain Greig netted in a 1-1 draw for Goulburn Valley Hockey Association over Hockey Ballarat, before a clash under Saturday night lights saw proceedings end scoreless with Hockey Central Victoria.
Sunday morning brought about a second doubleheader as Goulburn Valley fought it out across the morning and afternoon.
Greig hit the score sheet for the second straight day — twice this time — in an early 5-0 drubbing of North Central Hockey Association, more than ably supplemented by Jason Clancy’s hat-trick.
Greig repeated the dose with yet another goal in a Sunday afternoon repeat victory over North Central, while Jason Harris scored as well in the 2-1 win, completing the unbeaten record in the pool stage.
After a well-earned rest Sunday night, it took a full collaborative effort for the men’s contingent in its gold medal match against Hockey Central Victoria, which it had settled for a stalemate with two nights earlier.
Amidst another arm-wrestle, the Goulburn Valley side prevailed 1-0 — you’d never guess who provided the winning goal — as Greig’s strike propelled the locals to gold medal glory.
The Goulburn Valley Hockey Association women’s side got off to a fast start of its own, accounting for East Gippsland and North Central in a pair of one-goal wins across Saturday’s play.
Things threatened to turn sour across the following two mornings, suffering a Sunday defeat to Bobby’s Coaching Academy and opening Monday with a tight loss to Victorian Over 45s, but the women nonetheless qualified for the gold medal game.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be for the Goulburn Valley women as Hockey Central Victoria took the chocolates in Monday afternoon’s decider with a 3-0 victory, but the locals nonetheless pocketed silver ahead of the long drive home.
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