GOULBURN is calling for Bathurst players who are ready for the NSW Open Women’s Indoor State Championships starting on Friday.
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The competition promises to be packed with high-level hockey for the Bathurst contingent who will be playing in division one.
Bathurst’s Ange Brown will be tournament director.
Brown believes that the Bathurst side can figure amongst the front runners in the top division, and when you look at the players they’re bringing it’s not hard to see where that confidence comes from.
“I believe we have a very strong team,” she said.
“We have Kate Brown in goals, [Australian indoor representative] Tamsin Bunt and her sister Bec Lee, the Watterson twins [Sarah and Jess], Kelly Baker and Kate Dooley from the ACT, who has played with the team for around the past four years or so.”
The Bathurst squad will be taking on Metro South West 1, North West Sydney, Illawarra South Coast 2 and Nepean 2.
I’d say we have a very good chance of finishing inside the top two in our pool and then going on to the semi-finals.”
- Ange Brown
While it’s a difficult group of opponents to face, Brown believes Bathurst can set their sights on a semi-finals appearance.
“Division one is very hard, especially when you’re up against two or three Sydney associations that have merged into one. We’ve still got a strong group of players for this,” she said.
“The unfortunate thing for us is that we don’t play indoor competitions while a lot of those associations do.
“Metro South West is made up of Campbelltown and now Narellan, so they’ll be very tough. North West have a bunch of elite under 21s players, and it’s always difficult to play against the younger, faster sides.
“We’re lucky that this time we've come up against the number two Illawarra and Nepean sides. I’d say we have a very good chance of finishing inside the top two in our pool and then going on to the semi-finals.”
Despite the lack of indoor match time for most of the Bathurst side Brown said the squad should handle the conditions well.
“Indoor is such a fast game,” she said.
“It’s fast and precise. I think the girls have the knowledge to play strongly.
“Jye Bunt has come on as coach and with his added knowledge of the game it will certainly help. He can read the opponents’ game and put things into practice to help counter it.”
A top two pool finish is required to remain in contention for a gold medal.
In a wonderful gesture from the competition’s participants Saturday’s matches will see players will be sporting ribbons in support of Brown’s battle against breast cancer.
Bathurst start their competition on Friday at 3.30pm against Nepean followed by Metro South West at 7.40pm.
Several other Central West sides will be taking part in the competition.
Dubbo will be in the other division one pool while Orange and Parkes will play in division two.