Division three men Green Wangaratta Dragons Hockey Club’s minor premier division three men Green team travelled to Wodonga on Saturday to take on second-placed Magpies in a semi-final showdown which had everything. The Dragons left absolutely everything they had on the field, with every player digging deep, chasing every ball and refusing to give up. It was the sort of finals effort where there wasn't much left in the tank when the final whistle eventually came. With the scores locked late in the match, extra time looked almost certain — until the Dragons earned a penalty corner with just seconds remaining, and then the moment came. With the ball seemingly floating around somewhere between heaven and earth, Edward ‘Eggy’ Robertson decided normal hockey techniques were simply not required - Eggy casually plucked the ball out of mid-air, brought it under control and somehow managed to drop it over the goal line with mere seconds remaining. Statues are already being planned, local streets are reportedly being considered for renaming, and historians have been called in to document the event properly. The final whistle soon followed, confirming a sensational victory for the Dragons and booking their place in the grand final. The Green team left everything on the field — and when the dust settled, the Dragons had Magpie stew for dinner. One more game. One more effort. One chance at glory. Division two men The BodyTeQ Health and Movement division two men travelled to Wodonga on Sunday to play Wodonga in the first week of finals. Going into the game the team was brimming with confidence, despite losing in their last meeting, and the game didn’t get off to a good start when Wodonga were able to secure themselves a penalty corner inside the first minute, which they converted to take an early lead. The Dragons kept their heads and fought back, earning a short corner. Sam Couche lined up for the shot on goal, but was stopped on the line by a Wodonga defender earning a penalty stroke. Couche stepped up to the penalty spot and was able to get the ball past the Wodonga goalie to even up the score. The game was free flowing with the speed of the field a big contributor, end to end hockey as both teams were trying to find the cracks. At one point Wodonga had raced away to a 3-1 lead as they were able to break through the Dragons defence, however, Noah Gillies was able to level up the score converting two penalty corners in the second and third quarters. Wodonga were able to grab a fourth goal and hold onto the slim lead late into the fourth quarter, until the Dragons made a length of the field play drawing out the Wodonga goalie and Mat Vogel drilling the ball into the vacant goal to level up the scores. With the final siren blowing with the scores at four apiece, the teams had to reset as they headed into golden goal extra time, with five minutes each way until a team scored. Extra time was played at the same frenetic pace that the previous four quarters were played. However, Wodonga were able to confuse the Dragons’ defence and bobble the ball past the goalie to take the win. The team will enjoy the off season and come back next year determined as ever to improve on this year. Under 12 girls The under 12 girls showed bravery on many levels this week as they clashed with top-of-the-table Norths in cold and wet conditions. The weather was certainly no deterrent on Saturday, with the girls stepping up and matching a very skilful Norths team for much of the game. Dragons dominated much of the play in the first half, with Paige Steadman, Maddy Benton, Ella Clark and Esme Henderson working tirelessly to create numerous scoring opportunities. The water accumulating on the field made it extremely difficult to get the ball across the line, but the Dragons were looking dangerous and building beautifully as a team. Norths were first to score, but Dragons quickly hit back when Lily Barrett slotted home a quick rebound to level the scores. The teams went into the half-time break locked at 1–1, but Dragons came out firing and soon took the lead when Amelie Reilly found the back of the net. Norths responded strongly, with their experience showing as they scored two quick goals to regain the lead, but the Dragons refused to give up. The backline, led by Eliza Taylor and supported by Jasmin Fitzgerald, Helena Malcolm, Olivia Harrison and Niamh Matherson, worked incredibly hard to shut down Norths and prevent any further goals. The final score was 3–2 to Norths — but the Dragons can hold their heads very high after going toe-to-toe with the top team in the competition in extremely challenging conditions.
