Dragons’ season over, but green shoots abound

Under 12 girls The Under 12 girls hit the field on the weekend with a mixture of nerves and excitement, with some of our Dragons playing in their first-ever hockey final as they took on Norths Hockey Club. Norths have been the team to beat all season, losing just one game, but that certainly didn’t deter our Dragons. They went out there and gave it absolutely everything from the first whistle to the last. The first quarter was very even and played at a high quality, with Norths applying plenty of pressure to the Dragons’ backline. Eliza Taylor, Helena Malcolm and Lily Barrett stood strong in defence, absorbing plenty of pressure and making sure the scores remained locked at 0–0 at the first break. The hot weather and fast pace of the game saw things open up in the second quarter. Norths continued to fire the ball into their forward line through some great passing and eventually managed to find the back of the net with a scrappy goal from close range. The Dragons remained composed and worked hard to limit further opportunities, heading into half-time 1–0 down. After a much-needed break and plenty of rehydration, the Dragons came out firing in the second half and were looking very strong. Amelie Reilly worked tirelessly through the centre, creating scoring opportunities with great support from Maddy Benton, Pippa Reilly, Paige Steadman and Leriah Hallinan. Eventually, their hard work paid off, with the Dragons finding the breakthrough and levelling the scores at 1–1. However, the experience of Norths, who have had plenty of finals experience, showed as they quickly added two more goals to the scoreboard. At the three quarter time break, the Dragons were 1-3 down, but there was absolutely no giving up from our girls. They threw everything they had into the final quarter, creating some fantastic opportunities and fighting right until the final whistle. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t quite find the goals they needed to complete the fairytale comeback, with Norths adding one final goal to make the task just out of reach. What an impressive and fun season it has been for the under 12 girls - from the first game to their first finals experience, they have grown, developed and created some wonderful memories along the way. Under 16 boys The Wangaratta Dragons under 16 boys put on a tremendous display of hockey on Friday night in their semi-final clash against the Magpies. In what was an incredibly close and hard-fought contest, both sides showcased outstanding talent, skill and determination. The score remained locked at 0-0 for much of the game, with neither team willing to give an inch. The deadlock was finally broken in the third quarter when the Magpies managed to find a way through the Dragons' defence, scoring three quick goals in succession. To their credit, the Dragons refused to give up and fought their way back into the contest, scoring two goals of their own. The final goal came right on the siren, providing a fitting finish to a thrilling semi-final encounter. While the result brings the Dragons' season to an end, words can't express just how far this group has come. After winning only one or two games last season, the boys have developed into a competitive and resilient team capable of matching it with the best sides in the competition. To hold their own in such a nail-biting semi-final is a testament to their hard work, commitment and growth throughout the year. Everyone involved with the team should be incredibly proud of what has been achieved this season. Friday night's match was a wonderful advertisement for junior hockey, with both teams displaying great sportsmanship and class. Congratulations to the boys on a fantastic year - he future looks very bright for this talented group of Dragons.

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