2022 Perth Thundersticks Match-Day Program I Round 5

Thundersticks wary of wounded Tigers in must-win match

The Perth Thundersticks women will be looking to bounce back this weekend when they host the Tassie Tigers in a massive clash at the Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University.

The Thundersticks women sit in fourth place on the ladder and are fighting for a finals position heading into the clash after recording two straight losses against the Brisbane Blaze and NSW Pride.

Meanwhile, Tassie sit on the bottom of the table, with a shootout win over the Blaze in round one giving them their only points of the season.

Heading into Saturday afternoon’s clash, Thundersticks coach Phil Hulbert said he was still happy with how his side were playing despite the recent results.

“We are obviously disappointed with the last two results, but we have not been disappointed with every element of how we are playing,” Hulbert said.

“I think if a few slight things had of been different we would have got different results but that wasn’t to be, and that is sport I guess.

“We have a big match against Tassie this weekend and that is where we really need to move our focus to.

“The further you go into the tournament, the more pressure there will be, but I think the girls will relish that feeling and get the result on the weekend.”

Tassie have gone down 2-0 to Adelaide and 3-0 to Canberra in their other two matches to start the tournament.

Hulbert said he hoped the Perth crowd would get behind his side and that the Tigers were no easy beats.

“Every team in this competition is good and can win on their day,” Hulbert said.

“Whilst they are sitting not where they want to be and won’t be happy, I think they have been quite unlucky in lots of games.

“Even on the weekend I thought they were quite unlucky.

“They have been playing some good hockey and have some really strong players throughout the whole pitch and we will have to be on our game to be able to get across the line against them.”

The first-year Thundersticks coach said his side was taking it game by game and trying to get incrementally better throughout their campaign.

“Continued improvement is the focus for us, we want to get better each game,” Hulbert said.

“We also want to try play together as a team as often as we can.

“It is always hard when people come in from multiple teams and settings to get them to play together, so that is a continued focus.

“We don’t want to focus on finals yet because we are not in there at the moment, once we get there we can focus on that.”

The Thundersticks will welcome back goalkeeper Elizabeth Duguid for her first game of the year this weekend after the loss of Hockeyroo Aleisha Power.

Hulbert said having Duguid in the net was an apt replacement for Power.

“She is a very talented keeper who in my opinion is probably the fourth best in Australia, so it is exciting for her to get her opportunity,” Hulbert said.

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Thundersticks raring to get back on winners list in final home clash

The Perth Thundersticks have one more chance to put on a show for their home fans when they take on the Tassie Tigers on Saturday for their last home game of the 2022 Sultana Bran Hockey One season

The Thundersticks will host the Tigers at 6pm on Saturday night at Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University and will be looking to get back on the winners list after recording their first loss of the year against NSW at the weekend.

The second-placed Perth went down 4-3 in Sydney against the powerhouse NSW Pride in a back-and-forth match that provided plenty of highlights.

Thundersticks star Tim Geers said whilst the result was disappointing, the side had still played some of their best hockey of the campaign.

Geers believed the showcase at Sydney Olympic Park was the best hockey to date in this year’s tournament.

“Obviously it was a little setback on the weekend against NSW Pride, but I think it was the best hockey we have played as a team,” Geers said.

“It was probably the best Hockey One game of the tournament in my opinion.

“We have identified a few areas throughout the week that we have been working on and trying to improve on heading into this match and we believe we will bounce back this weekend.”

“They have a number of guys that play or have played here in Perth, so we know a lot of them quite well and are familiar with their threats,” Geers said.

“They have some damaging players like Eddie Ockenden and Joshua Beltz, as well as some experience at the back with Jeremy Edwards and Tim Deavin.

“We are definitely not underestimating them and head into the match knowing it will be a challenge.

“But at the same time, we are really confident we can get back on the winners' list.”

The Thundersticks are close to booking their ticket to the 2022 Hockey One finals series in Bendigo, but Geers said there was still more work to do before they could start thinking about that.

“We have put ourselves in a really good position so far in the tournament but there is more work to be done before the finals,” Geers said.

“All along our focus has been about trying to get better each week.

“We believe if we keep doing that we will put ourselves in a good position to have a crack during the finals in Bendigo.”

The Thundersticks will host the Tigers at 6pm on Saturday night at Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University.

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Emerging stars driving Thundersticks success

The young stars of the Perth Thundersticks have made a massive impact on the pitch to begin the 2022 Sultana Bran Hockey One League campaign.

Several up-and-coming stars have begun to make names for themselves on the national stage for the state’s premier team and are helping to drive the current success.

The Thundersticks men and women sit second and fourth respectively on the Hockey One ladder, with the young guns of both line-ups playing key roles in the stellar start to the tournament.

One of those players is WA’s Under 21s captain for 2022 Jolie Sertorio, who has come into her own this season after debuting for Perth in 2019 as a 17-year-old.

“For me, 2019 was about becoming a sponge and soaking up lots of information and getting the feel of what it is like at the next level of competition,” Sertorio said.

“It was a really big period of learning for me in terms of being faster in my skills and thinking.

“I am still only 20, but I definitely feel a lot more comfortable and confident playing at this level now this year ”

Sertorio said after captaining the Under-21 side to a silver medal early this year, she was enjoying the freedom of being able to focus on her game for the Thundersticks.

“I am really enjoying my hockey and I always have,” Sertorio said “I really enjoy competing and I will always strive to be better, whether that be playing for the Under-21s or the Thundersticks.

“There is still so much for me to learn which will hopefully prepare me for the next level.

“I am always learning, Under-21s taught me about being in a leadership role.

"Now I can put that into practice with the Thundersticks in the position I play in the midfield.

“I have to be a bit of a leader in the midfield in the Thundersticks, but I also have the freedom of being able to play my game.”

New Kookaburra James Collins is another rising Thunderstick who has come a long way since debuting in 2019.

“Obviously, we didn’t have a lot of hockey but as a WA up and comer I was able to train with the Kookaburras a little bit,” Collins said.

“I got to spend some time with them which was an invaluable experience for me.

“I think those two years have been really good for my development.

“Compared to where I was in 2019, where I was playing as a halfback and was lucky to get a game, my role has now changed, and it is cool to see that.”

Collins was selected in the national squad earlier this year and said whilst that could sometimes come with some added pressure, the calibre of players around him for Perth was helping to ease the load.

“My experience being in the national squad watching these guys play and being at that intensity has helped me with the Thundersticks,” Collins said.

“You can bring a lot of that stuff back and pass it on to the other guys.

“Being selected in the Kookaburras squad comes with a bit more responsibility and people expect you to perform.

“Having experienced guys around me just gives me the freedom to play some hockey which has been really fun ”

Vanderzwan debuted for Perth in 2019 as an 18 year old but said earning selection this year had not been a walk in the park

“In 2019 I was very young and inexperienced and playing with Hockeyroos and some quality players, which was pretty intimidating,” she said.

“This year I feel a lot more a part of the group

“We have some amazing players in and around the team and it is really competitive for spots at the moment.

“It is great for WA hockey that we are increasing our quality and competitiveness across the board.”

Vanderzwan was also a part of the Under-21s WA team which won silver earlier this year and said the state should be excited with the direction of WA hockey.

“It is definitely a challenge, and no one feels safe in their position, but I think that is a good thing,” she said.

“We are all trying to push each other, and it is creating a really good training and playing environment because everyone has worked so hard to earn their position in the team.

“Three years down the track and the group has changed a lot and is a lot different. “But I think it has changed for the better and we are definitely heading in the right direction.”