Premier League Round 21 – Match of the Round Preview

Published Fri 25 Aug 2023

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Round 21 – Match of the Round Preview

Adelaide University Hockey Club v North East Hockey Club

Preview by Bevan Jones

Premier League Women

What a way to finish what has been incredibly tight season with the Adelaide University Blacks sitting fourth with eight wins, three draws and nine losses taking on the fifth placed North East Warriors who sit fifth with eight wins, two draws and ten losses.

The winner of the match will play in the finals which makes this clash an early Elimination Final.

In round 20, North East took it right up to second placed Seacliff with the game ending in a 1-1 finish whilst Adelaide University had a tough day out at the office going down 6-0 against ladder leaders Port Adelaide.

The Adelaide University Blacks and North East Warriors last met in round 14 with North East getting a 3-1 victory on that occasion.

Blacks coach Darren Neimke said his team were excited about the sudden death clash that awaited them on Sunday.

“We've been in the top four all year, but it comes down to this Sunday's game. Win and we keep going, lose and it ends! That's the reality for every team still standing after this week,” Neimke reflected.

“Having the fourth and fifth teams playing off for a spot in the final adds a lot of excitement to this week's game.

“It's something that could be done every year - like an NBA-style play-off final!

“Both teams will be looking for a lift after last week's efforts, so the intensity goes up and that's what we're prepared for. This is what you prepare for all years so it's very exciting to be playing and in the hunt at this time of the year.

We're aware of North East's threats and we respect them as a team. We've had a couple of good battles this season and we've been close on the ladder for the past decade. The key to winning for us is to stay focused on our game and work together as a team for 70 minutes.

“In a nutshell, we're playing good hockey and we feel 'finals ready'.

Warriors coach Holly Evans said taking it right up to Seacliff last week gave them confidence going into the game against the Blacks.

“It’s like a final before the finals this week, which is really exciting, the girl’s competition in general has been so close which is great,” Evans reflected.

“It probably gives us the confidence moving into the last game that if we perform at the same intensity and have that same work rate like we did against Seacliff then we should be able to beat Adelaide Uni this week.

“We had always planned to peak at the end of the year, not just making finals but being a contender, had a rough run with injuries but as long as we can continue building then we should do well.

Evans also said that finishing clinically and making the most of their chances was something they hadn’t done against Adelaide University in recent matches this year and that this would be a focus in this week’s match.

Prediction: In closing, it doesn’t get much bigger than this, an early Elimination Final between these evenly matched two sides which should be an absolute ripper. It could go either way but I think it will be a repeat of round 14 with North East getting the win. North East to win 3-2.

Premier League Men

The final round is here and with it brings much anticipation and excitement particularly with the North East Warriors potentially playing for a spot in the finals this Sunday against the Adelaide University Blacks.

The Warriors currently sit in fifth position, one point behind Grange with 31 points, nine wins, four draws and seven losses this season. Grange on 32 points take on second placed Adelaide this Saturday, this result could make Sunday’s game against the Blacks very interesting.

For Adelaide University there is plenty on the line for them too, they are still yet to register a win in 2023 with an 0-20 record and so they will put it all out there with nothing to lose.

Both Adelaide University and North East had tough encounters against two of the competition’s championship contenders in round 20 with North East going down 6-2 against top placed and Adelaide University losing 6-0 against third placed Port Adelaide.

Adelaide University and North East last met in round 14 with North East getting the win 4-0.
Warriors coach Jordan Glover said they were hopefully to be playing for their position in finals this Sunday when they take on Adelaide University.

Glover said they were looking for a complete performance across their lines with a team approach that allows them to impose themselves on the game.

Blacks coach Max Bail said despite not getting a win so far in 2023 there were some positives to take out of their season.

“Our season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it, we are yet to register a point, it’s been frustrating but the group has been resilient all year, we are continuing to push to get better,” Bail said.

“Against the top sides like Adelaide and Seacliff we have taken it too them for parts of it but really struggle to capitalise on any momentum with conversion.

“One thing to work on in the off season is to bridge the gap between the best and the worst and we look really good and play good hockey where we are keeping it off the best teams in the competition and playing pretty dominant hockey but when we fall off that’s when the other teams get on top of us.

“North East have got some great players in their team and have a mix of experience and youth and players in the Adelaide Fire squad and youth who have been away in the state under 21’s.

“We might not have much to play for with finals, however we can still have an influence on who does play finals and we are aware that North East could be coming out firing if Adelaide beat Grange on Saturday and they are playing for a finals spot.

“We are confident that we can match them on the day and maybe even ruin another team’s season.”

Prediction: In conclusion, as the final curtain comes down on the minor round season this game could well turn out to be one of the games of the year. The Warriors could potentially be playing for a finals spot and the Blacks will be desperate to get their first win of the year which makes this clash super exciting. This should be a beauty and don’t be surprised if Adelaide University pulls off an upset win but I think North East will win a close one 4-3.