After the excitement of the Men’s Australian Hockey League Final yesterday, where the NSW Waratahs took out the 2005 Championship in Brisbane, the focus now moves to the National Hockey Centre in Canberra where the women’s title will be contested this week.

Round five was played today, with subsequent rounds taking place tomorrow and Thursday, after which the semi finals will be held on Saturday, followed by the finals on Sunday.

The Queensland Scorchers retained the top spot in the points table after defeating last year’s runner up, the Canberra Labor Club Strikers with a 3-1 score. Star striker and Hockeyroo Nikki Hudson returned from a season in Europe, adding her name to the goal tally with the third goal of the game.

The Scorchers have built themselves a good buffer in the ladder, however with two of the top four teams still to meet and double points and goals on offer in the next rounds, they will need to ensure their shining form remains.

Following closely in their footsteps are the SmokeFree WA Diamonds and the NSW Arrows. The Diamonds, defending their 2004 title, defeated the Azuma Vipers 2-1 this evening. The return of Hockeyroo Emily Halliday following an injury, assisted in the defence, while the strikers created numerous opportunities that eventually resulted in goals.

Meanwhile, the Arrows easily defeated the Adelaide Suns 3-0 earlier today, with the goal keeping of Toni Cronk and the defence again forming the backbone of the team. The NSW strikers still seemed to struggle and although the second half was more impressive with the goals starting the flow, the Arrows will need to find their shooting form if they are to make the final.

Today’s results means the semi finals berths are still up for grabs and the Strikers, Suns and Vipers will need to find the winning edge for their opportunity at the title challenge.

In the other match of the day, the Wrest Point Van Demons met the Territory Pearls and were tied scoreless after extra time. A penalty stroke shoot-out ensued, with the Pearls the victors. Both teams gained their first points of the competition, but it is highly unlikely enough points can be found by either to pull them up into the top four. For both teams however, it is the experience of playing at the top national level that is the main benefit of this competition.

Round 6 takes place tomorrow at the Hockey Centre in Canberra.

Match Schedule
Tuesday 5 April 2005
1pm NSW Arrows v QLD Scorchers
3pm SmokeFree WA Diamonds v Territory Pearls
5pm Adelaide Suns v Azuma Vipers
7pm Wrest Point Van Demons v Canberra Labor Club Strikers