This year 17 talented players were named in the Division 1 Women’s Team. A mix of experience, youth, knowledge, and athleticism. We welcomed some ABC youth players and promoted existing ABC members creating a skilful team.

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Like most years you have to deal with some injuries and illnesses. Thankfully the depth within the club enabled players from our  Division 2 Teams to help us out for several weeks. Thank you to Matilda Sales, Abby Male, Kate Wessels, Jess Lewis, Mischa Grotrain and Rasmika Sukha. You slotted into our team well and I’m looking forward to seeing your hockey progress in future years.

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Finishing the Championship 4th out of 10 teams we achieved our goal of making top 5. Previous years we have struggled to stay in the top half of the grade, competing against some strong sides. It came to the Semi Finals, and we were up against a strong Warkworth side for the second year in a row. We knew it was going to be a hard game as Warkworth finished top in the grade. Unfortunately, ABC didn't come out on top in this game. Sadness all around not because we lost the game but more that our season together was over. A positive well-connected side with a love of hockey and ABC.

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“Don’t Inspire your team by showing them how great you are. Inspire by showing them how great they are.” This really sums up the Division 1 Women side. The support and commitment the team showed this season was second to none. It has been a privilege to coach this year. The reason you coach is because of teams like this.

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Wins: 12                      |                      Draws: 2                      |                      Losses: 6

 

The Team

Amber Brinkman, Carey Wessels (Captain), Christine Morrison (Chris), Emma Donovan, Erin Beattie, Este Barnard, Heidi Horne (Captain), Karen Croft (Crofty), Karen Porteous (Brownie), Paige Palmer, Pippa Lynch-Blosse (Speedy G), Rose Bryce, Sam Sinclair (Sammy), Sophia Boyle, Sune Tschirpig, Trudi Petrie (Best Goalie EVER), Zoe Croft (Crofty Junior)

Hannah Patterson – Coach

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2022 Season Round Up

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This year we named 17 talented players in the Division 1 Women’s team. We had a great mix of experience, youth, leadership, positivity, and athleticism. We welcomed a couple of new ABC members and returning players into the team and to see the team collaborate efficiently was a great way to start the season off.

 

This year like many other teams, we had the struggle of covid and losing players to isolation. Thankfully the depth within the club enabled players from the teams below to help us out for several weeks. Thank you to Rasmika Sukha, Sam Sinclair, Gabby Tomoana, Christine Morrison, Daina Brazier, Karen Croft, Rina Transom, Natalie Bullet and Zoe Croft for your contribution to our team this year and for fitting in so seamlessly. I look forward to seeing your progression in future years. Unfortunately, we lost Sarah Wadman mid-season. In a tough game against Takapuna and an awkward tackle by them Sarah broke her foot. We were to go the rest of the season without a strong and committed player.

 

Finishing the championship top of the bottom half of the grade we were still pleased with our efforts. Quarter final time and the win would progress us to the grand semi–final. Up against ECB, a team we had never beaten, we had some nerves within the team. Coach included. The team played and epic game and left everything out on the field. We won the game 3 – 2 in shoot outs!

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Semi-final time and were up against Warkworth, the top team in the grade. Unfortunately, ABC just couldn’t come out on top in this game. It was a hard-fought match and for most of the game we were in control. Not disappointed by our efforts as Warkworth went on to win the grand final.

 

It was a great season with plenty of ups and downs. And Big thanks to the team this year. Their positivity and spirit throughout the season was exceptional. The team game they play together is the reason you coach. Thank you to Keri Dempster and Sim Speet for helping when needed from the sideline. It’s the small things that make all the different. And lastly our captain and manager Carey Wessels. You kept everyone in the team going constantly and the attitude you bring to hockey is second to none. Hockey is always the winner.

I look forward to future years and seeing these players grow and progress through ABC.

 

Bring on 2023!

Coach Hannah Patterson

 

THE TEAM

Hannah Patterson, Este Barnard, Morgan Wilson, Rose Bryce, Erin Beattie, Heidi Horne, Mackenzie Brown, Karen Porteous

Amelia Swarbrick, Sune Tschirpig, Suzanne Clarke, Trudi Petrie, Chelsea Horne, Emma Beckett, Carey Wessels,

Sarah Wadman, Sian Irvine, Ruby Brown

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2021 Season Round Up

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2021 was a bit of a tough year for the division 1 women. Unfortunately, it was the year of coming second for us. Starting the season with senior player and mentor Karen Porteous out due to injury as well as our bright and positive captain Marion Robinson we weren't off to a very connected start.

 

Although starting off rocky this women's team went out fighting every single week. Suffering from a few player shortages we relied heavily on our Division 2 team. Fortunately, multiple players were willing to step up and help out and we thank all of them.

 

Having a few draws and 1-0 losses it was always a hard day coming off the turf knowing how close we were to taking out the points. However, with a very young and uplifting team we always found positives each week and saw improvement from all players regardless.

 

This year we had a solid defensive team. Calm and composed midfield and athletic strikers that could run for days. I have no doubt in any of these women and they all contributed and brought different and useful skills to the team. It was a pleasure to coach this team in 2021. The support throughout the whole team on and off the field allowing players and coaches to develop brought that lovely ABC feel to the team.

 

Thank you to the team for consistently turning up every week to fight and show the D1 grade what we were made of. Also thank you to all the parents and supporters that came along week after week cheering us on from the sideline.

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Coach Hannah Patterson

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2020 Season Round Up

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What an amazingly strange season packed with highs and lows.

 

The girls kicked off the season with quite a few draws. Struggling throughout majority of the season to close the deal on games. We were the team known for draws. In saying that, the girls always stayed positive and enthusiastic no matter the result.

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With only a few wins during the season we managed to close the deal and make top 4! It was semi-finals time and the girls pulled out the big guns. With a tight nil all game against NSU we ended up going into shoot outs. Players, supports and coaches were nervous but wow what a result. An amazing performance in the shootouts by Jade Doughty, Karen Porteous, Carey Wessels, Freya Kearney, Holly Chivers and our amazing goalkeeper Rachel Saunders

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Unfortunately, our Grand Final did not end in the way we hoped. Loosing in shootouts to Takapuna we were devastated but like always the girls fought till the end. Even when the coaching team had to leave the match early to go to their own Grand Final.

 

This team is filled with talented players who all brought something new and exciting to the team this year. It was a pleasure to be able to coach these women alongside Madi Wright.

 

Thank you to Karen Porteous and Karen Croft for taking the lead of this team like you always do. Thank you, Angela Chivers, for managing the team and making sure we were sorted through the season.

 

Hannah Patterson - Coach

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2019 Season Round Up

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As usual for the Div 1 grade our team was a mix of the old and the new.  In early trainings and games, we could see the potential particularly with our new young ABC bees Holly Chivers, Kate Thornhill, Jolie Hutchinson and Carla Barnard. All Year 9 or 10 these girls are ones to watch in the future, with lots of potential I look forward to seeing them moving up through the grades.

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Names starting with a K sound was a bit of a theme for our team, with Kate and Carla mentioned above we had 10 players.

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Kaitlyn Horan and Kassidy Allot both had good seasons improving each game and competing to score the most goals.  I think Kassidy has bragging rights for 2019….

Kelsey McGhee was a star at the back, great at breaking downplay and giving everyone time to get back on defence.

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Karen Porteous as always continues to provide guidance to the younger players and show them how to stay calm under pressure.  She also left us for a few weeks to win Gold at the Trans-Tasman Masters tournament with the 50+ Women’s team.

 

Kaylie Bramley once again showed how to carry the ball through and around the opposition often carving into the circle and winning PC’s by completing wrong stepping the opposition.

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Kenzie (Mackenzie) Brown was solid at half ensuring our defence was solid and helping to keep our goals against stats low.

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Carey Wessels has a strong season and thank you for your positive thoughts every week.

We did have a couple of non-K names in the team as well.

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Nakita Stewart in goal pulled off some great saves this season and never stopped yelling and encouraging the team from the back.

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Jade Doughty had a great season up front.

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And Angela Chivers must have played every position on the field this season except goalkeeper and all of them well. After mostly playing defence for the first half of the season she headed up front to play striker when injuries and holidays meant we were short up front and had a couple of great games. I was reluctant to move her back to defence when players returned. Thanks, Angela, for being so flexible and for managing the team this year.

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Our season itself is probably best summarised by what could have been. Lots of potential and patches of brilliant hockey but we often failed to deliver for a full 70 minutes meaning games were drawn or lost by 1 goal.  After two rounds we were unfortunately in 5th place by only a couple of points but 17 points ahead of 6th so our split round games had no meaning as we had already secured 5th in the Championship.  This meant we could relax and have some fun and we had two great wins scoring lots of goals and playing some truly awesome hockey.

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We were determined to win our quarter final and show that we could have been top 4 and we did that convincingly.  Next the semi-final against top of the table and eventual winners East Coast Bays.  Unfortunately, we didn’t play our best game. Maybe missing too many with Jade and me out injured and Carla away somehow the combinations weren’t there. We will be back stronger in 2020 though and I look forward to seeing how we can go next season.

 

Thanks for a fun season!

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