By Jonty Ralphsmith
Cardinia had a comfortable 2-0 win on Saturday against Mentone at home.
The Storm scored an early goal and controlled proceedings throughout the day, adapting to the wet conditions well in the second half.
“We knew we could play the conditions if we moved the ball well after we played in the wet two weeks ago,” coach Pete Turner said.
“We had chances throughout the game
“We went in with a set game plan, we changed our structure slightly from the last time we played them and it worked well.
“It’s just a matter of finding our best combination across different positions – we haven’t had all our personnel on the park yet so no one has seen us at our best and we have great versatility at our best.”
Left handers Jackson Johnston, who scored a goal, and Ben Albrecht provided a handy point-of-difference upfront.
The women had a 1-0 win with Rachel Byron scoring the goal via a penalty stroke.
Meanwhile, Cardinia player Jean Francois Blignaut was selected to play in the junior state championships in Bendigo.
A staple of Cardinia’s men’s outfit, the experience will be a great experience for Blignaur, against several hockey players whose local club competes in as high as Premier League.
“He plays in the midfield, has returned after a couple of years off, he’s stronger and his confidence is always growing,” Turner said.
“He’s the sort of player you want to grow teams around.”
