By Blair Burns
Cardinia Storm Hockey Club celebrated the women last weekend as the club won all of its matches in strong fashion, not conceding a goal for the entire weekend.
The Pink Round supported the Breast Cancer Network Australia and raised funds for the cause, with the club thanking everyone who baked, donated, decorated or volunteered their time to make it a great day.
The week leading up to the match was filled with excitement as the women undertook plenty of special activities, including self-defence workshops at ATA Martial Arts.
The weather held off on the day and allowed the match to proceed smoothly, as the Cardinia women put on a clinical performance in the Women’s Metro 1 South competition.
The side had a big 5-0 victory over the Collegians and now sits in second spot on the ladder with a season record of 5-1.
Storm struck the first blow as Maddie Reincastle found the back of the net early in the match to put Cardinia up on the scoreboard.
But she wasn’t done here, as the star dominated proceedings to score two more goals and complete her first ever hat-trick.
Zena Nicholas and Lauren Walsh were also impressive in the victory, each scoring good goals to take the final margin out to five goals.
The development of the younger players on the side is among the most pleasing things for Cardinia Storm.
Annabelle Fallu, as well as sisters Deane and Leandi Blignaut continue to grow in confidence as they link up well across the field.
Following the women’s game, the successful weekend for Cardinia Storm was set to continue as the Men’s Metro 1 South team defeated Southern United 4-0.
Hasantha Jasinarachchi set the tone for the match with an early score against Southern United.
The match kicked off with an energetic start as they opened the scoring and started well, with defensive plays helping to move the ball quickly.
Taylor Rae was the star of the show for the Storm after he was held goalless last week, bouncing back to score a hat-trick on the day.
Kieran McLellan was a huge part of this as he set up two goals for Rae in the dying stages of the match.
The defence and midfield were great as it helped set up these opportunities through Tristan Yates and Troy White, who were impressive.
In the third quarter, Cardinia had plenty of entries into the attacking zone but struggled to convert on its dominance, leaving the scoreboard unchanged.
The match concluded with a commanding 4-0 victory for Cardinia Storm, while the Men’s Metro 2 side stay in reach of top position thanks to a 5-0 forfeit.
