U17A Round 5 vs Doncaster

A solid 6 – 3 victory over Doncaster Hockey Club once again demonstrated that the Under 17 A team is a close knit group prepared to play for each other with great spirit and tenacity.

From the opening whistle Waverley focused on putting pressure on the ball, forcing a number of vital turnovers. The opening goal was illustrative of this, with the ball being moved quickly down the ground to Waverley speedster James Knee who, with consummate skill, glided through the circle and flicked the ball home for the first of two goals for the night. Soon after, the ‘tomahawk king’ Riley Maddock slotted home a magnificent shot into the roof of the net from just inside the circle. Riley’s second great tomahawk for the night was the culmination of a wonderful transition play that saw the ball moved brilliantly from an opposition short corner to the Waverley circle in the blink of an eye.

While Waverley dominated possession for much of the game, mid-way through the second half momentum appeared to shift. With two of its top running players on the bench with injuries, Doncaster was able to score two goals. The concern held by many, that the Waverley boys would ‘run out of legs’, proved to be unfounded when the group lifted to once again assume control of the match. This was achieved via an accurate and quick penalty corner push out from Jonathan Wentworth that enabled Waverley to score from a drag flick. Then the game was put beyond doubt with a magical goal from David Jensen.

It would be remiss not to mention the great work in defence of the likes of Zac Davis, the hard work of Nick Steffens and the goal keeping brilliance of Ben Wilkinson.