The Border’s leading hockey players return to action on Sunday for round one of the Hockey Albury Wodonga division one season.
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Albury Hockey Centre hosts all six men’s and women’s clashes.
Wombats take on Falcons, Norths meet CR United, while Wodonga faces off with Magpies.
The weekend marks the return of Wombats’ veteran Sadie Sawyer who has had two years away from the game after the birth of her two boys.
Sawyer said Wombats have managed to keep a similar side from last year, with the addition of a new recruit from Newcastle, who will arrive for round two.
“Last year we were very young, so we’ve come of age and shown a bit of promise this year,” Sawyer said.
“The girls have all grown up together in juniors and have all come up to year 12 age now, so they should hold their own a bit.
“I’ll be a senior face in the back and can hopefully give them a bit more support.
“I’m the oldest by 10 years, so the average is up a bit, but we’ve got girls from year 12 up to about 25 and then there’s me who is a bit older.”
The biggest challenge Sawyer has found during her return to senior hockey is the ability to get herself back up with the pace of the game.
“It will be a tough start against Falcons first up, their team has been together for a while now and they’ve got some superstars in there,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer believes Wombats will have a better idea of the teams to beat after the first few rounds.
“Falcons are always thereabouts, but last year Wodonga were the big surprise, so it will be interesting if they can continue the build-up from what they started last year,” she said.
“I know we’re very short of players in the first round, but hopefully after that we can hold our own.”
Newly-appointed Wodonga division one men’s coach Josh Pritchard admits this season will be a learning curve for him.
Pritchard was a regular with the Spitfires last season, but is looking forward to settling back into the local competition after putting his hand up for the top job.
The task doesn’t get much harder than a match-up with the defending premiers Magpies first up.
“They’re pretty quick through the midfield and have a good forward up front in Jeremy Maggs,” Pritchard said.
“Hopefully we can close him down and close down the middle and see how it goes from there.
“We’ve got a pretty solid midfield as well, that’s young and quick, and two good strikers who can hopefully get us over the line.”