LARGE CROWD TREATED TO HISTORIC MATCH AT SHC

Gold Coast - 2011 Premier League Champions!

Gold Coast women defeated Brisbane in extra time yesterday afternoon at the State Hockey Centre to win their first ever state Premier League hockey title.
 
Premier League is the most prestigious open women’s hockey tournament in Queensland, which draws together the state’s most talented district players.
 
Gold Coast comeback queen Renee Ashton sealed the win for the Gold Coast, scoring a field goal to put the final score at 3-2 after it was locked at 2-2 at full time.
 
Ashton returned to play for the OAMPS Queensland Scorchers open women’s team in the 2011 Australian Hockey League, after taking a break to start a family, and her top form was rewarded with selection in the 2011 Hockeyroos Development Squad.
 
Other goal scorers in the Premier League final were Brisbane captain Lauren Richards, Brisbane’s Samantha Pavish, Gold Coast’s Jenna Wilson and Jamie Stone of the Gold Coast, who was also named Player of the Premier League Final.
 
Kirsten Johnson of Mackay was named the Best Player of the Premier League, in which Mackay finished in seventh place.
 
Cassie Britain, who played in Brisbane’s Premier League team, was named Most Promising Player of the tournament.
 
The 2011 Open Women’s State Championship was run concurrently with the Premier League at the State Hockey Centre over the long weekend.
 
Sunshine Coast won Division 1 of the Open State Championship and Tweed Border finished runners-up.
 
Sunshine Coast’s Ashlea Fey was named the Best Player of Division 1 of the Open State Championship and her teammate Leah Cavanagh was named Player of the Division 1 Final.
 
Brisbane won Division 2 of the Open State Championship and Ipswich finished runners-up.
 
From the Premier League and Open State Championship, the 2011 Queensland Under 21 Women’s Squad, Queensland Development Squad and Queensland Country Squad will be selected.