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SmokeFree WA Thundersticks: 4 (Dancer, Brett 22nd min FG;
Charlesworth, Jonathon 54th min FG; Smith, Andrew 60th min FG; Hopkins,
Aaron 64th min PC)
OAMPS Queensland Blades: 1 (Elder, Troy 32nd min PC; Eglington, Nathan
79th min PC)
The SmokeFree WA Thundersticks have gained some revenge from
last years AHL championship defeat and caused an upset by defeating the
OAMPS Queensland Blades in the AHL championship match this
evening.
The two teams had very different journeys to the championship
match.
Having only lost one game for the entire tournament, the Blades went
into this evenings match undoubted favourites, having finished on top
of the AHL ladder. They also defeated the MIA Tassie Tigers in
convincing fashion in the semi final last night. Furthermore, the
Blades were playing for AHL history as they strived to become the first
men's team to win three AHL championships in a row.
However that mattered little to the SmokeFree WA Thundersticks who had
a much harder path to the championship. Having finished third on the
ladder prior to the semi finals, consistency had plagued the
Thundersticks throughout the two week tournament, having lost three
matches in extra time including one to the Blades in round 6.
However none of that mattered this evening as the Thundersticks proved
they weren't intimidated by the Blades despite the reigning champions
throwing every thing at them at the beginning of the match.
Neither team were able to gain the ascendency during the first half,
with forwards from both teams finding themselves under immense pressure
following every attacking movement.
The Thundersticks had the first opportunity of the game following two
short corner attempts before Brett Dancer smashed the ball into the
back of the goals from the right hand side of the circle. His shot
blazed along the ground past the stick of Queensland goalkeeper Stephen
Lambert.
The Blades attacked with renewed vigour and launched numerous attacks
at the Thundersticks defence. They had two short corner attempts before
Troy Elder sent the ball sailing into the goal for the equaliser in the
32nd minute.
Fitting to the evenness of the match, the scores remained level for the
remainder of the half.
After such an even first half the game was due to break sooner or
later, with the Thundersticks lifting their intensity.
Jonathon Charlesworth opened the second half scoring with a great shot
that deflected wildly off Troy Elder's stick to go into the top of the
net and give Goal keeper Lambert no chance of saving the deflection in
the 54th minute.
Andrew Smith joined the goal scoring list six minutes later when he
finished off a crisp right hand side play by the Thundersticks to send
his diving reverse stick shot low and hard to Lambert's right. Aaron
Hopkins made the tally four with a beautifully hit penalty corner that
hit the pads of Lambert and went straight into the top of the net in
the 64th minute, breaking the spirit of the Blades as the result seemed
obvious.
Nathan Eglington's last minute penalty corner goal regained some
score board respectability but it was too little too late as the
Thundersticks denied the Blades a chance at history to walk away 2008
AHL champions.
In other matches today, the Victorian Vikings claimed third spot at the
championship by defeating the MIA Tassie Tigers, while the NSW Waratahs
and the Canberra Lakers finished off their tournament positively after
victories against the Southern Hotshots and the Northpharm NT Stingers
respectively.
AHL Finals results:
SmokeFree WA Thundersticks 4 OAMPS Queensland Blades 2 (1-1
half time)
Victorian Vikings 3 MIA Tassie Tigers 1 (1-1 half time)
NSW Waratahs 5 Southern Hotshots 1 (2-1 half time)
Canberra Lakers 4 Northpharm NT Stingers 0 (0-0 half time)
Final placings:
1. SmokeFree WA Thundersticks
2. OAMPS Queensland Blades
3. Victorian Vikings
4. MIA Tassie Tigers
5. NSW Waratahs
6. Southern Hotshots
7. Canberra Lakers
8. Northpharm NT Stingers
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