Hockey: McCarthy triumph at Combined Catholic Colleges Champioships

The Geoff Denton-coached side claimed the silverware in resounding fashion - thrashing Trinity Goulburn 5-nil in the final.

Denton could only marvel at the performance from his talented young side, which didn’t concede a goal for the tournament and dispatched of San Clemente Mayfield (4-nil), Monte Sant Angelo North Sydney (6-nil) and St Scholastica's Glebe (9-nil) before accounting for MacKillop College Port Macquarie 5-nil in their semi-final.

“We actually conceded our first short corner with about two minutes to go in the grand final,” Denton said.

Led by Amber Witney they were equally as impressive in attack, scoring 29 goals from their five games.

Witney was a real focal point and slotted 13 of those. 

Abby Wakely was also prominent up front and finished with seven.

“They were wonderful, and played wonderfully as a team,” Denton said.

Their defence epitomised that.

“Everyone worked back hard all the time,” he said.

He had gone in with high hopes with the side he had, despite suffering a late set-back with Marley Pitt breaking her ankle for the second time this season.

“They were a fairly handy looking team,” he said.

“But you never know from one year to the next. This was the first year it was not under-16s. This year the junior division was Year 7-9.”

It’s McCarthy’s second title in three years in the junior division. Witney and Georgia Horniman were both part of the victorious side two years ago. 

Denton said Horniman and Ella Constable both worked very hard in the midfield, while Ella Mitchell and Callie Michell were strong at the back and keeper Maeve Galvin “kept out anything that went that far”.

The open boys were pipped 4-3 by McAuley Grafton in their semi-final after beating St Clare’s Taree 3-2 in their quarter final while the open girls finished a tough tournament with a 1-nil win over St Scholastica.