Tamworth talent featured among the goalscorers for the NSW Pride when the inaugural Hockey One League got underway at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday.
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The Pride endured mixed fortunes with the women's side containing Alice Arnott and Kate Jenner going down to the Adelaide Fire 2-1 before Ehren Hazell's men returned the favour with a 2-1 victory.
Making her senior representative debut for NSW, former Olympians striker Arnott, finished off a great passage of play to score the Pride's opening, and what turned out to be lone, goal.
A strong defensive effort and plenty of high-pressure play from both teams in the first quarter, saw them head into the break nil-all.
That score line continued until half-time despite NSW coming out firing early in the second quarter.
The game opened in the third quarter, with Karri McMahon slotting the Fire's first goal of the tournament from a penalty corner in the third minute of the second half.
Arnott hit back for the Pride just seconds later, finding the top right-hand corner of the net. She had a chance to put the Pride in the lead with a goal conversion attempt but was denied by a good defensive effort from the Fire keeper.
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After a scramble in the circle and two incredible saves from NSW keeper Jocelyn Bartram, it was third time lucky for Miki Spano who put the Fire into the lead late in the third quarter.
Despite some desperate attacks from the Pride in the final quarter, the Fire defence held strong.
A Kookaburras-laden Pride men's side then took the field against a relatively young and inexperienced Adelaide Fire team.
Despite a few nervous minutes for the Fire at the start of the first quarter, both teams settled into the game and played out a relatively uneventful first half before heading into the sheds 0-0 at the break.
A yellow card to the Fire's Liam Alexander in the middle of the third quarter opened the game up for the NSW Pride. Just minutes after, Hazell opened the scoring for the Pride, with a deflection off a Matt Dawson penalty corner shot attempt.
In the dying seconds of the third quarter, Blake Govers doubled the Pride's score with a slick drag-flick off a short-corner.
Lachlan Busiko nabbed a goal back for the Fire in the opening minutes of the final quarter with a fantastic penalty corner play. Jack Hayes almost put the result beyond doubt when he stepped up to take a penalty stroke late in the game but hit the post in his attempt.
The NSW Pride will now head south to Canberra for their first away game.
