It was another terrific result for Parkes Hockey with both of our U13 boys representative teams having great success, however the Parkes 1 Team coming away from the state championships as the U13 Division 1 (joint) State Champions absolutely takes the cake!
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The Parkes 1 Team were undefeated in their round games played over the first two days of the carnival, securing wins against Grafton 1 (1-0), North West Sydney 1 (2-0), New England (4-0), Goulburn 1 (2-0) and a draw with Illawarra South Coast 1 (2-2).
Sunday (Day 3) saw the boys take on Metro South West 1 in the Semi Final, where they really hit their straps, combining well to play a strong and confident style of hockey.
They won the Semi 3-1, which secured their place in the Division 1 Final against Newcastle 1.
The Newcastle boys were a much larger team, but Parkes' small and smart hockey heads put up a good show against them.
Neither team were able to score, despite Parkes having the majority of play towards later stages of the game. Several penalty corners in the dying minutes could not be converted by the Parkes boys, so when the full time whistle sounded the scores were locked at 0-0.
Both teams were then declared joint winners!
Coach Graeme Tanswell and Manager Steve Collins (as well as all the parents and spectators) were extremely proud of all the boys efforts, as well as the teamwork and sportsmanship they had displayed throughout the whole championships.
Official records were not available at the time, but it's possible this is the first time in about 30 years that Parkes has won the Division 1 title in the U13 boys age group!
At the conclusion of the carnival, just to add to the fantastic results achieved by the team, centre midfielder Ryan Dunford was named Player of the Tournament and seven team members were named in the U13 Boys NSW Squad!
They are Thomas Searl, Ryan Dunford, Toby Collins, Joseph Tanswell, Jack Skinner, Edward Murray and Nathan Marshall.
This is an outstanding effort by the Parkes boys, bringing Parkes' total of NSW junior squad members for 2018 to 18!
It is a tremendous reward also for the Parkes Hockey community and demonstrates the strength in the local junior programs and competitions, as well as player mentorship provided in the senior format of the sport.
With the successful completion of the Mariah Williams Field in 2017, Parkes finally has two synthetic pitches and the ability to attract and host future carnivals and State Championships tournaments and Parkes' home grown hockey talent will only continue to develop and produce players achieving state and even international honours.
The Parkes 2 (development) team contested Division 3 at the State Championships and included many younger players.
The Parkes 2 boys also had great success in their round games, having two wins, one draw and one loss.
These results placed them third in their pool and a spot in the semi finals against Northern Sydney Beaches 1.
The young Parkes boys were no match for the more experienced team, but they played their hearts out and fought to the very last whistle.
At the conclusion of the carnival, Parkes 2 finished Third in Division 3 and were awarded the 'Play the Whistle' Award for outstanding sportsmanship!
Coach Glenn Johnstone and Manager Tracey Chambers were so very proud of all their players and their efforts throughout the carnival.
It was a great experience for all players, most of whom will play in the U13 age group again next year.
Parkes boys Henry Rice, Tom Rix and Jack Nutley played up and filled in for Hunter Hockey association. They also finished 3rd in Division 3.
