Hockey Sport
W
hen approaching this year’s season, the First XI Hockey Team realized that if we wanted to be successful we needed a real sense of team spirit and kinship, a clear sense of direction and a firm belief that if we played to our potential we could achieve great things. To put all this simply – like no other year in which I have been involved – this year, the Trinity 1st XI really did mean business. At the conclusion of the PSA Winter Season the team walked away with six wins, three losses, one draw and a B Division Under 17 Hockey Championship Pennant. Our final placing was fourth out of seven on the PSA ladder; however I do not believe that this truly represents our achievements. The competition was very tight with just one game left, we could have finished anywhere from first to fourth, as Christ Church, Scotch, Hale and of course Trinity remained less that 2 points away from each other. We won six times as many games this year as we did last year and judging by the expression on faces of opposing teams as they watched us rumble in victory, the consensus was Trinity hockey is back! Instead of taking you through a rundown of all our games I would just like to mention one. In fact, the game that sticks as most notable in my mind was not even a game that we won. On the fourth weekend of the season we played Scotch for the first time. Scotch, who would eventually win the tournament, came to the Waterford fields with a distinct air of superiority. Our team theme for that particular game was the notion of ‘determination’: the understanding that if we continued to stand tall under all they could throw at us and never drop our heads, or lose faith we would be doing this game justice. For basically the whole seventy minutes we defended. I think we took the ball into attack a total of about five times the whole game, but when the final whistle went the score was locked at nil all. Our defence had endured well over ten short corners and constant attack to take points away from Scotch for the first time
HOCKEY FIRST XI Second row: Mr Adam Scott (Coach), Andre Di Filippo, Zachary Sinagra, Drew Tennant, Steven Rimmer, Ian Colan, Matthew Cain Front row: Thomas Coates, Matthew Lally, James McPherson (Vice-captain), David Gardiner, Gerald Lillywhite (Captain), Benjamin Creighton (Vice-captain), Scott Pillinger
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Mr Scott could remember. When I was younger I used to hear people talk about the Trinity Spirit, and I have no doubt that it was present that morning as the team banded together, and fought to the bitter end. On behalf of the team I would like to thank Mr Adam Scott for coaching us this year and assisting in the development of our hockey. I would also like to thank the parents of the 1st XI for the great support displayed for the team and for your sons. I would also like to thank Ben Creighton and James McPherson who were the teams Vice Captains this year. They did a great job as leaders within the team both on field and off. Thank you for your honest advice and dedication. I would also like to thank the rest of the Year 12’s. Though they had no formal leadership position, they became clear leaders by the way they conducted themselves and welcomed the new members to the team. I have enjoyed playing alongside my team mates all these years and I wish them all the best for what life has in store in years to come. Congratulations to Andre De Filippo who was selected in both the State Schoolboys side and the State Under 15 Team and to Tom Coates who represented the State Under 15 side. To surviving members of the team, don’t forget what was accomplished this year and the way in which the team conducted itself. This season was just the first step in a process that will eventually return the Ray House Cup to Trinity. To the young men before me who aspire to play First XI hockey, do everything you can to make this team. Keep fit, dribble around the house until you feel dizzy, talk hockey continually. There has been no greater joy in my life than representing my school at the highest level. Gerald Lillywhite First XI Captain
