The junior club has yet again lead the way by winning the first premiership of the season for the Club.  The mighty U15Cs overcame a defiant Gordon North Sydney on Friday night at Pennant Hills to clinch the final in a hard-fought 1-0 win in extra time.  Coach Maddy Roche said that she was incredibly proud of the team throughout the season and especially in the Grand Final that lasted 80 minutes.  The team was ecstatic when Ingrid Bissaker finally slotted the winning goal in the 75th minute. 

Assistant coaches for the evening, women's Vice President Andrea Buchan and club social coordinator, Chloe Hardwick-Jones were both hoarse at the end of the evening.    Thanks to Eunice Bell for managing the team and all the parents and friends who came to support the players throughout the season.  Go Uni!!!

The Under 18 Girls have added another trophy to the SU cabinet for 2009 with a nail-biting 1-0 win over UTS on Sunday 27th September.

The scores were locked at 0-0 until the dying moments of the game, when SU finally scored to win the match. Spectators are still recovering, but the players are celebrating.

Congratulations to the Under 18s! A special mention to Evie Bell, the Junior Club's joint Lion Cup winner in 2009 (which is their Club person of the Year). Evie played her 100th game for the Club in helping the U18s win. It was her second premiership for the year as she played in the U15Cs winning team as well.

Sydney Uni's Under 18 Mixed Indoor team are usually a feisty lot, but not on Easter Thursday evening.  It was half time in the grand final, and they were playing the undefeated Terrey Hills. They had had to win a semi-final an hour beforehand, and were not as fresh as their opponents.  Some were in their third straight game after playing in the Under 15 Grand Final (won 8-1 by SU) which came between the two Under 18 games.Their elder stateswoman and star striker, Emma Scriven, had been injured in the first few minutes and couldn't play any more.  They were down 9-3. 

The team was Cameron Rowland (GK), Max and Antonia Wettenhall, Evie Bell, Paige Chowdhury, Sonia Hartog, Nicolas Johnston, Kimberly Spragg and Emma Scriven.  The classic junior team, really: an Under 18 team with ages ranging from 13 to 17, some with brothers and sisters (and even parents) who play for SUHC, some in their first season with the club, others in their 9th or even 10th season, some who have played for NSW and others who have never played hockey before.  One of the mums - Jenny Rowland - was coach, manager and often chauffeur.  All year they had been dashing out to Balgowlah on Thursday and Friday evenings to support their team and club.  They had done a great job to make it to the grand final against bigger, stronger and older teams.

Then there was a second half comeback.  They tackled their hearts out, Cameron played a blinder and the attackers kept passing and passing. Max and Nic were in their third straight game but refused to tire, and scored the occasional goal.  The parents and spectators moved slowly from stoic resignation to a bemused inkling that these youngsters might make a match of it.   As the second half went on the scores got closer and closer. The comeback had the spectators urging both sides on. SU kept scoring. At 9-6 it was exciting. At 9-7 everyone was off their seats. At 9-8 they were screaming.  At 9-9 it was deafening, and everyone was watching the clock.  But with seconds to go Terrey Hills were awarded a stroke.  SU had come so close - and then Cameron saved it!  The siren went and it was over. A stunning comeback had secured a 9-9 draw, with Terrey Hills the winners as they finished higher on the table.

Or so we thought.  We were wrong.  The rules go to Golden Goal drop-off: 5 minutes with only 4 field players.  Terrey Hills had four 17 year olds plus goalie.  We had Antonia (17), Max (15), Nicolas (13) and Sonia (15) with Cameron (15) as goalie.

It was four minutes of anguish.  Terry Hills used all their strength to attack relentlessly. The ball wouldn't get out of our half.  All our players were defending as if their lives depended on it, but Terrey Hills were edging further forward and closer to that golden goal.  Then Jenny played her trump.  She switched two players and told them to attack.  Terrey Hills were so used to being camped on our goal that they just weren't ready when Nic and Max whipped the ball down the right hand side and sprinted to their goal.  With two players bearing down their goalie had a single moment of indecision ... and Max scored.  Sydney Uni had just won the Grand Final 10-9.

Have you seen parents cry and laugh in relief?  Have you seen a team almost too surprised to be excited?  Have you seen Jenny Rowland do a fling?  You had to be there.

Full credit to the Terrey Hills team.  It was a good game and they were gracious and sportsmanlike after their only defeat of the season.  Many thanks too to Alan Wiggins from Manly, who has selflessly run this indoor competition for many years.  He has enabled some fantastic memories ... especially the fling.

A highlight of the 2008 competition start has been to see so many current and former SUHC juniors who are playing in the Mens and Womens senior ranks.

There are already more than 15 current and former juniors scattered through all grades of the Mens and Womens teams. These juniors have been training with the senior squads for manyweeks, and are now having their first games for 2008 in the senior competition. .

Most noticeable was the Mens Third Grade side on Saturday 29th of March, where five of the team were products of SUHC's own junior club.