PHOTO
You could be forgiven for thinking Marist fans had no fingernails left to chew after Saturday.
The club pulled off a stunning double, winning both the men’s and women’s premier hockey titles in dramatic fashion – coming from 2-0 down in each final before clinching victory in penalty shootouts.
It was the first time Marist has won both titles in the same season.
Men’s coach Sam Grimshaw said penalties was something both teams had prepared for.
“The last two weeks we’ve practised it a lot. Even throughout the year we play games at training and do shootouts as well.”
He singled out goalkeeper Emil Collins, who made several saves.
Collins has form in high-pressure moments – earlier this month he was the hero for the USA, helping them beat Chile on penalties in the Pan American Cup semi-final.
“He’s a pretty good shootout keeper, which helps,” Grimshaw said.
Women’s captain Ayla Menzies said she was shocked her side managed to topple Harewood, who had gone unbeaten all season, including 4-0 and 5-1 wins over Marist in earlier meetings.
She said when they went 2-0 down in the final, the important thing was to not give up hope.
“It was our final chance, so we just had to keep going and keep motivating each other to win.
“We felt like Harewood dropped off in the second half and we had the chance to catch up.”
The title was Marist’s third in a row in the women’s competition, while the men’s win was their first since 2022.
Menzies said the connection between the two sides was a key strength, with both squads supporting each other at Nunweek Park where the finals were played back-to-back.
“We do a lot of social activities with them (the men’s team) and try to support them as well.
“We all get on pretty well, I think it’s definitely helped the culture within Marist.”