WITH a hockey-mad father and a talented daughter, hockey is often a strong topic of conversation around the Pengilly dinner table.
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Not so this week.
Confederates will go head-to-head with Orange Ex-Services on Saturday at the Orange Hockey Complex, and with Mark at the helm of Feds’ coaching this season, and Rachel anchoring Servies’ defence, both have been keeping their cards close to their chests in the lead-up.
“Yeah, I have,” Mark laughed.
“She’s be playing pretty good hockey, everyone’s been telling me, so she’ll be the one to watch tomorrow I think.”
Both Ex-Services and Confederates have battled for form over the opening five rounds of the 2014 women’s Premier League Hockey season.
Perennial semi-finalists, Servies have recorded just the one win from five starts, while Feds, struggling somewhat since re-joining the women’s premiership in 2012, have a draw next to their names heading into round six.
Rachel believes her dad has had a big hand in helping Feds take some positive strides to begin the season.
“I think he has, especially in their structural play,” she said, adding cool heads will likely prevail in today’s Orange derby. “Not panicking when we’re put under pressure will be important for us.”
The 17-year-old fullback admits Feds will test her Servies teammates this afternoon.
“We’ve got to watch out because they’ve been playing well in their first couple of games. We’ll have to watch out,” she said.
Mark was under no illusions how tough today’s battle would be.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game playing Servies, they’re the good side in Orange. It’ll be interesting to see how we shape up,” Mark said.
Feds tackle Servies from 1.10pm on Saturday.
In other women’s PLH matches, Bathurst Souths take on Bathurst St Pat’s, Lithgow Zig Zag meets Lithgow Panthers and Bathurst City will make the trek to Parkes to play United. Kinross-CYMS has deferred its game against Dubbo.