A BRIGHT light in Orange junior hockey, Wanderers young gun Adam Skelton is aiming to shine a bit of youthful exuberance on the men’s Premier League Hockey competition.
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Set to tackle Lithgow Zig Zag in game one of the 2014 men’s PLH gala day on Saturday, the 15-year-old is hoping to use the momentum gained from a successful Hockey NSW Under 18s Boys’ Field State Championship last weekend in Newcastle to help Wanderers chalk up win number one.
“It was really good,” the Canobolas Rural Technology High School student said of Orange’s third division championship win.
“It was our assistant coach’s (Andrew Reddan) birthday on the Sunday and the team we played in the final (Wagga) beat us 6-3 in the round robin, but we played a lot better in the grand final (to win 2-1).
“It was good to put nearly a full Orange side in. I think we might have had one player from Parkes to come play for us.”
With just one round of the 2014 men’s PLH completed, Wanderers surprised a few with an entertaining 5-all draw with United in Parkes.
Looking to go one better on Saturday versus Zig Zag, Skleton said the speed of PLH was the biggest difference to local level hockey.
“It’s a lot quicker, very strong,” he said, with Lithgow Panthers playing Bathurst Souths and Parkes tackling Bathurst St Pat’s in the other two men’s PLH gala day games at the Orange Hockey Complex.
“And it’s really fun to play with the other boys. You learn off them.
“Zig Zag is going to be a tough side to beat but if we pass the ball around I reckon we could beat them.”
A defender, Skelton says he loves playing at the back so he can defuse opposition raids then provide slick ball for the Wanderers strikers up front.
“I don’t have to worry about scoring goals,” he smiled, with his brother Luke the main beneficiary behind Adam’s dogged play in defence.
“I’ve played with him a fair bit. He’s more up front than what I am, but we work well together.”
Wanderers host Zig Zag from 1.10pm on Saturday, followed by games at 2.35pm and 3.55pm.