HOCKEY
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
ORANGE Ex-Services kept their women's Premier League Hockey season alive with a dramatic elimination semi-final win over Dubbo on Saturday.
No one had any fingernails left at the Orange Hockey Complex after the match went into a sudden death shoot-out.
Orange Ex-Services and Dubbo were locked at 2-all at the end of regulation time in a fantastic match.
Fifteen minutes of golden goal extra-time couldn't separate the sides and the game went into a shoot-out.
The teams converted two chances each from their first five shots in the shoot-out.
Then in the sudden death shoot-out, Dubbo's Alisa Shaw couldn't find the back of the goal before Chloe Barrett scrambled in a goal for Ex-Services to win 3-2.
Ex-Services co-coach Mitch Kennewell was delighted with the win in a thrilling match.
"It was a pretty good game," Kennewell said.
"We were never really comfortable. We had our chances but so did they."
Dubbo took the first chance when Courtney Hogan converted a short corner six minutes into the game.
Kasey Byrne levelled the scores five minutes later when she pounced on a saved short corner ball.
With just over three minutes left in the opening half, Barrett worked her way into the circle and fired the ball at the goal and it deflected off the Dubbo keeper, Lilli Campbell, into the back of the net for Ex-Services to enjoy a 2-1 lead at the break.
The Orange side had three chances to add to their tally early in the second half with Kate Butcherine hitting the post, and Campbell saving a short corner attempt as well as a Leanne Kennewell penalty stroke.
With 12 minutes left in the half, Aimee Davies pounced on a short corner save for Dubbo to make it 2-all and that's how it stayed to the end of 70 minutes.
VIDEO: What Chloe Barrett had to say after full time:
The first half of extra-time was a tight tussle and neither side could break through.
The theme continued in the second period as both sides became obviously fatigued but each team successfully defended a short corner.
So it came down to the shoot-out where keepers Campbell and Erin Horan (Ex-Services) were outstanding.
Dubbo's Alisa Shaw and Ex-Services' Tiff Atkinson were unable to convert their chances.
Courtney Hogan couldn't get a shot away in the allotted eight seconds for Dubbo but Shian Duboc scored for Ex-Services.
Tarlee Roberts hit back immediately for Dubbo to make it 1-all before Haley Butcherine had her attempt saved.
Dubbo's Emily Lake and Orange's Ellen Van Hoek couldn't change the score.
In the fifth attempts Alex Waters converted her chance and Barrett was awarded a penalty stroke during her attempt, which she converted to make it 2-all.
It then went to the sudden death shoot-out where Barrett somehow held her nerve to score the winner.
The win pushes Ex-Services into next week's minor semi-final against Bathurst Souths.
Kennewell believes the nail-biting win will be a great motivator for his side.
"Hopefully they can take that out of it - this is what finals hockey is about. It's different to the round games during the year. It's just a different game," he said.
"Dubbo, we've been on top of them the last couple of time we played them but they stepped up. It wasn't easy, that's for sure.
"If we can play like that, though, look out the other sides I reckon."
ORANGE EX-SERVICES 5 ( Chloe Barrett 3, Shian Duboc , Kasey Byrne) def DUBBO 4 ( Tarlee Roberts, Aimee Davies, Courtney Hogan, Alex Waters).