As it did last season, the Nyngan-based social event will again suck the life out of the in-form Feds on Saturday with seven red and blues unavailable for the club’s Premier League Hockey gala day clash with Lithgow Panthers.

“Those Duck Creek Races have a lot to answer for,” she laughed.

“We’ve got momentum and we’d be looking to use that but we’ve got seven out this week.

“But usually when this happens it’s an opportunity for juniors to have a crack and that’s how we’ll approach it.

“It’s going to be great for us to blood them at this level, but it’s always tough to play Panthers and if I could pick a game to blood these girls in it wouldn’t be Panthers.”

Feds enters the round eight clash on the back of confidence-boosting wins over Zig Zag and Ex-Services and Reith said although Saturday’s side will look a little different to the teams that won both of those games depth is a strength of her club, and that will be on show come 1.55pm when the red and blues go stick-to-stick with a women’s PLH giant in Panthers.

“The young ones have been training all year and although we have seven out, we still had 18 or 19 at training on Thursday … our enthusiasm is sky high,” she said.

“Panthers professional, organised and keep structure well. We have to make sure our defence is strong and we create enough opportunities to score.”

In the absense of a stack of regulars, Reith said she’s lean the experience of Ellen Warner and Rach Pengilly and the in-form Heidi Townsend and Kathryn Cox, in goals.

The Feds mentor said she’s looking forward to the PLH gala day, too, which brings all men’s and women’s games to the one venue, which on Saturday’s is the Smith and Davis fields at the Orange Hockey Centre.

“A lot of people whinge about the gala day but it’s a good opportunity for the sport and the juniors out there to see what the other teams are like and the level that they’re at,” Reith added.

Feds takes on Panthers from 1.55pm on the Smith Field.