HOCKEY
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ORANGE veteran Adam Hurford says there’s more to this year’s Hockey NSW Open Men’s State Championship than simply winning - much more.
Orange will take away a host of junior talent when the side heads to Moorebank ahead of this June long weekend state championship, with goalkeeper Ash Lacey, Skelton brothers Luke and Adam, Jayden Watson, Mitch Vennard, Nic Milne and NSW Combined High Schools gun Hayden Dillonset to play plenty of minutes.
Hurford, who’ll be joined by fellow stalwarts Andrew Rutledge, Daryl Kennewell and Alex Said as well as Englishman Todd Freedman and Burwood Briars trio Lewis Mike, Darren Asslop and Lee Brady in the Orange open outfit, said exposing juniors to open level hockey would only benefit the team in the long term.
“Obviously we don’t want to drop a game,” Hurford said.
“But we’re taking a fairly young side to this year’s champs, if we can make the semi-finals then I think we’ll be doing well.
“Really, what we’re trying to do this year is give some of the young guys that opportunity in the opens, an opportunity they probably haven’t had in past years.”
Orange has been grouped in pool A of division two, and will take on Bathurst, Tamworth, North West Sydney (2) and Goulburn (2) in the group stage.
Understandably, Hurford and the Orange boys know a fair bit about Bathurst, a side they’ll tackle at 11.45am on the championship’s second day this Sunday, but what the trio of Tamworth, North West Sydney (2) and Goulburn (2) dish up this year is anyone’s guess.
“They’re big unknowns,” Hurford said.
“Especially after they broke up the Sydney sides ... North West Sydney, we have no idea about them.
“I think the key for us will be just to work hard on playing to our structures.
“Without Kizza (Keiran Gentles) and Nick Sharp there this year, we’re playing without a bit of sting, so we’ll be looking to give some of the young guys a go and see how we go from there.”
Orange’s first game is against Tamworth on Saturday morning at 9.15am.
ORANGE: Ash Lacey (gk), Adam Hurford, Luke Skelton, Adam Skelton, Jayden Watson, Mitch Vennard, Nic Milne, Hayden Dillon, Andrew Rutledge, Daryl Kennewell, Alex Said, Todd Freedman, Lewis Mike, Darren Asslop, Lee Brady.