Tambellup’s Penny Squibb nets goal to help lift Perth Thundersticks to bronze medal in Hockey One finals

Tambellup star Penny Squibb has helped the Perth Thundersticks win bronze in the 2022 Hockey One tournament that wrapped up in Victoria on Sunday. The Thundersticks women’s team went down in heartbreaking fashion in Saturday’s semifinal, losing 1-0 to the NSW Pride in Bendigo. However they bounced back in the third-place playoff to win a bronze medal after an emphatic 3-0 win over HC Melbourne. Squibb played her part in the bronze medal victory, scoring one of the Thundersticks’ two goals in the first quarter. The talented defender converted a penalty stroke in the third minute of the game and Georgina Dowd added a field goal early in the opening term. The Thundersticks sealed the triumph with Karri Somerville’s 25th minute penalty corner conversion to end the national competition with a medal. In the semifinal the Thundersticks conceded a goal in the 41st minute from Pride captain Abigail Wilson which ended their gold medal hopes. Pride went on to claim the women’s title. Thundersticks women’s captain Kyra White was pleased with her side’s ability to cap off the season with a win. “The win is a bit bittersweet after our loss yesterday, but as a group we are really pleased to come out and secure the victory to claim third place,” White said. “We did not change a whole lot in our game plan from yesterday as we thought we played well. “It was just a matter of making sure we finished our opportunities, which we were able to do today. “It has been a long time since both teams have finished this high and we have made sure to cheer each other on and continue to build a strong culture — I am super-proud of both teams. “We have had a fantastic time here in Bendigo and it has been awesome to cap off this year’s Hockey One season with WA heavily represented and I am super-keen to see the league grow in the years to come.” Hockey One is Australia’s premier men’s and women’s competition and the finals were played at the Bendigo Regional Hockey Complex. The Thundersticks men beat Canberra Chill 6-3 in the semifinals but lost 2-0 to the Pride in the decider.