The 21 rounds of the highly entertaining Women’s NPL season over, it is now time for ten days of thrilling finals football. Will Canberra Olympic successfully keep their crown? The action starts midweek.
Canberra Olympic hosts Belconnen United at Deakin Stadium on Wednesday night. After failing to beat the Blue Devils this season, Olympic struck when it mattered most and earned their first League Champions trophy at Riverside two weeks ago.
Nicole Begg’s squad has been a force to reckon with this season, leaning on the experience on the likes of Olivia Gurney, Madelyn Whittall and Katrina Peric, while allowing youngsters to express themselves.
The clash against Belconnen is rapidly becoming a classic in our competition. Olympic, winner against Croatia at this stage of the competition last season, want to reiterate the feat.
There will be no shortage of motivation in the Belconnen ranks. At the top of the table for most of the season, Scott Conlon’s team saw the title slipping through their fingers in a matter of 72 hours.
The Federation Cup winners have an appetite for big games and have produced in recent months when it comes to cut-throat encounters. The duel at Deakin on Wednesday is must-see.
Canberra Croatia and Gungahlin United will take the main stage the following night. If the two teams finished equal on points this season, Croatia’s goal difference saw them sitting above the Gunners. A thriller is on the card for a game that will mean the end of the road for one of two outfits.
Golden Boot Brittany Palombi has helped her team to have the upper hand against Gungahlin this season, with one draw, two wins, and evergreen Palombi finding the back of the net five times.
The addition of Chloe Lincoln has expectedly been a success at Deakin Stadium, and she will need another performance to help her team to the next stage.
The Gunners have gone from strength to strength this season, battling with the top four and making it to the Federation Cup Final. Andrew Woodman used the depth and experience of his squad to reach finals football, after narrowly missing it last year.
Now they want to reach the next stage. Entertainment is an understatement when it comes to the Gunners playing Canberra Croatia this season, with thirteen goals in three encounters. Thursday should be another mouth-watering fixture.
FIXTURES
QUALIFICATION FINAL
Wednesday 13 September 2023
Canberra Olympic v Belconnen United (Deakin Stadium, 19:00)
ELIMINATION FINAL
Thursday 14 September 2023
Canberra Croatia v Gungahlin United (Deakin Stadium, 19:00)
TOP SCORERS
23 Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
14 Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)
13 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
12 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia)
9 Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
8 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Michelle HEYMAN (Gungahlin United), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
7 Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia)
6 Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy),
5 Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Olympic), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
4 Jade BROWN (Gungahlin United), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Alyse JENSEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Samantha WOOD (Tuggeranong United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
3 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Zoe TERRY (Tuggeranong United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
2 Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Peri NASH (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers/Canberra Croatia), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Ellen BROWN (West Canberra Wanderers), Alexia CERNE (Canberra Olympic), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Emma DOUGLAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Abby HURMAN (Tuggeranong United), Ashlyn LEWIS (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (ANU WFC), Maya OSMOND (Canberra United Academy), Ella PALFRAMAN (Belconnen United), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra SERRAS (ANU WFC), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic)