Ogilvie Sisters Ready To Hit Bullseye At Home For Arrows

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday March 17, 2007

By CHRIS ROOTS

BIRTHDAY girl Lyndal Ogilvie will be out to secure a place in the NSW Arrows squad for the women's Australian Hockey League finals week when she puts on her armour against the ACT Strikers at Lindsay Maynes Oval this weekend.

The goalkeeper, who turns 21 tomorrow, is in a battle with Harriet Moore for the second keeper's position behind veteran Toni Cronk for the finals in Brisbane next month.

Ogilvie spent last week's round of the AHL taking stats as Moore had her time to shine against Tasmania in Sydney but always knew she would be in the team in Wollongong.

"It's exciting to be playing down here," said Ogilvie, who plays for University and Albion Park in the Illawarra and South Coast competitions. "I have never played for NSW down here before and it will be good to play in front of my friends.

"I knew I was missing out last week but it makes up for it getting to play down here.

"I know I have to play well to make the finals week squad because they only take 17 and one goalkeeper has to miss out."

While Lyndal is worrying about getting a seat on the plane to Brisbane for the finals, her 19-year-old sister Airlie Ogilvie will make her debut in front of a home crowd.

Airlie went away with the NSW squad to the finals last year but has had to wait until round four this season for her debut.

"It's been a bit of wait to get in the team," she said. "I'll be playing in the halves somewhere and hopefully I'll be able to do the job."

The Ogilvie sisters are part of a five-player contingent from the Illawarra and South Coast which includes Hockeyroo Casey Eastham, Melissa Simpson and Piki Hamahona.

It will be a full weekend of hockey with the Arrows playing the Strikers at 6pm tonight night and 3pm tomorrow. The men's clashes between the NSW Waratahs and Canberra Lakers will be at 4pm today and 1pm tomorrow.

The Waratahs sit a point behind AHL leaders Queensland and Tasmania after three rounds and they have picked University's Simon Beaton and Kieran Govers from Albion Park in their 20-man squad.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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