Winning start for Football NSW at National Youth Championships Girls
Despite the chilly Melbourne weather, the 2024 National Youth Championships Girls’ Tournament for U15 and U16s kicked off on Wednesday, 3 July.
With every breath visible in the icy air, the players, match officials and coaches all arrived at the Home of the Matildas at Latrobe University in Melbourne ready to commence their six-day campaign.
During the opening ceremony, Rae Dower, Technical Director – Women’s Football & Head Coach – Women’s U17, and Gema Simon, a former CommBank Matilda, presented the captain and vice-captain armbands to the young leaders from the 22 teams.
As the games kicked off, it took just one minute before the opening goal of the tournament was scored, setting the tone for a free-flowing opening day of action. Over 50 goals were scored on the opening day, with eighteen of those netted by NSW representatives, keeping spectators on their feet and highlighting the immense talent on display.
The four Football NSW teams in action produced a clean sweep of victories to start the tournament, setting the bar high for the coming days of competition. Round 1 in the U15 Girls competition saw NSW Metro record a 3-0 win over Capital Football in Group, while NSW Country held on for a narrow 1-0 victory over Tasmania in Group C.
For the U16 Girls, NSW Country started Group B proceedings with a 3-1 defeat of South Australia, Allyssa Ng Saad grabbing a brace. Following a bye in Round 1, NSW Metro made a dominant start to their campaign in Group A with an 11-0 demolition of Western Australia. Mackenzie Jeffs starred with an incredible haul of five goals, while Skye Halmarick grabbed a hattrick of her own.
The action will continue on Thursday as the teams return for their second and third matches, when the competition tables begin to take shape.
Day 1 Results
Under 15 Group A – Game 1:
NSW Metro: 3 (Abbie Puckett, Tyra Bagiante & Matilda Dias Wadewitz)
Capital Football: 0
Under 15 Group C – Game 1:
Tasmania: 0
NSW Country: 1 (Charlie Cramp)
Under 16 Group A – Game 1:
NSW Metro vs BYE
Under 16 Group B – Game 1:
NSW Country: 3 (Allyssa Ng Saad x 2 & Millie Peterson)
South Australia: 1 (Emily Cozens)
Under 16 Group A – Game 2:
Western Australia: 0
NSW Metro: 11 (Mackenzie Jeffs x5, Skye Halmarick x3, Tiana Fuller, Milla Singleton & Lauren Nada)
Under 16 Group B – Game 2:
NSW Country vs BYE
More on the National Youth Championships:
CLICK HERE to view the Official National Youth Championships 2024 Girls’ Tournament Digital Program with Fixtures
CLICK HERE to watch* the National Youth Championships 2024 Girls’ Tournament thanks to Kommunity TV (*subscription required)
CLICK HERE to view the latest results
