University and United players experienced a distinct sense of déjà vu as their sides played out a frantic 3-3 draw.  In a match that mirrored the previous clash between the two sides, University looked headed for victory as they held a comfortable 3-1 lead with 20 minutes left to play.  However United, who scored two late goals to escape with a 3-3 draw against University last season, soon showed why they are quickly proving to be students’ bogey side.  Adam McClelland scored a quarter of an hour left to play, before Ryan Schulte found the back of the net to help United snatch a share of the competition points. Earlier in the game United’s Brendan Merry had scored to narrow a 2-0 lead established by University in the opening 20 minutes of the match through goals to Timbi Poon and New Zealand international Hamish Baron.  Baron extended University’s lead to 3-1 when he cleverly out-foxed United goalkeeper Glen Dodd in the circle midway through the second half, before United started its spirited revival.

- Lee Oliver

Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 2 (Ryan Kilpatrick, Mike Stokes) defeated Valley 0 at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths scored a goal in each half, while keeping its own goal-square intact for the second time this season, to register a vital win over Valley.  Both sides were desperate for victory, with each outfit chasing its first win since the opening day of the season.  On a field that was harder, bouncier and slower than other venues, Ryan Kilpatrick scored the first goal in the 13th minute when he slid and hooked the ball from a difficult angle on the right side of the posts.  Valley, which was bolstered by the return of Duncan Stewart from injury, failed to make the most of several short corners, and a crucial chance to score an equalising goal went to waste when a shot from in front of goal sprayed wide.  After Valley lost possession from a short corner, Saints’ Mike Stokes scored a goal against the run of play within one minute.  The lack of goals in the match was in no small way due to the fact that both goalkeepers - David Watts (Valley) and Nathan Panetta (Saints) - were recently picked in the Queensland Under-21 side.

- Liam Hauser

Commercial 10 (Jacob Burns 2, Cale Kramer 2, Adam Barry 2, David Brain 2, Jason Greene, Paul Nichols) defeated QUT 0 at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Commercial’s for-and-against record gained a major boost when they taught the students a hockey lesson in the clash of last year’s champions and wooden spooners.  The Cobras never looked in trouble from the moment Jacob Burns opened the scoring in the third minute.  Commercial went on to score a further four goals during the first half, before registering another five goals in the second period.  QUT did well to hold Commercial out for the first 16 minutes of the second half, but then Commercial scored three goals in as many minutes to race further away.  Burns, Adam Barry, David Brain and Cale Kramer had a scoring duel, each finding the back of the net twice each for Commercial, while Jason Greene and Paul Nichols scored once each.  QUT goalkeeper Chris Grew made a few good saves but also had to face the music many times, with many of Commercial’s goals coming from hits that were struck with bullet-like power.  Commercial is definitely QUT’s least favoured opponents, having conceded 31 goals against the powerhouse club in its past three clashes.

- Liam Hauser

Redcliffe Leagues 7 (Ian Schulz 3, Marcus McKinnon 2, James McAlpine, Jamie Want) defeated Labrador 1 (Kane Hancock) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Redcliffe Leagues showed signs of returning to its best form when it crushed Labrador in a heavily one-sided match on its home turf.  The key passage of play was between the eighth and 20th minutes, when the hosts raced to a 3-0 lead.  Marcus McKinnon scored the first goal from a cross-hit, before James McAlpine scored from a short corner just two minutes later.  Ian Schulz scored Redcliffe Leagues’s third goal with a reverse stick shot, and the home side was in a commanding position.  Labrador’s Kane Hancock gave his side a glimmer of hope with a goal after 24 minutes, but the comeback was snuffed out when Schulz scored his second goal within the next three minutes.  Redcliffe Leagues led 4-1 at half-time, and Schulz brought up his hat-trick in the 13th minute of the second half.  McKinnon scored his second goal when he skilfully dribbled the ball past some lacklustre Labrador defence.  Jamie Want scored the final goal of the game with two minutes left, handing Labrador its equal biggest defeat and its biggest loss in its past 16 matches.

- Liam Hauser

Easts 5 (Tim Bates 2, Jacob Webber, George Clutton, Jacob Whetton) defeated Bulimba 2 (Luke Paine, Matt Legge) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Two goals to Queensland Blade Tim Bates late in the first half proved the difference as Easts won its sixth game from as many matches by beating Bulimba.  After a scoreless first quarter hour, the sides went goal for goal in an entertaining flurry of scoring, with four goals scored in six minutes.  Soon after Bulimba’s Kyle Richardson shot just wide, Easts’ Jacob Webber opened the scoring when he finished off good lead-up work by speedy striker Jacob Whetton.  Bulimba’s Luke Paine scored from a penalty corner two minutes later to tie the game, before George Clutton restored the Tigers’ lead.  But the Bulls hit back again, when Matt Legge finished off a smart backstick pass from Liam Brown for a 2-2 scoreline at the 21st minute.  But with the match evenly poised, Bates nailed two goals from penalty corner flicks in the last two minutes of the first half to blow open the game.  Even an appearance by Jason Hale - the top goal scorer of the 2007 BHL season - couldn’t help Bulimba, with Whetton scoring the only goal of the second half to seal the result.

- Lee Oliver

POINTS:

Easts 18, Commercial 15, Bulimba 12, Redcliffe Leagues 9, Labrador 9, University of Queensland 8, United 7, Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 6, Valley 3, QUT 1.

LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

9  -  David Brain (Commercial)
8  -  Tim Bates (Easts)
    -  Darran Bisley (Easts)
    -  Tobias Figura (Valley)
    -  James McAlpine (Redcliffe Leagues)
6  -  Hamish Baron (University of Queensland)
    -  Jason Wilson (Easts)
5  -  Jacob Burns (Commercial)
4  -  Dean Butler (Bulimba)
    -  George Clutton (Easts)
    -  Greg Collins (University of Queensland)
    -  Kieran Dunning (QUT)
    -  Matt Freeman (United)
    -  Duncan Mahony (Bulimba)
    -  Adam McClelland (United)
    -  Timbi Poon (University of Queensland)
    -  Luke Paine (Bulimba)
    -  Brad Puleosi (Labrador)
    -  Luke Reddiex (Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths)
    -  Ian Schulz (Redcliffe Leagues)

Labrador's Andrew Ward shapes to shoot despite the attention of Redcliffe Leagues
defender Ashley Zanetti (Photo by Manfreds Photography - www.manfredphoto.com.au)

Redcliffe Leagues' three-goal hero Ian Schulz moves in on Labrador's Matt Reilly (Photo by
Manfreds Photography - www.manfredphoto.com.au)

Redcliffe Leagues' Matthew Swann challenged by Labrador pair Andrew Ward and Mark
Harris (Photo by Manfreds Photography - www.manfredphoto.com.au)

United's Michael Pembroke and University duo Greg Collins and Clayton Warner prepare for
the ball to be blasted into the circle.

University's Clayton Warner moves the ball upfield.

University's Brendan Lane gets a pass away.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.