Rams players celebrate their first EHA Men’s premiership since 2017. Photos: Greg Symes
Rams won its first Esperance Hockey Association Men’s premiership since 2017 defeating Cascade three goals to one after a penalty shootout in the grand final played last Saturday afternoon.
The match ended at four goals apiece after regular and extra time, a high scoring, seesawing battle which featured considerable swings in momentum.
Cascade hit the scoreboard first early through Zac Hatfield, only for Rams to counter back through veteran Sam Guest almost immediately.
Grand final MVP Nic Crane opened his scoring for Rams from the penalty spot, blasting the ball past the left hand side of Cascade goalkeeper Rigby Herbert.
Sam Featherstonhaugh scored the only goal of the second quarter for Cascade to tie the scores up at two apiece as the sides went into the main break.
Kane Scott and Featherstonhaugh gave Cascade a two goal buffer just before the three quarter time break as Crane pulled a goal back on the whistle after a penalty corner.
With Cascade going all out to find a fifth goal and the match winner, Crane completed his hat trick with a well-placed ball through the Cascade defenders after another penalty corner against the run of play.
In the dying minutes of extra time Rams had several shots on goal denied by brilliant multiple saves by Herbert, as both teams increased its defence not wanting to give the golden goal away.
It was a high paced match with a lot of tension that was well officiated by Jon-Paul Adams and Perrin Guest who made the correct calls under significant pressure.
Goalkeeper Ronan Roach became the hero for Rams keeping out three Cascade shots on goals during the penalty shootout, allowing the experienced Digby Graham to slot home the winning goal, using his allotted eight seconds to wrongfoot Herbert and blast the ball into goal.
Rams Captain Andrew Warren placed faith in speedy youngsters Zach Warren, Will Woodhouse and Mitchell Guest to take penalty shootouts against the experienced Herbert.
Undefeated in season 2024, Rams have a premiership to back up its dominance of the competition of the last three seasons, after losing a tight penalty shootout against Castletown in 2022 and last season where they finished a clear minor premier but did not appear in the grand final.
