Tough start for Tasmania at national indoor hockey championships

Playing three games apiece, two on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, both teams had 4-3 losses in their first games before facing stronger opposition from Victoria and New South Wales' top side.

The women's opening game provided a last-gasp flurry of goals as North-West star Madison Clark scored twice in as many minutes to tie things up before New South Wales Blues' Helena Tobbe stuck the knife in.

Clark scored again in the second contest against Victoria but their opponents had already found the back of the net five times before her and North-West counterpart Maddy Murphy would score in the third term.

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City Marians' Jemma Kenworthy scored in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to New South Wales State, keeping the Tasmanian outfit in the contest in the 10^th minute before the unbeaten team pushed away in the rest of the match.

Both sides feature several Northern players, with Alissia Pearson and Lucy Cooper in the women's and former Kookaburra Tim Deavin, Kurt Budgeon, Josh Commins and Beau Cornelius in the men's.

The men's opening game against Queensland played out a similar affair to the women's first clash as Budgeon scored two goals in two minutes late before Aidan Cambell denied the Tasmanians a draw.

They were unable to do damage on the scoreboard in the first three quarters of their date against Victoria but the Tasmanians won the last term, scoring both of their goals as their opponents stayed goal-less.

Ross Bougoukas and Joshua McPaul scored for the side, the latter with an after-the-siren penalty corner, as they went down 10-2.

They conceded double figures again in their match-up against New South Wales State but dominated the opening quarter as they were defeated 10-3.

Goals to Budgeon, Cornelius and Bougoukas had NSW on the back foot but a hat-trick to Scott Govers led their resurgence to defeat the valiant Tasmanian line-up.

Both sides play twice on Thursday.

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