Sport

River Rats float to the top

By Matthew Kappos

Sep 11, 2025

Echuca-Moama Green retained the women’s GVHA trophy for the River Rats. Photos: Rechelle Zammit

Another Goulburn Valley Hockey Association season has come to an end and, again, it is Echuca-Moama’s women celebrating a premiership.

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The break-up of last year’s unbeaten group, to facilitate the club entering two women’s teams this year, did little to slow the roll of the newly-formed Green side, which claimed the title in Shepparton on Saturday.

The River Rats scored a clinical 3-0 win over Shepparton Youth Club in the decider, remaining composed and in control throughout the contest.

Echuca-Moama struck first to grab the lead in the opening quarter and held on to the 1-0 lead going into half-time.

The nervous lead became a little bit more comfortable after the break as the River Rats found their second and Green was able to close out the game with a third, eventually claiming the title in dominant fashion.

Agostina Traglia was named MVP in the grand final. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“It was a hard-fought game,” River Rats secretary Bec Webb said.

“SYC still put up a challenging fight even though they didn't get anything on the scoreboard to show it, and our girls had to work well together to slot those goals.

“We had six juniors on the team as well, so that was a great experience for them to step up into a grand final and experience that, and we actually had three groups of mother and daughters.”

Jess Crisp, Sally Thompson and Courtney Thompson each fired through a goal for the River Rats in a balanced attacking effort.

Echuca-Moama Green's Tiana Thorpe hunts down the ball. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Courtney was also recognised as the league’s top scorer, slotting 26 goals in 11 matches, an average of 2.36 a game.

“Courtney's a long-time player with us, a very strong striker, and (she’s) pivotal in scoring those goals,” Webb said.

Those 26 strikes were almost half of the 60 goals the team scored across the season.

Meanwhile, Agostina Traglia’s industrious efforts in midfield earned her the grand final MVP award.

Echuca-Moama Green's Sally Thompson whips the ball back into play. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“Agos is a mid player, so she really controls the play,” Webb said.

“She's a great runner for the team and pivotal in moving the ball from defence to attack.”

The River Rats were far less favoured in their other grand final of the day, the A-grade men falling to a Strikers dynasty claiming its eighth straight title.

SYC's Tayah Irwin powers it forward. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

The dominant champions put 10 unanswered past Echuca-Moama, but it didn’t dampen the locals’ spirits.

“(The A-grade men) did play probably one of their better games for the whole season,” Webb said.

“The boys did not drop their heads at all for the whole game and kept fighting to the end, but we always knew it was going to be a tough fight for them.”

The B-grade men’s final between Strikers and SYC went to a shootout, Strikers eventually claiming the title 5-3.

Echuca-Moama’s presentation night will be held this Saturday, September 13, and the River Rats will be running intra-club twilight matches in school term four, keeping their skills sharp ahead of next pre-season, which begins in February.