Melton has proved to be one of the surprise packets of the men’s state league 3 hockey season.
Going into the new season, the Mustangs were seen to be entering a development phase with a young squad greeting first-year coach Glenn Lawrence.
What it’s lacked in experience, Melton has more than made up for in enthusiasm.
The Mustangs are in sixth spot on the ladder and just one win behind fourth spot.
“I’m happy with the results,” Lawrence said.
“We’ve faced some tough opposition and matched it with them. The losses have been unfortunate. We’ve played against some teams that were coming down a division and they were obviously very strong.”
Melton’s wins this season have come against Haileybury College in round one and Swinburne in round four. …
The Mustangs have a chance to close the gap on the top four with another winnable game coming up against the struggling Collegians.
Lawrence says the season is more about building a strong game plan for the future than being preoccupied with the win/loss ledger.
“When we’re going well, we move the ball really well,” he said.
“We build the play rather than trying to smack it down the ground, which a lot of inexperienced teams do.
“I think that is the most impressive thing, that when we are playing well, we’re a building team rather than a flashy team.
“It’s good times ahead as far as the way we move the ball, the way we stop the ball and the way we work as a team.”
Liam Twomey
