Sydney Sirens

Last updated

Sydney Sirens
Sydney Sirens ice hockey logo.jpg
CitySydney
League Australian Women's Ice Hockey League
Founded2005
Home arenaMacquarie Ice Rink
Colours(2005–2010)

(2010–2011)

(2011–present)
General managerNeil McFadden
Head coachGabe Robledo
CaptainSarah Edney
Franchise history
2005–2010Sydney Sirens
2010–2011North Star Sirens
2011–presentSydney Sirens
Championships
Regular season titles3 (2009), (2017), (2020)
AWIHL championships3 (2017), (2020) (2023)
Hockey current event.svg Current season

The Sydney Sirens (commonly referred to as the Sirens) are an ice hockey team based in Sydney, Australia. [1] The Sirens compete in the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). The AWIHL is the top tier national league in the country for women and they were one of the founding members. The Sirens have been affiliated with several different hockey rinks in the state throughout their existence and have won 3 titles since the league's inception.

Contents

History

Formed in 2007, they were one of the four founding teams in the AWIHL. The Sirens would change their name from 2011 to 2013 to the North Star Sirens but reverted to their original name Sydney Sirens, which they presently use. [2] In 2015 the team announced that they would be moving from their former home rink Sydney Ice Arena to the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink and were hoping to expand their fan base in the inner western suburbs of Sydney. [3]

Sydney Sirens have expanded their reach in NSW with players from Newcastle, Central Coast travelling for approximately 2 hours to get to the rink. This team is also unique because they are one of the only teams which are allowed to take in players from neighbouring territory, ACT. These players drive over 3 hours to get to practice and games.

Early years (2005-2016)

In 2005,discussion began around establishing a national league for women. 2006 would see Sydney enter a team in to a mini-series competing against 3 other teams from different states. Sydney would formally enter the AWIHL as the Sydney Sirens and become one of the four founding members in 2007.

Results
YearSemifinalFinalChampionsPremier
2008Adelaide Adrenaline
2009 WinLossAdelaide AdrenalinePremiers
2010 WinLossAdelaide AdrenalineRunner-Up
2011WinLossMelbourne IcePremiers
2012-Adelaide Adrenaline-
2013-Melbourne Ice-
2014-Melbourne Ice-
2015 WinLossMelbourne IceRunner-Up
2016 WinLossMelbourne IcePremier

2016-2017 Championship

The Sirens finished short and felt like they had a score to settle losing in the previous year's Grand Final in 2016.

In the 2017 AWIHL season, the League would announce that import goalies were no longer allowed. 4 imports were also now allowed on the team but only 2 were able to be played per game.

Sharna Godfrey was coming off a great season prior as Scoring Leader, closely followed by Kath McOnie. The Sirens would end up minor premiers and dominate their first semi-final 10–0 to face the Brisbane Goannas in a tightly contested Grand Final. Notable imports were CIS Raven graduate Erin Beaver and Ontario native Steph Cochrane who would later go on to represent the National Women's team (NWT) the following year.

Netminder Sera Dogramaci was clutch in the 4-3 OT Shootout win at Sydney's home rink for the Sirens to win their first National Championship.

2019-2020 Championship

The 2020 AWIHL Finals would see an intense battle against a formidable Adelaide Rush team, the Sydney Sirens emerging as the champions of the 2020 AWIHL National Championship. Under the guidance of their new coach, Jayden Ryan, the Sirens showcased a powerful lineup of National players, as well as the key D1 NCAA imports sisters Sarah Edney, Dini Edney, and their mutual friend Kayla Nielsen. It was a goaltender battle with newly selected Tina Girdler and former Siren Michelle Coonan in net for Rush. With the stellar performance of goaltender Tina, the team managed to keep a clean sheet while securing three crucial goals to clinch the title.

2020-2022 Championship

Unfortunately, the following two years saw the cancellation of the AWIHL forced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the league made a triumphant return at the end of 2022, along with the Brisbane Goannas undergoing a rebranding to become the Brisbane Lightning and aligning themselves with their local AIHL team.

2022-2023 Season

For the 2022–2023 season, the Sirens relocated to the Macquarie Ice Rink, and the management team remaining mostly intact, Jayden Ryan would return to serve as Head Coach with Gabe Robledo joining team staff as Assistant Coach.

Through a rigorous try-out process, Coach Ryan was able to assemble a talented squad of players alongside the main team, who could gain valuable experience from team practice and prepare to compete at a national level.

Heading into the 2023 season, the Sirens welcomed 15 rookies to their team/squad list, including 8 current and former alumni of the National Women's U18 Team, 2 NCAA collegiate athletes, 1 Canadian collegiate athlete, and 1 Swedish Women's Professional athlete who also competed for Team Sweden in Ringette.

With such a promising group of newcomers, the Sirens were sure to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season.

2022-2023 Championship

All teams this season had won and lost against each other so there were no clear favourites to come out on top. The Sirens would face off against the Lightning who were a fast and physical team.

Georgia Clarke would score an important first goal to swing momentum the Sirens' way. Her first goal in her rookie season to boot. Sarah Edney would make Brisbane pay breaking through and scoring some beautiful goals from tight angles. Sharna Godfrey finishing a nice tick tack toe pass on the powerplay.

Sirens would face off against Melbourne Ice for a grudge match. Siren's speed and chemistry would prove too much for a usually well disciplined and dangerous Melbourne squad. Former NWU18T Captain Ebony Brunt would score top shelf to force a change of goalie. Final score 5–2 to become back to back National Champions

Logo and Uniform

The uniform is coloured black, with red stars and a logo that adds yellow. The logo depicts a Siren, characters of Greek mythology.

The Away uniform is coloured white, with red stars, yellow and red stripes. 2023 included a minor update to the Away set to include pink fill in to the siren logo to make it more prominent on the jersey.

Players

Current roster

For the 2016–17 AWIHL season [4]

# Nat Name Pos Date of BirthAcquiredBirthplace
16Amelia Matheson F 30 July 19862010 Newcastle, New South Wales
6Chloe Walker D 8 January 20022015 Glenfield, New South Wales
17Sharna Godfrey F 17 February 19882010 Tweed Heads, New South Wales
27Ava Calabria F 10 April 20022015Sydney
25Erin Beaver D 22 October 19912016 Oakville, Ontario
53Hollie McFadden F 13 October 19972009Sydney
19Katherine McOnie F 30 August 19842012 Feilding, New Zealand
91Shiarna Tarasenko F 9 March 20012015Sydney
8Remi Harvey F 14 November 19942010Sydney
12Sharnita Crompton F 19 May 19942012 Erina, New South Wales
15Stephenie Cochrane F 3 November 19902013 Morrisburg, Ontario
36Krista Murphy (Korhonen) F 29 March 19882014 London, Ontario
38Ella Licari G 15 September 19772016 Perth, Australia

Captains

Coaches

See also

Related Research Articles

In 1940, a study of 314 women in New Zealand and Australia was done. Most of the women in the study were middle class, conservative, Protestant and white. The study found that 183 participated in sport. The twenty-fourth most popular sport that these women participated in was ice hockey, with one woman having played the sport. The sport was tied with baseball and bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Women's Ice Hockey League</span> Premier womens ice hockey league in Australia

The Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) is Australia's top-tier women's ice hockey league. Established in 2005 as Australia's first women's national league, the AWIHL has amateur status and is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia. The AWIHL is currently contested by five teams from five Australian states, including South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. The league champion is awarded the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy and the premier is awarded the Stephanie Boxall Trophy. The most successful team in AWIHL history is Melbourne Ice, who have claimed seven championship titles. The current champion, from 2019–20, is the Sydney Sirens, who claimed their second title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice hockey in Australia</span>

Ice hockey in Australia is a sport which had a relatively poor popularity, having low participation and spectator attendance figures when compared with many other sports played in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Wolf Pack</span> Ice hockey team in Sydney

The Sydney Wolf Pack are an Australian junior ice hockey team based in Sydney playing in the Australian Junior Ice Hockey League. They represent one of the two junior ice hockey teams from New South Wales currently playing in the AJIHL, which is the most elite level for ice hockey at a national level for ages between 16–20 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy</span>

The Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy is the annually awarded championship trophy, of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL), to the winner of the AWIHL finals. Originally donated in 1995, the trophy is named after Joan McKowen who died September 15, 1992 and her husband Maxwell McKowen died in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Goannas</span> Australian womens ice hockey league

The Brisbane Goannas are in the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. The team is based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Goannas Women’s Ice Hockey Club (GWIHC) is a non-profit incorporated association, governed by a volunteer management committee, focusing on the development of female players of all abilities and ages. Jad Daley is the President of the committee. Ice World Boondall is their home arena. The team's charity is Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre – Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Rush</span> Australian womens ice hockey team

The Adelaide Rush is an Australian amateur ice hockey team from Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 2005 as the Adelaide Assassins, the Rush, who were also known as the Adrenaline for four years, have been a member of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) since inception in 2007. The Rush are based at the IceArenA in the central suburb of Thebarton in Adelaide. The team has won six Joan McKowen trophies and are two time league premiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Ice (women)</span> Ice hockey team in Melbourne, Victoria

The Melbourne Ice is an Australian amateur ice hockey team from Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 2005, the Ice have been a member of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) since inception in 2007. The Ice are based at the O'Brien Icehouse, located in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne. The team has won seven Joan McKowen trophies and are five time league premiers, making them the most successful national ice hockey team in Australia.

The 2015–16 AWIHL season is the ninth season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. It will run from 24 October 2015 until 24 January 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Blitz</span> Ice hockey team in Queensland, Australia

The Brisbane Blitz are an Australian junior ice hockey team based in Brisbane, Queensland playing in the second tier of the Australian Junior Ice Hockey League referred to as AJIHL Tier 2. They represent the first junior ice hockey team from Queensland as part of the proposed 2nd expansion of the AJIHL, which is the most elite level for ice hockey at a national level for ages between 16–20 years old.

The 2014–15 AWIHL season is the eighth season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. It ran from 25 October 2015 until 15 February 2015.

The 2008–09 AWIHL season was the second season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. It ran from 11 October 2008 until 1 February 2009.

The 2009–10 AWIHL season is the third season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. It ran from 17 October 2009 until 14 February 2010.

The 2016–17 AWIHL season is the tenth season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. It ran from 29 October 2016 until 26 February 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Lightning</span> Ice hockey team in Brisbane, Queensland

The Brisbane Lightning is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Brisbane, Queensland. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2022 as an expansion AIHL team and are the first team based in Queensland since the Blue Tongues last competed in 2012. The Lightning's home venue is Iceworld Boondall and the team formally entered the AIHL regular season in 2023.

The 2019–20 AWIHL season is the thirteenth season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). It ran from 26 October 2019 until 2 February 2020. Five teams competed in 30 regular season games followed by 4 playoff games, making up the AWIHL Finals weekend. The Sydney Sirens claimed the double by winning both the premiership title for finishing top of the regular season standings and the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy championship title by winning the grand final. Adelaide Rush finished runner-up to both titles and the Brisbane Goannas claimed the wooden spoon.

The 2022–23 AWIHL season is the 14th season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). It runs from 5 November 2022 until 19 March 2023. Five teams compete in 30 regular season games followed by 4 playoff games, making up the AWIHL Finals weekend. The Sydney Sirens claimed the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy championship title by winning the grand final. The Melbourne Ice claimed the Stephanie Boxall Trophy premiership title for finishing top of the regular season standings. The Sirens finished runner-up in the regular season and the Adelaide Rush claimed the wooden spoon.

The 2018–19 AWIHL season is the 12th season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). It ran from 27 October 2018 until 10 March 2019. Five teams competed in 30 regular season games followed by 4 playoff games, making up the AWIHL Finals weekend. The Melbourne Ice claimed the double by winning both the premiership title for finishing top of the regular season standings and the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy championship title by winning the grand final. Sydney Sirens finished runner-up to both titles and the Adelaide Rush claimed the wooden spoon.

The 2017–18 AWIHL season is the 11th season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). It ran from 28 October 2017 until 18 March 2018. Four teams competed in 24 regular season games followed by 4 playoff games, making up the AWIHL Finals weekend. The Sydney Sirens claimed the premiership title for finishing top of the regular season standings, while the Melbourne Ice claimed the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy championship title by winning the grand final. Melbourne finished runner-up in the season standings while Sydney lost the grand final. Adelaide Rush came last in the regular season and claimed the wooden spoon.

The 2023–24 AWIHL season is the 15th season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). It ran from 28 October 2023 until 10 March 2024. Five teams competed in 40 regular season games followed by 4 playoff games, making up the AWIHL Finals weekend. The Perth Inferno claimed the Gower Memorial Shield premiership title, their maiden title, for finishing top of the regular season standings.

References

  1. "League History". Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. www.AWIHL.com.au. 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  2. "AWIHL Finals Wrap Up". Australian Ice Hockey League. www.theaihl.com.au. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  3. "Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Club". Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Club. Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Club. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  4. "Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Team". Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Team. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.