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CANBERRA CHILL OVERCOME TRAVEL CHAOS TO TAKE ON MELBOURNE COBRAS

Published Sat 17 Oct 2026

CANBERRA CHILL OVERCOME TRAVEL CHAOS TO TAKE ON MELBOURNE COBRAS

 
The Canberra Chill have overcome a chaotic day of travel to take on the Melbourne Cobras for the first time in Round 2 of the 2026 One Active Hockey One League, with the men securing an impressive 4–2 victory and the women narrowly falling 3–1.
 
What was expected to be a straightforward trip to Melbourne quickly turned into a logistical nightmare, with the Chill's original flight from Canberra cancelled, forcing the squads to split across alternative routes via Adelaide and Sydney.
 
The challenges continued when the Sydney connecting flight was also cancelled, sparking a race against the clock to get both teams to Melbourne in time for their matches.
 
After countless phone calls, last-minute flight changes and an eventual one-hour delay to the scheduled start times, both teams finally arrived in Melbourne. Despite the disrupted preparations and stressful travel, the Chill were determined to put the chaos behind them and deliver on the field.
 
The Canberra Chill women opened the evening with a fiercely contested encounter against the Melbourne Cobras.
 
Both sides were locked in a competitive battle early before an extraordinary goal from the Cobras sailed over Chill goalkeeper Alyssa Smith to break the deadlock. The Cobras capitalised on their momentum, adding a second goal shortly after to take a 2–0 lead into the halftime break.
 
Unwilling to back down, the Chill women returned for the second half with renewed determination, lifting their intensity and continuing to challenge the Cobras' defence.
 
Their persistence paid off in the 35th minute when Canberra were awarded a penalty stroke. Argentinian International Valentina Costa Biondi stepped up and calmly converted, bringing the Chill back into the contest at 2–1.
 
With the momentum building, Canberra continued to fight for an equaliser, but the Cobras eventually found the back of the net once more to seal a 3–1 victory.
 
Despite the result, the Chill women demonstrated resilience and determination following a challenging lead-up, with plenty of positives to take into their upcoming fixtures.
 
Final Score: Melbourne Cobras 3–1 Canberra Chill
Chill Goalscorer: Valentina Costa Biondi (35', Penalty Stroke)
 
The Canberra Chill men followed with a thrilling, fast-paced encounter, producing an outstanding second-half attacking display to secure a 4–2 victory over the Melbourne Cobras.
 
The opening half was an intense end-to-end battle, with both sides creating opportunities in a tightly contested affair.

It was the Cobras who struck first, converting a penalty stroke in the 26th minute to take a slender 1–0 advantage into halftime.

However, the Chill emerged from the break with purpose, producing a devastating attacking surge that turned the match on its head.

Jake Staines sparked the comeback in the 34th minute, finding the back of the net with a field goal to level the scores.

Just four minutes later, James Jewell put the Chill in front, unleashing a powerful drag flick from a penalty corner in the 38th minute.

The Chill weren't finished there, with Dylan Brick adding another clinical penalty corner drag flick in the 42nd minute to extend the Chill’s lead.

Aiden Dooley then capped off a remarkable period of attacking hockey in the 47th minute, firing home a rapid shot from open play to give the Chill a commanding 4–1 advantage.

At the other end of the field, goalkeeper Max Larkin delivered an exceptional performance between the posts, producing a series of crucial saves to keep the Cobras at bay and maintain the Chill’s advantage.

The drama continued into the closing stages, with the Chill receiving two yellow cards in the final three minutes, reducing the side to just nine players and placing their defence under immense pressure.

The Cobras capitalised on the numerical advantage to pull a goal back, but the Chill held firm to close out an impressive 4–2 victory.

Final Score: Canberra Chill 4–2 Melbourne Cobras
Chill Goalscorers:
Jake Staines (34', Field Goal)
James Jewell (38', Penalty Corner)
Dylan Brick (42', Penalty Corner)
Aiden Dooley (47', Field Goal)

There will be little time to rest for the Canberra Chill, with both squads now turning their attention to a trip to Hobart to face the Tassie Tigers on Friday 23 October.

The Chill men will open the evening at 6:00pm, followed by the women at 7:45pm, as both sides look to build on their Round 2 performances.
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