Panthers strengthen claims for more Stanley Cup glory
The bumps, bruises and worse started to pile up midway through the Florida Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Matthew Tkachuk only returned for the play-off opener after sitting out the final two months of the regular season with an injury he suffered in February.
Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola each missed time during the Eastern Conference final, and the injury AJ Greer tried playing through eventually sidelined him.
"It's very hard to win a Cup with unhealthy bodies," Greer said.
The Panthers found that out the hard way two years ago when they were the skating wounded. Tkachuk had a broken sternum, Aaron Ekblad had a broken foot, two shoulder dislocations and a torn oblique muscle, Radko Gudas had a high ankle sprain, and they lost to Vegas in five games in the final.
While the Edmonton Oilers looked to be in better shape going into this series with the exception of injured forward Zach Hyman, Florida have gotten healthier.
Coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is "back to full health", Tkachuk, Mikkola and Greer are making a difference, and the defending champions are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for a second year in a row.
The Panthers will have their ideal line-up for Game 4 on Thursday night (Friday AEST) in Sunrise after that same group waxed Edmonton 6-1 this week to take a 2-1 lead in the final.
Other than do-it-all defenceman Seth Jones, no one played more than 23 minutes in Game 3.
That balance, after so much overtime hockey early in what looked to be an evenly matched series, combined with an extra day between games, makes them rested and ready.
"It's always fun to play, so we don't really care,'' centre Anton Lundell said. "But obviously now we have had a couple days off, so it's fun to get the energy back and prepare."
Reinhart scoring on Monday night was his first goal since being out for two games in the Eastern Conference final, ending a drought that dated back to the second round against Toronto.
"I'm not worried about him," coach Maurice said. "I think his game is getting stronger - quite a bit stronger."
So is Tkachuk's, even if it's clear the tough winger is not moving as well as he does when 100 per cent. But he had an assist and was clearly better in Game 3, which Maurice called Tkachuk's best of the play-offs.
That spells trouble for the Oilers, playing without Hyman and with top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Coach Kris Knoblauch foreshadowed a line-up change that may or may not be injury-related. Either way, his team's depth is being tested.
The same has been the case for the Panthers, who have used 22 skaters in the play-offs following 30 during the season.
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Cooks Hill president Mitch McPherson has described the club's rise into the Australia Cup main draw as the biggest moment in its history after a dramatic night of qualifying action. Cooks Hill beat NPL Northern NSW heavyweights Broadmeadow 2-1 at Magic Park on Wednesday night to book their maiden appearance in the next stage of the national knockout tournament. At Weston, the goalkeeping heroics of 22-year-old George Stephens lifted the Bears into the final 32 teams for their first time after they defeated Edgeworth in a penalty shootout. The results mean Cooks Hill and the Bears will be the region's representatives in the competition's main draw, where they join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs. With it comes national exposure. 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"It is a final for us," Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich said. "If we got an opportunity on the national stage, it would be fantastic for the club. "We know it will be tough. Magic are up the top [of the league] for a reason." Cooks Hill edged out Northern Stars 1-0 in Coffs Harbour on Saturday to book a date with Magic. Josh Benson converted from the penalty spot in the first half. "We will have to play a lot better than we did Saturday," Zorcich said. "The boys will be up for it." Cooks Hill have struggled for consistency in the NPL and sit in ninth spot on 12 points, mixing four wins with six losses. Their round 11 battle with Magic was washed out and postponed to July 16. "Our form has been very erratic," Zoricich said. "Against Azzurri (1-0 win on April 26), we toughed that one out and I thought here is the turning point. We really dug in and that was a good result for us. "We haven't really kicked on. It has been hard. We haven't been able to train fully and games have been called off. "We have been good in fits and start. I haven't seen the best out of a number of our players that is for sure. "Against Magic, every player in our team has to be on. We have to work extra hard and limit their transitional chances." Magic were beaten by Lambton Jaffas in the NNSW final qualifier last season. They enter the Cooks Hill clash without striker Riley Smith, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in the 2-0 win over Maitland on Saturday, and Coby Nancarrow (hamstring). "Our rotation is crucial now to make sure we get the right balance," Magic coach Jim Cresnar said. "We haven't played Cooks Hill [this season]. They will be a hard team to play. They are very mobile, they are well coached. It will be a tough battle at Magic Park. We will need a bit of luck to get through." Weston, like Cooks Hill, are chasing a place in the round of 32 for the first time. They accounted for Lambton 2-1 last Saturday and sit third in the NPL. Edgeworth are aiming for a seventh slot in the round of the 32 since the Australia Cup's inception in 2014. They have qualified in the past two years, going down 4-1 to Olympic Kingsway in Perth last season and losing 4-0 to A-League club Western United at Jack McLaughlin Oval in 2023. The Eagles received a free ride to Wednesday after North Coast outfit Bangalow forfeited. "To go into the main draw of the Australian Cup is a big prize," coach Peter McGuinness said. "It is a good competition to be involved in." Edgeworth's league form has been top notch, stringing seven wins together, the last a 2-0 triumph over Lambton on May 31. "We haven't had a lot of football," coach Peter McGuinness said. "We have been able to get some training in of late, but we are still not match fit. "It will be a tough game. I have watched Weston a few times. They are very well organised and play good football. "Chris Hatfield is a good player. Burke Fahling is a good player. Aaron Niyonkura, Blake Archbold ... they have a lot of good players. "Defensively, we have been pretty sound. I think we have a lot more in us going forward. It is a matter of getting back into games week-in, week out." Cooks Hill president Mitch McPherson has described the club's rise into the Australia Cup main draw as the biggest moment in its history after a dramatic night of qualifying action. Cooks Hill beat NPL Northern NSW heavyweights Broadmeadow 2-1 at Magic Park on Wednesday night to book their maiden appearance in the next stage of the national knockout tournament. At Weston, the goalkeeping heroics of 22-year-old George Stephens lifted the Bears into the final 32 teams for their first time after they defeated Edgeworth in a penalty shootout. The results mean Cooks Hill and the Bears will be the region's representatives in the competition's main draw, where they join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs. With it comes national exposure. Cooks Hill players and officials were basking in the afterglow on Thursday morning after the ninth-placed NPL side stunned leaders Broadmeadow, who were gunning for an eighth appearance in the Cup's final stage. "We've been pretty successful over the years in working our way up through the various grades," McPherson said. "That's from the old IDs [interdistrict], through zone, a successful [Northern League One] campaign. This is our fourth year of NPL and we've had some OK results, so making it this far, playing on the national stage, is huge." MORE NEWCASTLE SPORT Josh Benson gave Cooks Hill a 1-0 lead on the counter-attack in the 11th minute. Magic equalised through Ezra Palombini in the 70th minute before Benson assisted substitute Xavier Williams' winning tap-in with seven minutes remaining. Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich, a New Zealand international who has played in leagues around the world, said the achievement was "up there" in terms of his career highlights. "I'm just so happy for the boys in particular because I do demand a lot from them and they have been putting the effort in," Zoricich told the Newcastle Herald on Thursday. "I just want them to get rewarded and hopefully last night goes a little way to doing that, putting them on the big stage in the next round. "We knew it was a big game for us, a great opportunity for us, and the boys really took it on board. I don't think they were going to let anything beat them last night ... just the work rate and the determination. "And, for the club as well. I'm happy for the club to be recognised for the hard work that's been done in the background. It's just a good feeling around the club." Cooks Hill do not have the big budgets of some of the more established NPL clubs. Instead, they have backed young talent and players who have been on the Cooks Hill journey. "I did an interview after the game and they asked if I got anyone in during the transfer window and I said I didn't, and if we do get anyone in we can't afford to pay the big bucks that are going around," Zoricich said. "So we identify players, either younger players that need a chance, and we give them that opportunity. And there's a few boys that have been there for a while and have come up through the divisions with the club, and they're the ones that I would really like to reward with something. "For instance, Dan Clements last night was just really happy. He said, 'We've never beaten Magic' and they've never been to round of 32, and it just gives them that opportunity that they've never had. "If it continues, that will be great, but that's my main motivation, to give these boys that have been there through everything, just give them something to hang their hat on and say that they were proud to be part of." The Bears, who are placed third in NPL with five games in hand, beat second-placed Edgeworth 1-1 (3-1) on penalties after the two sides could not be separated following 120 minutes of play. "It was a big win for the club," Weston coach Kew Jaliens said. "The people at the club have been working very hard to get the club moving forward, so it's great that we as boys on the pitch can do something back in ways like this and give them a good game with a good outcome. "This is a very big opportunity to showcase what we can do, and to put your name on the Australian football map." Stephens was immense, denying three successive Edgeworth attempts from the spot to seal the win and etch his name in Weston folklore. "I had a few chats with George in the last week about being mentally strong and believing in himself," Jaliens said. "That is what he showed yesterday ... It was great class to save some of those pens." Originally from Queensland, Stephens relocated to Newcastle when he was 17. He has played at Toronto and Kahibah and was briefly at Edgeworth before taking a break from football for most of last season. "I wasn't enjoying my football too much, so I had a little break and then jumped back into it, and I'm loving it now," Stephens said. The shot-stopper joined Weston this campaign and has been working with A-League goalkeeping coach Andrew Goldman in the Newcastle Jets youth system. "He has played a massive part in my career with the belief, time and effort he's given me," Stephens said of Goldman. NPL leading scorer Ryan Feutz gave Edgeworth a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute on Wednesday night before Aaron Niyonkuru levelled in the 52nd minute. Jackson Brady scored the opening penalty in the shoot-out before Niyonkuru followed suit. Joseph Melmeth, Jose Atayde and Tyler Harrison were all denied by Stephens while Burke Fahling and Brock Beveridge converted for Weston. "I've only been involved in two penalty shoot-outs, both this year in the Australia Cup," Stephens said. "I was actually pretty excited. It's sort of an opportunity to prove yourself and make a big difference at a club that hasn't progressed to the round of 32 before. "I was just trying to stay focused, keep my head in my game, not get caught up in overthinking anything. "I can't even put into words how incredible that feeling was, saving that third penalty, jumping up and having all of the boys running towards me. It's something that I'll never forget. It's absolutely massive for the club. "I was super proud of all of the boys and their effort. It's a great group of boys out there. I love the club, the team. We have great coaches and I'm really enjoying my time at Weston." The Cup's round of 32 draw will be done on June 25. Meanwhile, New Lambton drew 2-2 with Newcastle Olympic in a rescheduled NPL clash at Darling Street Oval on Wednesday night. Olympic finished with nine men after Nathan Toby and Jed Hornery were red-carded in the late stages. Toby has subsequently been handed a three-match suspension for violent conduct while Hornery will miss one game. It is a classic case of David versus Goliath. At stake is a place in the Australia Cup main draw and a chance to perform on the national stage. Underdogs Cooks Hill will take on NNSW NPL leaders and Australia Cup regulars Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park on Wednesday night. Weston host another round-of-32 regular Edgeworth in the other NNSW final qualifier, also at 7pm Wednesday. The winners will join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs in the final stages of the national knockout. Cooks Hill, who were promoted to the NNSW NPL in 2022, are yet to progress to the main draw. Magic, in contrast, are gunning for an eighth appearance. Their last Cup run was in 2023, when they went down 4-2 to Sydney United in the round of 32. "It is a final for us," Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich said. "If we got an opportunity on the national stage, it would be fantastic for the club. "We know it will be tough. Magic are up the top [of the league] for a reason." Cooks Hill edged out Northern Stars 1-0 in Coffs Harbour on Saturday to book a date with Magic. Josh Benson converted from the penalty spot in the first half. "We will have to play a lot better than we did Saturday," Zorcich said. "The boys will be up for it." Cooks Hill have struggled for consistency in the NPL and sit in ninth spot on 12 points, mixing four wins with six losses. Their round 11 battle with Magic was washed out and postponed to July 16. "Our form has been very erratic," Zoricich said. "Against Azzurri (1-0 win on April 26), we toughed that one out and I thought here is the turning point. We really dug in and that was a good result for us. "We haven't really kicked on. It has been hard. We haven't been able to train fully and games have been called off. "We have been good in fits and start. I haven't seen the best out of a number of our players that is for sure. "Against Magic, every player in our team has to be on. We have to work extra hard and limit their transitional chances." Magic were beaten by Lambton Jaffas in the NNSW final qualifier last season. They enter the Cooks Hill clash without striker Riley Smith, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in the 2-0 win over Maitland on Saturday, and Coby Nancarrow (hamstring). "Our rotation is crucial now to make sure we get the right balance," Magic coach Jim Cresnar said. "We haven't played Cooks Hill [this season]. They will be a hard team to play. They are very mobile, they are well coached. It will be a tough battle at Magic Park. We will need a bit of luck to get through." Weston, like Cooks Hill, are chasing a place in the round of 32 for the first time. They accounted for Lambton 2-1 last Saturday and sit third in the NPL. Edgeworth are aiming for a seventh slot in the round of the 32 since the Australia Cup's inception in 2014. They have qualified in the past two years, going down 4-1 to Olympic Kingsway in Perth last season and losing 4-0 to A-League club Western United at Jack McLaughlin Oval in 2023. The Eagles received a free ride to Wednesday after North Coast outfit Bangalow forfeited. "To go into the main draw of the Australian Cup is a big prize," coach Peter McGuinness said. "It is a good competition to be involved in." Edgeworth's league form has been top notch, stringing seven wins together, the last a 2-0 triumph over Lambton on May 31. "We haven't had a lot of football," coach Peter McGuinness said. "We have been able to get some training in of late, but we are still not match fit. "It will be a tough game. I have watched Weston a few times. They are very well organised and play good football. "Chris Hatfield is a good player. Burke Fahling is a good player. Aaron Niyonkura, Blake Archbold ... they have a lot of good players. "Defensively, we have been pretty sound. I think we have a lot more in us going forward. It is a matter of getting back into games week-in, week out." Cooks Hill president Mitch McPherson has described the club's rise into the Australia Cup main draw as the biggest moment in its history after a dramatic night of qualifying action. Cooks Hill beat NPL Northern NSW heavyweights Broadmeadow 2-1 at Magic Park on Wednesday night to book their maiden appearance in the next stage of the national knockout tournament. At Weston, the goalkeeping heroics of 22-year-old George Stephens lifted the Bears into the final 32 teams for their first time after they defeated Edgeworth in a penalty shootout. The results mean Cooks Hill and the Bears will be the region's representatives in the competition's main draw, where they join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs. With it comes national exposure. Cooks Hill players and officials were basking in the afterglow on Thursday morning after the ninth-placed NPL side stunned leaders Broadmeadow, who were gunning for an eighth appearance in the Cup's final stage. "We've been pretty successful over the years in working our way up through the various grades," McPherson said. "That's from the old IDs [interdistrict], through zone, a successful [Northern League One] campaign. This is our fourth year of NPL and we've had some OK results, so making it this far, playing on the national stage, is huge." MORE NEWCASTLE SPORT Josh Benson gave Cooks Hill a 1-0 lead on the counter-attack in the 11th minute. Magic equalised through Ezra Palombini in the 70th minute before Benson assisted substitute Xavier Williams' winning tap-in with seven minutes remaining. Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich, a New Zealand international who has played in leagues around the world, said the achievement was "up there" in terms of his career highlights. "I'm just so happy for the boys in particular because I do demand a lot from them and they have been putting the effort in," Zoricich told the Newcastle Herald on Thursday. "I just want them to get rewarded and hopefully last night goes a little way to doing that, putting them on the big stage in the next round. "We knew it was a big game for us, a great opportunity for us, and the boys really took it on board. I don't think they were going to let anything beat them last night ... just the work rate and the determination. "And, for the club as well. I'm happy for the club to be recognised for the hard work that's been done in the background. It's just a good feeling around the club." Cooks Hill do not have the big budgets of some of the more established NPL clubs. Instead, they have backed young talent and players who have been on the Cooks Hill journey. "I did an interview after the game and they asked if I got anyone in during the transfer window and I said I didn't, and if we do get anyone in we can't afford to pay the big bucks that are going around," Zoricich said. "So we identify players, either younger players that need a chance, and we give them that opportunity. And there's a few boys that have been there for a while and have come up through the divisions with the club, and they're the ones that I would really like to reward with something. "For instance, Dan Clements last night was just really happy. He said, 'We've never beaten Magic' and they've never been to round of 32, and it just gives them that opportunity that they've never had. "If it continues, that will be great, but that's my main motivation, to give these boys that have been there through everything, just give them something to hang their hat on and say that they were proud to be part of." The Bears, who are placed third in NPL with five games in hand, beat second-placed Edgeworth 1-1 (3-1) on penalties after the two sides could not be separated following 120 minutes of play. "It was a big win for the club," Weston coach Kew Jaliens said. "The people at the club have been working very hard to get the club moving forward, so it's great that we as boys on the pitch can do something back in ways like this and give them a good game with a good outcome. "This is a very big opportunity to showcase what we can do, and to put your name on the Australian football map." Stephens was immense, denying three successive Edgeworth attempts from the spot to seal the win and etch his name in Weston folklore. "I had a few chats with George in the last week about being mentally strong and believing in himself," Jaliens said. "That is what he showed yesterday ... It was great class to save some of those pens." Originally from Queensland, Stephens relocated to Newcastle when he was 17. He has played at Toronto and Kahibah and was briefly at Edgeworth before taking a break from football for most of last season. "I wasn't enjoying my football too much, so I had a little break and then jumped back into it, and I'm loving it now," Stephens said. The shot-stopper joined Weston this campaign and has been working with A-League goalkeeping coach Andrew Goldman in the Newcastle Jets youth system. "He has played a massive part in my career with the belief, time and effort he's given me," Stephens said of Goldman. NPL leading scorer Ryan Feutz gave Edgeworth a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute on Wednesday night before Aaron Niyonkuru levelled in the 52nd minute. Jackson Brady scored the opening penalty in the shoot-out before Niyonkuru followed suit. Joseph Melmeth, Jose Atayde and Tyler Harrison were all denied by Stephens while Burke Fahling and Brock Beveridge converted for Weston. "I've only been involved in two penalty shoot-outs, both this year in the Australia Cup," Stephens said. "I was actually pretty excited. It's sort of an opportunity to prove yourself and make a big difference at a club that hasn't progressed to the round of 32 before. "I was just trying to stay focused, keep my head in my game, not get caught up in overthinking anything. "I can't even put into words how incredible that feeling was, saving that third penalty, jumping up and having all of the boys running towards me. It's something that I'll never forget. It's absolutely massive for the club. "I was super proud of all of the boys and their effort. It's a great group of boys out there. I love the club, the team. We have great coaches and I'm really enjoying my time at Weston." The Cup's round of 32 draw will be done on June 25. Meanwhile, New Lambton drew 2-2 with Newcastle Olympic in a rescheduled NPL clash at Darling Street Oval on Wednesday night. Olympic finished with nine men after Nathan Toby and Jed Hornery were red-carded in the late stages. Toby has subsequently been handed a three-match suspension for violent conduct while Hornery will miss one game. It is a classic case of David versus Goliath. At stake is a place in the Australia Cup main draw and a chance to perform on the national stage. Underdogs Cooks Hill will take on NNSW NPL leaders and Australia Cup regulars Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park on Wednesday night. Weston host another round-of-32 regular Edgeworth in the other NNSW final qualifier, also at 7pm Wednesday. The winners will join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs in the final stages of the national knockout. Cooks Hill, who were promoted to the NNSW NPL in 2022, are yet to progress to the main draw. Magic, in contrast, are gunning for an eighth appearance. Their last Cup run was in 2023, when they went down 4-2 to Sydney United in the round of 32. "It is a final for us," Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich said. "If we got an opportunity on the national stage, it would be fantastic for the club. "We know it will be tough. Magic are up the top [of the league] for a reason." Cooks Hill edged out Northern Stars 1-0 in Coffs Harbour on Saturday to book a date with Magic. Josh Benson converted from the penalty spot in the first half. "We will have to play a lot better than we did Saturday," Zorcich said. "The boys will be up for it." Cooks Hill have struggled for consistency in the NPL and sit in ninth spot on 12 points, mixing four wins with six losses. Their round 11 battle with Magic was washed out and postponed to July 16. "Our form has been very erratic," Zoricich said. "Against Azzurri (1-0 win on April 26), we toughed that one out and I thought here is the turning point. We really dug in and that was a good result for us. "We haven't really kicked on. It has been hard. We haven't been able to train fully and games have been called off. "We have been good in fits and start. I haven't seen the best out of a number of our players that is for sure. "Against Magic, every player in our team has to be on. We have to work extra hard and limit their transitional chances." Magic were beaten by Lambton Jaffas in the NNSW final qualifier last season. They enter the Cooks Hill clash without striker Riley Smith, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in the 2-0 win over Maitland on Saturday, and Coby Nancarrow (hamstring). "Our rotation is crucial now to make sure we get the right balance," Magic coach Jim Cresnar said. "We haven't played Cooks Hill [this season]. They will be a hard team to play. They are very mobile, they are well coached. It will be a tough battle at Magic Park. We will need a bit of luck to get through." Weston, like Cooks Hill, are chasing a place in the round of 32 for the first time. They accounted for Lambton 2-1 last Saturday and sit third in the NPL. Edgeworth are aiming for a seventh slot in the round of the 32 since the Australia Cup's inception in 2014. They have qualified in the past two years, going down 4-1 to Olympic Kingsway in Perth last season and losing 4-0 to A-League club Western United at Jack McLaughlin Oval in 2023. The Eagles received a free ride to Wednesday after North Coast outfit Bangalow forfeited. "To go into the main draw of the Australian Cup is a big prize," coach Peter McGuinness said. "It is a good competition to be involved in." Edgeworth's league form has been top notch, stringing seven wins together, the last a 2-0 triumph over Lambton on May 31. "We haven't had a lot of football," coach Peter McGuinness said. "We have been able to get some training in of late, but we are still not match fit. "It will be a tough game. I have watched Weston a few times. They are very well organised and play good football. "Chris Hatfield is a good player. Burke Fahling is a good player. Aaron Niyonkura, Blake Archbold ... they have a lot of good players. "Defensively, we have been pretty sound. I think we have a lot more in us going forward. It is a matter of getting back into games week-in, week out." Cooks Hill president Mitch McPherson has described the club's rise into the Australia Cup main draw as the biggest moment in its history after a dramatic night of qualifying action. Cooks Hill beat NPL Northern NSW heavyweights Broadmeadow 2-1 at Magic Park on Wednesday night to book their maiden appearance in the next stage of the national knockout tournament. At Weston, the goalkeeping heroics of 22-year-old George Stephens lifted the Bears into the final 32 teams for their first time after they defeated Edgeworth in a penalty shootout. The results mean Cooks Hill and the Bears will be the region's representatives in the competition's main draw, where they join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs. With it comes national exposure. Cooks Hill players and officials were basking in the afterglow on Thursday morning after the ninth-placed NPL side stunned leaders Broadmeadow, who were gunning for an eighth appearance in the Cup's final stage. "We've been pretty successful over the years in working our way up through the various grades," McPherson said. "That's from the old IDs [interdistrict], through zone, a successful [Northern League One] campaign. This is our fourth year of NPL and we've had some OK results, so making it this far, playing on the national stage, is huge." MORE NEWCASTLE SPORT Josh Benson gave Cooks Hill a 1-0 lead on the counter-attack in the 11th minute. Magic equalised through Ezra Palombini in the 70th minute before Benson assisted substitute Xavier Williams' winning tap-in with seven minutes remaining. Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich, a New Zealand international who has played in leagues around the world, said the achievement was "up there" in terms of his career highlights. "I'm just so happy for the boys in particular because I do demand a lot from them and they have been putting the effort in," Zoricich told the Newcastle Herald on Thursday. "I just want them to get rewarded and hopefully last night goes a little way to doing that, putting them on the big stage in the next round. "We knew it was a big game for us, a great opportunity for us, and the boys really took it on board. I don't think they were going to let anything beat them last night ... just the work rate and the determination. "And, for the club as well. I'm happy for the club to be recognised for the hard work that's been done in the background. It's just a good feeling around the club." Cooks Hill do not have the big budgets of some of the more established NPL clubs. Instead, they have backed young talent and players who have been on the Cooks Hill journey. "I did an interview after the game and they asked if I got anyone in during the transfer window and I said I didn't, and if we do get anyone in we can't afford to pay the big bucks that are going around," Zoricich said. "So we identify players, either younger players that need a chance, and we give them that opportunity. And there's a few boys that have been there for a while and have come up through the divisions with the club, and they're the ones that I would really like to reward with something. "For instance, Dan Clements last night was just really happy. He said, 'We've never beaten Magic' and they've never been to round of 32, and it just gives them that opportunity that they've never had. "If it continues, that will be great, but that's my main motivation, to give these boys that have been there through everything, just give them something to hang their hat on and say that they were proud to be part of." The Bears, who are placed third in NPL with five games in hand, beat second-placed Edgeworth 1-1 (3-1) on penalties after the two sides could not be separated following 120 minutes of play. "It was a big win for the club," Weston coach Kew Jaliens said. "The people at the club have been working very hard to get the club moving forward, so it's great that we as boys on the pitch can do something back in ways like this and give them a good game with a good outcome. "This is a very big opportunity to showcase what we can do, and to put your name on the Australian football map." Stephens was immense, denying three successive Edgeworth attempts from the spot to seal the win and etch his name in Weston folklore. "I had a few chats with George in the last week about being mentally strong and believing in himself," Jaliens said. "That is what he showed yesterday ... It was great class to save some of those pens." Originally from Queensland, Stephens relocated to Newcastle when he was 17. He has played at Toronto and Kahibah and was briefly at Edgeworth before taking a break from football for most of last season. "I wasn't enjoying my football too much, so I had a little break and then jumped back into it, and I'm loving it now," Stephens said. The shot-stopper joined Weston this campaign and has been working with A-League goalkeeping coach Andrew Goldman in the Newcastle Jets youth system. "He has played a massive part in my career with the belief, time and effort he's given me," Stephens said of Goldman. NPL leading scorer Ryan Feutz gave Edgeworth a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute on Wednesday night before Aaron Niyonkuru levelled in the 52nd minute. Jackson Brady scored the opening penalty in the shoot-out before Niyonkuru followed suit. Joseph Melmeth, Jose Atayde and Tyler Harrison were all denied by Stephens while Burke Fahling and Brock Beveridge converted for Weston. "I've only been involved in two penalty shoot-outs, both this year in the Australia Cup," Stephens said. "I was actually pretty excited. It's sort of an opportunity to prove yourself and make a big difference at a club that hasn't progressed to the round of 32 before. "I was just trying to stay focused, keep my head in my game, not get caught up in overthinking anything. "I can't even put into words how incredible that feeling was, saving that third penalty, jumping up and having all of the boys running towards me. It's something that I'll never forget. It's absolutely massive for the club. "I was super proud of all of the boys and their effort. It's a great group of boys out there. I love the club, the team. We have great coaches and I'm really enjoying my time at Weston." The Cup's round of 32 draw will be done on June 25. Meanwhile, New Lambton drew 2-2 with Newcastle Olympic in a rescheduled NPL clash at Darling Street Oval on Wednesday night. Olympic finished with nine men after Nathan Toby and Jed Hornery were red-carded in the late stages. Toby has subsequently been handed a three-match suspension for violent conduct while Hornery will miss one game. It is a classic case of David versus Goliath. At stake is a place in the Australia Cup main draw and a chance to perform on the national stage. Underdogs Cooks Hill will take on NNSW NPL leaders and Australia Cup regulars Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park on Wednesday night. Weston host another round-of-32 regular Edgeworth in the other NNSW final qualifier, also at 7pm Wednesday. The winners will join 21 other qualifiers from NPL competitions around the country and 11 A-League clubs in the final stages of the national knockout. Cooks Hill, who were promoted to the NNSW NPL in 2022, are yet to progress to the main draw. Magic, in contrast, are gunning for an eighth appearance. Their last Cup run was in 2023, when they went down 4-2 to Sydney United in the round of 32. "It is a final for us," Cooks Hill coach Chris Zoricich said. "If we got an opportunity on the national stage, it would be fantastic for the club. "We know it will be tough. Magic are up the top [of the league] for a reason." Cooks Hill edged out Northern Stars 1-0 in Coffs Harbour on Saturday to book a date with Magic. Josh Benson converted from the penalty spot in the first half. "We will have to play a lot better than we did Saturday," Zorcich said. "The boys will be up for it." Cooks Hill have struggled for consistency in the NPL and sit in ninth spot on 12 points, mixing four wins with six losses. Their round 11 battle with Magic was washed out and postponed to July 16. "Our form has been very erratic," Zoricich said. "Against Azzurri (1-0 win on April 26), we toughed that one out and I thought here is the turning point. We really dug in and that was a good result for us. "We haven't really kicked on. It has been hard. We haven't been able to train fully and games have been called off. "We have been good in fits and start. I haven't seen the best out of a number of our players that is for sure. "Against Magic, every player in our team has to be on. We have to work extra hard and limit their transitional chances." Magic were beaten by Lambton Jaffas in the NNSW final qualifier last season. They enter the Cooks Hill clash without striker Riley Smith, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in the 2-0 win over Maitland on Saturday, and Coby Nancarrow (hamstring). "Our rotation is crucial now to make sure we get the right balance," Magic coach Jim Cresnar said. "We haven't played Cooks Hill [this season]. They will be a hard team to play. They are very mobile, they are well coached. It will be a tough battle at Magic Park. We will need a bit of luck to get through." Weston, like Cooks Hill, are chasing a place in the round of 32 for the first time. They accounted for Lambton 2-1 last Saturday and sit third in the NPL. Edgeworth are aiming for a seventh slot in the round of the 32 since the Australia Cup's inception in 2014. They have qualified in the past two years, going down 4-1 to Olympic Kingsway in Perth last season and losing 4-0 to A-League club Western United at Jack McLaughlin Oval in 2023. The Eagles received a free ride to Wednesday after North Coast outfit Bangalow forfeited. "To go into the main draw of the Australian Cup is a big prize," coach Peter McGuinness said. "It is a good competition to be involved in." Edgeworth's league form has been top notch, stringing seven wins together, the last a 2-0 triumph over Lambton on May 31. "We haven't had a lot of football," coach Peter McGuinness said. "We have been able to get some training in of late, but we are still not match fit. "It will be a tough game. I have watched Weston a few times. They are very well organised and play good football. "Chris Hatfield is a good player. Burke Fahling is a good player. Aaron Niyonkura, Blake Archbold ... they have a lot of good players. "Defensively, we have been pretty sound. I think we have a lot more in us going forward. It is a matter of getting back into games week-in, week out."
