Perth urged to block out hecklers in Hockey One semi

Penny Squibb is urging her side to ignore any heckling from the crowd as the Perth Thundersticks attempt to keep their hot form rolling in Saturday's Hockey One women's semi-final against the Tassie Tigers.

The Thundersticks have been the dominant side of 2024, winning all six of their games to finish on top of the ladder.

In contrast, the Tigers won just three of their six games to scrape into fourth spot.

Given the two-day finals series is being held in Hobart, the Tigers will have a huge home-ground advantage against Perth.

The Thundersticks thrashed Tassie 6-3 when the sides met this season in Perth, but Squibb knows it will be a tougher proposition in enemy territory.

"For us it's almost ignoring the crowd a little bit," she said.

"With the way the turf here is set up, the crowd is quite close, and if you make a mistake you can hear the crowd straight away, they let you know.

"We've got to try to drown it out and play some good hockey."

Perth's unbeaten record this season means they enter the finals with a huge amount of pressure to win the title.

Squibb is adamant her team won't under-estimate the Tigers, who finished last in 2023.

"I think it's quite dangerous for us," said Squibb, who made her Olympics debut this year and was also picked up in the recent India Hockey League auction.

"You could rest on your laurels of, 'You've been unbeaten through the year', but we're leaving the season behind us and focusing on the finals series ahead.

"New game, new tournament really for us."

Saturday's other women's semi-final pits defending champions Brisbane Blaze against NSW Pride.

The semi-final winners meet in the grand final on Sunday.

The Blaze won four of their six games this season and are banking on their home-grown talent to snare back-to-back crowns.

"We love having the international imports come and join our Hockey One League. I think it's great for the sport and great for hockey in Australia," Blaze star Rosie Malone said.

"But something we're really proud of is every single player in our team is a Queensland player who was born and raised there.

"We are riding off our own home-grown talent, which is really special for our group."

Malone, controversially overlooked for Hockeyroos selection for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, said her team would thrive on their underdog status.

"There's nothing anyone loves more in Australia than the underdogs," she said.

"For us it's almost like that mentality of, 'OK, underestimate us, think we're not going to be good enough, and we'll prove you wrong'.

"That's the mentality we're going into this game with.

"I'm stoked that we're backed as the underdogs, because I think it's going to give our team exactly the kind of energy and drive we need to hopefully win the game."