UNIVERSITY coach Ben Brown says he's unsure how to replace captain Murray Bennett next season but the Sea Pigs will do their best to fill the void.
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The long-serving Uni player and NSW Country representative won't be around for the men's Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League in 2023 as he prepares to relocate overseas.
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"He [Bennett] is still playing at the moment but unfortunately we lose him at the end of the year. He's about to head over to the US for a post doctorate at a Uni over there," Brown said.
"It's probably going to cause us some more grief trying to replace him. Obviously he's our best player but he's a very senior head to have around as well."
It has been slim pickings for University's top grade in recent times with Bennett scoring a winner after full-time in 2020 to snap a three-year losing drought, having not tasted a single success since 2017.
Earlier this season the last-placed Sea Pigs triumphed 4-3 over Maitland, but after May 15 they have endured six straight defeats. They went down 2-1 to Wests on Sunday.
Uni have a catch-up game with Gosford at Central Coast Hockey Park on Thursday night before tackling Wests, Maitland and Souths on the run home.
"The challenge for us is trying to find that consistency. We know we're a way off being truly competitive with Norths, Souths and Gosford but if we can compete against Maitland and Wests and jag a result every now and then it shows we're going in the right direction," Brown said.
Brown, who has been involved with the club since 2006, reckons Luke Maher and Luke Merrill have been two of University's stronger performers this season.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
