Shared experiences and a love of the game fuels conversations and connections for veteran Albany hockey women

They may have mostly hung up their hockey sticks but a love of the sport has kept them in touch. A group of Albany hockey veterans meet every month to reminisce and share news, with their latest get-together a festive special at the Barrel Farm winery and restaurant on December 5. Among their number is Peggy Buxton, a former teacher whose family now own and run Barrel Farm. Mrs Buxton said when the women catch up, they usually talk about anything but hockey, but a love of the game and their shared experiences mean there is no lack of conversation. “I think that common bond means that even if we are meeting someone for the first time, there is always that shared love of the sport and of Albany,” she said. “It is not a big group and we would love to encourage others to join us because a lot of people have played hockey around here. “It is just a lovely way to stay connected.” Mrs Buxton was a teacher for 40 years and the first hockey coach of Albany Olympian Tricia Heberle when Heberle – now another member of the group – was a pupil at Spencer Park Primary School. A fearsome centre-forward, Mrs Buxton said she once scored 25 goals in a match when playing in Katanning. “I remember telling my son about that and him saying I must have been an incredibly selfish player,” she said. “But I just remember running with the ball, looking for someone to pass to and finding it was just me versus the goalkeeper.” Like the rest of the group, Mrs Buxton recalls local matches and country week experiences that provided great fun at the time and provide fond memories now. The group usually meet on the first Friday of the month at Three Anchors on Middleton Beach.