Warners Bay must quickly adapt to the devastating loss of super striker Jen Hoy as they prepare to open their Herald Women's Premier League campaign with a grand final rematch against champions Newcastle Olympic on Saturday.
The Panthers pulled off the coup of the season last year by signing the American, who played a season with the Newcastle Jets in W-League and had made over 100 appearances in the National Women's Soccer League in the United States.
She proved the difference as Warners Bay recovered from a slow start to finish fourth. Hoy was pivotal as the Panthers disposed of Merewether in the semi-finals then Broadmeadow in the preliminary final before going down 3-2 to Olympic in a nail-biting championship decider. She scored 24 goals in 13 outings to be the league's second-highest scorer.
The 30-year-old had initially committed to another season of WPL with Warners Bay only to tell coach Craig Atkins this month she was relocating and unable to play in a blow to both the club and Northern NSW Football's top-flight women's competition.
"It's obviously disappointing because she's irreplaceable," Atkins told the Newcastle Herald. "It's a huge disappointment not only for us but the whole competition really. She's moving. I said to her and the girls that we've just got to be grateful for the time we've had with her. Everyone has learnt so much from her. She's a true professional and it's been a pleasure working with her.
"It's disappointing so close to the competition but it's opportunity now for others. This is where we started this time last year without Jen. So we start again and it's a good opportunity for some other girls to step up."
The Panthers have also lost attacking player Annika D'Amico due to work commitments but have recruited striker Alannah Russell from the Emerging Jets program.
"It's still a very strong squad," Atkins said. "You've got to adapt to life after losing someone of Jen's quality and that's going to take some time. But we'll adapt and we'll move forward."
Olympic host Warners Bay at Darling Street Oval on Saturday at 2pm. The defending champions will be without key striker Jemma House, who still has W-League commitments with the Jets.
The two sides played out a 2-2 draw in a pre-season trial match.
"There will be no Jen and no Jem, so it should be a different contest," Atkins said. "There's nothing better than having a grand final rematch in the first round. The girls will be up for that and looking forward to it."
It will be the first game of WPL's opening round. In other round-one action, Charlestown play Mid Coast at Lisle Carr Oval while New Lambton meet Adamstown at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday. On Sunday, Maitland host Broadmeadow at Cooks Square Park.
