When Newcastle Northstars won the 2026 Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) season, lifting the Goodall Cup, my first thought wasn’t about the players on the ice.
Instead, it was about the women and girls watching something special be achieved.
Yet, amid all the tears of joy, celebrations and big moments from players and fans, it was a historic moment for women’s hockey. Amelia Matheson would see her named etched on the cup.
For years, Matheson has been a trailblazer for women and girls in the ice hockey space, first female assistant coach in the AIHL, as well as filling in as head coach on occasions for Newcastle.
Now, she can add Goodall Cup champion to that list.
A Historic AIHL Moment Beyond the Ice
However, this might seem like a small detail in what was a bigger Newcastle cup victory story, for women and girls invested in ice hockey in Australia it represents something much bigger. Dreams of one day stepping behind an AIHL bench themselves.
It shows that women belong in every corner and part of the game.
“Oh my god, the adrenaline sky rocketed!,” Matheson told 6ixdubhockey.com
“My heart was racing so fast! Everyone was on top of the world!
“After exiting the ice, I actually took a moment in the stands sitting by myself and reflected on everything I’d been through.
“The journey it took to get here, the hurdles along the way. But we did it.
“We finally brought the cup back home.”
Traditionally, the conversation around women’s hockey has been about improving visibility, participation and growing pathways to give female hockey players more opportunities to compete in the AWIHL.
However, representation off the ice matters just as much.
When we see women in coaching roles, leadership positions around elite teams it shifts the perspective that it’s a closed door for only men and boys. There is strength in this and Newcastle have embraced it.
Matheson’s achievement with Newcastle is significant because the AWIHL continues to build its own identity, creating space for women’s hockey in Australia.
Women’s hockey does not exist in a vacuum: it is a vital part of the wider Australian hockey community. When we see more women visible and respected through the sport, our hockey community becomes more enriched from it.
This is why the 2026 Goodall Cup win feels different.
Matheson isn’t just part of another championship-winning coaching staff. She is part of an historic team, a team breaking a decade long cup drought and now her name is permanently connected to one of the more prestigious trophies in world ice hockey.
A Goodall Cup Moment for the Next Generation
For the girls that find hockey and are picking up a stick for the first time, that matters.
When people look at the Goodall Cup, they see players names engraved after achieving the ultimate in Australian men’s hockey. Now, they will also see Matheson’s name and think about their own journey – where they too can become a coach or respected leader in the sport.
“It’s something I’m incredibly proud of, probably more than I can put into words,” continued Matheson.
“Being that visible symbol for girls and women means knowing that somewhere, there’s a young girl watching and thinking, ‘Maybe I can do that too.’
Change isn’t guaranteed to happen overnight. But there is something that might just be more important: girls now have a reason to believe they belong.
For this reason, the 2026 Newcastle championship is more than just another chapter in a storied club’s history.
A Championship That Could Change Australian Hockey
It is a moment that the Australian hockey community should embrace, a moment that should continue to move the sport forward with women and girls.
There is hope now, hope that Matheson’s name is the start of many names that will be written on the Goodall Cup.
Where the AIHL gives women more opportunities. Pathways for more girls into the AWIHL and elite level hockey are clear. And when we see a woman standing behind the bench, showing leadership, people no longer consider it ground breaking – it is simply normal.
“Breaking barriers was never about proving I was better than anyone else,” said Matheson.
“It was about proving to myself that I belonged in places I was once told I didn’t.
“Because breaking barriers isn’t just about being the first. It’s about making sure you’re not the last.
“If my journey can make even one girl or woman believe that coaching, leading, and chasing her goals is possible, then every step has been worth it.”
Right now, though, it’s time we pause and appreciate what 2026 has brought us.
Newcastle Northstars lifted the Goodall Cup.
Amelia Matheson’s name will forever be associated with that championship — a trailblazer who has once again helped show Australian hockey what is possible.
