GALLERY: Saints lead way in busy opening round of hockey at Bathurst

The Saints were dominant 4-0 winners over Orange United in the gala day on Bob Roach Field, asserting themselves as a team to watch in the early phases of the season.

Bathurst City would have certainly lost no admirers with their 1-all draw against defending premiers Lithgow Panthers while Souths were never out of the contest in a 3-1 loss against Orange CYMS.

Saints assistant coach Jaden Ekert said that it's a perfect start to the season for his young and enthusiastic side.

"We've got a couple of old heads still around but we're blooding a lot of new talent, which is great," he said.

"One of our younger girls, Chloe Howard, debuted on the weekend and she's 12 years old. She didn't look out of place whatsoever."

Hannah Kable got her season off to a superb start with a round one brace for the Saints while teammates Michelle Somers and Savannah Draper scored the other goals.

Ekert said he's not too sure what to expect from opponents this year, which makes it all the easier for him and the team to remain focused on their own capabilities.

"It was a massive unknown quantity," he said of the round one game.

"Ben [Weal, head coach] and I have been out of the loop for a bit so we're not too sure what we're coming up against, but the thing for us over these first five to six weeks is making sure we're just focusing on ourselves."

Several big derby games will headline round two action next Saturday.

The Orange derby takes place between United and CYMS while in Bathurst there will be a showdown between City and Souths.

St Pat's and Lithgow Panthers will take on one another as they look to maintain their unbeaten status.