HOCKEY SEASON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20249, 8 May 1929, Page 16

HOCKEY SEASON.

SENIOR MATCHES REVIEWED.

POSITION OF OTAHUHU TEAM.

LADIES' SEASON COMMENCED.

The Otahuhu senior hockey team is in n somewhat precarious position afc the present time, and it failed to raise an eleven with which to try conclusions with Somerville on Saturday. The team has suffered heavily iu the loss of prominent players, and it is just a question whether it can survive. A special effort is being made to see if a full muster can be secured for next Saturday. Among players prominent at tho end of last season who are not now available are W. fiveritt, McKenzie, Saul, Hughes, now playing for Mount Eden, F. Gardiner and Rivers. Tho club has the offer of a, ground of its own at Otahuhu, and its supporters feel that if tho special difficulties of this year can be surmounted there will bo no troublo about future seasons. Numerous infringements of the rules by tho forwards lost St. Luke's its match with North Shore. Mr. R. Avery is a strict referee and naturally expected a high standard from experienced seniors. St. Luke's front line did not reach this standard, and on quite half a dozen occasions what appeared to be certain scores were lost through offside play or the giving of sticks, It is not a particularly dangerous combination in the circle, and the series of chances that camo to it from corners at one stage of tho game wore all effectively smothered by the speedy North Shoro men. St. Luke's strength lies rather in its backs, and it says much for tho vigour and versatility of the North Shore attack that it found a way through on four occasions. Wotherspoon, ex-Training College, at right inside, combined nicely with the rest. Hookham was hardly up to his best form, and T. Giles, on the opposite wing, was too frequently offside. Burnett and H. Williams both gave very sound displays at fullback. Individual Brilliance. Individually thero is a touch of brilliance about the North Shore men that makes them always interesting to watch. The two goals with which Rvkers opened the score resulted from as pretty pieces of swiftly.executed combined work as one could wish to sec. Reid was also in excellent form, find was always dangerous when he had the ball. Thornton, Parker and R. Fratcr were at least as valuable as any among a gr6up of hard-working backs. Considering tho stage of tho season the pac.e was exceedingly fast, and it was a slight falling-off on the part of North Shore after establishing a lead of 4 to 1 that made the issue seem very doubtful in tho closing stages of the game. Mount Eden hold the upper hand throughout in its contest with Epiphany. The only change in tho Mount Eden team since the previous Saturday was the substitution of M. .Tones for Jansen in the forward line. Horspool, one of the junior provincial representatives last year, played an excellent game. Hedges, Anderson and Kelly frequently caught the eye in tho back division. Hughes, nlling the important post of centre half, has hardly got back to last season s form.If Anderson were to exercise a little more restraint in his methods he would be more effective and would run less risk of doing himself unnecessary injury. Good Goalkeeping.

Baxter distinguished himself in the Epiphany goal and stopped quite a ber of likely shots. Michel and C. Mills, at fullback, came through a heavy afternoon's defensive work with credit. Michel was unfortunate enough to get a blow over the eye that deprived his side of his services for a considerable period. The half-line made the mistake of not keeping its nlaces, but bunched together at a threatened point of danger. The Mount Eden players were not sknv to profit by this. Davern douned the black and yellow jersey again after a season on the sideline, and is likely to have a permanent place on the loft wing. The constant attacks of Mount Eden left the Epiphany forwards little chance of distinguishing themselves. The senior matches were quite a quarter of an hour late in starting on Saturday for no apparent reason. The EpiphanyMount Eden match suffered a further long delav through the ball getting lost "in the rough." The No. 3 ground, on which the match was played,* is exceedingly lumpy, but the No. 2 ground, on which the other senior game was played, had a good surface. University lias put in a very strong second grade A team this season, as may be judged from the fact that, it numbers among its forwards Seelen and Hamilton, who did such good service for the University seniors last year. Following is the draw for nest Saturday's senior matches;— Epiphany v. Otahuhu; University v. Mount Eden; St. Luke's v. Somerville; North Shore, a bye. High Standard Shown. Next Saturday in the second round of the ladies' senior grade championships Somerville is drawn to meet Mount Eden and Wesley will meet Arawa. Y.W.C.A. has the bye. In, the junior A section Technical A meets Y.W.C.A. and Papakura meets Mount Eden, Papatoetoe A having the bye. In the junior B section Manurcwa is to meet Wesley and Somerville will play Technical B. Papatoetoe B has tho bye. A surprisingly high standard of play was shown in the opening matches of tho ladies' hockey season at Kcmuera on Saturday The speed in the match between Mount Eden and Y.W.C.A. was something of a revelation, and it augurs well for progress during the coining winter. Tho Somerville and Wesley game was also a decidedly fast one, but it was to some extent, marred by the tendency of the Somerville players to bunch. Among Somervillc's most outstanding players were Miss Hill, the centre forward, and Miss Harris in the half line. Forwards and fullbacks gave a good exhibition for Wesley, but the halves and especially tho two wings were a source of weakness. Miss Ward gave a fine exhibition of goalkeeping fou Y.W.C.A,, and Miss Twining was most valuable as fullback for Mount Eden.

Series of Lectures. A series of blackboard lectures for lady players will be commenced to-morrow evening. The lectures are being given by members of the Reforeos' Association, and the speakers at the first meeting are to bo Messrs. Norton, Nicholson and Avery. The N T ow Zealand Ladies' Hockey Association is proposing to send a team to South Africa in 1930 to take, part in an Empiro tournament that is to bo held there. Further circulars on the subject are being sent tt> the various provincial associations. It has been estimated that the cost for each player would bo about £74. Opinion in Auckland does not favour the scheme at all, and it is considered hero, that much more benefit would probably be dono to tho game by bringing over a team from Australia at considerably less expense. Tho New Zealand Association has depitied to adhere to its decision that any association applying for tho Dominion tournament must undertake tho billeting of visiting players.