LADIES' HOCKEY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 192, 18 September 1914, Page 5

LADIES' HOCKEY.

SEASON ENDS IN GLORY. The Canterbury ladies' representative hockey team ended its season under the most dramatic conditions possible when it achieved its victory over the English ladies' hockey team last Saturday. Such an event was not predicted by the most sanguine of enthusiasts, and the members of the team themselves probably looked back in a very subdued fashion and counted up the scores made against the other unfortunate teams and mournfully wondered what their fate would be : —never in their wildest dreams did they think of winning, but merely prayed that they might at lea.st score. The first display of the rep. team this year in Christchurch was decidedly disappointing, and the result, a draw, with South Canterbury, was nothing to gloat over. The players then began to seriously consider the advisability of going into training, and this they did and practised and trained assiduously until the English team arrived on the spot. They have been steadily improving ever since; this was noticeable when they played Wairarapa a fortnight ago and beat them, but they completely eclipsed every previous performance on Saturday when they played the English ladies on Lancaster Park.

FULL OF EXCITEMENT. ■The game was one long strain of excitement, and the tension was only relieved by the cheers and barrack that continually roared over the ground when a particularly fine piece of play appealed to the crowd. The English team was unfortunate in not having the services of Miss Gaskell and Miss Eames in the forward line. However, in spite of their absence, the visitors played a fine game, full of science and combination. The local girls were much lighter and quite outclassed their opponents in dash and speed. They made the pace,' and the game was fast, and furious all through. The whole team played consistently and well from start to finish, and each player" deserves a special word of praise. The forwards were in tip-top'form, and never showed any sign of tiring. M. Pearce played a perfectly admirable game, and was the heroine of the day. Her dash and vim were soon conspicuous, and she charged up and down the field as only Myrtle Pearce can. The three goals all came off her stick, and she was quite the most brilliant player on the field. If she had a fault it was her tendency to keep the ball just a moment too long at times, but all faults were hidden in the great result. The other most significant forward was S. Kruse, who played in her old style and made some lightning rushes up and down the field. She passed well and brought some of her tricky play into use again and her pace was fast and furious. P. Pearce was just as reliable as ever, and kept the ball moving along her line of forwards. I. Taylor, on the right wing, played up well, and I. Burnip was equally good on the left, but inclined to leave the line and sometimes bungled and got in M. Pearce ';■* way. The halves were all good—one did not appear to outshine the other. They, tackled well and battled hard. The backs were splendid, D.. Pearce particularly. Her hits were a revelation to the crowd, who groaned in sympathy as they smashed into an opponent's shin-pads. H. Harrison woke .up and played the game as she used to play it. M. Wells proved worthy of her position in the goal, although she didn't have an exceedingly busy time,; but she kept cool and the shots she "did not stop were well-nigh impossible ones. A MOST DRAMATIC FINISH. The game could not have had a more dramatic end. Just on the call of time the winning goal was shot, and as the number went up on the scoring board the crowd leaped the fence and surged on-to the ground, cheering wildly and shaking hands with the players and showering congratulations on everyone. M. Pearce and S. Kruse were carried shoulder-high to the pavilion /'through an admiring and enthusiastic throng, which could only express its feelings by cheering again and again as the players*for both England and Canterbury wended their way to the stand. The game as it was played on Saturday was a revelation to numbers of people, and should broaden the interest in ladies' hockey tremendously m Christchurch. Football enthusiasts, who went to see the football match decided to wait and make an attempt to watch tho hockey, but they found their excitement would not allow them to sit through it; so they stood and cheered with the rest and cheerfully remarked afterwards that "Rugby wasn't 'in it. ' '■

which he stopped. Speight, although not brilliant, was solid, and go£ his side out of many awkward corners. McGregor was practically the half-line, and he got through a tremendous amount of work most creditably. quick hitting gave his side many ad> vantages. Both the wing halves, although playing fairly, did not use their heads very much, repeatedly al--lowing themselves to be drawn out of, their position. The northern forwards were disappointing. Of course the old adage, that a forward line can only play as well as the opposing backs allow them, still applies, and this was to a large extent the case on Saturday. Atkinson, on the right wing, was. prominent in several passing rushes, and sent in several timely centres. Mahoney, playing out of his position, was quite "at sea," missing easy opportunities. G. Strack did not do himself justice in the first spell, but improved considerably in the second. His goal was a particularly fine effort. Boyd played well throughout. His tricky stick play was not overdone, but was just sufficient to keep the opposition thinking. Loader did not get many opportunities in the first half, but got through a quantity of work in the second spell in his old fashion. A word for the referees. It is not often that referees are given their due, as generally some little fault is to be found. The refereeing in the NorthSouth match by Messrs Cusaek and Hatch was perfect, and that is saying a great deal. Breaches were quickly detected, and the whistle blew confidently. The advantage rule was used for the purpose for which it was framed.