Women's Hockey University And Rawhiti Draw In Hard Game

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30153, 10 June 1963, Page 8

Women's Hockey University And Rawhiti Draw In Hard Game

With seven rounds of the senior women's hockey competition completed. all teams have met each other once. The highlight of Saturday’s games was the clash beI tween the two leading teams. University and Rawhiti. and the result was a hard-fought, twogoal draw. Harewood beat Carlton with the only goal of the match in a close but scrappy game, and Digby v showed some of their best form this year to beat Aranui. In the game between the two bottom teams. West Old Girls beat Hinemoa by the only goal of the match. Competition points, with ’half of the games completed, are: Rawhiti 6, University 54. Harewood 5, Aranui 3j, Carlton 3i, Digby's 2J, West Old Girls 14, Hinemoa J. ■ Results were: University 1, Rawhiti 1. Harewood 1, Carlton 0. Digby’s 3, Aranui 1. West Old Girls 1, Hine- ' moa 0. University v. Rawhiti In a game that was tought every inch of the way, the two competition leaders shared a draw, one goal each. University played the better and more constructive hockey and deserved its win, Rawhiti. apart from occasional breakaways, concentrated almost solely on keeping its goal intact and the scoring of goals was of secondary consideration. University scored late in the second half and Rawhiti followed suit almost immediately; and there the score stopped. University was on attack for most of the first half and it was only bad luck, indecisive shooting, and a packed circle (by’ Rawhiti) that prevented that team from holding a lead at half-time. However,, although not scoring in the first half. University netted in the second with a beautiful shot from the edge of the circle by the in-side-left, K. McKerrow. McKerrow's goal was the reward for much industry and perseverance; her passing was not spoton but" her hunting invaluable. The forward line combined reasonably well although F Beggs was lacking a little speed on the right-wing. P. Anderson's trapping and passing was. excellent at left-back but it was the halves that took the eye. A. Colville (right-half) was calm and unflustered in her support of the right-wing while J. Gainsford (left-half) broke up attacks efficiently. However, the master of the play was the centre-half, S. M. Comer. Several times she had Rawhiti players bearing down on her—or “sitting” on her—but none could match her stickwork, positional play and passing Often, too, when the goal was being attacked. Comer would be back there covering and clearing. Her's was the game of a master.

Rawhiti, constantly packing the circle when under pressure, was hardly in a position to counter-attack and its play did not have the attacking purpose of University. H. Walker (in-side-left) hunted more than in any previous game this year but the forwards did not show up to the extent that the defence did. Perhaps the most noticeable of it was the lefthalf. A. Rouse. She waged an interesting duel with the University right-flank and was less prone to fly-hitting than her team-mates. McKerrow scored for University and Walker for Rawhiti, both goals coming, in the second half. Harewood v. Carlton Too often, players from both teams would be guilty of making fundamental mistakes and. to some extent, this spoiled the game as a spectacle So often (and Harewood in par. ticular were at fault here) a free-hit, which should be a means of obtaining possession, was hit with care-free abandon to someone on the opposing side. This constituted an ebb and flow as far as possession went but play was too scrappy for either team to deserve to win. However, Harewood took its chance once and that was that.

The inability of the Harewood inside-forwards to use a reverse stick and the tenacity of the Carlton left-defence contrived to cut the Ha re wood right-wing, D Eddy, almost solely out of play G Muirson (inside-right) tried hard and showed a pleasing endeavour to control the ball; her goal was the reward for an industrious game, and at the time, a sound trap and a well-planned push shot. Because of the extent to which the left-wing came into play, S Rich was prominent but she revealed little else but considerable speed. L. Watson (centre-half) made some nice interceptions in mid-field but did not retreat sufficiently in defence where Y. Turner (leftback) showed up well with some powerful clearances.

The spearhead to Carltons attack was blunted b\> the fact that the centre-forward. G. Phillips, was not enjoying the best of health on the day and consequently, the defence showed up more. The two who must take the palm were those on the left side of the field. J. Witte (half) and L. Drummond (back). They covered each other very well and the times that Eddy got a run at all were rare. J. Wilson gave another

fine performance in goal, kicking well and with discretion. Muirson scored for Hareood late in the second half DIGBY'S v. ARANUI A scrappy game at times, this also produced the best form of the year by the Digby’s forwards and the first win of the season for that same team. The Digby's forward line was ydt another new one. but it was by far the best yet. Ail played excellently and combined well, but perhaps mention could be made of M. Morris (inside-left), who used her skill and experience to good effect both in attack and in back-tackling. A Power (left'half), showing some improvement. played quite her best game of the season, while K. Coe (right-half) continued her good form of the previous week. B. Makmson (goalkeeper) played but another outstanding game, and good must be the national team that can dispense with her services. The Aranui defence, missing B. Strong in goal, was not as sound as usual. The new rightwing, J. Hopper, played a promising game and formed a useful combination with the New Zealand trialist, A. Ruston (right-half), who showed the benefits of the higher standard of play at Wellington. S. Cowles (centre-forward) and J Davies (inside-left) worked hard, with Davies also showing up for her back-tackling. However. the deciding factors in the game would be that Digby's were at their best form and Aranui was not. S. Wood. N. Stubbles, and Morris scored for Digby’s, and Hopper for Aranui. The halftime score was 2-1. WEST O.G. v. HINEMOA

Although Hinemoa had slightly more of the play, West took their chance when it came and secured a narrow victory—a victory that lifted them of! the bottom rung and placed them a point ahead of the team from Kaiapoi. Tlie chief reason for Hinemoa's failure to breach the West defence can be attributed to the fine game played by the experienced centre-half, N. Powell. Since shifting to that position just after the start of the season, Powell has given the team a stableness between the sound backs and the erratic forwards. The backs again played well, but the attack was spasmodic. Another possible reason why Hinemoa was unable to dominate was the failure of the wings to make the best possible use of the chances they were provided with. The three in-side-forwards played good, aggressive games—E. Melrose and K. McLauchlan are forming a useful partnership at centreforward and inside-right—and they were finely supported by the centre-half. J. Capstick. It was probably the best of several fine games that Capstick has played this year, and wherever she was wanted, she was there. J. Oram (left-back) interchanged well with Capstick. and R. Black was her usual sound self in goal. Powell scored for West Old Girls in tire first half.