New faces in senior women’s hockey

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33520, 29 April 1974, Page 7

New faces in senior women’s hockey

Greasy grounds greeted senior women hockey players on Saturday for the first round of the competition. Only senior matches were played. There were many new faces tn the teams and the absence of some well-known players was ; noticeable. A. Ruston (Aranui) has retired, Harewood will be without L. ‘ Aldridge and P. Forester, and .Carlton begins the season without P. Barwick, the New Zealand captain. Results.—Cranmer 2, Digbys 1; University 3, Carlton 3; Harewood 3, Rawhiti 1; Aranui 5, Bumside 2. Points: Cranmer, Harewood, Aranui 1; University, Carlton, J; Burnside, Digbys 0. BRISK PACE The game between Harewood I and Rawhiti produced some fast movements, in spite of ground 'conditions, and both teams kept play open. Rawhiti opened the scoring when its right wing, 11. Irvine, netted in the first 10 minutes. Harewood was quick to equalise. Play deteriorated in the second haif, both forward lines becoming disjointed and passing carelessly. The Harewood half line cut off long through passes by the Rawhiti forwards who penetrated most effectively down the ; wings. Pressure by Harewood was rewarded when the centre-half, A. McKenna, netted after a corner. B. Turbott added another goal near full-time to put the result beyond doubt. All four wings, K. Stevens, i H. Irvine, S. Howell and J. i Latham ran and centred well. Umpires: Mesdames J. Rigaldo ■ and E. Seager. SLOW TO SETTLE Aranui and Burnside were both slow to settle to a pattern of constructive teamwork. The only goal in the first half was scored by the Burnside centre-forward, J. Phillips, after five minutes. Aranui had two chances to score from penalty strokes, but

,both were foiled by the Burnside goal-keeper, C. Cusdin. Aranui equalised soon after .half-time when W. Todd, the left wing, netted after a scramble . in the Burnside circle. That p' seemed to give Aranui more con- ! fidence and it mounted deter- ’ mined attacks which resulted in one goal from B. Coull and three ’ from Todd. j Bumside retaliated and Phillips ' scored the final goal after a good attacking movement by the side. Umpires: Mrs M. McGregor and Mr N. Seager. STEADY ATTACKS Cranmer began well against! Digbys and attacked constantly. Some well-executed moves I ended when goals were missed, narrowly. | However, Digbys scored first; I from a comer when the insideI left, S. Keddell, netted a hard, tjangled shot. 1: Cranmer soon equalised and II scored the winning goal late in 'the second half when a half-; ?, hearted shot deflected off several I , I sticks in the Digbys circle ■ I trickled across the goal-line. I For Digbys, C. Thom, the right--11 half, played consistently, and the - goal-keeper, B. Makinson, made '- some fine saves. B. Green was e!safe in defence for Cranmer and y'the forwards pursued the ball: '-! unremittingly. e| Umpires: Mesdames J. Wilson ■ and Rigaldo. DRAWN GAME University had control for; ( most of the game against Carl- ' ton and dictated play. However, when the Carlton forwards broke . away they split the University ’’ defence. • R. Ackerley and S. Borren gave „ University an early two-goal lead, but the Carlton Inside-left, S. Haig, reduced the deficit before half-time. 11 After steady pressure, Universf fty scored its third goal, but y Carlton fought back through its 1 forwards, and J. Wilson netted twice—one a penalty stroke—to draw the match. a; Umpires: Messrs S. Jesset and t R. Hurst.