LADIES’ HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 20527, 2 July 1928, Page 9

LADIES’ HOCKEY

HIGH SCHOOL EXTENDS COLLEGIATE. PLAY MARRED BY WEATHER. With the time for the championship tournament approaching, it was felt on Saturday that no more time could be lost in playing off the ordinary rounds of the local tournament. As a consequence, although the ground was in a very sloppy condition, open puddles were existent and heavy showers fell at frequent intervals, the matches were played off without a break. The standard of hockey was, however, considerably lowered by these conditions and fast, opea play was the exception. Play in those circumstances could have been interesting neither to spectators nor to players. COLLEGIATE 5 v. HIGH SCHOOL 3. The following teams took the field:— Collegiate: Misses M. Edgar; J. Burt, I. Burrell; L. Botherway, N. Thomas, M. Kilby; K. Martin, I. Stewart, E. Winsloe. High School: Misses E. Buckingham; T. Strang, L. Fraser; J. Anderson, M. Woods; D. Walker, E. Brumby, E. Kerse, J. Chalmers. High School pressed from the start and on the slippen' ground the short pass tactics of Collegiate brought no result. As a consequence, Collegiate was often forced right on to its backs who however always managed to send the ball back agaim About the middle of the first half, Collegiate brought play in to High School’s territory where from a scramble around the goal, Miss L. Botherway shot and scored. High School attacked and Miss Woods passed to Miss Chalmers near Collegiate’s twenty-five line. Miss Chalmers making a fine solo run and evening the scores. Collegiate rallied and Miss Stewart, who as centre forward, was playing an excellent game, secured from Miss Thomas but Miss Strang intercepted and sent the ball away to Miss Fraser who passed to Miss Chalmers. the movement resulting in a score for High School despite Miss Burt’s determined defence. The score remained at 2—l in favour of High School at half-time. In the second half, Collegiate made the pace hot right from the beginning and within a very few minutes, Miss Stewart scored from a pass given by Miss Kilby. School then brightened up and Miss Brumby sent a clever pass to Miss Walker who carried down the line, finally centering again to Miss Brumby who scored after a tussle at the goal mouth. Again Collegiate rallied and Miss Stewart initiated a forward attack which was stopped by Miss Woods who secured but was dispossessed by Miss Thomas. The latter sent a pass to Miss Stewart which enabled her to make the score 3—3. Both sides now began to show the effects of the strenuous game but although High School seemed to gain possession of the ball more than Collegiate did, Collegiate slowly gained ground and from a melee in the circle Miss Burrell scored. Just before time, Miss Botherway secured the ball from the School halves and sent away to Miss Winsloe. School again secured but Miss Thomas wrested it from them and passed to Miss Stewart who scored from a difficult position. When the whistle blew, the score remained at Collegiate 5, High School 3. Mr L. G. Newman controlled the game. UNION 8 v. INVERCARGILL 1. Although Invercargill has shown some surprisingly improved form of late, it was generally thought that Union would have no difficulty in accounting for them. However, in a game the true nature of which is not shown by the score of B—l, Invercargill kept very closely on Union’s heels and made the pace very hot. Although Union played two short, most of Invercargill’s best players must have been rather exhausted by the gruelling 20 minutes that preceded, when the seven-a-side tournament was played off. Neither teams played up to their usual standard. Following were the teams:

Union: Misses D. Hawke; R. Geddes, ; R. Donald, B. Morton, V. Daplyn; J. Ewan, . I. Dutton, E. Meh-in, M. Clark Invercargill: Misses E. Buchanan; E. Hope, F. Baird; G. Gilfedder, L. Baird, D. Blomfield; A. Blomfield, B. Benfell, T. Green, P. Hunter, M. Sandri.

Right from the whistle, Union attacked and kept play entirely in Invercargill’s half during which time several lucky escapes sa zed Invercargill. However, about ten minutes after play began, Miss M. Clark secured the ball near the half-way line and carried it down to Invercargill’s twentyfive where she centred to Miss Melvin who brought it without serious opposition into the circle. From a difficult position she shot, the ball just touching the further post and scraping in.

Although most of the Union team had trouble with the Invercargill backs, Miss Melvin seemed invulnerable and in the next three minutes almost had scored three times, almost unaided, straight from the bully off. After these breath-taking tactics, Invercargill suddenly woke up and decided that Union should not sweep over them in that lordly way. Play was gradually forced more and more into Union’s quarters and several times, Invercargill seemed on the verge of scoring. Misses A. Blomfield, E. Hope and M. Sandri worked well together but to no purpose and at half-time, the score remained at Union 4, Invercargill 0. In the second half, Invercargill rallied considerably and a few minutes after the beginning. Miss T. Green carried the ball down the line, then centred to Miss E. Hope who shot and made the score 4—l. From then on, till the end, Invercargill stuck manfully to their guns and allowed Union to score only after hard tussles. However, before the whistle finally blew. Miss Melvin had added three more to Union’s score and Miss I. Dutton one, so that the final score was Union 8, Invercargill 1. Mr A. Shaw refereed. SEVEN-A-SIDE TOURNEY COLLEGIATE WINS TROPHIES. Since the final of the consolation competition of the seven-a-side tourney, played at Gore on June 4, rested between the two local teams, Invercargill and Collegiate B, the Eastern District Association consented to the play-off taking place at Queen’s Park on Saturday afternoon. The personnel of the two teams that played off was as follows: Collegiate B: Misses J. Burt, I. Burrell, A. Latta. M. Kilby, K. Murray, K. Martin and E. Smith. Invercargill: Misses E. Hope, G. Mowatt, T. Green, A. Blomfield, L. Baird, B. Benfell and D. Blomfield. Invercargill were undoubtedly unfortunate in the result of this game since although their play generally throughout its whole course was superior in combination and tactics to their opponents, they were,not able to score before the game reached the point at which hard hitting counted chiefly. After the play had been almost entirely in Invercargill’s hands during the whole time, the first spell ended with no score being made although just before the whistle, Miss Baird, from a penalty corner in Collegiate’s territory, made a splendid shot, the ball passing through the posts. Most spectators and Collegiate players thought a score had been made but Invercargill players and the referee recognized that the ball had been hit just about three inches outside the circle.

TTie second seven minute spell passed without any score being made. Collegiate however was playing a much better defensive game, Misses Burrell and Burt particularly doing well. Two more spells of two minutes each were then played but still no score was made.

In these circumstances, the ruling is that, without changing sides, play continues until one team, from within the twenty-five line has hit the ball anywhere over it’s opponent’s back line. Collegiate secured almost immediately from the bully off and Miss Martin with a hard shot secured the victory for her team.

At the conclusion of the match, the president of the Southland Association (Mr P. Gilfedder) presented the seven trophies to the members of the winning team, congratulating both sides on their sportsmanship and good play.