Bright Prospects For Men’s Hockey This Season

Southland Times, Issue 23796, 19 April 1939, Page 11

Bright Prospects For Men’s Hockey This Season

By

PAD

The prospects for the 1939 men’s hockey season are brighter than they have been for many years. A big number of new players has joined the sport and will swell the ranks of the various clubs considerably. A pleasing feature of this influx is that the senior competition will probably consist of six teams instead of four as in the past. This should be a definite improvement, as it will widen the scope of contact in senior hockey. Under the system of previous years with only four teams competing each player became familiar with the play of the men marking him. In many cases this had a stultifying effect on the game. With the introduction of new blood into the senior ranks senior hockey should be improved, and not before time. For many years the game has been dull and stodgy. Combination, especially, was one of the most serious faults. Even after several years of playing together, the better senior teams did not know how to combine. Individual play is quite good in its place, and combination between two or perhaps three men is handy at times, but the essence of good hockey is combination between ail members all the time. LOSS OF C. A. SHARP C. A. Sharp will not be playing hockey in Southland this season. Sharp has been captain of the Southland representative side for some years as well as being the mainstay of the Civil Service Club, and his absence will be a loss to the game in the province. Sharp has been many times the object of criticism because of his style, but, as the writer pointed out last season, his style brought results where many other players were left floundering. He used the Indian style, flicking and pushing with steady accuracy and he always knew where the ball was going. Apart from this radical difference in style and stroking, Sharp had a complete grasp of the tactics of the game.

At centre-half for his club he was invaluable, and it took a good player indeed to pass him. In the same position for the Southland team he held up many rushes and turned defence into attack by quick placings to the wings. Tributes were paid to Sharp’s ability as a player and to his many sporting qualities at the general meeting of the association. His place will be hard to fill.

One of the most notable of . the new players has joined Civil Service. He is H. Gray, who has been playing hockey for many years. For the last two years he has represented Otago. He should be a great help to his new club. Smith was out practising last Saturday and showed that he has plenty of dash and good control of the ball. C. Gray is playing again. He seems to be in good form. \ I. Campbell, last season’s High School captain, will also be turning out for Civil Service, as will be M. Keane. Both are sound players. H. Rennick will probably be on the field again in the forward line. It is pleasing to see him about again after his illness last season. No news has been heard about Barraclough, the Southland full-back, but he will most likely play again. D. G. Hardcastle was out last Saturday, but the other Civil Service halfback, J. M. Elliotte, may not be able to play. Central has a strong senior team. H. Semmens and K. Lythgoe, who were nominated for the New Zealand team last year, are both in good form. This team will be hard to beat. Central has a surprising number of juniors this season, and two complete junior teams should take the field..

Collegiate also, will have a strong senior side. V. C. Poole, who was secretary of the Southland Men’s Hockey Association last year, is back in the game. N. Poole will take up his old position in goal. The senior team has not changed much. Collegiate should have a strong junior side, and if necessary it may be able to play senior grade. High School has a big number of new players, but it is doubtful if its A team will come up to senior grade. Techni-cal-should do well in the junior competition. NEW RULE ABOUT STOPPING BALL A new rule about stopping the ball will operate this season. Its effect will be that the ball cannot be stopped with any part of the body except the hand. This means that the pads cannot be used to stop a fast ball: it must be either the hand or the stick. The rule should encourage a quicker eye.