LADIES’ HOCKEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12755, 26 September 1919, Page 2

LADIES’ HOCKEY.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. YESTEEDATS GAMES. An icy easterly wind made the lot of the spectators much loss enjoyable than that of the players at Sydenham Park yesterday afternoon. Despite this fact, quite a large number of people watched the fourth day's matches in the Now Zealand ladies’ hockey cnampionship tournament. Tho prime attraction was tho game between the local B team and Majjawatu. Good opinions had been formed of both teams, and a very even game resulted. A regrettable feature web the manner in which spectators on the eastern side of tho field in tho first half and on the western side in the second half crowded, over tho line, and, besides churning up tho sodden ground, embarrassed the players and obstructed tbe view of those who kept outside the line. The grounds were heavy after tho morning’s torrents, but the rain fortunately kept off. Following are details of the games:— CANTERBURY B (1) v. MANAWATU (0). Tho Canterbury backs. Misses D. "Webster A- .Drayton, gave a good exhibition. Their stick work wrts almost unfailingly accurate, and time after time they stopped for mid ah. o Manawatu attacks. Both goalkeepers performed their duties satisfactorily, and, indeed, this may on the whole be said of all the players in the match. Tho Manawatu and Canterbury forwards were • good, but the goal-shooting might have been" improved upon. The issue of the game was in doubt until the last minute. A.good forward rush by Manawatu set tho ball iu swift motion. Canterbury replied by rushing the Manawatu goal, but the goalie effected a good save. Back to the Canterbury circle went the play, and a goal seemed likely, but the shooter slipped. Shortly afterwards another attempt upon the Canterbury goal was well saved. Miss Kcrsel’s quick and energetic play on the Manawatu left wing was particularly noticeable. Hard hitting on both sides was tho order of the day. Manawatu secured a penalty corner against Canterbury, and a lengthy struggle in the Canterbury half followed. Canterbury eventually cleared. Later Miss Kcrsol comeback, and just missed a shot at the Canterbury goal. Thereafter the Canterbury goalie was called upon to do a good deal of work. A good clearing shot bv a Canterbury back loosened things up, but half-time with play in tho Canterbury ha,f. Upon resumption Manawatu set up another attack. The Canterbury backs worked strenuously and well, and Miss M. Chapman, thcfr buUy, also did a great deal. The tide of battle ebbod and flowed for pome tune, and it was apparent that Canterbury were playing a better game in the second spell. Miss Webster, the Canterbury right back, proved a formidable oponent to tL Kersel. After a good deal of even play a skirmish in front of the Manawatu goal yielded a score for Canterbury by Miss Chapman amid wild excitement on the part of the spectators. The game ended with Manawatu on the offensive. Canterbury B, 1; Manawatu, 0. Referee, Mr S, Wilson. WELLINGTON (1) v. AUCKLAND (l)Wellicgtoa were far Buperior to Auckland, ?u j-j pl fi y their own way,, although they did not show up as well os against Can* ter bury, and the game was rather slow. The Auckland backs played well together. Marxs-ylark being prominent, but tho forward Uno was very disorganised. The Wellington forwards put in some good paseinri rushes, Miss Williams’s work being especiaily noticeable. Miss Ayling was easily tho Tmfff of the backs- A good rush by Auaki land resulted in. a scramble under the Wellington goal-posts, and Auckland were unlucky m not scoring. Auckland pressed, but Miss Lang (Wellington) carried the ball down field and.centred hard, enabling Miss Williams w) net ihe first goal. Wellington again attacked, and a shot by Miss Williams went mdo. Up and down play followed, and Miss turnons (Wellington) just missed a goal A good shot by Miss Morten strack the goalkeeper a stick and bounded into tho goal hitting the top of the not Auckland attacked, and Miss Skinner saved a good shot. Wellington attacked, and Miss Simons scored. Auckland came back, but from a °° , 3 If 411 S' took the ball down field, and the Auckland goalkeeper. Miss Stevens, stopped a hot shot Auckland again attack™Ui? d < i, aiter a , SJ** 3 rail W. Norden netted ihe northern team’s first goal. An Auckland rush was well saved by Mias Ay-* ung, hut Auckland persisted, and Wellington conceded a corner. Wellington attacked, but a good hit by Miss Maris-Clark put Auckland on the defensive again. • Opening the second half. Misses Lucena andWilldns Wellington) took the ball down field, but M-sa Walters cleared, and an Auckland atiwfte“» TOll . Blw f i > 11133 Ayling, who hortly after staved off two more Auckland rushes Wellington attacked, and in a --nimble in the Auckland circle, Miss MarisUark received a hit on the leg, but after a tew minutes she resumed play. Wellington continued to attack, and from a corner ML* Simons f-oored. Wellington attacked again, but Auckland cleared, and a good rush gave the Wellington goalkeeper a few anxious momenta. Wellington pressed hard. Miss Mans-Clark cleared twice and Miss stevens made a fine save, but Auckland uao to concede two corners, and from the second a shot by Miss Wilkins hit the goal post and rolled into tho net. A good rim by Miss Burton, the Auckland leftwmg, took th© ball down the line to the Wellington circle, but Wellington cleared, and the game ended with the scores;— Wellington 4, Auckland L Mr J. Chatfield was referee.

"WANGANUI (5) •v. NELSON (i). Wanganui bad a fairly easy victory over •kelson. Their combination was good but tneir wings’ centring passes were not sent far enough forward. Indeed, they were several times actually sent back, and Nelson not a, few times obtained possession as a result. Miss Oldershaw’a work in the Nelson goal was good. Up and down play was succeeded by a Nelson rush, which yielded a score at the hands of Miss Boyce.' Wanganui responded with a will, and good passing placed the ball in the Nelson circle. The Nelson backs sent it out well, and fed an attack by their forwards. Wanganui came back quickly, and Miss I. Pcrrett secured the first score. Wanganui maintained the initiative, and Miss D. Perrettt seconded her sister’s effort. Nelson were kept on the defensive for the rest of the half, but they defended well until then. In the second half Wanganui recommenced their attack, and Miss Hall sent in a hard shot. Miss Oldershaw saved well, but Miss Hall again got possession of the ball and netted it. Nelson bought relief for a while, and play shifted to mid-field. Miss Oldershaw, who received a hit, when she stopped Miss Hall’s shot, was then obliged to stop play, and the game was held np for a while. Upon resumption. a clever Wanganui rush enabled Miss I. Pcrrett to score. The Wanganui hacks wore called upon, as the result of a Nelson rally, hut they proved equal to the task and sent the ball back, with the result that Miss D. Perrett shot another . goal. After another Nelson attack, Wanganui came hack, and Miss D. Perrett again scored. Nelson were strenuously exerting themselves in an attempt to retrieve when time was called. Wanganui 5, Nelson 1, Beferee, Mr M. Bugg

NOTES ON THE PLAY, The fourth round of the X/adies* Championship Tournament was played yesterday. The bitterly cold wind and the 'heavy rain in the forenoon made it very unpleasant for the spectators, as * well as making the grounds heavy, and there was not the fast open play that was noticeable on the previous day. Canterbury A wore having the bye, and the members of the team turned out loyally to support the B team in their efforts to defeat the team from Manawatu. Wellington met Auckland and the score of 4 to 1 in favour of Wellington was a fair indication of the merits of the respective teams. Wanganui defeated Nelson by 5 goals to 1, the former team’s forwards lino showing marked superiority in the attack. The position of the teams are as follows:

CANTERBURY v. MANAWATU. Those two teams were as equal in strength and pace as it is possible for two sets of players to be, and the game was fast and furious from, start to finish- The chances of a win were equal on both sides. All the players - in both _ teams were playing their hardest all the time, and very fast up and down play tried out the backs of both teams to their utmost, teams to - their utmost. If there was any difference in the two back lines, it was in favour of the local team, in which Misses Webster and Drayton put up a sterling defence. The tackling of these two girls and the clean long drives down the field wore the admiration of the spectators during the whole of the game, although they indulged tn a greater number of flying bite than

seemed advisable. Miss I. Rossiter in S«W rfo T 6d “* ****** tomarkably clever favee Mies Holers wm the mainstay of the half-line, whkiwaTf very good mm and she ably Wed ThefSrt Jme went well, keeping their places in very creditable maZer." and UrTmbto* SZ 'rle’tr pasß ?= * rnehes verv cjever* lbs Manawatn team wata one whit behind the CantmbiZZri the only goal that passed her tbT«2St ?* Vtev 4ttac ? aad a n which nearly .all the players bi W teams appeared to be taking part Tkl backs, Misses Pickering and were "?T- d Ed °° well t^etW a ?i ata ndiiiß player in the Merabi S' h °' tSS lB SS Kerse! - on iITTeU a s' . “csldos being very fast 0 k» ; particularly clever with her etidTZdV 8 kIL / the front line u not far behind Miss AUCKLAND t. WELLINGTON. Play t of U hock^ r Llhds B iS Ch th deTer d ”* tricking 7 ,? roimiient . >n cer clever work in L * L tt c- opposing backs, and Mieses open fiSd 5 mo ? s V7CTO oonspicnons in the S lav' ,T L * M ’ sa Wilkins’s strong fn the ! ■ hal fißa circle and once f . ?co n sg area she docs not hesitate Anr ” - ihe T 00 * In the defence Miss which 5 ri<te t ih et H B ! re - n?t,h ’ and no matter ■" . , s . ldo tne attack 16 coming from she. aZZ2f 3nd *"“> *nd time and t,f fL -Z W j at l Beaton she cams i°e tt Welwf Md a,eaTed - Miss Skinner, -e W6iii n gt on goalkeeper, was very safe, nt she was not overburdened with work. P 3O Auckland team laok that combination atZ-vTd“ ft ° forw> ? a line U m ako theii attacks dangerous, and with tbe exception of the centre-forward. Miss Norden, they do not keep their places very well. The two backs mo safe, and they were kept very nsy by the Wellington forward line. Miss Walters is very sound on the left, and Miss Mans-Clark plays a good sound game and J s v£ e < f n *J2 ° f , d-6fence > she has a bad habit of biting her stick and is frequently penalised for this offence. Miss Cleary, who was m the half line yesterday, played a 1 esohd game. The whole ream would do well r? se ‘=? xe services of a good coach, as. there is good material, and with a better knowledge of the game would form a formidable team. WANGANUI v. NELSON - . Ihe Nelson team were completely overwhelmed by tbe clever combination of the Wanganui forwards, and the Misses Perrett played a sterling game throughout. " They were the beat of a vury clever line- The Nefron were not so clever in the attack, and after the first quarter of »u hour ■were not very dangerous. Miss Oldersham, m the iMOlson goal, deserves a word of praise for her work, as she stopped a number of hot shots and was instrumental in keeping tae score down* ‘

B , u o a O =3 s ‘ II -i IS o O O "3 o o p* A Q Canterbury A . 3 3 0 16 4 3 Canterbury. B ; 3 3 0 8 4 3 "Wanganui . 4 2 2 11 9 2 Wellington . 4 2 12 32 Nelson . . S 1 2 5 9 1 M ana wain . 4 1 5 1 9 x Auckland . 3 0 3 4 10 0