9th June 2008

Saturday saw the start of Intercity Hockey. In the Men’s games University CBD provided a clinical first half welcome to Counties side Kohekohe to lead 4-1. Sandeep Puna and Tony Hopping opened with field goals for the students whilst Kohekohe’s Gerry Mekkelholt rifled a reply through keeper Chris Lawry’s pads.

Mike Hill finished off a well executed set piece play and Te Kuru Dewes showed off his skills with a deft rounding of Syd O’Halloran in goal for the visitors. Raynesh Smith opened the second half well for Varsity with a field goal but successive goals to Kohekohe’s Tim Oram, Ollie Redwood and Mekkelholt set up a frenetic finish to the game.
Varsity’s attempts to seal the win were thwarted well by O’Halloran until finally Craig Hardman earned his side maximum points and a 6-4 win with a drag flicked PC conversion.

In away matches Fraser Tech were surprising beaten 2-3 by Onewhero/Pukekohe and Valley United proved too strong for Taupo winning 6-1.

Top seeded The Riv Suburbs Piako and Hamilton Old Boys both had byes this week as this year’s competition is split into two even pools of seven teams.

Fraser Tech Premier Women returned to winning form with a well constructed 6-2 win over Papakura in the opening game of the Midland Intercity Hockey competition.
Lee Miller and Debbie Bell gave Tech the perfect start with a PC conversion and field goal respectively. Papakura made several threatening attacking raids into Tech’s defensive circle but goal keeper Candy Hart, continuing her excellent form from last week, kept her goal intact and the first half concluded after Techs Carla Johl scored from a PC variation.
Bell was given too much space in the opening minutes to the second half and made no mistake with a rifling reverse hit shot. Papakura bounced back through a Lisa Williamson field goal but Bell completed her hat trick and added another with a stunning pivot and strike into the roof of the goal from an acute angled reverse. Williamson provided a late consolation for the visitors and along with youngster Imogene Neil were the pick of the Papakura players whilst Bell and Hart were the standouts for Tech.
In other women’s matches involving locally based teams, title contenders Avenue Storage University were made to work hard for a 4-2 win by hosts Taupo. Valley United benefited from their involvement in the Waikato 1st round premiership by providing the first upset of the Intercity competition by reversing last weeks defeat to Te Awamutu with a 2-0 win in Ngatea.

For the Record

Round 1 Pool A Men	Suburbs Piako	Results			Bye	HT
	Valley United	6	beat	1	Taupo Men	?
	Fraser Tech	2	lost to	3	Onewhero Puke A	?
	Cosmopolitan Otumoetai	3	lost to	4	Papakura A	?
Round 1 Pool B Men	Hamilton Old Boys				Bye
	University CBD	6	beat	4	Kohekohe A	4-1
	Tauranga Old Boys	5	beat	3	Puke Indians	1-2
	Rotorua Indians	2	lost to	4	Mount Maunganui	1-1
Round 1 Women	Aces Women				Bye
	Avenue Storage University	4	beat	2	Taupo Women	2-0
	Fraser Tech	6	beat	2	Papakura A	3-0
	Otumoetai	4	beat	2	Onewhero Puke	2-0
	Te Awamutu	0	lost to	2	Valley United	0-2