12:30pm Midland Women v Wellington Women
2:30pm Midland Men v Wellington Men
MIDLAND HOCKEY
NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUND ONE
Bruce Rosemergy Reports...
NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUND ONE
Bruce Rosemergy Reports...
On the eve of the 2004 National Hockey League, the combined associations of the Midland region contemplate the exciting prospect of once again having both the men's and women's teams playing in the premier national hockey competition.
During the next month the eight teams of the expanded league will play seven fixtures in a competition which aims to maximise playing opportunities with a minimum of travel. In the women's competition Midland join the Otago based Southern Storm to fill the draw. Newcomers in the men's competition are Central and Southern.
Traditionally Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury have dominated the NHL competitions but this may not be the case in 2004. With a number of Olympians opting to stay in Europe or rest after their Athens efforts, the competitions are likely to be more even this year. For the newly promoted teams like Midlands this will provide an opportunity to blood players and establish a presence at NHL level, without the threatening spectre of relegation.
Midland have been favoured by a draw which excludes them from extensive and expensive travel, with Whangarei being their most distant assignment. This Sunday at Mt Maunganui both the men and women face 2003 NHL winners, Wellington.
For the game against titleholders Wellington, Midland men will have some apprehension. Last year in a superb display of hockey Wellington racked up a substantial victory. For 2004 both teams appear a more evenly matched, Wellington without some Olympians, although they again have the luxury of fielding Australian captain Brett Livermore, who this year returns as Olympic champion..
Midland coach Sue McLeish has gone for a mix of youth and experience in her squad. Local players have been reinforced by maximum use of a draft system by including six out of association players. With a couple of years NHL play behind them Dean Armstrong, Ian Haste, Warren Phillips and Sandeep Puna will be expected to reflect this in their play. Likewise last year's tyros, Richard Petherick and Tim Smith are likely to be integral parts of the team this season.
Coach McLeish is obviously keen to start the competition more confidently in 2004. “this year we will aim to retain our structure and composure more effectively than we did last year. Our lead up games have shown we can compete well when we stick with our passing and concentrate on what we have practiced.”
Midland aspirations may hinge heavily on the ability of their midfield to secure and retain a reasonable supply of ball. By doing so it will reduce Wellington's possession and create opportunities to unleash the Midland strike forwards. Up front Midland have finishers capable of testing the Wellington defense.
For the Midland women re-entry to the NHL provides playing and coaching opportunities, which were, denied the regional last season. The selected squad combines players from Waikato, Bay of Plenty and a sprinkling of draft players to enhance the team. Coach Betty Dellaway comes with extensive coaching experience. In a major coup she has persuaded leading player and 157-test veteran Robyn Matthews to again play. Matthew's on field drive and vision will be invaluable in guiding the Midland return to NHL competition.
Work related transfers into the region have significantly bolstered the pool of local talent. They include recently arrived national goalkeeper Karen Smith and former Canterbury reps Shannon Dickson and Hilary Thompson.
Local players Bryonie Hutchinson and Kylie Morgan, both of whom had to play for other associations last year, will relish the change to again train and play locally. Of special interest will be the performance of Jeanna Platt. A formidable striker of the ball, Platt is at last starting to fulfill the precocious talent she displayed as a junior player.
Midland enter the competition as an unknown quantity. Reflecting this, Dellaway stated, “Our aim is to start confidently and not get the jitters. We need to retain our composure and structure as we did in the lead up games. We will just try and do the things we've being working on.”
With Wellington missing some of their Olympians Midland women have a chance to hit off their NHL competition with a positive performance at Mt Maunganui.
NHL ROUND 1 Mt Maunganui Saturday, 18 September
12:30pm Midland Women v Wellington Women
2:30pm Midland Men v Wellington Men
Bruce Rosemergy
0274 757515
SportsForce Hockey Development
Waikato NHL Media Liaison