The Bay of Plenty under-13 and under-15 boys' and girls' hockey teams left it all on the turf at national tournaments held during the school holidays.
The under-15 boys sought the ultimate prize as they enjoyed a string of strong results in the lead-up to their tournament in Nelson. Theydominated the early exchanges toppling tournament hopefuls Wellington and Hawke's Bay to finish atop their pool heading into the crossovers.
After an extra time cliffhanger victory against Tauranga, the boys tightened their belts to beat a strong Canterbury side 6-1 in their semifinal.
The hockey gods dealt the finalists from North Harbour and Bay of Plenty a cruel blow by opening up the heavens and drenching the turf. The finalists had to adopt a more aerial approach which levelled the playing field and both sides struggled to gain any ascendancy in the first half. North Harbour scored first in the second half and added another goal to win the final 2-0.
The under-15 girls' side had a tough week against quality opposition in their national campaign, battling to 15th position nationally in North Harbour. The girls had an inconsistent week, but showed signs of improvement in the late stages of the tournament which pleased their coaches.
In the second week of the school holidays the boys' and girls' under-13 teams each battled their way through eight-game tournaments to secure top eight finishes.
The girls, competing in the Collier Trophy in Tauranga, got off to a flying start by topping their pool, unbeaten, securing their spot in the top eight - a feat which has not been achieved by a Bay of Plenty under-13 girls' team since 2013.
Following their strong start the girls ran into a slick North Harbour side who ended their semifinal chances, dropping them into the bottom four of the eight where they settled for seventh-equal with South Canterbury.
The management team with the help of a proud and positive group of parents and supporters have started a terrific team-centred culture which they hope will set up further results in the coming years.
The under-13 boys competed in the Hatch Cup Tournament in Auckland and went about their business though pool play finishing second behind local rivals Tauranga.
The team hit their straps in the quarter-final against national hockey giants Canterbury, running out 2-0 victors and setting up an even bigger semifinal challenge against home favourites Auckland.
Despite their underdog status, the Bay of Plenty boys played with dogged determination and scored first through a fantastic strike by TJ Hurunui. They held tight to secure a fairytale 1-0 win over Auckland.
North Harbour were to be Bay of Plenty's finals nemesis, having beaten Wairarapa convincingly 3-0 in their semifinal. As the atmosphere rose around the stadium the boys soaked it all up and managed some real scoring opportunities early on but it was North Harbour who ran away victors 3-0 in the end. It was the fourth time Bay of Plenty have received silver at the Hatch Cup.
