Hockey: Unlucky Ist XI in ninth place finish

Tauranga Boy's College 1st XI hockey team finished 9th.

The Tauranga Boys' College 1st XI hockey team finished a creditable ninth in the Rankin Cup despite losing just one of their six matches.

The side could not overcome a disappointing 6-2 loss against Westlake Boys' High School in the second game of pool play - with Wellington College and Westlake progressing to the top eight despite winning the same number of games as Tauranga Boys'.

It was a wild pool phase for the Tauranga side, who needed a hat-trick from Joseph Lyons on the opening day to overcome Christ's College after being level at 4-4 at halftime.

A 4-3 win against Wellington College was not enough to get out of the group, setting the side on a path of defending their place in the premier secondary school competition. They did so with a 6-0 win over Scots College, a tight 5-3 win against St Kentigern College and a 7-0 thrashing of Christ's College for ninth place overall.

Joseph Lyons was a standout with 10 goals from six matches including four- and three-goal hauls, while Hamish McGeorge added a further six goals for the unlucky side.

Results:

Beat Christ's College 6-4 (Joseph Lyons (3), Tom Reid, Hamish McGeorge, own goal)

Lost to Westlake Boys' High School 6-2 (Amin Hussein, Tom Reid)

Beat Wellington College 4-3 (Lyons, McGeorge, Reid, Hussein)

Beat Scots College 6-0 (Lyons 2, McGeorge, Robert Benson, Hussein, Jack Andrews)

Beat Saint Kentigern College 5-3 (3-3 at end of regulation - McGeorge 2, Hussein)

Beat Christ's College 7-0 (Lyons 4, McGeorge, Benson, Jeremy Youngman).