Hockey: Tense victory
Bayleys Otumoetai women made history - twice - after a gripping triumph in the premier women's Midlands Intercity hockey final against Fraser-Tech in Hamilton on Saturday.
Otumoetai won the Intercity trophy for the fourth consecutive year, the only club to do so in the history of the championship, in a nailbiting penalty shootout after two fruitless drop-off periods of golden goal extra time.
Fraser-Tech suffered the heartbreak of losing to Otumoetai for the third year in a row at Hamilton's Gallagher Hockey Centre, with both teams locked at 2-2 at halftime and fulltime, with both Otumoetai's goals coming from Abbie Johnson - and Bronte Angel and Jess Baddeley successful for Tech.
Otumoetai called on their big-match experience to survive two periods of sudden-death extra-time. Tech goalkeeper Candy Hart saved a penalty stroke in the second half in dramatic circumstances after Tori Horsley had been forced from the field when she crashed into the goalpost saving a goal.
The teams played six minutes of golden goal with a two-player drop-off meaning they played nine-a-side. When that brought no change to the score both teams went down to seven players for a further six minutes of golden goal, with Tech bombing a couple of good chances.
Then, unlike last year's final between these two clubs when it was decided by a sudden-death Otumoetai goal, it all came down to the new variant in hockey, a penalty shoot-out competition. Each of the five strikers start at the 22m line and have only eight seconds to put the ball past the goalie into the back of the net. Otumoetai didn't miss, triumphing 4-2 assisted by some vital saves by their goalkeeper Veronica Romagnoli from the opposition's third and fourth attempts. Thames Valley took out the Midlands Intercity men's title for the third year in a row, winning 4-3 against Rotorua Aces.
Valley led 2-1 at halftime and looked to have the game wrapped up when they got out to 4-1 in the second spell, but the Aces refused to lie down and pushed forward, scoring twice to make it a nervous final 15 minutes for Thames Valley.
Intercity finals scores:
Premier women:
Otumoetai 2 (Abbie Johnson 2) Fraser Tech 2 (Bronte Angel, Jess Baddeley), followed by penalty shoot-out 4-2; HT 2-2.
For third: Rotorua Aces 2 (Amy Shing, Oriwa Hepi) Hamilton Old Girls 1 (Toni Vickers)
For fifth: Onewhero 5 Waikato University 1
For seventh: Mt Maunganui 3 Franklin 3
Premier Men:
Thames Valley 4 (Nick Ross, Adam Smale, Aidan Sarakiya, Ricky Clark) Rotorua Aces 3 (Jury Herewini 2, Hoete Mitai-Ngatai), HT 2-1.
For third: Fraser Tech 4, Mt Maunganui 2.
Plate final: Kohekohe 3 Otumoetai 1
Suburbs Old Boys 4 Waiau Pa 1
Yachting: Fickle conditions
Tauranga's Trent Rippey has finished eighth in the 29er skiff class at the youth sailing world championships at Ireland's Dublin Bay, with the final day's racing completed in fickle and light wind conditions.
Despite sailing one of their best races to finish fourth in their final race, Rippey and Alex Munro's overall standing remained eighth. After the closing ceremony and a couple hours of sleep, Rippey and Munro will depart Ireland for Germany for the 29er worlds accompanied by coach Jim Maloney. The pair managed two fourths, three fifths and four other top-10 finishes in their 12 races, discarding a 23rd as their worst finish.
29er skiff: 8th- Alex Munro and Trent Rippey (17, 9, 8, 5, 4, 11, 6, 23, 5, 5, 7, 4).
Football: No change at top
Taupo and Claudelands Rovers retained their lead in the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Federation's first division after convincing wins over AFC Fury and Otumoetai.
Rotorua United escaped the bottom two for the first time this season after a comprehensive 5-0 win over cellar dwellers Otorohanga, with Ngongotaha moving into fourth place with a sixth consecutive win.
Taupo dominated from the kick off at Te Puna's Maramatanga Park but only led Fury 1-0 at the break. It was more of the same in the second spell but this time Taupo took their chances and won 3-1, with Dillon Caldwell netting a brace to add to Stephen Painter's first half goal.
Coach Paul Drake was happy with his side's performance. "Although we should have won by more we were composed on the ball and controlled the game." Goalie Lewis Parker, 15, did well for Taupo on debut.
Otumoetai player/coach Graeme Blissett was disappointed after his side's 6-0 capitulation to Claudelands Rovers. "We didn't play that bad and were only two down at the break, but we finished the game with just nine men which made things tough."
All the goal-scoring action came in the first half when Rotorua United, with goals from Steve Turner, Shadley Petersen (2), Gary Hamilton-Irvine and Kerin Vandergoot, took a 5-0 lead.
The second half was a ho-hum affair but the home supporters were happy enough when the final whistle blew.
At Stembridge Rd, Ngongotaha continued their good form with a 3-1 win over Whakatane Town. It was 1-1 at the break but the Villagers stamped their authority on the game in the second spell. Dane Willemsen (2) and Issac Haua were the scorers for Ngongotaha.
Waikato Unicol sent Tauranga Boys' College into the relegation zone with a hard fought 2-1 win.
Old Blues were without five regular first team players and Melville took full advantage, scoring four times in the first 25 minutes and going to the break with a 5-0 lead. It was a much better effort from Old Blues in the second half as they kept Melville scoreless.
In the second division Cambridge cemented their chances of promotion with a 1-0 win over West Hamilton, Katikati beat Rotorua United 3-0, Clube Alegria defeated Matamata 3-1 while Tokoroa and Te Awamutu battled out a 0-0 draw.
Federation 1 league: AFC Fury 1 Taupo 3; Ngongotaha 3 Whakatane Town 1; Claudelands Rovers 6 Otumoetai 0; Melville United 5 Old Blues 0; Waikato Unicol 2 Tauranga Boys' College 1; Rotorua United 5 Otorohanga 0.
Points: Taupo 43, Claudelands 42, Melville 27, Ngongotaha 24, Whakatane 21, AFC Fury 21, Otumoetai 19, Waikato Unicol 18, Old Blues 18, Rotorua United 14, Tauranga Boys' College 13, Otorohanga 5.
Federation 2 league: Cambridge 1 West Hamilton 0; Katikati 3 Rotorua United 0; HRFC Clube Alegria 2 Matamata Swifts 1; Tokoroa 0 Te Awamutu 0, Tauranga City bye.
Points: Tauranga City 39, HRFC Clube Alegria 30, Cambridge 30, Katikati 28, Te Awamutu 19, Tokoroa AFC 17, Rotorua United 10, West Hamilton 9, Matamata 5.
Indoor bowls: Team off pace
Tauranga have lost their chance to defend indoor bowls' Paterson Trophy after finished off the pace in Rotorua in the weekend's zone final.
The six Paterson Trophy winners - Auckland, Waikato, North Taranaki, Horowhenua, Canterbury and Southland - will now compete for the inter-district Welch Trophy in Auckland in September.
Tauranga, Manawatu, North Wellington and Otago lost their Paterson trophies.
Playing in zone two in Rotorua, it turned into a cliffhanger towards the end of the tournament when Waikato fought off a strong challenge from Bay of Plenty. Shaun Blackbourn was top scorer for Waikato with 18 points. Gina Owen was outstanding for Bay of Plenty scoring 19 points.
Final standings in zone two were Waikato (Darryn Bell, David Archer, Shaun Blackbourn, Linda McCurdy, Steve Flaszynski, John Frelan, Maureen Pruden, Gavin Stringer) 85.5, Bay of Plenty 81.5, Hawkes Bay 74, Tauranga 72 and Poverty Bay 47.
Football: New role
Just days out from the Football Ferns opening their Olympic campaign in Wales, women's football in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty has received a boost with the appointment of a dedicated women's football development officer for the region.
Lucy Mitchell has been employed by the Waikato-Bay of Plenty federation on a 20-week contract. Mitchell will be based out of the federation's Tauranga office at Sport Bay of Plenty.
"I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity," she said.
"It has been a passion of mine to work within the girls' football community and I feel privileged to be able to make a difference in the future of girls' and women's football here in Waikato and Bay of Plenty."
Mitchell holds coaching and refereeing qualifications from the English FA, a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science and a Post Grad in Physical Education.
Her previous lecturing and teaching positions, as well as experience as a county representative player in England, ensures she is well suited to lead the development of women's football as part of the region's 'Expand the Game' strategic goal.
Football: Emphatic loss
Tauranga City United have slipped into the bottom half of the Northern League's second division for the first time this season after a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Warworth.
Despite downing Warkworth 3-0 in the first round at home, Tauranga were supplanted by the home side on the table after the walloping. Scott Doney's second half goal was the only moment of joy for Tauranga, who host Matamata Swifts at Links Ave on Sunday in a keenly anticipated derby.
Hibiscus Coast's speed wobbles continued, with Saturday's 4-3 loss to Mangere United meaning their march towards the second division title is no longer guaranteed.
North Shore are also closing in on their Orewa rivals after a 3-1 win against Fencibles United while Western Springs slipped off the promotion pace after their 2-1 loss to Waiuku.
Onehunga-Mangere United all but consigned Papakura City back to federation football next season following their 2-1 win.
Northern League division 2:
Hibiscus Coast 3 (Daniel Cyra, Ben Jones, Trent Mayes) Mangere United 4 (Apisai Smith 3, Chris Abbott). HT: 2-4.
Papakura City 1 (Charlie Heather) Onehunga Mangere 2 (David Carron pen, Navid Aminian). HT: 1-2.
Fencibles 1 (Martin Pike) North Shore United 3 (Shaydon Young 2, Jaryd Gray). HT: 0-0.
Western Springs 1 (Peter Lane) Waiuku 2 (Cody Ralph, Robert Thornton). HT: 0-1.
Warkworth 4 (Rob Carty 2, Matt Taylor, Steve May) Tauranga City 1 (Scott Doney). HT: 3-0.
Manukau City v Matamata Swifts postponed.
PWDLFAPts
1. Hibiscus C 19 15 0 4 54 23 45
2. North Shore 18 13 1 4 42 24 40
3. Mangere Utd 18 11 3 4 37 28 36
4. West Springs 18 9 2 7 31 31 29
5. Waiuku 18 8 2 8 46 43 26
6. Warkworth 19 7 5 7 27 29 26
7. Tauranga C 19 7 3 9 32 35 24
8. Fencibles 19 6 4 9 28 39 22
9. Onehunga M 19 6 3 10 32 42 21
10. Matamata S 18 4 7 7 20 31 19
11. Manukau C 16 3 4 9 19 26 13 12
12. Papakura C 17 2 2 13 24 41 8
Club rugby: Final looms
Papamoa will square off against Rangiuru's second team on Saturday in the Seeka KI Western Bay of Plenty second round title decider, which has the Phelan Cup on the line.
Last weekend both sides won through to the final in contrasting circumstances.
Papamoa had an intense battle with Te Puna, a team they'd easily beaten on two occasions in the regular season.
Te Puna led 8-7 for most of the second spell before Papamoa crashed over for a try in the final minute to grab a 12-8 victory.
Rangiuru despatched Matakana Island 36-11 at Centennial Park to earn their way into the final.
The four Seeka Western Bay teams that qualified for the Baywide playoffs all won on Saturday.
Two Western Bay teams are on either side of the division two draw, with the prize being a place in next season's first division.
Katikati ran riot against Murupara, winning 82-7, with Arataki scraping home against Edgecumbe 21-18. Katikati will host Edgecumbe in this weekend's second division semifinal, with Edgecumbe qualifying as closest loser, while Arataki travel to play Kawerau.
Cut-throat rugby takes place in the Baywide senior reserve competition, with Tauranga Sports squaring off against Mount Maunganui at Tauranga Domain for the right to play in the grand final.
Tauranga Sports downed Whakarewarewa 29-12 win while Mount Maunganui defeated Whakatane Marist 52-0.
Seeka KI Western Bay of Plenty Phelan Cup semifinals: Papamoa 12 Te Puna 8, Rangiuru 36 Matakana Island 11. Phelan Cup final: Papamoa v Rangiuru, Gordon Spratt Reserve.
Baywide scores:
Division two: Katikati 82 Murupara 7, Arataki 21 Edgecumbe 18. Senior reserve: Tauranga Sports 29 Whakarewarewa 12, Mount Maunganui 52 Whakatane 0.
Semifinals: Division Two (2.45pm): Katikati v Edgecumbe, Moore Park; Kawerau v Arataki, Tarawera Park. Senior Reserve (2.45pm): Tauranga Sports v Mount Maunganui, Tauranga Domain.