YMP A and GMC Green end round one on top in Poverty Bay club hockey

Gisborne Girls' High First XI player Emily Petro (left)and Ngatapa's Deana Cook duel for the ball in a Poverty Bay women's club hockey game from last year. Petro was Girls' High's scorer in their 7-1 loss to Ngatapa in round one of the 2025 season on Saturday. Photo / Liam Clayton

YMP A and GMC Green sealed round one top dog status in the Poverty Bay men’s and women’s club hockey standings with strong performances on Saturday.

Defending men’s champions Laidlaw YMP A handed Lytton Paikea Sports Club Resene Masters a 10-1 defeat on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

Tamanay Tuhou and Chris Fox scored four each while Matty Waikari and James Torrie also got on the scoresheet.

The whitewash was saved by a goal to Masters player Derek Peach.

“The game was played in a good spirit,” Poverty Bay Hockey chairman Kohere Tupara said.

“The Masters made a game of it and will take the goal they scored as a win.

“YMP are always disappointed when someone scores against them. But they are solidly on top of the table and have the first round [honours] locked away.

“Now we move on to the next one,” Tupara said.

Reigning women’s champs GMC were too good in the end for LPSC Emerre and Hathaway Insurance Paikea and won 4-1.

Caroline MacLaurin, Anna Manning, Heni-Kamaia Thompson and Tori Wharepapa scored for GMC.

Taimania Clark got one back for Paikea.

“Paikea should be happy with that,” Tupara said. “They scored a goal, which is always good against a class side like GMC Green.

“But the Green Machine will have been glad to win again and remain undefeated in the competition.”

In other matches, Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI overpowered Waituhi 7-0 to consolidate second place on the men’s table – their only loss of the round to YMP A.

Ollie Egan was among the goals again for the high school, scoring four, while Austin Fergus bagged a hat-trick.

“I was impressed with Waituhi being able to contain Boys’ High to a degree,” Tupara said.

“Seven goals is still a hiding, but they were depleted player-wise and I thought they fought well.

“Big ups to the students, though, that’s a comprehensive victory to end the round. It shows what a force Boys’ High will be this season,” he said.

YMP A ended the round with the maximum 12 points and a goal differential of 24, GBHS took nine points – scoring 34 goals along the way, LPSC Lytton Old Boys Traktion were third on four (with a goal differential of -3), Waituhi were also on four (GD of -13), and the Masters are still searching for their first team point.

In the other women’s game, PGG Wrightson Ngatapa accounted for Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI 7-1.

Hannah Wallbank and Lucy McHugh scored two each, and Kate Pahina, Harriet Hunter and Katie McKibbin added one apiece.

Emily Petro scored for the students.

“It was good to see Girls’ High get on the scoreboard. [It] shows they are growing as a team this early in the season,” Tupara said.

“Ngatapa proved too strong, though, and are another threat in the women’s competition.”

GMC’s win took them to 12 points at the end of the round, having conceded one goal and scored 25. Next are Ngatapa on nine, Paikea six, GMC Kowhai three and Girls’ High zero.

The second round starts this weekend.