Leading by example

CROSSING STICKS: Lytton Old Boys Masters’ Ethan Rogers (left) and Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Oliver Egan contest possession in men’s hockey action on the turf at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday. Boys’ High won a hard-fought game 2-1. Picture by Paul Rickard

HOCKEY by Scraggy

NGATAPA captain Emily Willock led by example when she scored a hat-trick in her team’s 7-1 victory over GMC Kowhai in Gisborne women’s hockey at the weekend.

The win, on the turf at Harry Barker Reserve on Friday night, kept the Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa team’s unbeaten run intact.

However, Ngatapa will want to keep working on the slow starts they have shown in the first round. They have a tough couple of weeks, with games against YMP and GMC Green coming up.

Yuna Preddey scored for Kowhai, perhaps showing dad and Poverty Bay Hockey chairman David Preddey that a 2021 goalscoring tally on the fridge mightn’t go amiss.

Lytton Old Boys (2) NZ Fruits made light work of a YMP A side short on numbers in the late Friday night game. LOB won 18-1, newly appointed LOB chairman Patrick Ferry racking up six goals and David Preddey, five.

For YMP, The Gisborne Herald’s Nick Scanlan prevented a whitewash with his first goal in a long time.

Gisborne Girls’ High School maintained their winning form with a 7-2 victory over Waituhi. Taire Pepere scored a hat-trick and is showing great maturity as one of the leaders in the Girls’ High side this year.

Waituhi will now shift their focus to what should be a close match against Te Aowera.

YMP kept their unbeaten run going with a solid 9-0 win against Paikea, and lead the women’s competition.

YMP’s young guns displayed some great form. Cheidan Moetara and Hine Brooking scored two goals each and showed that YMP are in good shape for the future.

Paikea’s goalie and St Mary’s School principal Helen McGuigan had her work cut out but pulled off some great saves to keep the score under double figures.

GMC Green kept themselves close to the top of the women’s points table with a 9-0 victory over Te Aowera. With matches against Paikea and Ngatapa in the near future, GMC Green could climb higher.

Waituhi men and YMP (2) played the game of the men’s round. They went blow for blow but Waituhi made the decisive raid and came away with a 4-3 victory.

A hat-trick for Tam Tuhou, of Waituhi, keeps him well up the men’s goalscoring table.

James Torrie has been welcomed back into the YMP side with open arms and will prove to be a vital link in the chain when the competitive rounds start in a few weeks.

Gisborne Boys’ High School put a smile on the dial of coach Hanoa Morete with back-to-back victories. Their latest was a hard-fought 2-1 win against LOB Masters. Boys’ High are starting to show some great skill, and once the competition goes into normal rounds they will cause upsets along the way.

GMC Green 7 (Caroline Maclaurin 3, Jess Candy 2, Henri-Kamala Thompson, Anahera Whaanga-Smith) Te Aowera 0; GMC Kowhai 1 (Yuna Preddey) Ngatapa 7 (Emily Willock 3, Kate Pahina 2, Jaz Hickling, Ruby Adams); Gisborne Girls’ High School 7 (Tiare Pepere 3, Chloe Kapene 2, Sophie Petro, Keeley Smiler) Waituhi 2 (Tori Wharepapa, Marlene Nikora); YMP 9 (Cheidan Moetara 2, Hine Brooking 2, Morgan Tuhou, Nancy Tarawa, Courtney Onekawa, Moelani Tureia, Kodi Campbell).

YMP 1 (Nick Scanlan) LOB (2) NZ Fruits 18 (Patrick Ferry 6, David Preddey 5, Aaron Whitehead 2, Jed Skuse 2, Wade Manson, Sam Hain, Matt Skuse); YMP (2) 3 (James Torrie 2, Jarrod Carter) Waituhi 4 (Tam Tuhou 3, Dillon Dolman-Tuhou); LOB Masters 1 (Oliver Shivnan) Gisborne Boys’ High School 2 (Oliver Cranefield 2)

GGHS (2) 1 (Elspeth Leggett) Lytton High School 0; Whatatutu 2 (Angus Thompson, Aubrey Brown) GBHS (2) 1 (Jarred Knight); GBHS Black 6 (Harry Allen 3, Jed Skuse, Oliver Egan, Austin Fergus) Campion Gold 0.