Poverty Bay club hockey's golden day

SHARPSHOOTERS: Their sticks have fired deadly shots all season and tomorrow their teams will look to them to rise to the biggest occasion of all when the Poverty Bay premier club hockey champions are decided at Harry Barker Reserve tomorrow. For YMP A women, it’s Roschelle Koia. Pictures by Paul Rickard

“LET the Games begin” will ring out over Rio tomorrow when the 2016 Olympic Games are officially opened and it is fitting that Poverty Bay club hockey’s champions will be decided on the same day.

The intensity, thrills, agony and ecstasy of global sport’s greatest event will be played out at a local level. And there is an even more direct connection between the two, with Gisborne’s Amber Church in Rio as an international umpire.

The full focus tonight (C-grade women’s final) and tomorrow, however, for 10 senior teams is stepping up when it counts the most.

It's grand finals time in Poverty Bay club hockey and predicted wet weather may prove somewhat of a leveller across the five finals.

“It all depends on whether or not the LJ Hooker Turf will handle a significant amount of heavy rain,” says hockey commentator Tony Scragg.

Several tipped to go to the wireWhatever the weather, several of the title deciders are tipped to go down to the wire anyway.

If conditions allow, the finals start tonight at 6.30pm when Te Aowera take on Emerre and Hathaway GMC Gold to decide the C-grade women’s champions.

“It has been close between those two teams right through the season,” said Scragg. “The title is there for both of them. Either side could win it.

“TA have certainly found some form at the right time, with a string of draws and last week’s penalty shoot-out win (over YMP B), so they cannot be discounted.

“Gold, on the other hand, have picked up some good consistent wins. They may go in as slight favourites but they will know they have a game on their hands.”

Tomorrow’s senior finals start at 11am with Paikea up against Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa to decide the women’s B-grade champions.

Poverty Bay Hockey Association ruled Ngatapa should take the finals berth, instead of Gisborne Girls’ High School, who have tournament commitments this weekend.

Picked to be close“This will be close I am picking,” Ngatapa coach Scragg said. “Paikea beat us convincingly (4-0)a couple of weeks ago but it will be wet weather hockey, which might slow both sides down.

“I have confidence in the Ngatapa girls’ ability to lift for the occasion but Paikea will be tough.”

LOB Masters and Gisborne Boys’ High School take the turf at 12.45pm in the mens B-grade final.

“Again, this will be really close,” Scragg said. “The Masters won 2-1 in the previous two matches between the teams, but the winning goal came right at the end of both matches. This one could go down to a shoot-out.”

The premier finals begin with the women — YMP A against arch-rivals E&H GMC Green — at 2.30pm.

YMP A are undefeated this season and rightfully go in as “firm favourites”.

“On defence and attack, from the front to the back, YMP are just so solid.

“There are very few chinks in their armour for the Green Machine to find their way through.

“For GMC to win, they have got to play the full 70 minutes.”

Scragg said GMC Green were in command at halftime in their 5-0 semifinal win against GMC Kowhai, but did little in the second half.

“If they play like that tomorrow afternoon, YMP A will punish them.”

Finals Day culminates in the premier men’s title match between THC and YMP A at 4.15pm.

“THC are the only side to defeat YMP this season (7-2) but in their last outing against each other, YMP snuck home 3-2. “That shows just how close this will be,” Scragg said.

“It will go down to the wire.”