Rip-roaring start to weekend games

Close game: Gisborne Girls’ High School captain Ngahuia Wilson tries to keep the ball away from GMC Green’s Kelsey Teneti in local hockey this month. GMC won this match 4-3 and it should be close again when these teams meet tonight. Picture by Paul Rickard

THE clash between GMC Green and Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School on the LJ Hooker Turf at Harry Barker Reserve tonight will get the weekend hockey games off to a rip-roaring start.

The Green Machine edged the students 4-3 last time they played each other and were made to work hard for the result.

The students earlier produced another top effort when they held YMP A to the same 4-3 scoreline.

“Girls’ High started strong last time against GMC and were in front at halftime,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“The focus tonight for the students is about the second half and keeping the pressure on.

“An upset is going to come. It remains to be seen if tonight’s the night.”

The match gets under way at 6pm.

At 7.30pm, YMP B and GMC Kowhai take the turf and this, too, promises to be a close affair.

“I think Kowhai would go in as favourites,” Scragg said.

“They convincingly beat YMP B in the first round. But this is YMP’s chance to set the record straight.”

The match between mens’ teams YMP B and LOB B starts the Saturday schedule at midday and it should be another close one.

“That’ll be another goodie,” Scragg said.

“In the past two or three weeks, YMP B have been playing some really good hockey. It will take a big effort from the LOB side to win.”

At 1.45pm, THC play Gisborne Boys’ High School and the students will need to take their A-plus game to stay in it.

“THC sort of toyed with the Masters last weekend,” Scragg said.

“Tomorrow I expect to see them really firing against the students.

“Their key players, Chris Fox and Tamanay Tuhou, will be a handful.”

LOB Masters will surely be on the receiving end when they front YMP A at 3.30pm.

“It’ll be equivalent to last week’s game against THC — very defensive — because we expect they will come at us from every angle,” said Scragg, a Masters player.

“YMP will want to score plenty of goals to improve their goal differential.”

The first of the evening games at 5.15pm is another of the feature match-ups this weekend — YMP A take on Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa.

“This is potentially the second-best game of the weekend,” Ngatapa co-coach Scragg said.

“YMP A beat us just 3-1 a couple of weeks ago. We will have to work on our second half to try to grind them down.

“But I think the girls have a chance of causing an upset.”

The weekend play concludes at 7pm, with GMC Gold playing Te Aowera.

“This could be an even finish to the weekend.

“But if TA can get a full complement of players, they could score their first win of the season.”