Twists in teenagers' matches add spice

Emily Naylor.

She isn't playing this year but New Zealand's most-capped hockey international Emily Naylor is going to add some fizz to the invitational Under-17 schoolgirls' tournament in Hawke's Bay come April.

Naylor, who is the HB Festival of Hockey (HBSEEC ) organiser in the event's second year, has introduced variations to the 20-game Furnware Cup, from April 16-19.

"It's something I picked up while playing in Australia [2007 AHL]," said the defender from Kereru who is taking a year off after the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

If the scores are locked at fulltime, the teenagers will play extra "drop offs".

Seven minutes will be added to normal time with nine players taking the field. If still a draw, the game will resume with five more minutes but with seven in each side. If the result is the same then three minutes will be added in a five-a-side affair.

"If there's no goals then they'll go to a shootout," Naylor explained yesterday, adding the game would be stopped immediately any time a side scores in a "golden goal" scenario in extra time.

The schoolgirls will play in two halves.

The Eight Nations HB Cup, involving seven of the 10 world's top women's sides, will have two pools starting off with round-robin matches in their own pools before shifting straight into quarterfinals.

"If there's no result then they'll go straight into a shootout," she said.

Semifinals and the final will follow with playoffs as well to determine the following year's seedings.

In keeping with international rules, the clock will be stopped for 40 seconds to enable players to celebrate a goal. Ditto penalty corners.

"All that just spices up things a little bit."

Eighty games will be played in 13 days, with 28 teams playing in Hastings and Napier. Hong Kong will field a men's and women's team in the Affiliates tourney.

The new Robyn Mactaggart Medal, in memory of a passionate fan who coached Bay children, will be awarded to the international player deemed the best and fairest.

Festival details

The nuts and bolts of the 2nd HB Festival of Hockey to be staged in Hastings in April:

*Duration: April 7-19

*Affiliates tournament: April 7-11.

*Furnware Cup: April 16-19.

*Hawke's Bay Cup: April 11-19.

*Games: Affiliates 36, Furnware 20, HB Cup 24.

*Totals: 80 games, 28 teams, 13 days.

Furnware Cup

Teams/ NZ ranking: Gisborne Girls' High school (28th), Havelock High School (no ranking), Iona College 49th=), Napier Girls' High School (33rd), Wanganui Collegiate (16th), St Peters College (26th), Taradale High School (no ranking), Woodford House (49th=).

Pools
Subject to change:
*A: Wanganui Collegiate, NGHS, Woodford House, Taradale High.
*B: St Peters College, Gisborne Girls' High, Iona College, Havelock High.

Affiliates Tournament

Men and women: HB, Hong Kong, NZ Indians, NZ Maoris, NZ Senior X1, NZ Universities.

Hawke's Bay Bup

Teams and their world ranking: Australia (2nd), Argentina (3rd), China (5th), Japan (10th), Korea (9th), New Zealand (4th), USA (8th), last team TBC (India/South Africa).