HOCKEY: Facial mask spooks but Tuis prevail

ANENDRA SINGH
Like the mild-mannered Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carey) character from the film The Mask, it appears hockey player Bevan Somerville has found a mask that may transform his teammates' personality.
In the 1994 comedy, a green-faced, unassuming Ipkiss discovers a superhuman alter ego on wearing a mask. Bay Independent defender Somerville on Saturday slipped on a mask to minimise the risk of shattering any facial bones from Akina Rovers Tuis drag flick specialist Kurt Richards.
While the Napier side succumbed 5-2 to Tuis to surrender the top rung after the first round of premier men's hockey competition at Kelt Capital Hockey Stadium in Park Island, Napier, it appears Somerville's facial outfit has left the Tuis somewhat spooked.
Tuis player/coach Dean Hulls said: "It looked like the type of mask that (ex-England soccer player) Paul Gascoigne wore after he fractured his cheekbones. I've never seen anything like it."
Hulls, who headed off to Wellington as co-coach of the Hawke's Bay Under-18 representative men's side for the nationals yesterday, said Richards' drag flicks did not go according to plan, with Independent defenders coming out much quicker to thwart their attacks.
Bay Independent player Graeme Findlay last night talked up the benefits of wearing the protective gear that Palmerston North sports manufacturer Obo has designed.
"It's like a black foam. Sports is not about getting injured and this mask is just like a mouth guard," Findlay said.
Obo has also designed the lightweight, space age-looking cricket pads that became popular last summer.
Findlay said Somerville had only obtained the mask on Saturday morning so other players wanted to use it during training before wearing it in competition.
"Obviously the drag flick has an element of fear involved, especially when the ball takes a deflection in flight, so that leaves a defender with very little reaction time.
"The guy running out during the penalty corner is not in danger as much as the guys standing near the goal," said Findlay, who believes it could become a regular fixture in the team.
The two sides face-off in their first Midlands Central League competition match this season at the stadium on July 15.
On Saturday, Tuis sweeper Todd Astill converted a penalty corner for a 1-0 halftime lead.
That lead was extended to 4-0 courtesy of two more goals to Richards and one to left half Callum Bailey.
However, Bay responded with two quick goals to Andrew Shannon and Damian O'Hara, leaving Findlay ruing a nailbiting finish if his side had scored another to close the gap to 4-3 but Hulls said he had benched his key under-18 players for today's nationals.
In the third-fourth play-off, Napier Boys' High School trounced Passmasters 6-2 after blitzing the men 5-0 within the first 17 minutes of play.
Midfielder Gabe Rawcliffe scored a hat-trick and strikers Daniel White, Thomas Wright and Trent Holmes chiming in with one each.
"We played like crap after that 17 minutes and I told the boys I was disappointed. We had all the hallmarks of an outstanding effort but it was a case of little heads on those shoulders," coach Simon West lamented.
Passmasters Neil Faulknor and Jonathan Heaphy scored field goals.
In the fifth-sixth scramble, Te Awa Scinde pipped Akina Rovers Export 6-5, after the sides had drawn 2-all early in the season.
Te Awa spokesman Chris Farrell savoured the victory after a torrid four-week blitz that saw his side remain scoreless and concede 30 goals.
Mike Spence, Geoff Williams, Mark Addis, Hamish Speedy and Ben Young (2) found the net.
Alto Napier Tech centre forward Gareth Parnell scored in the 13th minute but Lindisfarne College equalised in the dying minutes as both sides finished seventh equal.