Hockey: Springfield fend off Maungakaramea

Springfield's Jess Pilmar in action. Photo / Tania Whyte

Two first half goals were enough for Springfield to overcome a spirited Maungakaramea side 2-1 in their premier women's hockey match.

In what is always a tough fixture for both sides, Springfield started the game strongly, using their speed on attack to create chances.

They took the lead with an early goal and then doubled it on the stroke of half time, giving Maungakaramea a challenging second half in Friday night's feature match.

Maungakaramea stood up to the challenge and had plenty of opportunities on attack, with Anna Cooper converting one with a deft deflection midway through the third quarter.

Maungakaramea held most of the possession in the second half, with their midfield linking well, but it was some great goal line defending from Springfield that kept out Maungakaramea's relentless attack.

Despite the loss, Maungakaramea captain Jane Thomson was happy with the improvement her team showed in their second outing.

"We played a lot better together as a team compared to our first game last week," Thomson said.

"It is looking exciting for us for the rest of the season based on Friday's performance."

In the other premier women's match, on Saturday, Old Girls showed they mean business this year after coming off a first round bye to beat Whangarei Girls' High School 5-0.

In the premier men's competition, Springfield and Mangapai gave the crowd an attacking spectacle when they played out a 4-all draw.

Maungakaramea opened their season with a hard fought 3-1 win over Whangarei Boys' High School in a fast paced match.