Bendt goes on scoring spree for Springfield

A five-goal scoring spree by centre-forward Rowan Bendt helped Springfield knock competition leaders Maungakaramea off their top spot in the Northland premier hockey competition on Saturday.
Springfield take over the lead in the competition but coach Stu Bell isn't reading too much into the big win.
"From a coaching perspective we've still got a long way to go," he said.
"We've been working on our weaknesses at practice and we're beginning to do better - by the end of the season we should be running at full speed," he said.
Springfield cut through their opposition's weakened defence to be four goals up at the break, with Bendt already celebrating a hat-trick at halftime, with Andrew Blake scoring the other goal.
Bendt added two more in the second spell in a game he will remember for some time.
Although Maungakaramea shored up their defence in the second half, the game was all over.
Both teams scored two goals each in the second half with Garth Riddling and Brent Hood finding the net for Maungakaramea.
Their coach Graeme Bint said he was a lot happier with his side's second half performance.
"It showed that despite us being short a few players through injury we could still play very well," he said.
Bint said he wasn't making any excuses for the loss and there was still a long way to go in the season.
The other match in the round saw Mangapai beat Bream Bay comfortably 4-1.
Bream Bay started the game well but failed to capitalise on a number of early chances. Mangapai keeper Joel Baker continued to frustrate the Bream Bay attackers with a number of fine saves and his team took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The second half saw Mangapai's Johnny Campbell snare three goals with only Brad Cotton replying for Bream Bay.
Two goals to Jesse McQuinn helped Hikurangi-Parehaka to win the top of the table encounter with Kamo College 3-0 in the Northland premier women's hockey competition.
McQuinn has been a regular contributor on the scoresheet as the unfancied team has proved themselves to be the most consistent team in the competition.
After a first-round loss to Whangarei Girls High School, Hikurangi has survived the rest of the competition unbeaten and were too strong for the Kamo team on Saturday.
McQuinn scored one goal in each half and her goals were complemented by the strike of the match from Michelle Scott-Davidson from the edge of the circle.
Kamo were certainly outplayed in the match but earned a number of chances to score.
The best two chances fell to Stacey Michelson on the break and drew good saves on both occasions by keeper Nicki McLeod.
In the other match of the round Whangarei Girls High School just edged out Old Girls 3-2 on Friday night.
The students were quicker in the first half and scored two goals to Sam Harrison and Kelsey Dunne.
After the break Charlotte Harrison added another and they looked to be cruising until Old Girls edged back into the game.
Goals by Taranah Vette and Donna Ford saw them snapping at the students heals but in the end the fight back ran out of time.
In a catch-up game yesterday Old Girls fell to their second defeat of the weekend against Maungakaramea 2-0.
Goals to Toni Mason and Luana Telfer sealed an important win for Maungakaramea.