Old Girls warmed up for their tough playoff next week against Hikurangi-Parihaka with a convincing 3-2 win over second-placed Whangarei Girls High School in the women's premier league hockey competition on Saturday.
All the goals came from penalty corners. Jackie Armstrong's first-half strike was cancelled out by Kelsey Dunn to see
the sides level at the break.
Old Girls played good attacking hockey early in the second spell and were rewarded by goals to Laura Douglas and Tania Currie in the 38th and 48th minutes before Dunn pulled one back with about 10 minutes remaining.
The match was the closest in the last round of premier games. First-placed team Maungakaramea will play sixth-placed Kamo High School in the championship playoffs, second-placed Girls High will face fifth-placed United-Kawakawa, and third-placed Old Girls take on Hikurangi.
The three winning teams and the highest ranked loser go through to the following week's semifinals.
Hikurangi proved they will be worthy opponents for Old Girls with a comfortable 4-0 win over Kamo High School.
A first-half goal to Dene Cheeseman was surpassed by a second-half hat-trick to livewire striker Michelle King that completed the victory.
Maungakaramea played particularly well against an understrength United to rack up a 7-1 win, with United's replacement goalkeeper Valmay Mackie playing well to limit what might have been a cricket score.
In the men's competition Springfield beat Bream Bay 2-0 while Maungakaramea beat Mangapai 9-2.
The results mean the final round-robin games will mean little. Maungakaramea face Bream Bay in the semifinals in two weeks time and Mangapai face Springfield.
