Hockey: Older girls leading the charge

Despite winning 6-2 over Hikurangi, Old Girls premier hockey team is disappointed with their performance, believing they're capable of much more.

In a match that both coaches said the winners could have easily reached double figures, Old Girls coach Alan Lints believes his experienced players were setting the bar high for the younger girls.

"They [the players] set high standards," Lints said of Saturday's match. "They win by four and they're disappointed. It just sums up where we're sitting at the moment [top of the table].

"It's our mature players who are setting the standard for the younger ones to aspire to. [It is a] good thing for us the girls are disappointed, it just shows the standard these girls are setting."

Hikurangi coach Meredith McInnes said her side struggled to fight back after Old Girls "destroyed" their structure.

"We've been playing really nice structured hockey," McInnes commented. "And, I mean, Old Girls are definitely a very good team at destroying your structure."

McInnes, and Lints, credited Hikurangi goal-keeper Nikki Matthews' performance as being integral in stopping Old Girls' score from reaching double figures as she was peppered in goal constantly.

"She's [Matthews] made a massive difference to our team [since returning from having a baby]," McInnes said.

In the weekend's other premier women's hockey match, Anna Thorpe continued her comeback to hockey as she scored a double in her team's 4-2 upset of Springfield.

Springfield coach Angeline Waetford wasn't laughing on Saturday after her side gave up a 2-0 halftime advantage to suffer their first loss of the season.

"It was a game of two halves, definitely," Waetford said. "We did have a number of starting line-up players out so our defence was young and inexperienced, [but], to Maungakaramea's credit, they exposed that in the second half.

"It was good for our girls to suffer a loss and get them back on track and focusing," she added. "We have got a lot of young ones who're trying to get used to premier hockey and playing a structure that no one is used to, but, once they get it they'll be much better at the end of the season."