With just one week to go before the semifinals, the Northland men's hockey title is still anyone's to win.
Leaders Springfield and second-placed Mangakaramea both recorded wins in Saturday's penultimate round. But with all teams very much focused on the upcoming semifinals, neither win was as emphatic as their coacheswould have liked.
Springfield beat a fast improving Mangapai 2-1 while Mangakaramea were slightly more convincing with a 4-2 win over Bream Bay.
Maungakaramea's Sam Webb scored two goals from PCs while Todd Inerson and Nic Breslan scored field goals but Webb said it was a far from perfect performance. "We feel we're getting to where we want to be at the right time of the season but we're not there yet and at 4-1 up, we gave away a pretty soft goal which disrupted all our good work," he said.
Springfield and Mangakaramea face off next week in a dress rehearsal before they feature in the first and second place playoff on July 7. The winners earn direct entry through to the final while the loser gets a second bite of the cherry by playing the winner of the third and fourth place playoff . The teams will be without their Northland under-18 representatives who will be away at national tournament for the next two matches. The previous two matches between the leading teams has ended in drawn matches.
Teams jockeyed for semifinal places in the women's competition with Hikurangi upsetting second placed Old Girls to remain in the box seat to take fourth place.
Hikurangi's Alyse Morgan scored both goals and co-coach Jo McQueen said the teams work over the past two years -- was beginning to pay off.
Whangarei Girls High School played the last five minutes without their goalkeeper which allowed Gaby Sykes to score the winner with 10 seconds remaining.
It was a bitter pill for Kamo High school but it was a good performance against a tier 1 school team as they begin to build up to host the Marie Fry Secondary School tournament later in the season.
Girls High have to match Hikurangi's performance and beat Old Girls today if they want to finish in fourth place.
