HOCKEY - Women face North Harbour in critical clash

Australian import Shannon Worth quickly proved her value to Northland women's hockey team last weekend and readily admits her appraisal of this weekend's fixtures against North Harbour and Midlands is all second-hand.
The clash against tournament favourites North Harbour in Albany tomorrow is shaping up as a pivotal game for both teams.
"All I know is that it's always tough against Harbour and we're going to have to muscle up against them if we want to win - we really have to back up after our performance from last weekend," Worth said
Northland beat Canterbury for the first time ever in the NHL competition on Saturday before beating Southern the following day to sit - alongside North Harbour - as the competition's early frontrunners.
Worth arrived from her home Caloundra, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, the evening before the Canterbury game and the 27-year-old was impressed with Northland's strong performance in their opening matches.
"We put it out there that we are going to be competitive and we are vying for a top-four position," said the Australian Country team vice-captain. It is the primary school teacher's first experience of the NHL and she said her knowledge of Whangarei, when she turned up to play a trial match against the University of British Columbia in August, was just as scant.
"I knew nothing at all, really, about the place - isn't that terrible?"
That's all set to change as the centre half shares a house with teammates Jan Rowsell and Nicki Attwood for the duration of the tournament.
The two have also filled in the Aussie import player on the Northland team's rivalry with Harbour.
North Harbour's line-up features six former Northland players but there is a question mark over one of them - New Zealand captain Lizzy Igasan, according to the team's co-captain Rowsell.
"The word is that she will miss the first three Saturdays of the league because of work commitments ... and she was out last Saturday (in Hamilton) but it will be a home game this week, so who knows," Rowsell said.
The co-captain said it would be a bonus not to see Igasan in the opening line-up but said the loss of one player would not harm Harbour's chances.
The match is played at Albany at 12pm before Northland host their first match of the tournament at 11am on Sunday at ITM Stadium.
Northland's opponents on Sunday are a fast-improving Midlands.
The Hamilton-based side were the unexpected leaders of the 2006 season after the round robin section but finished with a disappointing fourth.
They beat Central last weekend but lost 1-3 to a resurgent Wellington on Saturday and they will be in need of points this weekend.
Northland men shape up for double header: P18