The Northland under-18 boys hockey team are hoping to start their 2007 national tournament with an upset against one of the tournament favourites.
Like their female counterparts, the boys team are looking to improve on an outstanding 2006 performance, when they compete at the tournament in Christchurch next week.
The boys team
made the final eight last year, with a final placing of fifth.
Coach Brian Hellier said the team is beginning to look good and he hopes they will peak in time for the tournament.
The team has a tough pool that includes one of the favourites, Auckland, and they know they will have an easier run to the final if they can surprise them in pool play.
They have already played Auckland in a pre-tournament match and lost 2-6 but Hellier said he wasn't too unhappy with the result and said there were some bright signs.
"We were actually leading 2-1 for while but I think the fitness let us down in the final quarter of the game," he said.
The team know what they have to do to upset the Aucklanders but the challenge remains a tough proposition.
"There weren't too many weaknesses in their team unfortunately," Hellier said.
The coach said it would be a great result if they could reach the semifinals this year, and if they could do that, anything could happen.
The team flies down to the South Island on Sunday.
The Northland under-18 boys team is: Jareth Cocking, Cameron Hellier, Nick Bint, Thomas Keogh, Joshua Hodgson, Ferdinand Gertzem, Mark Bilton, Hayden Hellier, Zane Adams, Andrew MacLennan, Jake Symes, Ryan Cocking, Ben Kingi, Jesse Wilson, Chris Page, Andrew Dean.
