Women focus on title bid

GOOD START: Samantha Polovnikoff has impressed her Northland coach, who says the 16-year-old has gained valuable experience with the squad. PHOTO/FILE

Turning opportunities into goals will be the theme for the Northland women's team today as they look to make their first ever final in the National Hockey League.

The Mark Cromie Holden Northland women's team face Canterbury at 12pm in Albany, with the Northlanders looking for a different result to the 3-1 shoot-out loss to the southerners on Wednesday.

Having had a successful week already, coach Angeline Waetford says they are determined to keep that buzz going.

And for Waetford the equation is simple: turn pressure into goals, and make goal scoring opportunities count.

"We just have to put the goals away, that has been an issue with us, we have been creating numerous opportunities but we've got to put them away," she said.

"We just need to take those opportunities and put the other team under pressure."

So far this NHL campaign Northland has been in rich form, closing out tight games and at one stage had a five-game winning streak.

Through their form, Northland has equalled their best ever finish in the NHL regardless of whether they win today and tomorrow or not.

"The comment has been made this week that it is usually us on the other end of the tight results," Waetford laughed.

"We have ticked our first goal off and now the next goal is to make the final [tomorrow]."

Waetford says a combination of factors is behind the change in fortune.

"Obviously Stacey Michelsen is key, she sets up a lot of play and can carry the ball higher up the field and feed the strikers but I've always said our other players are very competent provincial players.

"Just the experience we have in the team has been really invaluable, in being able to shut out the game or catch up has been great.

"The likes of Ella Gunson, Alana Millington, and Jasmin McQuinn, you can't replace experience and you can't coach it. Those players have been absolute key when we've needed it - definitely that has been an ingredient [to the success]."

However, Waetford added while the experience of Michelsen, Gunson, Millington, and McQuinn had been crucial, debutantes Samantha Polovnikoff and Teuila Wendt had also impressed her.

"Sam [Polovnikoff] has been awesome. She's obviously relishing the whole environment and sitting down with Stacey and playing with her - the one-on-one coaching she has had with Stacey has been invaluable, who knows she may never get that again.

"It is quite a tough campaign for a 16-year-old and especially at this level."

Meanwhile Wendt has been sprinting about with a bit of an 'ignorance-is-bliss' mindset.

"Teuila is at the other end of the field [to Polovnikoff], in our defence, I've given her more time than I thought she would get.

"She doesn't know who the Black Sticks are and she just tackles them. She has no fear when she's defending, sprinting around all over the place."

If Northland win today, they will play tomorrow at 12pm. If they lose, they will play at 10am.

Northland's top goal scorers
Stacey Michelsen, 4.
Carli Michelsen, 3.
Esther Hotham, Ella Gunson, Laura Douglas, Jess Macalister, Jodie Nichol, Maddison Rosser, all with one.

Online streaming

Hockey New Zealand has confirmed both the men's and women's Ford National Hockey League finals will be streamed live tomorrow.

The women's final will be live from 12pm, with the men's final from 2.20pm, through the Hockey NZ website (www.hockeynz.co.nz). Replays and highlights will be available upon completion.

The live feed will feature commentary from Bryan Waddle, who will be joined by Black Sticks Katie Glynn for the women's final and Dave Kosoof for the men's final.