Dalefield five in Shield action

EXCITING: Rowan Yeo and Dane Lett (pictured) will play in the Ford National League.

FIVE Dalefield players have been named in Capital Hockey's men's team to contest the Challenge Shield in the 2015 Ford national league.

The Lett brothers, Dane and Trent, Nick Finlayson, Benedict van Woerkom and Rowan Yeo are part of an 18-man squad which will have their opening match against Central in Palmerston North on August 29. Then will come a home match at the National Hockey Stadium in Wellington against Canterbury on September 5 and, from there, they will travel to Whangarei for the tournament phase, which will begin with a game against Southern on September 12.

Dalefield's outstanding 2015 season, which saw them win the Wellington premier division men's title for the first time, virtually guaranteed they would be strongly represented in the Capital line-up.

In fact, it would have been no surprise to see them have even greater representation as three other players, goalkeeper Fletcher Phillips, Tane Workman and Joseph Robertson, were also included in an extended squad selected last month. If club form was any guide, they must all have gone very close to making the national league side as well.

Capital coach Hemant Lala labelled his final selection as an "exciting group" who were looking forward to the challenge ahead. "I don't like the term rebuilding and I don't see our team being in that phase. We are a new group and we are playing to perform and compete," Lala said. "The aim, as I'm sure it will be for all teams, is to make the semifinals and reassess from there."

The full Capital squad is: Steven Ebbers, Nick Finlayson, John Forsyth, Blair Hilton, Stephen Jenness, Jared Jones, Trent Lett, Dane Lett, Ollie Logan, Ollie MacIntyre, Harry Miskimmin, Kylem Pontifex, Brad Read, Alex Shaw, Jacob Smith, Matthew Symonds, Benedict van Woerkom, Rowan Yeo.

Former Wairarapa College first XI and Wairarapa age group rep Felicity Reidy has made the Capital women's team for their national league competition. Reidy is also part of the New Zealand women's development squad.

Meanwhile, St Matthew's Collegiate have a clear lead in the Wellington secondary schoolgirls premier division competition. They have 22 points, with Wairarapa College in second place on 13. Then come Wellington East 9, Sacred Heart 7, Wellington Girls 7, Samuel Marsden 6, Queen Margaret's College 5 and Tawa 3. St Matthew's have won all seven games, including a 2-1 victory over Wairarapa College.

The Wellington secondary schoolboys premier division points table is led by Wellington College on 21 from Hutt International 18, Wairarapa College 17, Scots College 17, Rathkeale 7, Rongotai 5, St Pat's Silverstream 3 and Paraparaumu 1. The Wairarapa College beat Rathkeale 3-0.