Hockey: Different strokes for finals

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Pierre Jones will be doing his best to keep the goals out as North Harbour attempt to retain their national league men's title against Auckland tomorrow.

But Jamie Provan's role for Auckland in this afternoon's women's final against Canterbury is the opposite.

Jones has been a revelation for Harbour, who defend their title at Rosedale Park after going through their five Lion Foundation League matches unbeaten.

Man of the match in Harbour's crucial win over Wellington in their season opener, the 28-year-old goalkeeper has played a key role.

After playing his early hockey up north - he turned out at Ruakaka's Breem Bay College - Jones spent time at various points around New Zealand while working for the Air Force before he and his wife headed overseas for 2 1/2 years.

He returned in February last year - too late to break into last season's league - and set his sights on this year's competition.

Provan, too, took a roundabout route to win a place in the Auckland team.

A Cantabrian "through and through," 23-year-old Provan played two seasons in Italy before playing the first two league competitions with Canterbury.

But when her partner, Hymie Gill, was no longer wanted by Canterbury and took up an offer from North Harbour, Provan followed him north.

While Gill has played his club hockey at North Harbour, Provan opted for Auckland and the chance to join forces again with Canterbury and New Zealand stalwart Anna Lawrence.

"Before I played for Auckland I was having mixed emotions about meeting Canterbury," Provan said. "Not any more. I now have a real determination to play well against them."

It has been a great year for Provan, who mixes her hockey with her studies at the Auckland University of Technology, where she is doing a three-year sports and recreation degree.

After making her international debut against South Korea in March, Provan has quickly totted up 19 caps.

Like many of her team-mates, the effervescent Provan is often cast into the shadows of more high-profile colleagues such as Lawrence and Mandy Smith.

"I don't see it that way," she said. "In fact, I enjoy the chance to play with them.

"I have learned so much from playing alongside Anna and Mandy and others such as Kate Trolove and Rachel Petrie," Provan said.

Facing a busy international programme next year - the Champions Trophy, Commonwealth Games and World Cup - Provan is on a roll and one that she wants to continue.

"It will be a difficult year, but my body is young enough to stand up to it."

But she did admit hockey could, at times, be a dangerous game.

Nursing a black and swollen eye after being hit in a training game this week, Provan quickly dismissed that as "one of those things" and said she had "been smashed all over my face" playing the game she loves.

Provan refused to be drawn on where her support lies for the men's final.

As an Auckland representative she has some allegiance in that direction but her longtime relationship with Gill tears her the other way.

Gill and another Canterbury discard, Darren Smith, have played key roles for North Harbour this season, as have Jones, David Kosoof and guest Auckland defenders Sunil Unka and Sandeep Patel.

Jones, who has played in goal from his Hatch Cup days for Northland, said there was still "a bit of fear" in playing in "the cage."

"I enjoy it. It is a bit of a challenge," said Jones, whose most serious injury was breaking a bone at the end of a finger. "The gear we wear these days gives you plenty of confidence."

Jones has played every minute of every game for Harbour this season.

His last-second save to keep out a Wellington penalty corner was perhaps the most crucial of the competition.

That win set the Bill Webb-coached side on the road to the final and a showdown with Auckland, coached by North Harbour-based Keith Rowley.

Auckland dropped their only points in playing out a 1-1 draw with North Harbour and losing the penalty stroke tiebreaker.

There remains some feeling between the associations separated by the bridge.

Auckland refused to let former international Jamie Smith cross the harbour, preferring to leave him on the sideline.

Both finals, the women at Auckland Grammar School at 2 pm today and the men at Rosedale Park at 3 pm tomorrow, promise to be closely fought affairs.

But the defending champions are rated narrow favourites to retain their national titles.