North Harbour, who needed a penalty shootout to get home - and claim two rather than four points - in their opening game with Midlands, were in no mood for charity yesterday, storming home 8-1 over Northland in Whangarei.
The visitors scored four in the opening 20 minutes including a hat-trick of drag flick penalty corners from Joseph Bartholomew. Northland worked hard to respond with Jeremy Child scoring in the 28th minute but Harbour added two more before the break for 6-1.
Midlands had their second penalty shootout of the weekend but won this one to take the points from Auckland.
Midlands led 2-0 with 20 minutes to play before Auckland upped their intensity and scored three field goals - to Mark Laurence, Sam Miskimmin and Simon Child - before Midlands spoiled their party by scoring a minute from time when Andy Hayward converted a penalty corner.
With only a minute to go Midlands forced a penalty corner and Andy Hayward flicked it in to tie the scores and send the game to the penalty shootout.
It is close in the women's battle with Central and Canterbury bagging maximum points after two rounds.
Led by Black Sticks captain Kayla Sharland, who scored six in her team's 9-0 first round triumph over Capital, Central head into Saturday's third round with an impressive 16-3 differential.
Central made light of their trip south, beating Southern 7-3 in Dunedin. Central did the hard work in the first half with Sharland again dominant, scoring two goals and setting up two others.
In Whangarei, Northland beat North Harbour 1-0 thanks to Charlotte Harrison converting a cross from Anna Thorpe in the second minute of the second half.
Midlands beat Auckland 3-2 in a close game. Auckland scored first with a field goal to Katie Glynn. However, Midlands equalised five minutes later when Cathryn Finlayson scored. The teams went to halftime locked at 1-1. In the second half, the action was end to end with Gemma Flynn's two goals, enough for Midlands to win.
