Hockey: Wellington put faith in young guns

By TERRY MADDAFORD


Only three of the players who lined up for the championship-winning Wellington side in last season's national league final will play against North Harbour in tomorrow's key second-round clash at Rosedale Park.

Coach Peter Miskimmin, without the stars of last year's victorious team, will still have a competitive side buoyed by last week's 5-1 away win over Midlands.

As well as not being able to call on Olympians Phil Burrows, James Nation, Kyle Pontifex and Umesh Parag, Miskimmin will have to wait until next weekend's double-header before triumphant Australian captain Brent Livermore returns for the champions.

"I think this will be a good game for both teams," Miskimmin said. "We both have young teams and this should be a good guide to just how we will fare this season."

Wellington, with Olympian Mitesh Patel in the Xl and with other established players including Allister McIntyre, Hitesh Patel, Andrew Phillips, Lincoln Churchill and Nico Borren on hand, will start as good bets despite their relatively quiet pre-season.

Miskimmin said: "Our focus is in getting our game right. We were underdone for last week's game but will be better for it."

North Harbour, too, opened their Lion Foundation National League campaign with a solid away win, beating Central 6-0 in Levin.

In restricting Central to just two penalty corners and only one shot on goal, North Harbour were able to build on a solid defensive effort to dominate.

Coach Darren Smith will put out the same starting lineup tomorrow with Olympic midfielder Blair Hopping again playing at fullback.

Harbour's other returning Olympian, David Kosoof, will play at inside forward with former international Lloyd Stephenson at centre-forward.

"We are looking forward to the game against Wellington as it will give us the chance to play a team we expect to play again in the finals," Smith said.

The other men's games appear more one-sided.

Auckland will play Central in Napier with just one major change. Former international Casey Henwood is unavailable but has been replaced by Athens Olympian Wayne McIndoe.

Northland, smarting from their 6-1 loss to Auckland, will not find their first home match any easier when they meet Canterbury.

The southerners were the biggest first-day winners beating Southern 9-1 after scoring six in the first 19 minutes. International Peter Stafford comes into the Canterbury side to further strengthen their claim as the strongest team in the league.

In Hamilton, Midland should pick up their first points from Southern.

The Rosedale Park battle between defending champions Wellington and North Harbour will be the women's game of the day.

Stung by their loss to Central in their opener, North Harbour must bounce back and will be looking to their returning Olympians Lizzy Igasan, Jaimee Provan and Leisen Jobe to provide that impetus. Wellington have Olympic goalkeeper Beth Jurgeleit, but star striker Niniwa Roberts-Lang is still out.

Like the men's competition, the other three women's games appear one-sided, although the Central v Auckland clash in Napier could be close, with Central having the firepower to test and perhaps edge the young Auckland side.