Inline hockey: Lightning plan to strike

Wanganui Lightning United's Josh Ashworth competing at last year's Whanganui round of the Senior A League at Jubilee Stadium.

The Senior A League tournament returns to Jubilee Stadium today as the Wanganui Lightning United Inline Hockey team will be looking to go one spot better on their home hard wood.

This is the second tournament of four which make up the regional competition, with the other weekends being played in Wellington and Levin.

Lightning United will face three teams from Wellington - Capital Penquins, Tawa Typhoons, Rimutaka Renegades - plus the Levin Thunder and Napier Sharks.

Last July, United finished second equal at their own tournament, as a great Saturday with three straight wins was offset by two tough losses on the Sunday, while the Renegades swept the board with five wins.

The home side will have some work to do, as at the Levin tournament on May 20-21 they had one win and two losses.

Teams are competing for a place at the NZ National Inline Hockey Senior grade, which this year will be held in New Plymouth from September 30 to October 8.

Last year's Lightning United squad had a brilliant season, as after their runnerup placing in the Whanganui tournament of Senior A, they went on to the final round in Kilbirnie and earned enough points to win the overall title ahead of the Renegades.

The team then went to Hamilton for the nationals where they finished third - their highest placing in eight years - after losing their semifinal to the Renegades but going to to win the playoff for third with Levin.

Key goal scorers for the team are the O'Donnell brothers, James and Kieran, while the Ashworth family provides a trio of siblings Josh, Matthew and Joel.

The other team members are Brett Buckeridge, Josh Hamilton, Rob Marks, Martin Neilson, Troy Hesketh and Pita Marshall.

These inline hockey games will consist of two 20-minute halves, with four players and the goalie out there at one time, with most teams having another line of four players who can come on in a shift change.

Games will be played from 10am-4.30pm today and 9am-2.30pm tomorrow.

Entry to Jubilee Stadium is free.