Hockey: Wanganui head into unknown

ONE TO WATCH: Rebecca Baker continues to stand out for the combined Wanganui team in the Manawatu Division 2 competition.

THE combined Wanganui team are right where they hoped to be at the end of the round robin of Manawatu Hockey's Women's Division 2 after their important 6-1 win over High School Hockey Club B at Gonville on Saturday.

The victory left Wanganui second on the table behind the unbeaten College Development and consigned HSHC B down to fourth spot behind clubmates HSHC Evergreens - Wanganui having compiled a 6-2 winning record, of which one of the losses was an unintended default.

However, player/coach Colleen Baylis said they do not yet know what that all means as no draw has been released for the semifinals and the season is not scheduled to be completed until August.

It is possible the nine-team grade will now split into separate Top 4 and Bottom 5 competitions, as has happened in the past.

"That's still leaving a little bit of time there," Baylis said.

"What they've got planned, I don't know. You'd expect they'd have something prepared."

Whether there is a delay until some semifinals or a Top 4 round robin, Wanganui know they have the measure of HSHC B and the Evergreens, having defeated the latter 5-2 in their third match.

However, College Development have been head and shoulders above everyone else - scoring 56 goals and conceeding only 10 - which included a 7-0 whitewash of Wanganui in May.

Wanganui still recovered well in later games and have easily the next best statistics with 55 goals scored and 15 conceded, so Baylis would welcome another regular match with College outside of a finals situation.

"Pretty pleased we sort of managed to maintain [momentum] all the way through. Fly the banner for Whanganui somewhere.

"I think [the College scoreline] will definitely change quite a bit."

On Saturday at Gonville, Wanganui got away to a rapid start with three goals in the first quarter, the first quite bemusing as Jessica Watkin latched onto a pass from Baylis down the sideline and, despite being outside the shooting circle, the HSHC defenders just looked at each other as her long shot moved slowly past them and then started arguing as it trundled into the goal.

"That was just so tinny," said Baylis.

"Jess, she just touched her stick with it and it just dribbled past the keeper."

There was no luck needed in Wanganui's next two goals as Rebecca Baker, who Baylis has earmarked as a top player of the future, aggressively attacked the goal mouth, while Lisa Grant put a couple of nice passes infield which had they been deflected would have left HSHC 5-0 down.

As it was, Wanganui scored again before the break to lead 4-0.

Wanganui were a little guilty of complacency to start the second stanza, with HSHC B pegging them one goal back.

"They definitely came out firing in the second half," said Baylis.

However, she was pleased that the conceded goal sparked the team back into focus - Katrina Benton was one of the second half goal-scorers as part of a good game, while keeper Joanna Bell again impressed by saving a one-on-one challenge in the first half and absorbing pressure when HSHC did get some momentum.

The Tech College Old Boys men had the bye in their Manawatu Division 1 grade, and will play HSHC in Palmerston North this weekend.