U-15 boys in semifinal after thriller shoot-out

Hockey PHOTO/FILE

For just a fleeting moment, Wanganui Under-15 boys coach Andrew Spence was struck by deja vu, but then his young side showed guts to come from behind and beat Waikato 4-3 on penalty strokes in yesterday's thrilling national championship quarter-finals.

Having won all three pool matches in Hamilton by 6-0 margins, Wanganui trailed the home team 1-0 after a field goal in the 27th minute.

Circumstances seemed eerily similar to 2013 in Christchurch, where Wanganui were strong in pool play but suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Poverty Bay in the quarter-finals, before going on to win their remaining games and finish fifth.

But this time, Wanganui would not be denied, as Ryan Gray scored off a penalty corner in the 56th minute to send the match to strokes.

Stepping up for the best of five, while hoping their keeper Tim Reardon would hold strong at the other end, Wanganui's Cole Brasting and captain Joseph Redpath hit their shots.

Jordan Cohen missed, but then Gray and Tyler Nicoll-Hylton converted to make sure the team reached their goal of making the top four.

"It was pretty tense, to be frank," said Spence yesterday.

"I did think of that tournament last year, but I think the character got them through. "We put a lot of pressure on, right to the end.

"Our boys dominated the game. As I say that, I think they panicked under the pressure, we're playing better teams now."

The squad was guilty of trying to beat their markers as opposed to putting on the sweeping passing chains they had practised, but with time running out they found the way for Gray to score the equaliser.

Wanganui will now meet Horowhenua in today's semifinals, after they got home with two goals in the final quarter to beat North Harbour 2-1.

Spence said his team beat Horowhenua 4-0 at a mini-tournament in the build-up to the championships. However they had improved since. In pool play, Horowhenua beat Canterbury 6-1, Northland 5-2, and Southland 4-1. "Whomever wins tomorrow's game, I'd be pretty confident to say they'll win the tournament," Spence said.