Wanganui's senior hockey teams were ruing letting their Manawatu Club Competition opposition off the hook during the second round on Saturday.
In Levin, Tech College Old Boys went out to a 2-0 advantage over MCOB, only to be pegged back by the home team for a frustrating 2-2 draw.
"Wereally started well but let the foot off the throttle," said coach Langley Atkinson.
"We're learning to play a different game style."
With three new guys in the team who had not yet had a chance to run through TCOB's patterns, the side still had chances to close the match out with a winning goal inside the last five minutes, but had to settle for the tie.
The young Rangers side had an even tougher baptism back in Palmerston North, as Boy's High School turned up the heat in the first 15 minutes to blow out a 3-0 lead.
In a side containing four 15-year-olds, Rangers struggled on gamely but were outplayed for a lot of the match, going down 5-1.
"PNBHS's boys were too strong, too skilful, too fast," said Atkinson.
When asked if harder training could bring the developing side up to the point they could excel in this competition, he said the makings of it were there.
"They are, but they aren't they've just got to learn to play for 70 minutes."
Back at Gonville, the new-look Tech College Old Boys women's team was clinging on to a 1-0 lead until the final ten minutes of their game with Collegians, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Michelle Low got the home team's goal 15 minutes into the second stanza, which coach Ian Glenny said was one chance they capitalised on after so many went begging in the first half.
"There was many opportunities," he said.
Glenny praised the Collegians' young goal keeper for doing well under pressure.
