College prevail in tense struggle

College won a pulsating match over frontrunners High School Hockey Club in round 16 of the men’s club hockey competition at the twin turfs on Saturday.

College retained the Challenge Cup with their 4-1 win.

All the scoring action came in the second half of a tight match, that had all hallmarks of the upcoming semifinal series.

College broke the deadlock off a Myles Houlahan back line dribble, then HSHC captain Krishan Gajadhar equalised off an opportunistic dribble minutes later.

College quickly restored their lead off a penalty corner deflection and never looked back, as the HSHC strikers struggled to fire.

College slowed down the pace of the game and Merv Young sealed the result with a low penalty corner flick with a fourth goal coming in the final minutes.

In an expansive match between the bottom-placed teams,

turned around a halftime deficit to win 2-1 over

College Old Boys Tech

Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Tech upped their intensity of marking in the second spell, with Bryce Mckenzie grabbing a double.

Boys’ High didn’t give up, with the result hanging in the balance until the final whistle.

Defending champions travelled to Levin and came away

Massey

with a 5-1 win over

Levin led for most of the first half, but two quick goals before halftime swung momentum Massey’s way. Better finishing in the second half by Massey gave them the result, as play swept from end to end.

had the bye. In the penultimate round of the women’s competition,

won the battle of the top-two teams 2-0 over

and HSHC kept hold of the Challenge Trophy.

College pressed hard on HSHC at the start and were unlucky not to score.

HSHC held out and enjoyed a period of attack that yielded a couple of penalty corners for no reward, before Pippa Norman broke the deadlock and that was how the score stayed until the second spell, when Darsh Patel added another goal.

Marist School Hockey Club College Palmerston North High School

proved their dark horse status with a deserved 4-2 win over

Massey started well, scoring first and leading into the second stanza before Jess Holloway equalised in the opening five minutes of the second half.

The schoolgirls lifted their intensity after the break and finished the stronger of the two sides, with goals coming to Georgia Dix and Libby Willocks.

Massey never gave up, with Rachael Peck scoring the students’ second goal, before Megan Phillips scored Girls’ High’s fourth.

Massey. Levin Hockey. High Girls’