Slow starts to tournament for Southern sides
THE chances of the Southern boys team repeating the success of the 2005 side are looking slim after the first two days of the national under18 tournament in Dunedin.
When the tournament was played in the city in 2005, the host team — then known as Otago — came out on top, winning the final 31 over Auckland.
But the boys side has not got off to the greatest of starts.
It started on Sunday with a 33 draw against Capital before losing 42 in the shootout.
Yesterday, the side took on Canterbury and made a good start, Finn Ward scoring off a penalty corner in the opening quarter.
But that was as good as it got for the home side as Canterbury went on the attack and was up 31 at the break. It eventually ran out a 51 winner.
In the girls tournament, also at the McMillan Centre, the Southern girls side also had a fight on its hands against Auckland, eventually going down 42.
It lost its first game on Sunday 80 to Central, which looms as a serious contender.
Auckland scored first in the opening quarter but Southern quickly equalised through a penalty corner by Taylor Duffy.
Auckland, though, did not sit on its heels and scored three more goals going into the last quarter.
The Southern side though had the final say with a penalty corner goal from Ellie Duncan.
In action today, Southern takes on Capital in the girls tournament while the Southern boys side will face up to Midlands.