Hutt edge seven-goal thriller to retain lead

Hutt overcame a sluggish start to edge Northern United 4-3 and retain their Wellington premier hockey lead.

Missing a couple of key players, Northern scored three goals in the first 15 minutes, with Southern NHL player Sebastian Buddle replying for Hutt.

Buddle scored twice more in the second quarter to draw Hutt level and in a see-saw second spell only Ollie Logan with a drag flick was able to get past Northern goalie Bart de Vries.

Indians also had first0half problems against Naenae, being held 1-1 at halftime before going on to win 7-1. Indians scored some spectacular goals, with classy former Black Stick Mitesh Patel notching a hat-trick.

It was the same score between Dalefield and Karori, with the Wairarapa side going up 3-0 after seven minutes. Tough Karori defence then kept them from scoring further until well into the third quarter.

Trent Lett scored his second inside the last minute but there was still time for Karori to attack, resulting in a penalty corner that Caine Henwood converted after the final hooter.

Harbour City had a comfortable 6-3 win over Victoria in the rain but could not claim what would have been a valuable bonus point. Captain Gabe Kepes gave Harbour the necessary five-point buffer early in the final quarter but two late strikes were reward for Vic’s strong finish.

The Dalefield women’s side had a 5-0 win over Karori. Up 4-0 at halftime against a sometimes disjointed Karori, they continued to attack after the break but could not break down the much-improved defence. It took Katherine van Woerkom from a penalty corner to score her second goal and secure the bonus point.

Eastern Hutt welcomed back Ani Roberts after the birth of her daughter and ran out 7-2 winners over Indians in a game that was closer than the score suggests.

Harbour City did not have things their own way against a spirited Toa who could take heart from their 7-3 loss. Maddie Simmonds, Victoria O’Keefe and Charlotte Eastman frequently combined well for Harbour, who scored two early goals but were just 4-2 ahead at three-quarter time.

Toa’s promising Trinity Clarkes then scored her second to close the gap to one, but three further goals to the fast-finishing Harbour made the final margin a comfortable one.