Whanganui Hockey students had strong performances at tournament week
There was some strong performances from the Whanganui schools as the last of tournament week events concluded on Saturday, with one winning a championship and another locking in their Tier 1 position for another season.
**Having returned to the highest level of the Rankin Cup & India Shield tournament in Christchurch, Whanganui High School 1st XI's goal was to avoid relegation again by staying out of the bottom six from the top 32 schools in the country. **
And after a few nervous days with three losses in pool play, **WHS achieved it by taking the bronze medal in the consolation India Shield competition, which was enough for 19th overall. **
"Not easy, but the boys did pretty well, considering," said manager Darryl Hoskin.
Returning to this level after missing out in 2018, WHS's first game was a 3-1 loss to Kings High School, who went on to finish as the top school by winning the Rankin Cup.
They were then beaten by Wellington College 4-1 and Rosmini College 3-1 to go into the India Shield bracket.
WHS saved their campaign by beating Wairarapa College in a 4-2 penalty shootout, after the teams were tied 2-all at fulltime.
They won their Shield quarterfinal 4-1 over St Paul's Collegiate, and although beaten 5-2 in the semifinal by St Bedes College, who went on to win the Shield, WHS rebounded by shutting out Hastings Boys High 4-0 in the bronze medal game on Saturday.
Travis Bayler top scored with four of the team's 15 tournament goals, while Connor Hoskin was named the team MVP.
The most dominant performance last week was the Whanganui Collegiate 1st XI girls, who breezed through the Chica Gilmer Trophy tournament at North Harbour Hockey Stadium without conceeding a goal.
Collegiate swept Botany Downs Secondary College 16-0, then accounted for Long Bay College 2-0 and Epsom Girls Grammar 3-0 in pool play.
They won their semifinal with Kamo High 2-0, and then on Friday claimed the title with a 3-0 win over St Paul's Collegiate School in the final.
Captain Sophie Redmayne scored a double in the final to finish with an outstanding 12 goals from five games, as the next highest scorer was 14-year-old Ana Brabyn with three.
However, perhaps the most impressive statistic was goalkeeper Sienna King, who along with her defenders kept five straight clean sheets.
Unfortunately, it would not be a Collegiate double as the 1st XI boys were beaten 2-1 in the penalty shootout in the final of the Founders Cup tournament against home team Napier Boys High on Friday.
Collegiate ran roughshod early in the competition, beating Onslow College 7-1, St Pat's Silverstream 9-0 and Western Heights High 8-1 in pool play.
They then smashed Waiopehu College 12-0 in the quarterfinal before finding Tawa College a much tougher prospect in the semifinal, winning 2-1.
Collegiate and Napier Boys were deadlocked 2-2 in the final, with the home side getting an equaliser in the 44th minute.
In a tense shootout, only James Craig, who had also scored during play, was able to reach the back of the goal from the five attempts.
Hayden Skou got the other goal in the final to finish on 13 for the tournament, followed by Craig and George Meyer with 10.
And in the Mary Clinton Cup, held locally at the Collegiate grounds and McDonald's Hockey Stadium in Gonville, Whanganui Girls College finished in 13th overall.
A 7-0 loss to Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata was followed by a 2-2 draw with Hastings Girls High and 1-0 win over Hawera High in pool play.
The team then lost a long penalty shootout with Marist College 4-3, after they were tied 1-1 at fulltime, before beating Northcote College 3-1.
That set up a rematch with Hawera High, with Girls College again winning, 2-1.
Jared Smith
Whanganui Chronicle 10/9/19