Ashworth Brothers playing at Jubilee Stadium
The Wanganui Lightning United want to make this weekend's round of the Lower North Island Senior A League all about them at Jubilee Stadium.
Hosting the inline version of hockey in this town for the first time in three years, the club will be taking on four other teams in the second weekend of three which make up the tournament.
The Capital Penguins Wellington Jokers, the Tawa Typhoons, Napier Sharks, and current competition leaders the Levin Thunder Rebels will all travel here.
At the first round held in Levin in June, the hosting Rebels finished top of the table with four wins and one loss, while Wanganui were tied for second with the Typhoons with three wins, a draw and one loss.
Club secretary Sandra Ashworth said the team will be hoping home advantage also works for them this weekend.
"It's all evenly contested. We haven't had any inline here for a while.
"We're hoping to come out with five wins."
The third weekend of games will be on the Jokers home turf of Kilbirnie in August.
There are two positions up for grabs to qualify for the Inline Hockey National Championships in Hamilton in September.
Wanganui has a good chance of success this weekend if the O'Donnell brothers - James and Kieran (both former WHS students) - continue their fine form from Levin.
James O'Donnell tops the overall Senior A player stats with 14 goals and six assists - where he provided the final pass to score - while Kieran is second with 10 goals and eight assists.
Next best on the chart is Jokers player Jackson Baker with 11 goals and three assists.
The other set of brothers in the Wanganui team are Joel, Matthew and Joshua Ashworth (all former WHS students), who along with the O'Donnell's and team mate Josh Hamilton (former WHS student) have played for New Zealand age grade teams.
Goalie Troy Hesketh had a 79 per cent save average in Levin, stopping 69 of 87 shots on goal.
The other team members are Brett Buckeridge and Jason Fellingham (former WHS student).
These inline hockey games will consist of two 20 minute halves, with four players and the goalie out there at one time, with most teams having another 'line' of four players who can come on in a shift change.
This weekend will serve as a preview to Labour Weekend when the Inter-Regional Championships are held at Jubilee Stadium.
Age grade teams from Under 10 to Under 23, along with seniors, masters, veterans and women's teams from the four regions of Inline Hockey NZ will compete for the their grade's national championship.
"Also participating at this event will be IHNZ's new Super League, showcasing New Zealand's elite inline hockey players," said Sandra Ashworth.
Tomorrow and Sunday, games will be held from 9am to 5pm, and admission is free.
(30 July 2016)