Winter hockey is back for 2022!
Last weekend the Wellington region saw the return of our Open Grade competition with teams from across the Wellington and the Wairarapa taking to the turf for the first round of competition for 2022.
The sun was shining as we saw the National Hockey Stadium come alive again with spectators in attendance to see their teams for the first time since the final rounds of our 2021 season. Many players have returned with many also donning new colours as they step on the turf to represent their new teams for the first time.
Clubs will again be battling it out all season long for the top spot and the chance to be named 2022 Open Grade Champions.
Check out the scores from the first round of competition using the link here.
Game streams from Cello NHS1 are available to watch courtesy of Cello Sport here.
Here is a recap from the first round of our Cello Premier 1 competition:
Women
Hutt United showed the benefit of sound pre-season preparation as they hammered last season’s beaten finalists Harbour City 9-2 in the late game on McDonalds’s Newtown NHL 2. Lucy Cooper notched a hat-trick as six players got on the United scoresheet.
Northern United dealt to a new-look Victoria Uni side 12-1 in the early game, with Georgia Garden-Bachop scoring four goals and Emma Brokenshire three.
Prolific goal-scorer Felicity Reidy started where she left off last season, scoring once in each quarter for defending champions Dalefield in their 6-2 defeat of Karori in the main game. While Dalefield always looked the stronger side, Karori denied them a bonus point and did enough to indicate they will trouble other teams this season.
Toa had the bye.
Scoring summaries
Hutt United 9 (Lucy Cooper 3, Minna Reid 2, Jess Kelly, Ruby Baker, Ani Roberts, Teresa Warner)
Harbour City 2 (Ruby Logan, Mckaela Woodward)
Northern United 12 (Georgia Garden-Bachop 4, Ellen Brokenshire 3, Orianne Macadre, Sophie Macadre, Amy Bieleski, Amy Robinson, Polly Inglis)
Victoria University 1 (Jorgia James)
Dalefield 6 (Felicity Reidy 4, Abby Crawley, Maddie Taylor)
Karori 2 (Baylee Whenuaroa, Jaime Borthwick)
Next week
Dalefield v Harbour City 12:30pm Clareville
Victoria Uni v Hutt United 12:45pm Cello NHS 1
Toa v Karori 2:30pm Cello NHS 1
Northern United have the bye
P1 Men
The replay of last-season’s Final ended in a stalemate with Hutt United and Harbour City sharing six goals on Cello NHL 1. Harbour’s Josh Symonds scored twice to make it clear his side will not relinquish their title easily.
Harbour City 3 (Josh Symonds 2, Mac Smith)
Hutt United 3 (Aarie Verwey 2, Angus Bowmar)
Dalefield had their hands full with a spirited Indians side, before coming out 3-1 winners in the main game. Indians had won their play-off encounter in 2021 to finish third, but found the Wairarapa-based side tougher this time.
Dalefield 3 (Zac Hardie, Rowan Yeo, Nathan Whiteman)
Indians 1 (Anish Rama)
A more settled Victoria Uni gained the round’s only bonus point with a 5-0 win over Northern United in the late game. In a repeat of last season’s fifth/sixth playoff, Vic again came out top in a strong display, with striker Jonny Brough recording the first men’s hat-trick of the season.
Victoria Uni 5 (Jonny Brough 3, Jack O’Connor, Grant Slark)
Northern United 0
Tawa Titans had the bye
Next week
Victoria Uni v Hutt United 12:30pm McDonald’s Newtown NHS 2
Dalefield v Harbour City 2:15pm Clareville
Tawa Titans v Indians 2:15pm McDonald’s Newtown NHS 2
Northern United have the bye