Northland premier hockey: Springfield and Mangapai take out top titles

Springfield's Samaria Tugaga, seen here performing a flick on Saturday, has been instrumental in the premier team's success this year. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Springfield and Mangapai are Northland's premier women's and men's hockey champions after they won their respective finals on Saturday night at the Northland Hockey Centre.

Springfield were the first to be crowned champions as the club's top women's team beat a tough Maungakaramea unit 2-nil. Mangapai followed that up by toppling Springfield's premier men's team 1-nil in a tight battle.

Playing the earlier game in front of a bumper crowd in Whangārei, Springfield women
made hard work of their victory as they left scoring their first goal, put into the net by Kendyll Peters, untilthe final seconds of the third quarter.

Springfield number eight Jessica Heywood celebrates her team's first goal from Kendyll Peters as Maungakaramea's players walk back for the restart. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Maungakaramea's defence did extremely well to repel seven penalty corners earlier in the game from Springfield, who converted four the previous week.
Maungakaramea goalkeeper Nga Whatuhuia Arahanga-Doyle was particularly impressive in making a number of vital saves and a great penalty stroke stop from Springfield's Jess Polo.

But it was Springfield's sustained pressure which broke Maungakaramea's back and when Jessica Skelton doubled her team's lead in the fourth quarter, Springfield, who had finished top after the regular season, tied up the title.

"I felt like we were in control of it the whole game, but it's always nerve-wracking because we weren't putting the goals away," Springfield women's captain Nicola Howes said.

"Once we got that first goal, we could relax a little bit but 1-nil is never enough, especially against Maungakaramea."

Maungakramea goal-keeper Nga Whatuhuia Arahanga-Doyle was outstanding on Saturday as she kept out about five penalty corners and a penalty stroke. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Howes, who last played for Springfield in their maiden campaign in the premier grade in 2010, said she was proud of her team for withstanding the finals pressure and earning the 2019 title.

Springfield coach Angeline Waetford said she was relieved when the final whistle sounded but was glad her girls did the job.

"I guess I was always confident that we were going to do it so it was just trying to keep them on task and not to let the nerves get the better of them," she said.

Waetford said next season posed an intriguing prospect with a number of new players being blooded into the team this year.

"In a decent competition [the young players] wouldn't be strong enough to play this grade, but it's really good to have them and develop them for Northland."

Springfield women's coach Angeline Waetford (centre) and captain/goal-keeper Nicola Howes (right) were proud of their team in a hard-fought final. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Maungakaramea captain Jane Thomson said Springfield's goal at the end of the third quarter was the difference on the day, but she acknowledged the result did not take away from what was a good season for the girls in green.

"[Springfield] had the upper hand going into the last quarter definitely and it probably would have been a different last quarter had they not scored that goal," she said.

The men's final turned out to be a record-breaking one for Mangapai as the club's 25-year drought in the premier men's division came to an end with their 1-nil win over the men from Springfield.

Mangapai's Nathan Wright was the difference between the two teams on Saturday night when he scored with this well-struck backhand shot in the first quarter. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Mangapai player/coach Mark Thorne said it was good to see his boys finish the job after an unbeaten season.

"Finals are never usually fantastic games, usually just a scrap and a dog fight but it was good to see our boys front up and everyone did their jobs and they put in the hard work," he said.

"Everybody muscled up and didn't give [Springfield] any easy chances, if they were going to score they would have to earn it."

Mangapai player/coach Mark Thorne was happy to see a season's worth of hard work pay off in the final. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Mangapai's Nathan Wright opened the scoring with a strong backhand shot which went in off the glove of the Springfield goalkeeper. Mangapai went on to finish the first half in convincing style before they defended a good comeback from Springfield to preserve the one-goal lead.

Throne admitted it wasn't the best game he'd seen his team play but with only two players leaving from this year's group, it would be an exciting squad to take on the 2020 season.

"We're going to have a good 13-14 guys from this year who will still be there next year and they are still only young so I'd like to think they'll get better from there."

Mangapai's Campbell Johns was strong across the pitch. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Springfield men's coach Grant McLeod credited Mangapai for their performance and lamented a number of chances missed from his side.

"In the first half, [Mangapai] certainly dominated but in the third quarter we came back and then in the fourth quarter, we had a few penalty corners and we just didn't convert them," he said.

While he acknowledged Mangapai as the frontrunner in the men's competition after a flawless season, McLeod said the signs all pointed to an greatly contested season next year.

Springfield coach Grant McLeod was proud of his team's effort, especially in the second half. Photo / Michael Cunningham

"Mangapai have been dominant but Springfield, Whangārei Boys' High School, Maungakaramea and Bream Bay haven't been fair away. There have been some pretty good contests so I'm looking forward to another close contest next year."