HOCKEY: 'Karamea win through in extra time

It was a tense wait during extra time to see who would be the first premier women's side through to the 2009 grand final, with Maungakaramea and Whangarei Girls' High School locked in battle at ITM Rosvall Stadium.
After 70 minutes, the score was tied 2-2 after  each side had desperately tried to get the edge over  the other.
In extra time, however, Maungakaramea came out amped and played some of the best hockey coach Paul Shelling had seen his troops play all year, he said.
Maungakaramea controlled extra-time play from the outset, allowing the schoolgirls less than 60 seconds of ball possession.
The second-placed team on the ladder were relentless on attack in the first few minutes of extra time and finally their persistence paid off.
They were hungry and Rhonda Rowsell smacked her second goal of the day past the schoolgirls' defensive line to win the match for Maungakaramea, 3-2. "It was a good team effort and I think we all stepped up for it," Rowsell said after the match.
While  a core group of experienced players, including Rowsell and Tanya Crene,  directed the troops in Saturday's clash, a cluster of youngsters - Chantal Matson, Amy Heaps and Nicole Hawkins - stepped up to play a level of hockey unknown to them previously, Rowsell said.
"The younger girls really stood out, especially because they haven't played premier hockey before let alone in a semifinal or final for premier grade."
Hawkins playing up front was first to score in the opening minutes of the game, followed by Rowsell's first field goal off a set piece.
The schoolgirls hit back, with wing Ariana Tugaga striking first to get their first point, followed by a brilliant shot by Jade McLeod to level  the score 2-2 heading into halftime.
During the second half, Maungakaramea stepped up their defence with Crene and Steph Hudson combining well to keep the schoolgirls from scoring.
"Those two had a lot of work to do and they did really well," Rowsell said about Hudson and Crene's efforts.
Maungakaramea also had opportunities to score in the second half but, like WGHS, could not  finish them off, which led to extra time where Maungakaramea's experience came to the fore.
A proud WGHS coach Grant McLeod said his side had brought their A-game to the semis and it was unfortunate it did not pay off.
"We created plenty of opportunities to score but they didn't come to fruition, but we didn't hang back," he said. All focus was now on Saturday's final  in which Maungakaramea would vie for their fourth consecutive premier title against Whangarei Old Girls, who  beat Hikurangi in the weekend's second semifinal.
Old Girls have dominated this year's competition and lost only one match - to Maungakaramea.
"We have won once and they thrashed the pants off us in the second game," Rowsell said. "But we are feeling pretty confident, especially after this game [semifinal]," she said.