HOCKEY - Reduced team still confident

DEFENDING champions Maungakaramea start their season off tomorrow with a line-up that captain Tania Crene believes is still capable of taking two titles in a row.
The team is rebuilding after losing a few key players over the off-season, but while not expecting to dazzle immediately, Crene expects they will still be a threat at the end of the season.
The captain said the team is taking a long-term view of the season.
"We're much the same side as last year but with a few new players. It's going to take us a while to settle down, so early on I don't think we'll be the team to beat," Crene said.
"I do think that we'll be competitive from the start though," she added.
The team has started the season with a far smaller squad than last year, but there are positives in that.
"Players get the chance to become more settled where they're playing on the field ... and everyone else's in the same boat at the start of the season," Crene said.
The side can also expect to get fitter quicker, with less spells on the bench, but injuries may yet be a problem.
But with experienced players like former Black Stick Jan Rowsell and dynamic defender Nicki Attwood gone from the team this season, the side may still take some time to find their feet.
Maungakaramea take on MoreFM Old Girls at 3.10pm, the match follows the other premier grade fixture between Hikurangi and Whangarei Girls' High School at 1.40pm.
In the men's premier competition Currie Electrical Springfield play Maungakaramea at 4.40pm, while Bream Bay United play Mangapai at 6.20pm.