Hockey: Shootout decides match

Bream Bay pulled out all the stops to defeat Mangapai 3-0 and go through to the next stage of Northland Hockey's premier men's title race, while a shootout was needed to decide the women's playoff match.

The men's first half was played at a frenetic pace with both sides close to opening the scoring.

A goal by David Samuel from a PC broke the deadlock after 25 minutes and just before the break Aaryn Koia deflected the ball home from another PC to double their advantage at a pivotal moment.

In the second spell, Mangapai's redoubled their efforts to get back into the game. Both goalkeepers, Mangapai's Adam Rafferty and his opposite James Bailey were called into action early. Another deflected goal, this time by Adam Scott, effectively killed off Mangapai's challenge - and their season - after 10 minutes.

"They kept fighting to get back into the game but for once we closed the game out well," Bream Bay coach Vicky Gribble said.

Gribble said it was a good win considering her side had been beaten by Mangapai 2-1 the previous weekend.

"I'd like to think it was all part of a cunning plan to catch them off guard but if it was, no-one told me anything about it," she joked.

The only women's playoff match to go ahead on Saturday turned out to be a real thriller.

Maungakaramea defeated Hikurangi in a shootout to go through to play the winner of Old Girls and Whangarei Girls High School next Saturday, while Hikurangi can still qualify for the next round as the top loser.

The exciting match ended at 2-2 after extra time.

Maungakaramea scored first through Jonelle Culling before Hikurangi levelled and went ahead through Shannon Shepherd and Anita Harrison.

Hikurangi led with five minutes to go until Maungakaramea's Stephanie Hudson decided to substitute their goalkeeper to score the equaliser. Maungakaramea levelled almost immediately through Alicia Jurisich.

The game remained level through extra time - despite Hikurangi's Jo McQueen hitting the post - and finally it came to the new shootout formula to separate the two teams. Each team had five attempts to beat the keeper from the 23m line, with eight seconds to score.

Maungakaramea keeper Brooke Morrison turned out to be the hero, keeping a clean sheet, while her opposite, 14-year-old Kaitlin Thomas, saved Nat Child's attempt but was beaten by Alyx Pivac and Jane Thompson.

The other postponed women's playoff matches will be held today while the men's game between Maungakaramea and Springfield will be played tomorrow.