Hockey: Vette out to take care of her pupils

It could be the last chance for Kamo High School to show Old Girls that they've learned a thing or two in this year's Northland Premier Women's Hockey league but one of their biggest obstacles will be their coach.

When the two teams meet on Monday, Tarannah Vette, will have already taken off her coaching hat for Kamo and be operating in her normal playmaking role for Old Girls.

She will hand over the coaching reins to co-coach Rachael Manufui and absolutely play her hardest against the team she has worked so hard on to improve during the season.

Although still winless, the high school side posted their best result of the year last Saturday by narrowly losing to third place Maungakaramea 0-1.

"They've come a long way already this season as they showed last Saturday, their defence has become more gutsy, more aggressive and they've stepped up their fitness and attitude as well," Vette said.

The defence will need to improve if the young Kamo team are to achieve Vette's prediction of keeping Old Girls to a single-figure score.

In their two outings to date, KHS have coughed up 27 goals against the joint competition leaders without replying and Vette hopes they can at least get off the mark in Monday's match.

"We've spent the last few trainings concentrating on attacking and connecting our passes along the length of the turf and so our goal is to get a goal," she laughed.

Of course Vette the player will be doing her best to make sure they don't on Monday.

The match kicks off a bonanza of premier grade action on Monday at 12.20pm and is followed by two matches at 1.50pm, with Hikurangi taking on Maungakaramea in the women's competition while Bream Bay take on Maungakaramea men on the other turf.

The men's competition leaders Springfield take on an improving Mangapai at 3.20pm, while Springfield women, who are even on points at the top of the competition with Old Girls, face an even tougher challenge from Whangarei Girls' High School at the same time on the Real Deal Tyres turf.