NHL MEN: Coaches happy, despite loss

Northland Men fell to a full-strength Midlands side 3-0 in their final pre-National Hockey Tournament hit out at North Harbour.
Despite going down to last year's NHL runners-up yesterday ), Northland coaches Vicki Gribble and Mike Delaney were left feeling positive about what their team was capable of ahead of their first NHL tournament match on Saturday against Auckland, in Auckland, followed by a clash with North Harbour in Whangarei on Sunday.
"We're pleased with what we saw and we were happy to hear the team - not just Mike and I - say 'enough's enough, we have to win now' and start putting the ball in the net," Gribble said.
Northland created high percentage scoring opportunities during the clash, but were not clinical enough to find the back of the goal, Gribble said.
Midlands had ample opportunities to score and made the most of their chances, while Northland did not get as much time in the circle, but also did not finish off phases of play where they could have scored.
"We're good enough, it's just our finishing in that circle. We exposed Midlands several times defensively and turned over the ball and counterattacked, we just need to capitalise on our good play," the coach said.
Shay Neal was rested for the pre-tournament match as he had a niggly injury and several players are yet to join the squad, but imports like Wellington's Lewis Brill had fit in well with his Northland teammates and had already made an impact on their style of play, she said.
In Whangarei, the Northland women had two hit-outs over the weekend in preparation for next weekend's double header against Auckland away then North Harbour before the men's game, at Whangarei.
They went up against the Northland Presidents team - the only Northland team to have won the Challenge Shield and the NHL Men's title, 15 years ago. The men took it to the women, minus Black Sticks striker Charlotte Harrison, who is resting an injury along with Jade McLeod, who withdrew from the team. McLeod will be replaced early this week.
Seven goals to the women's four later, and the rattled Northland women received a wake-up call ahead of the tournament.
The men tested Northland's defensive structure, and the women unravelled during the first match of the weekend.
"We are a talented team with all our Black Sticks (six in total) but we can't assume too much, we got our backsides kicked ... It just goes to show we can't afford to be complacent," Northland Women's coach Alan Lints said.
In the second match of the weekend, Northland women put up a tougher display, but still went down 2-1, proving the "old timers" have still got it, Lints said.