Set for a new season

Hockey season has arrived once more, and Northland premier grade men's and women's hockey matches will get under way tomorrow at Rosvall ITM Stadium.
In the back of players' and coaches' minds is the earlier start date for the National Hockey League this year. It will be contested on the last weekend of July and during the second week of August instead of during September.
After the Northland men's team has failed to reap results in the last few seasons of the NHL, coaches are trying to improve the standard of the men's competition, starting at club level.
Earlier this year, Hockey Northland chief executive Grant McLeod and Northland men's assistant coach Vicki Gribble put together a team made up of players from all four premier men's teams to compete in the North Harbour and Auckland Intercity Competition, which concluded on April 3. "This competition was a step up from the level played in Northland. We did all right - we lost two, won two and drew one game. What was encouraging was players were willing to train and wanted to be out there - we hope they bring that back to their club," McLeod said.
Defending mens' champions Dempster and Hill Electrical Maungakaramea are the favourites to take the men's title again, and start their season off with a match against Currie Electrical Springfield, while Bream Bay - last year's runner-ups in the final, go up against Mangapai.
The Donna Ford-coached Maungakaramea women's team is also looking strong with two Black Sticks fronting for them this year - Anna Thorpe and Ella Gunson. Maungakaramea will play Gilmore Brown Springfield A first up tomorrow.
Last year's premiers Chilltech Old Girls are expected to be tough to beat again, under returning coach Alan Lints, and they play a rebuilding Hikurangi team first up.
Meanwhile, the two high school teams will face off, Whangarei Girls High School expected to have the edge over Kamo High School in their round one match. The division one and two women's teams also get their season under way tomorrow. Teams will have a break at Easter, before the competition resumes on April 30 - with the rest of the divisions starting then and the following weekend.