Dalefield coach Rochelle Retter was quick to praise her side after their 2-0 loss to hot favourites Eastern Hutt in the semi-final of the Wellington premier division women's hockey competition, played at the National Hockey Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday evening.
It was the fourth time Dalefield had met Eastern Hutt
this season and the fourth time they had come off second best but Retter was delighted with their competitiveness throughout the whole match.
"It was a great game & close and exciting," Retter said. "Everyone played their hearts out, you couldn't ask for anything more."
Dalefield created about as many scoring chances as did Eastern Hutt but, unfortunately, they were unable to turn any of them into goals.
It wasn't by any means the first time this has happened this season but Retter was loathe to apportion blame, other than to say her strikers were mainly youngsters still coming to grips with how to outmanoeuvre well-structured defensive units.
"Experience can be a big thing in that respect and we didn't have a lot of that up front," she said. "They will be older and wiser next season, watch them go then!"
Typically, two of the more seasoned campaigners in Karen James and Ana-May Playle who has made the Wellington national league and New Zealand Maori sides were spearheads of the Dalefield effort, along with Chloe Stevens and goalkeeper Sara Crofoot.
Also impressive was the input of several youngsters who came off the reserve bench, players like Laura Welsh, Dayna Yeo and Libby Monaghan.
Retter is yet to decide whether she will be available to coach Dalefield again next season but she is confident that whoever has the job will have enough talent at their disposal to help make the club's centenary year something to remember.
"The potential of the side we have now is enormous, it really is," she said, noting that just 12 months previously they had been in danger of being relegated from the premier league. "This season has been a big step forward, it's been really pleasing in that respect."
