St Matthews win Millennium Cup

St Matthews Collegiate had the perfect dress rehearsal for what is set to be a busy next couple of weeks when they won the Millennium Cup secondary schoolgirls tournament played in Lower Hutt last Sunday.
It was St Matthew's last appearance before they play Harcourts 1 in a semi-final of the Wairarapa premier one inter-club competition on Friday night.
Win there and they will be straight through to the final but if they lose, the repechage system will give them a second chance to make the decider by defeating either Kuranui College or Gladstone All Blacks at the Colombo road courts on Saturday.
Then it will be off to Lower Hutt the following day to contest the national secondary school championships which will be played at the Taita courts.
The Millennium Cup tournament saw St Matthew's win all three of their pool games, beating Wellington Girls 17-14, Porirua College 22-4 and Hutt Valley 26-6 in the process.
Their semi-final opponent was St Margaret's College with St Matthew's winning 22-18.
That set up a final against St Mary's College.
In a tight and fast paced game St Matthew's won 15-12.
Centre Harriet Somerville was in outstanding form for St Matthew's and was deservedly named not only in the tournament team but as player of the tournament.
Excellent shooting percentages were achieved by Sophie Ross (84 per cent), Tessa Clinton-Baker (100 per cent) and Leanna Taiapa (73 per cent) and starring on defence were Ashley McDougall, Paige Drummond and Jorja Bramley.
Coach Jo McKenzie said St Matthew's, which also won the fair play trophy, had adapted well to playing a series of matches which were just 10 minutes each way.
"It was important to start strongly and maintain the pressure and we were able to do that," she said.
McKenzie said the depth in the St Matthew's squad was also a positive with all players being given plenty of match time.
"We didn't suffer at all when we went to the bench but some of the other teams seemed to struggle in that respect".
Upsetting unbeaten Harcourts will be a formidable challenge for St Matthew's on Friday night but after they came within one point of doing so in the last of the top six matches last Friday night McKenzie is optimistic of them rising to the occasion.
She sees Harcourts as "physically tough and cunning" but believes if St Matthew's can start well and keep the intensity going victory is within their capabilities.
"We scored more goals than them in three of the quarters last Friday but they dominated the other quarter by enough to give them the edge, that's what we have to avoid this time," she said.
"If we can put together four good quarters I think we can pull it off."
St Matthew's placed 12th in the A section of the national secondary schoolgirls tournament last year and McKenzie says they are aiming for at least a top 10 placing in 2007.
Here too a good start will be a prime necessity so success in their first three games against Upper Hutt, Wairarapa College and Samuel Marsden College is being keenly sought.
"Nationals is all about being consistent, you just can't afford to have a bad day," McKenzie said.
Kuranui College also have some busy times ahead of them.
They placed ninth at the Millennium Cup tourney and have qualified for the Wairarapa premier one semi-finals as well.
They play in the B section at the nationals and should acquit themselves well there.