Hockey: Midlands teams fail to take advantage

With no play in the Midlands Intercity hockey premier competition over the weekend because of the national under-21 tournament in Hamilton, both Midlands age-group teams failed to make full use of home advantage.

The Midlands under-21 women, coached by Hymie Gill, finished third, defeating Capital 2-1 in the playoff. Midlands missed out on reaching a second consecutive final at the tournament after losing to Canterbury on the penultimate day. After wins against Southern, Central and Capital and a loss in their Tuesday match against Auckland, Midlands needed to beat Canterbury to go to the final.

But Canterbury were too good, taking the match 2-0 before losing 1-0 to Auckland in the final.

Despite losing four of their five pool games, Midlands men took on Southern for fifth and sixth places but lost 4-1. North Harbour won the men's trophy, defeating Capital 2-1.

At the conclusion of the tournament, seven Midlands players were named in Junior Black Sticks squads to prepare for next year's junior World Cups.

Midlands' Kate Kernaghan (20), Kayla Wilson (19), Brooke Neal (20), Kim Tanner (20) and Anita Hope (19) were picked in the junior women's squad, with Tauranga's Rose Keddell, based in Auckland, also included.

Midlands men's players Matthew Rees-Gibbs (20) and Zac Woods (20) made the junior men's team.