KEY POINTS:
Midlands had the better of a hectic 10-minutes in which four goals were scored during the final of the men's national championships yesterday.
The Lloyd Stephenson-led side finished 4-2 winners over Auckland at Pakuranga.
Midlands dominated the final, though the opening goal, scored by tournament MVP David Guest from a penalty corner, took 33 minutes to come.
Lincoln Churchill doubled their lead but Pat Harris, the tournament's leading scorer, gave Auckland some hope when he scored with 15 minutes to play.
In the hectic 10-minute period Churchill scored a second and Tony Hopping had a good far-post finishing touch as Midlands raced to 4-1 before giving up a late goal to Cain Fleming.
Midlands were worthy winners showing the value of "going to the market" in searching for guest players who, in the end, made the difference.
In the women's final, Karlie Maloney shrugged off any lingering pain from having her teeth rattled in a nasty challenge six days ago to score the stunning extra-time winner that handed North Harbour the K Cup for the second time in three years.
Yesterday's 3-2 win over Auckland, seeking to bounce back from last place a year ago, was a triumph for the Harbour side without seasoned internationals Lizzy Igasan and Jaimee Provan.
While North Harbour could celebrate a second triumph in the first 10 years of the National Hockey League, it was a new experience for the Midlands franchise who added to Auckland's misery in front of their Lloyd Elsmore Park faithful with their richly-deserved 4-2 win in the men's final.
The previous best finishes for Midlands came a year ago when their women finished third and the men fourth.
Finals day at Lloyd Elsmore Park produced a goalfest. Three games were decided with golden goals in extra time after teams had shed two players.
Harbour coach Rex Smith, who has guided the team to first, second and first in his three years in charge, praised his young squad - 10 players under 20 years - for coming back from ordinary mid-week efforts against Midlands and Auckland, to win the games that counted.
"We attacked strongly through the middle whereas other teams tended to look to play wide," said Smith. "We had pace up front too which made a difference."
But after the 3-0 win over Northland on Tuesday, Smith reverted to his day job as a dentist and spent a couple of hours working on Maloney's three smashed teeth.
"It was a shocking incident," said Smith.
Harbour, who made it to the final only after Midlands were upset by Canterbury in the last round of pool play, needed just six minutes to take the lead when Belgian Anne-Sophie van Regemortel got the touch that mattered at a penalty corner.
Auckland hit back strongly, forced three penalty corners which they failed to convert. They had what could have been an early Stacey Brannigan equaliser disallowed.
From a second Harbour penalty corner, Rhianna Buchanan scrambled home from second phase for 2-0 inside 15 minutes. The hosts closed the gap 10 minutes later when, from another corner, Jess Bagley scored. The post then twice denied the visitors as they again upped the tempo.
After going in at the break a goal down, Auckland quickly dragged themselves back on terms when Honor Dillon broke strongly from midfield before playing the ball deftly to her captain Krystal Forgesson who provided the vital touch for 2-2.
Rather than chase the winner, Auckland preferred to sit back - often with all 11 players behind the ball - and let their cross-town rivals dictate but without converting a handful of half chances into goals.
In sudden-death extra time Maloney was wide with an early effort but with 8secs of the first six-minute period to play, she gathered a superb long ball from Alana Millington, beat two challenges and hammered home from the top of the circle before being swamped by her jubilant teammates.
In the bronze matches, North Harbour men swamped Canterbury 6-2 and Midlands came from behind to beat Northland 2-1 in the women's playoff.
