Premier Hockey League Round 1 Kicked Off This Weekend
Round 1 of the Premier Hockey League kicked off this weekend, bringing excitement and anticipation back to the turf. Matches were played across Napier on Saturday 8 November and Dunedin on Sunday 9 November, as teams began their campaigns in the round-robin stage.
In the opening women’s clash, the Falcons took on the Mavericks in Napier, setting the tone for an action-packed league. The Falcons featured Vantage Black Sticks players Kaitlin Cotter, Olivia Shannon, Anna Willocks, Riana Pho, Emma Rainey, and Julia Gluyas in goal, bringing both experience and intensity to the field. Mavericks captain Grace O'Hanlon, nominated for the FIH Women's Goalkeeper of the Year award, led her side with trademark composure and strength from the defensive circle, keeping her team in the game.
Both sides battled for early control, trading chances but failing to convert as the first half ended scoreless. Early in the third quarter, Michaela Curtis broke the deadlock from a penalty corner before captain Kaitlin Cotter extended the lead with a composed penalty stroke. Despite late pressure from the Mavericks, the Falcons’ defence held firm to claim a strong 2–0 opening-round victory.
The Falcon’s and Maverick’s men took to the turf for a high-energy encounter that had fans on the edge of their seats. The Mavericks struck first through Aiden Bax with a quick shot at the top of the circle, followed shortly by a sweeping finish from Owen Brown to take a 2–0 lead into halftime. The Falcons hit back in the third quarter, with Sam Hiha converting twice to level the score at 2–2. Both teams exchanged goals in a fast-paced, end-to-end display, with the Mavericks’ Louis Ridge and Jordan Whittleston finding the net to regain control. The Mavericks held on to secure a 6–4 victory in a thrilling contest that delivered pure exhibition hockey from start to finish.
Sunday saw the Alpiners and Tridents face off in Dunedin. The women were first to take the turf, with both sides trading periods of territorial pressure. Early in the second quarter, Holly Pearson opened the scoring for the Tridents after a well-worked passage of play, successfully converting to put her side 2–0 ahead. The Alpiners soon responded, as Isabella Ambrosius found the net to close the gap.
The third quarter saw momentum swing both ways. Mezzy Surridge scored at thirty four minutes in with a rocket of a reverse shot into the top of the net, followed minutes later by a Trident’s response with Lucy Bannatyne quickly restoring the Tridents lead. Surridge then struck again, adding a field goal and successful conversion to seal a 4–3 win for the Alpiners in an exciting contest.
The men’s match saw a slow start. The deadlock was finally broken in the second quarter when Trident's captain, Liam Mortimer, made the most of a penalty corner to open the scoring. Minutes later, a scramble in the Tridents’ circle saw George Baker get a stick to the ball, edging the Alpiners ahead by one. In the closing moments of the quarter, Mortimer struck again from a penalty corner to level the match 2–2 heading into halftime.
It became a battle of the captains, with Mortimer as a standout for the Tridents, covering every inch of the turf. But it was Alpiners' skipper Sam Lane who ultimately made the difference, netting the decisive goal to secure a 3–2 victory.