Round Robin stage now complete and the stage is set for Finals Weekend

This past weekend marked the final two rounds of the Premier Hockey League’s round-robin stage across eight matches, with next weekend’s finals set to take place at Auckland’s Lloyd Elsmore Park. Teams across the competition faced decisive matchups that would determine their pathway into the finals.

Saturday’s opening match in Hamilton saw the Mavericks host the Tridents women. After an evenly contested first quarter, the deadlock broke in the final minute when Deana Ritchie’s ball found a diving Lucy Russ to put the Mavericks up 1–0. The Tridents responded early in the second quarter, capitalising on a string of penalty corners as Casey Crowley struck low to level the score. Moments later, Holly Pearson threaded a precise pass to Breana Catley, who scored and converted to push the Tridents ahead 3–1. A late third-quarter penalty corner scramble allowed Rose Tynan to extend the lead, before Pearson sealed the result with a powerful fourth-quarter finish off another set piece. The Tridents dominated the remainder of the match to claim a convincing 5–1 victory.

In Wellington, top-of-the-table Falcons Women faced the travelling team, the Alpiners. The real action began in the second quarter when Hope Ralph opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a tidy deflection from the first penalty corner. Just two minutes later, captain Olivia Shannon doubled the lead, getting a touch on Kaitlin Cotter’s drag flick to continue the penalty corner streak. The Alpiners hit back in the 25th minute through Jessie Anderson, who finished with composure to narrow the gap. But the Falcons weren’t done. Michaela Curtis sealed the deal with a reverse shot and conversion, locking in a 4–1 victory and securing their spot at the top heading into finals weekend.

The Mavericks and Tridents men followed with a fast-paced, high-intensity clash. The Mavs pressed aggressively from the outset and were rewarded six minutes in when Nic Woods converted a penalty corner for a 1–0 lead. Under pressure, the Tridents responded as James Hickson fired a reverse shot into the top of the net and calmly converted to edge his side ahead 2–1. Hickson quickly doubled his tally in the second quarter, weaving through three defenders from halfway to score. The Mavericks hit back early in the third, with captain Aidan Sarikaya’s injection finding Woods for his second of the match. Late in the quarter, Cam Hayde kept the ball alive on the baseline and finished from a tight angle before converting to push the Mavericks ahead 4–3. In the final quarter, Brad Coxon sealed the result with a composed finish and conversion, giving the Mavericks a 6–3 win.

Back in Wellington, the day wrapped up with the Falcons taking on the Alpiners Men. Ryan Caldwell opened the scoring with a drag flick in the 8th minute. It took nearly 30 minutes for the next breakthrough, and it was Caldwell again, converting in almost identical fashion to double the lead. Within the same minute, Moss Jackson slipped one past the keeper, pushing the score to 3–0. The fourth quarter brought an unexpected change in dynamic with Falcons’ Dylan Thomas earning a penalty stroke, followed up with a conversion, closing the gap to 3–2. But the comeback fell short, and the Alpiners held firm to take the points remaining unbeaten as they went into their final round-robin clash against the Mavericks.

Sunday’s opening women’s match in Wellington saw the top-of-the-table Falcons host the second-placed Tridents. Despite the Falcons having already secured their finals spot, both teams came out with intensity. The Tridents struck early, with Rose Tynan scoring just two minutes in under close defensive pressure before nailing her conversion to make it 2–0. The pace remained high throughout, but neither side could add to the scoreboard, allowing the Tridents to claim a hard-fought and disciplined victory, locking in their spot to the final where they would face the Falcons again.

In Christchurch, the home side Alpiners faced the Mavericks in a tightly contested battle. After a scoreless first quarter, Alessa Volkert from the Mavericks broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. Soon after, Brittany Wang, recently back in the Alpiners squad, delivered a cracker, smashing the ball into the back of the net. Four minutes later, Tess Ried from her team added another to extend the lead.The Mavericks fought back in the 43rd minute when Lucy Russ got the final touch on a bouncing ball, slotting it home and converting to bring the final say to 3-2.

Back in Wellington the Falcons and Tridents men took on one another, with the Tridents immediately showcasing impressive cohesion. Early on, James Stables combined with Mitchell Murray to open the scoring, before a swept penalty-corner ball from George Muir found Zander Fraser for a tidy deflection, giving the Tridents a 2–0 lead after the first quarter. Goalkeeper Hayden Ganley proved pivotal throughout the first half, producing sharp, decisive saves to keep the Falcons scoreless. In the third quarter, a turnover forced by James Hickson set up Fraser, who secured his hat-trick to push the margin out to 4–0. The Tridents continued to control play in the final spell, with Robbie Capizzi powering home a high strike and Liam Mortimer pouncing on a rebound off consecutive penalty corners to make it 6–0. The Falcons finally broke through in the dying minutes as Sajan Patel finished off a well-placed ball from Dylan Thomas and converted, but the Tridents closed out an impressive 6–2 win.

The final match of the weekend, commencing all round robin games saw the Alpiners take on the Mavericks Men. With both sides already confirmed to meet again in next weekend’s final, there was no holding back as sides looked to assert dominance. The Mavericks came out firing in the second half, capitalising on their chances in the circle. Two 2025 PHL debutants, Josh McCaul and Ashton Carter, made their mark, each finding the back of the board to secure the win.

With the round-robin stage complete, all eyes now turn to Auckland’s Lloyd Elsmore Park for an action-packed finals weekend. Bronze medal matches kick off on Friday, 12 December, with the Falcons taking on the Tridents in the men’s clash and the Alpiners facing the Mavericks in the women’s contest. Then on Saturday, 13 December, it’s gold medal day: the Mavericks meet returning champions the Alpiners in the men’s final, while the women’s showdown sees a repeat of last year’s decider as the Falcons face the Tridents. It’s shaping up to be an exciting finish, with teams representing from across the board on finals day. Who will be your 2025 reigning champion?