Is it the year of the Gator? The Albany Alligators locked up the Challenge Shield for the summer and secured the points trophy after thumping the University Panthers 9-0 in Dunedin premier men’s hockey on Saturday. The Alligators got off to a fast start as Eli Turner bundled one in from close range before Charlie Falconer deflected home to put them two in front, all but ending any real hopes the Panthers may have had. The league leaders then toyed with their opponents, as Nic Finlayson added a third, before a Jack Cotton brace and a sixth to Hamish Davenport had the party well and truly starting. Into the fourth quarter, Cotton completed his hat-trick, before Falconer bagged a second. Right at the death, Fergus Oberlin-Brown got off the mark for the season with a nice firm sweep, ending the pain of the Panthers. As good as the Gators were, Toby Dean was comfortably player of the game in the Panthers goal, making a catalogue of great saves to ensure things did not truly get out of hand. Best for the Alligators was Johnny Thorn, the only surviving member of Albany’s last title-winning side. His punch from the back really put the students under pressure, and he will be looking to drive his side to the chip. The Kings United Cobras showed they will be one of the Gators’ challengers with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over the University Whales. Missing several key players, the Cobras found a way, Mason Kingan opening the scoring midway through the second quarter, before a well-taken brace in the second half from Jack O’Neill. The result takes Kings back into the top three, setting up a likely semifinal with the Taieri Tuataras. In the premier women’s competition, the University Stingrays made it back-to-back victories with a shock 3-2 win over Momona. While the result will have very little bearing on the rest of the season, it is still a fine achievement for the Stingrays, who won it late through Kate Speedy. At the top of the table there was an easy win for the Kings United Royals with Hanna Hunter bagging a brace. Millie Cowan managed the same for the Taieri Tigers, but she was powerless in stopping a 6-2 defeat. The City Highlanders eased to a 3-0 win over a depleted University Huskies side.
