A 4-3 shootout win, after a 4-4 deadlock in normal time with old foe Canterbury, represented just the way the home team wanted to begin the long-awaited tournament on home turf.
James Nicolson gave Otago a 1-0 lead with a field goal after seven minutes, before Canterbury struck twice to lead 2-1 at halftime.
Kieran O’Connor restored Otago to parity with a penalty corner, to set the scene for a thrilling tit-for-tat finish to the game.
George Baker got Canterbury back in front with the first of his two goals, Finn Ward levelled for Otago, and Canterbury seemed to be heading for victory when Baker got his second from a penalty corner.
In the final minute of the game, O’Connor again struck from a penalty corner to send the game to the dreaded shootout.
Otago missed its first three strokes, which would usually mean curtains. But Johnny Thorn and captain Nick Ross found the net, and with Canterbury also missing three of its first five strokes, it went to sudden death.
Thorn missed his second stroke, but Ross and Ward both made no mistake to delight the home crowd.
Heavyweights Auckland, Wellington and North Harbour all won their opening games in the tier 1 men’s competition.
Otago’s women made a promising start with a gutsy performance against Auckland.
The northerners won 2-0 but had to fight for it, only getting the second goal with four minutes left on the clock.
Both Canterbury (5-0 v Waikato) and North Harbour (5-1 v Hawke’s Bay) showed their class by scoring freely.
Otago beat the New Zealand Defence Force 3-0 in the men’s tier 2 competition.
Nick Parata (second minute) and Joshua Wypych (ninth) gave Otago a cracking start, and Josh Stevens sealed the win with a penalty stroke in the 45th minute.
Otago Country held North Harbour’s second team to 1-1 for half an hour. North Otago veteran Josh Dalziel scored for Country — before Harbour rattled in four goals in six minutes to win 5-1.
National hockey
Day 1 scores
Tier 1 men: Auckland beat Manawatu 2-1, Otago beat Canterbury 4-4 (4-3 shootout), Wellington beat Waikato 3-1, North Harbour beat Hawke’s Bay 3-1.
Tier 1 women: Wellington beat Manawatu 2-2 (3-0 shootout), Canterbury beat Waikato 5-0, Auckland beat Otago 2-0, North Harbour beat Hawke’s Bay 5-1.
Tier 2 men: Otago beat NZDF 3-0, North Harbour beat Otago Country 5-1, Canterbury beat Counties-Manukau 5-0, Northland beat Southland 3-3 (3-2 shootout).
Tier 2 women: Tasman beat NZDF 5-0, Counties-Manukau beat Northland 3-3 (2-0 shootout), North Harbour beat Southland 3-0, Wairarapa beat Canterbury 2-1.
