Two late goals have seen the Kings United Royals get past the University Huskies, to re-affirm their place at the top of the Premier Women’s grade.
Kings went in as warm favourites, but missing a couple of key players, they were forced to really work for the four competition points. Spurred on by Kings absentees, the Huskies started with real fight and were rewarded with a penalty corner goal to Mackenzie Robertson towards the end of the first quarter.
That gave the Huskies plenty of the belief, allowing them to get into the arm wrestle on an unsettled Dunedin afternoon. Claudia Roberts and Kate Speedy were particularly strong for the students, who kept their lead through to halftime, and down into the third quarter.
The upset was firmly on the cards, but Kings are the team to beat for a reason. Coach Jaiden Chhika tweaked a couple of things, and all of a sudden, the composed side that has won all their games so far returned. Ella Booth began slowing play, with Kings possession growing, and that would turn into goals.
Madi Lobb found the equaliser shortly into the fourth quarter, and from there the Huskies just had no answers. They attempted to remain positive, but were forced further and further back, before Theodora Gempton scrapped one home for the Royals, putting them into the lead.
Lobb was back on the scoresheet two minutes later, settling the game for the league leaders.
The 3-1 was only good enough to keep a four-point gap though, with the leading chasers in Momona and the City Highlanders both in the winner’s circle.
Again, Momona were slow out the blocks, this time against Taieri, but goals to Anwen Williams, Sorrell Shand and Chloe Lindon ensured the Meerkats would get over the line to a 3-1 victory.
In the day’s other game, the City Highlanders showed no mercy, handing out a 9-0 pummelling to the University Stingrays. The second-best University side were no match for the defending champions, as City celebrated Lily Le Brun’s 100th game with a big win. The goals were well shared around, with Chloe Donaldson and Fenella Ballantyne both at the double.
It was the late show in the Premier Men’s competition too, as Jarrod Casey binned a dragflick with time expired, to see the Taieri Tuataras pick up a dramatic 2-1 win against the Albany Alligators.
In wet and wild conditions out at King’s, both sides really struggled to get to grips, with the game very much 0-0 heading into the fourth quarter. Patrick Ward looked to have won it when he scored shortly after the restart, only for Eli Turner to respond for the Gators. Casey was cool though, flicking powerfully into the left of the Albany goal.
Down in Southland, the University Whales had to work for it but eventually limped over the line to a 3-2 win over the Barbarians.
Elsewhere, the Kings United Cobras pumped the University Panthers 8-0.
— Nicholas Friedlander
