Otago stunned Wellington 1-0 to clinched a place in the final. Now all the home side has to do is figure out a way of doing it all again today.
Despite the loss, Wellington is also through to the tier 1 men’s final at the National Hockey Championship being staged in Dunedin.
Otago had to bounce back from a heartbreaking shootout loss to Auckland on Thursday, while Wellington had a lot less riding on the outcome.
It dispatched Canterbury 4-1 on Thursday and the result of the other Pool C game yesterday went its way, leaving it safely through regardless of the outcome against Otago last night.
It will be a tougher opponent today, but Otago will go into the game with plenty of confidence.
Experienced defender Jordan Ward was the hero. He smacked the ball in the back of the net from a penalty corner late in the third quarter.
In the men’s tier 2 competition, Otago lost 2-0 to North Harbour in the semifinal.
Canterbury and Northland had a tremendous battle in the other semi. It went to a shootout and each side took nine shots before Canterbury eventually won 3-2.
Otago’s disappointing campaign in the tier 1 women’s tournament continued.
The home side was well beaten 5-2 by Wellington and will play Hawke’s Bay in the playoff for seventh and eighth today.
Canterbury and North Harbour will contest the final. They actually played yesterday, with Canterbury emerging victorious 2-1.
Southland has made it through to the final of the women’s tier 2 competition.
It eclipsed Tasman 5-1 in the semifinal, while North Harbour edged Counties-Manukau 1-0 in the other.
Results.—
Tier 1 women: Canterbury beat North Harbour 2-1, Wellington beat Otago 5-2, Waikato beat Hawke’s Bay 2-1, Auckland beat Manawatu (1-1), 3-1 in a shootout.
Tier 1 men: Auckland beat Canterbury (3-3) 3-1 in a shootout, North Harbour beat Waikato 3-2, Hawke’s Bay beat Manawatu (3-3) 2-1 in a shootout, Otago beat Wellington 1-0.
Tier 2 women: Wairarapa beat NZDF 6-0, Canterbury beat Central Otago 2-0, Southland beat Tasman 5-1, North Harbour beat Counties-Manukau 1-0.
Tier 2 men: Counties-Manukau beat Southland 4-1, South Canterbury beat Tasman (1-1) 3-1 in a shootout, Canterbury beat Northland (3-3) 3-2 in a shootout, North Harbour beat Otago 2-0.
