On Wednesday afternoon the 1st XI hockey squad travelled up to Pukekohe to play Westlake Boys High School. The playing conditions were good. The team started with 14 players against a top Rankin Cup school which had returned recently from a European Hockey tour.
The game started with St Paul's taking their first opportunity in the first two minutes with Jono Bloor passing off to his brother Richie who flicked the ball into the goal. Westlake bounced by scoring two goals in quick session. Westlake seemed to control the game and were making lots of attacks into the circle. Goal keeper Simon Morbey was in good form saving a number of goals. Aubrey Fish scored the next goal after receiving an excellent ball from Jono Bloor's break away. Westlake responded late in the half to score another goal.
St Paul's struggled at times to keep up with Westlake’s speed of pass and movement in the first half which had St. Paul’s 2 and Westlake 3.
After some coach Hardman's constructive feedback during the break, St. Paul's settled down into their coach’s game plan which helped to nullify most of the opposition attacks. St.Paul's played some good hockey providing some excellent opportunities to score goals. Finally in the last two minutes of the game Conor Shalloe showed his skills moving through the opposition into their circle to put the ball into goal to draw the game 3 all.
St Paul's were pleased with result which places them in a good position for the upcoming season in the Waikato Competition.
