HOCKEY OPENS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2133, 27 April 1914, Page 9

HOCKEY OPENS

CHAMPION TEAM BEATEN

OTHER GRADE GAME§.^

Metropolitan ■Wellington ...■;.;■■'.. 1. ,, Insurance .'V.'i. , .^ , 0 Kurort ...■....■;..: 3 United, a bye .-.-, .;j;. , •:-.-.-■ >r , -

In tlw 6emof hockey games last years' champions, University, foil easy victims so Metropolitan, the result occasioning Sonic surprise, while the aow senior team —M.y.ii.l.— poit up rather a good tight against Karori.

SIEffiOPOLiTAN—'VARSITY. As indicated above, the surprise match of the day was the decisive defeat of Victoria. College, or rather University, as they are dubbed this eeason, by Met* ropolitan, For a first-01-season game, thfe play was exceptionally geed; at times it was very last aiid almost brilliant. Metropolitan siitiply romped over last year's diarnpions in tlie first spell, la the second half tho University men, perhaps galvanised into aetiou Dγ tho remenihrsnca of their doughty achieve* me-nts last eeason, put up a stubborn, and, indeed, praiseworthy, fight, but to fto avail. They will have a loiig way to go this season to succeed in- vanquishing aii eleven ©f the same calibre as Metropolitan seem to he, The University -m-ea eommonced confidently, and perhaps it was this useful feeling that oresently gained them their first and only Score-. M'Dowo-H ha<J put in a smart piece of work on -the wing, and 0. Strack secured just as smartly and scered. Then it Was ttot itetrope-litain awoke to action, and si brilliant forward tush, which M'Gregor originated, saw Sheeran net the first of -his quartet of points. Play eon* tinned fast but uneventful till JtefcropoU-, tan. adtjed another scora from a short,. I sharp rush—Sheeran again. Shortly after there was another fine bit of work in which Tapliii, oh the wing, flhone ■ arid Sheerftß, ever ready, ir.ade mo mistake with- the pass, which he- received from that plover. The score was now a—l. University had by this time faded into the background, and at the end of the speli Metropolitan had a firm grip ! on the match. University, however, rallied in the socomd sjkD-lj, and tried valiantly to stem the tide of goals. They also made persistent efforts t<! pierce- the <kfenee of tile opposing becks. The final figures show that there was some alteration in the scores, but it was Metropolitan's, match. The gaine finished: Metropolis tan, .5-; University, 1, Mr. JV C. Cusack was referee.

WELLINGTON-INStJRANCB. The WeUingtoii-lnaura-iico game was rather uninteresting.. It was, .indeed., a somewhat typical paine, in. which neither-team ehowed evidence of tnnoh practice. From the stft-rt Wellington attackedj and kept the ball well down i'p their opponent's .quarter, They gained a number of corners, but could not succeed in netting tho ball After ■about half an hour's .play Insurance, who feed so far only crossed, into their opponent's -territory tfro or three times, broke away, and tne resultant ehot by SollufejjlWFg would surely have resulted i.ii a.-eeore- had jiot.Morpeth been on the alert in Wellington's goal-mouth. Encouraged hy this sortie, Insurance again and again attacked, but with no success. The' second spell saw the .'WcUmgtea eleven recover again, hut it was not till halfway through that- Heed prettily scored the one and only goal. Mr.' Kean wag the referee.

EAROEJ-M.t,M.T. Although, defeated, the-ne* M.Y.M.J. gAvo a good account of thefflsolvcs on No. 2 ground. Htted egainst eueli a 6tieng teita as Karori, they plsyed very irell indeed, alid gWfl pfonHSO of doing much bettor as tho season, advances. Thft new team Wft? ■ tho fifst to scorn, and later i» the game added, two maW points. Th© suburbanites, however, rse up a total of fiv<> pomts to b*at th-ie. For the winners,. «h» scot-Ms wmo 6. Davies (2), Bfooker (2>, and' M.'&ltop and for.SI.Y.M.L, AVuittaker, Chislohj, and Jones scored.

JUNIOR MATCHES. ■United A euceeeded in defeating Wellington after a elesdy-<*utest«d gam© at &arori. Tho final score was:—United, 4 goals; -"Wellington, 2.- M'Lewi (% Thompson and Duffy seored for tho winners. University A <8) defeated Metropolitan (2) at- JS'ewtown Park, Hostick (4), Eager {2), Basra, and teniiard Scored for tie Kilmers, while Blackburn obtained- bath goals for "Mets." fit. Augustine's (10) easily defeated United. ($. The latter played without its full tea©. Mr, B. L. Thompson referred.

THIBD CLASS. Playing three men short, M.Y.M.I. fell easy victims to Wellington A,> being defeated by 9 goals to nil. The scorers for the winners were Aldertoii (3), Oal;lien (3). r l r oss (2), a,nd .Chambers, Mr. Atkins" "was referee, University easily defeated -Weney by h>e jxrinis to nil. Armstrong and Hawkins did the sowing. , . , St. Augustine (2) defeated United A (o}. United were minus thre» men. Mf. N. Beyd was .referee.