HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 281, 22 July 1932, Page 2

HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

PLAY IMPROVES SPAEKLING GAME BETWEEN SMAMROCKS AND TANIWHA. APAWA'S DIFHICULTIES. (Noles by "oticks.") I'urlher improvement was evidenced in thv form of teams for last Saturday "s mulches, and it is to bx hoped that ihe asroeiation has at last found a soluiiou of ihe problem of uninterestiug i lay which marked the first round oi matches. Pariicalaily in the B grade was this imyrovement notieed, the game between Mamaku and Hinemoa being ahvays interesting and being of a standard whieh would not disgrace highcr gi'ade teams. While, based on the tervitorial advantage which they lield, Hinemoa were unlucky to have to. be e mtent with a one-goal draw, Mamaku nevertheless played a bright game and were generally capable of accepting any mistakes made by their cppenei.te. The outstanding player on the ride was L. Thomas, and playing as fullback she made some very eapnbl* and cool saves for her team. N. IJcennan also played well, but A. Hi'shop appeared to be below her usual form. 'For Hinemoa, M. Rikihana was the bpst oi' the forwards and secured the tejtmV only goal with a good shot. A Close Game. As was expected, the contest between t-hanu'ocks and Taniwha proved a really llne match, and taking the » lay all through, each side had its fair thare t.f P'lay. At the same time i.hau.r- eks, who were the winners by v iie go ;1 to nil, were presented with more scoring chances than their opponent.'. but some of the goal-shoot-i aitempts were wild. The halves played a good game and Tapu Mitchell was right on her form. Mattie Mitchell also continues to improve in the ior vards and was ably assistsd ].y K. Mitchell, G. Swinton and M. iuitehcil. - The Taniwha forward line did not, or wero not able to, display their *. sua! c'ash, and T. Wharekura and T. Mauarapa, although they played good games, did not have the number of u.oriug chanees that usually come Ihoir way. T rnusl comment her 3 on ihe sportarl'un, as a result of a referee's luisunuor. tnuding, of Edie Mitchell, captain of the winning team The eircumsta'K'es surrounding the occurlhnco \\ -vc that the ball was hit by a i.hamiv, k player outsidi the circle t ui h'a .'etled toward the goal. A Taniwha ba.k made a lunge at it and a.vlucnJy defiected it into her own goal. Ihe referee awarded a goal, but having a doubt in her mind, the attiitking captain immediately appealed to hira, the result being that he vevy r'ghtly changed his decision and r.o g( al was awarded. It showed a fine sroi'ting spirit on the part of the Shaniroek skipper, and as a just reward the only goal of the match was secured i'rom the resulting penalty corner. While on thsi matter it may be well to n-'te the provisions of the rule on th's point, whieh "Sticks' interprets to meau as iollows: — The rule in regard tp g ;ai-s..oring states that the ball "must be hit by an attacker in the tir.Ie and provided this is done, if the ball is deiiected into the goal off the stick cr person of a defender, a goal is seored. •It wili be seen, therefore, that no goal was seored from the incident which occurred on Saturday, as the ball was not hit by an attacker in the circle, and that the appeal by the attaeking t , ai's captain, and the changlng oi' the referee's decision, we^e perf.'ctly justified. Had the ball glanced off the stick or person of the dcfinder, the penalty would have been a long corner hit to the attacking team, but if intentionally put behind by a defender, even though between the goal posts, tho penalty would be a short corner. Club Depleted. "It is unfortunate that through lack of players, consequent on the loss of several who are now working on forestry works outside Rotorua, there ig talk of the Arawa Club abandoning fbr the rest of the present season. This fact is all the more regrettable whe-n it is remembered that the club is.one of the oldest in the district, and that on their position in the Robertson Cup competition they were included in the A grade when the local association deeicled to split the teams in order to ensure better competition for the stronger and weaker teams. The writer has several times seen the same unfortunate happening overtake bolh men's and ladies' teams in senior gi'ades in other towns, and it is just one of the things which happen to teams in every sport. He has also seen these same teams go down to lower grades for a year in order to reeover their lost strength'and then re-enter the higher grade with a side prohably better than that which they fielded on past occasions in the same grade. There is no reason , therefore, why the same should not be aimed at by the Arawa Club, and by the inclusion of their younger players develop exponents of the game who will be an ' asset "to the club for many yeavs to come. An example of the possibiliGss of introducing new members may be gained from watchin'g the play of certain members of the present Shamroek team, and there is also a member of the Mamaku Club who is de vel'oping into a fine player. It is to be hoped, therefore, that a real euort -Will he made hy the controllers of the club to seeure sufficient players to enable them to field a team, wliich with the advme of the older members, should be quite capable of doing well in the cchip-fcitlons. Southern Tour. There is a possibility that to meet the desires of the holders of the Lady Carroll Shieid, Ruahine-Dannevirke, the projected departure of the Rotorua representative team on its southern tour may require to be put forward five days. If this is the case, the team

will probably depart f.or Hamilton on Saturday, August 13, and play for the shieid at Dannevirke on the following Wednesday.- . All associations to be visited have not yet replied as to the suitability qf the dates sugge^ted, but it is anticipated that no difficulty will be experienced in this cohnection. The tour has also to be approved, by the New Zealand Women's Hockey Association.