Waimai make statement of local hockey domination

Waimai United have maintained their halftime lead to lift the premier women's trophy for the third time in a row.

Following the club's inaugural P1 men's division win on Wednesday, closing out with a 2-1 victory over Tasman White, the women returned to finish off their game with Stoke trailing 2-0.

After last weekend's weather saw both finals postponed midway through, only a half of play was scheduled as both teams looked to empty the gas tanks in the season's final game.

With a Friday evening game under the lights in ideal conditions, it was Waimai who started how they had left off.

Their defence was smothering Stoke, who had to work hard to progress the ball, which by extension, limited their attacking opportunities.

While they did have chances, there always seemed to be a Waimai player there to disrupt the play.

After Waimai scored to grow their lead to 3-0 from a well-worked penalty corner, Stoke looked to fight their way back into the game and looked like they had done it when the ball raced past the outstretched stick of goalkeeper Sue Gall.

With time nearly up in the first of the two periods on offer, Waimai defender Emma Nicholson made a goal-line save to keep their clean sheet intact.

The save proved to be instrumental as it halted the Stoke momentum right on the break and gave them too tall of a task to come back in the final 15 minutes.

Throughout the last period of play, right to the final whistle, they battled. But it wasn't enough, as Waimai were able to keep them, for the most part, outside of the shooting circle.

Stoke goalkeeper and women's Player of the Year Jackie Day didn't think splitting up the game played into their favour, but it was the best of a bad situation.

"It's really hard to warm up for a game when you've only got half a game. I'm sure it was the same for the other team, though.

"There's a few standouts, like Jay Sigley, who's just really athletic and links it all together for us really well, but we're definitely a team that works together."

Having retained the Waimea Shield throughout the season and winning the fair play award, as judged by the umpires over the season, Jackie says the team still has a lot to celebrate.

Waimai's Nic Brydon says the save on the line was the game-defining moment.

"If we had conceded that goal, it would have made it really difficult and they would have had a sniff at it."

She says they had tried to keep their preparation the same coming into the game, making no changes to how they warmed up.

"We wanted to continue the intensity. We came back and trained this week, consistently working hard to have that intensity out there again.

"We had to go out there with a 0-0 mindset."

Nic says they had taken an offence is the best defence policy, finding space by changing the direction of attack.

She says they were also tighter on defence, rising to the occasion by constricting the Stoke attack.

"We wanted to dominate from the start and make it difficult for them.

"They're a good team; the whole season, they've been our biggest competition.

"We came down as a team and watched the men on Wednesday night and that game was really inspirational for us, wanting to follow up the men."

Nic says the way the team has come together has been special, with one of the largest ranges of ages between players in the region.

"The way we play as a team brings us all together."