PHL Takes a Break: India Centenary Series First, Then a North Harbour Double-Header
Round 1 is done, and the Premier Hockey League is taking a breather. It’s a short one, and it’s for a good reason: the Black Sticks men host India in Auckland next week, and the whole country will be watching that.
The opening weekend gave us plenty. The Alpiners took both games off the Central Falcons in Napier, the men winning 3-2 behind Baxter Mason’s late treble and the women winning 3-2 behind Katie Bond’s brace. Then the Tridents and Mavericks split their Auckland double-header on Sunday, with Kirsten Pearce scoring five in a 7-0 Tridents women’s win and the Mavericks men hitting back 3-1.
Now the league steps aside for the Centenary Series: New Zealand v India on 19, 21 and 22 November at Lloyd Elsmore Park. A hundred years since the first Indian tour of New Zealand, and the PHL’s own Black Sticks will be right in the middle of it.
When the PHL returns
Round 2, Saturday 28 November, North Harbour
- Tridents v Alpiners (women 6:00am PKT; men 7:45am PKT)
- Falcons v Mavericks (women 6:45am PKT; men 8:30am PKT)
Round 3, Sunday 29 November, North Harbour
- Mavericks v Alpiners (women 3:30am PKT; men 5:15am PKT)
- Tridents v Falcons (women 4:15am PKT; men 6:00am PKT)
After that the league keeps moving: Round 4 on Saturday 5 December in Hamilton, Round 5 on Sunday 6 December in Hamilton, Round 6 on Friday 11 December in Christchurch, and then medal day on Saturday 12 December in Christchurch. Bronze medal matches at 5:00am (women) and 6:45am (men) PKT, gold medal matches at 9:00am (women) and 10:45am (men) PKT.
For our money, the break comes at a good time. Round 1 showed the Alpiners are the early team to beat, but a fortnight off lets everyone reset, and the North Harbour double-header will tell us whether the opening weekend was a sign of things to come or just a fast start.
