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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 34, No. 18. October 6 1971

Hockey

Hockey

Winter Tournament 1971 showed up in rather dismal light the relatively poor standard of Victoria's Mens' Hockey team. It showed in fact that Victoria was not competent to win one game, that it had no player worthy of N.Z.U. selction and that the standard of play of Victoria's tournament team has slipped backwards considerably in recent years.

Victoria Team; back, Paul Bradshaw. Vladimir Halama, Joe Bryde, Phil Jones, Marilyn Waring front, Ann Armstrong, Alex Sim, Alison Blakeway.

Victoria Team; back, Paul Bradshaw. Vladimir Halama, Joe Bryde, Phil Jones, Marilyn Waring front, Ann Armstrong, Alex Sim, Alison Blakeway.

But Tournament did more than this. It provided the team and its supporters with a most enjoyable and unforgettable week of social activity in Auckland, and so, despite the team's poor record, the week could by no means be called an unsuccessful one.

Its record was: a 1-6 loss to Canterbury, a 0-4 loss to Massey, a 2-5 loss to Auckland, a 1-1 draw with Waikato, a 4-4 draw with Otago and another 1-1 draw with Lincoln.

Contributing largely to Victoria's unimpressive effort was its general lack of fitness which was borne out most strikingly in the hammering delivered by Canterbury. Inexperience, the fact of never having played together as a team and a general unwillingness to make a dedicated effort were other factors which help explain the results.

However, many of the team's weaknesses became less apparent as the week progressed and the corresponding improvement in Victoria's play was seen in the fact that not one of the last three games was lost. The match against Otago was particularly noteworthy for it saw the team produce its best hockey of the tournament.

Victoria's outstanding player was undoubtedly Geoff Kirkham at centre-half who played with determination throughout and who ensured that some measure of respectability was always attached to the team's effort.

Roger Wilcox too, deserves special mention as the pick of the forwards. He was the Star of the Otago match and was responsible for preventing what would have been an unlucky defeat by scoring a very neat goal in the final seconds of that game.

Peter Morgan was solid full-back and he performed his duties as captain with credit. Phill Judd at centre-forward emerged with the distinction of being the team's top goal scorer.

Special mention must be made of Victoria's loyal band of supporters, the S.L.P.D. (Side-line piss-drinkers) who barracked in lordly tones, although not always constructively. The Victoria womens' team also lent loyal support.

The social scene showed some team members up in rather surprising fashion. Who would have thought before tournament that the team contained a guy who can do daring feats of agility four storeys above Queen Street, another who spends his Sunday nights in lonely vigil on verandahs, a couple of grave-robbers and a bloke who can't even drink his milk?...

D. Hill.