A Night Out at the Hockey

On the last night of winter, we celebrated by going to watch our oldest boy, Hugh play his last game of hockey. Well, it's the last game before the week of the mini-local-Olympics or AIMS as it's called here.

Hugh opted to play hockey this winter after having a few fun games of it at his last school in Christchurch. His best friend introduced him to the sport, and from the moment he got that hockey stick in his hands, he has been hooked! He tried out at Bethlehem College for a team this winter and made it into the A team! We were pretty proud of him just for that - never having played it competitively before, and he makes it into the A team.

So he has lived and breathed hockey this year, and loves it so much he wants coaching over the summer. We are still to decide on that! But it has been an exciting season for his team, as they have gone from strength to strength and made it into the final two top teams, and last night was the playoff for champion! So we had to make a night of it, and his aunt and uncle came along to watch too.

Here he is - our number 8!

I get so nervous watching sport - when I really, really want my team to win! Me and his Dad, and his Aunt and Uncle were standing along the sidelines, calling out our support, and his uncle who knows hockey better than we do, calling out snippets of advice too, and really, really wanting to help push that ball into the net - I was getting so antsy I could feel my feet kicking along the fence, willing them to hit the ball into our net, and throwing my head down into my arms when they just missed it - which was a couple of times. And Bethlehem College dominated the game.

As a mother, I would prefer that they wore helmets! LOL! Maybe they do in some other countries, I don't know; but not New Zealand - we breed 'em tough, and so hockey must be played helmet-less. So many times I gasped in fright as a ball whizzed past some boy's head, and a couple of boys had to go off for injuries to their ankles or shins or knees.

Our school played Tauranga Intermediate, who from what I understand, have won the championship for the past 2 or 3 years.

Here are two of Hugh's younger supporters - eating hot chips up on the stands.

At full time, neither team had scored, so we went into extra time. If no team scores in the extra time, the trophy is shared.

And that is what happened. While Bethlehem College dominated the game, they were unable to get through the defense. A few times, we all cried out, 'oh oh oh' as the ball almost made it into the goal, but never did. So full time was called. The game was over. And the championship called in at a draw. Trophy shared. So we didn't win, but Tauranga Intermediate's reign of champion has now been compromised.
Next year, we'll get it!

After-game team talk.