Traditionally the weaker of the two University sides, the Stingrays came out and simply wanted it more.
They were defensively disciplined with City unable to break them down through the first quarter. A pair of woeful penalty corners on quarter time summed up City’s start.
The pattern of City attacking without joy continued into the second quarter, and the defending champions started to show signs of frustration.
That changed to panic five minutes before the break, as some slick dribbling from Anna Brock earned her side a penalty corner, and though it did not go straight in, the pressure told as Madeleine Kinnell eventually scraped it over the line.
With something to hang on to, a shield heist was firmly on the cards for the Stingrays. It was backs-against-the-wall stuff, but they made it to three-quarter time somehow still holding a 1-0 lead.
The Stingrays were brave, and as the minutes ticked down, it genuinely looked like they were going to get home, but it was not to be.
With under three minutes remaining, the defending champions poured numbers into the circle, and eventually Chloe Donaldson got it over the line.
City claimed the extra competition point in the shootout, but it was the Stingrays who walked away as the real winners in the eyes of the hockey community.
Elsewhere, Momona’s slide continued, as they fell to Kings United 3-2.
The in-form Kings side found two early goals, and it just left Momona with too much to do.
The result puts Kings within two competition points of Momona in the fight for second spot.
The Taieri Tigers were back in the winners’ circle, as they pinched a crucial 1-0 win over the University Huskies.
In a game they simply could not afford to lose, they were gutsy, and got over the line to keep their season alive.
In the premier men’s competition, James Nicolson reminded everyone of his class with a hat-trick in Taieri’s 4-1 triumph over Albany, which has all but secured his side the points trophy for this year.
Despite missing key cogs Jordan Ward and Zeke Buschl, the Tuataras had too much class for an Albany side who have some real ground to make up if they are to challenge in the finals.
The game that followed was a fairly low-key affair, as the University Whales picked up a less than convincing win over the University Panthers.
The Whales were rusty, and only led 2-1 deep into the final quarter, eventually wrapping it up with a late Krishaan Parsotam strike.
Kings United beat the Southland Barbarians 10-0 in Gore.
— Nicholas Friedlander
