Wellington College back in big league

Using the Rankin Cup as motivation during the season had its rewards for the Wellington College first XI side that gained promotion to the premier national secondary schoolboys competition next season.

Wellington College came from a goal down to beat Hutt International Boys 4-1 in the final of the India Shield played in Nelson last Friday. Trevor Garrett scored a hat-trick, his first two goals coming in as many minutes, and Oliver Logan added a fourth midway through the second spell. Hutt International Boys had opened the scoring after 27 minutes through Billy Miskimmin.

"For the last two years our absolute goal has been to be back in the Rankin Cup," Wellington College captain Chris Brown said.

"It has been a while since Wellington College was in Rankin Cup. Everything we have done this year has been angled towards getting back into it.

"It has taken five years but we got there finally

"We had this quote that our coach [Bruce Urwin] would say to us after training, `It's all for Rankin' and that followed through to our team talks."

For Brown and seven of his team-mates, this year's tournament was their last chance of achieving that aim and now he just hopes those players coming through can maintain the school's position in the tournament.

Despite being beaten in the final, there was plenty for the Hutt International Boys' team to celebrate as they too won promotion to the Rankin Cup, which far exceeded their goals for the tournament. Their target had been to finish in the top eight.

"The aim had been to stay up in the India Shield," Hutt International Boys' coach Peter Miskimmin said.

However, while their final appearance rated highly, the game that stood out for Miskimmin was the quarterfinal against St Paul's Collegiate, which HIBS won 2-1, with Tim Robertson and Tom Lancashire scoring.

"To win that and reach the semifinal was a major achievement," Miskimmin said. "Everything else was a bonus."

The first bonus game – the semifinal against Mt Albert Grammar – had everything, with the game being decided on penalty strokes after the sides were 2-2 at the end of regulation time. Billy Miskimmin, Eric Poulson, Bradley Read, Ollie MacIntyre and Lancashire scored to help their side to a 5-4 win.

For Peter Miskimmin, the curtain is nearly down on his college hockey coaching stint. His side has at least one game remaining, against Wellington College in the semifinal of the Wellington schools competition on Friday night.

Though he and five members of the team who are in their final year at college will not be there when the school makes its debut at the Rankin Cup, Miskimmin believes the future of the sport is in good hands.

"It will be difficult, though, and it's going to be a huge assignment," he said. "There are some good players in the pipeline, though."

- © Fairfax NZ News