North Harbour under 20 men backed up their women’s team’s win in the 14th Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival for the club to take double titles. The win was also back-to-back for the North Harbour men, who took out the 13th Pan Pacs in 2014. North Harbour can add this to their collection of double golds, including last year's Under 19 New Zealand National Championships.
U20 Men’s Final
North Harbour had the edge after winning the Auckland League earlier in the year and prevailing over Sea Wolf 16-12 in the Pan Pacs cross-overs, but it was anyone’s game when it came to the final after four days of competition in the under 20 men’s.
North Harbour were first on the scoresheet after earning an exclusion that was scored from the wing by Jono Houzet. Sea Wolf quickly responded through Sam Fleming to level at 1-1, and then Sea Wolf pushed ahead 1-2 again through Fleming who came out firing with a strong shooting arm.
Sea Wolf kept the momentum into the second quarter and found their third of the match through Brandon Gillespie, before North Harbour called a time out to extinguish any hint of momentum and make the most of their extra-man opportunity. The move worked, allowing Jarvis Jensen to find the back of the net for 2-3. Sea Wolf restored the two-goal buffer with a shot from Serbian Jasmin Kolasinac, but North Harbour chipped away at their lead to eventually snatch it by the end of the third quarter at 7-6 up.
Sea Wolf weren’t letting go of their shot at the club’s first-ever Pan Pacs gold, and drew level 7-7 at 5:01 with everything to play for. But North Harbour’s Anton Sunde was slick and turned his player to score for 8-7, followed by Jake Lockwood with his second of the match for two goals up with 3:47 left on the clock. Two minutes had passed before anyone found the scoreboard – and it was North Harbour’s Tamati Harris who made his team’s lead three with just 1:57 to hold off Sea Wolf. Jasmin Kolasinac knew his team had to score quickly, and he did just that – 10 seconds later it was 10-8 with 1:47 to play. After a time-out from each team, the 10-8 scoreline stuck and North Harbour were the champions.
Anton Sunde was named Most Valuable Player and accepted the trophy as captain of the North Harbour team. This group won the 2010, 2014, and 2016 Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival as under 14s, under 18s, and now under 20s - well done North Harbour!
Anton Sunde was named Most Valuable Player and accepted the trophy as captain of the North Harbour team. This group won the 2010, 2014, and 2016 Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival as under 14s, under 18s, and now under 20s - well done North Harbour!
Quarter goals: 1:2, 3:3, 3:1, 3:3
Scorers:
North Harbour: Jarvis Jensen, Tamati Harris 3, Jake Lockwood 2, James McLean, Anton Sunde 2, Jono Houzet.
Sea Wolf: Jasmin Kolasinac 2, Sam Fleming 3, Justin Pickering, Sam Casey, Brandon Gillespie 2.
U20 Men’s Bronze
Hutt had earlier beaten Marist in the Pan Pacs cross overs, but it went down to the wire where they won in the last second of the match. This evening’s bronze medal match was similar.
Marist Mavericks made a quick start to head up 3-0 after just 3 and a half minutes (Liam Paterson, Cooper Stewart, Chris Cormack) before Hutt came into the game via Matt Hansen for 3-1 for the first quarter.
It was Cameron Hayes’ quarter in the second; he scored three goals for his side to pull them level with Marist 5-5 to make up for a slow first quarter.
Hutt took the lead in the second half, scoring from two man-up plays through duo Hansen and Hayes to be up 5-7. But Marist came right back into it, levelling, but then Hutt took off again through Watson and Hayes for restoration of the two-goal buffer. Chris Cormack had the last say of the quarter, scoring at 0:08 for 8-9 to Hutt at the break.
It looked as if Hutt would take off again when they scored through the safe hands of Cameron Hayes for his unheard of sixth goal in the final, but Marist pieced two together in less than 50 seconds for 10-10 at 4:56. Marist made it five unanswered goals which sunk Hutt with a 13-10 score line at 0:49 seconds. That didn’t stop the Wellington side giving it one last nudge: Hamish Booker scored with 23 seconds to play and Hayes finished the match on a huge seven goals on the buzzer.
Quarter goals: 3:1, 2:4, 3:4, 5:3
Scorers:
Marist: Cayne Dew 3, Ryan Pike, Liam Paterson 3, Cooper Stewart, Connor Paterson 2, Chris Cormack 3.
Hutt: Lachie Watson, Cameron Hayes 7, Hamish Booker, Mathew Hansen 3.
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