Pakuranga College was well represented at the recent U18 Men’s Hockey National Championships in Dunedin.
Director of sport Clive Daniels took on the role of head coach for the Auckland blue team and year 13 student Titus Sailer played under his guidance.
The side finished top of its pool, winning each of its four games against Central Otago (7-0), Wairarapa (5-0), Northland (5-0) and Tauranga (2-1).
It put in a mammoth effort to defeat tournament favourites South Canterbury in its quarterfinal, which went to shoot-outs after a 3-3 draw.
The men fell short in the semi-final against a strong North Harbour side, losing 2-1 before bouncing back to a 3-1 win against Tauranga to claim third place.
“The team played very well, bouncing back to claim bronze after a tough match against North Harbour. It was great to have a Pakuranga College player at the tournament,” Daniels says.
Sailer had an impressive tournament, playing all seven games and scoring two goals, including one in the bronze medal match.
“Titus has been a real asset to the Boys’ 1st XI hockey team, after arriving from Germany as an international student at the start of the year. It’s been a privilege to help him develop his hockey while in New Zealand,” says Daniels.
