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Hockey

Those who prophesied that the Victoria College Hockey Club would die a lingering death on the formation of a football club need prophesy no more. There is yet no sign of syncope, for, though we lost some of our best players, we gained so many promising recruits that two teams still do battle for the College each Saturday. The first team is not appreciably worse than it was last year, and the second is appreciably better.

. . . .

What is still more satisfactory is that our reserve strength is no longer a "nebulous hypothesis." There are enough keen men waiting to get into the teams to make it worth while for everyone to play up. It was necessary last year to deliver tirades against deserters, and to say hard things about men who consistently missed trains. This year such sayings would not be understood. So mote it be!

. . . .

Matches this season are played at Day's Bay, and, though the di stance is great and fraught with all the perils of the sea, the grounds on the other side are as a consolation to the traveller. If the dressing-rooms were enlarged to the size of a ship's cabin they would hold eleven men each with greater comfort and give each man a chance of finding his clothes after the fight.

. . . .

When the new players gain a little more experience the results of matches should be very satisfactory. All the games played so far have been closely contested, though the College team has not always proved victorious. The Second Team has several men who should soon be asserting their right to Senior honours—notably, G. Prouse and Ryburn.

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The following are the results of matches:

Senior. (Captain—R. St. J. Beere.)

• V.C. v. Wellington. Lost, 2—0. A sore fight. Wellington bombarded strongly, and it was not until towards the end of the second spell that the College defence broke down. Our forwards then rallied, but could not score.
• V.C. v. Vivian. Drawn, 2—2. A fast and interesting game. Beere scored twice as the result of good combined forward play.
• V.C. v. United I. Lost, 3—0. A hard-fought game against a better team. G. Prouse and Ryburn, promoted from the Juniors, deserve special mention for their play. Kelly, who has a sprained ankle, was replaced by G. V. Bogle.
• V.C. v. Karori I. Lost, 4—1. Karori had the best of the first spell. Mathieson and Niven were conspicuous for College. Prouse scored.

Junior. (Captain—G. F. Dixon.)

• V.C. v. Vivian II. Lost, 4—2. A fast and even game. At the end of the first spell the score was one all. Dixon and Henderson scored, and Ryburn's defence was excellent.
• V.C. v. United II. Lost, 4—2. Dixon and G. Prouse scored for College.
• V.C.v. Wellington II Won, 2—1. Prouse scored two goals. The ground was almost under water. Both sides were shorthanded—College two men, and Wellington three.
• V.C. v. Y.M.C.A. Won, 3—1. Dixon, Lee, and Wolters scored. H. E. Anderson, one of the original first eleven, played. His eye has not lost its cunning.
• V.C. v. Karori II. Lost, 5—0. In the first spell there was no score, but in the second Karori's combination proved too good.