The Star: February 15, 2024

Thursday February 15 2024 The Star
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SPORT 19
Returning players sign on for Coastal
• By Sam Coughlan
COASTAL SPIRIT have locked
up four key players ahead of the
Southern League season.
Winger Liam Cotter, who
top-scored for Coastal last year
with eight goals, joined captain
Dominic McGarr, goalkeeper Ellis
Hare-Reid and midfielder Joe
Hoole in staying with the club in
2024.
Head coach Robbie Stanton
said it was important to have
them confirmed.
“They were the core of last
year’s team, and that stability
is going to be vital for us going
forward this year.”
Coastal finished last season in
third place - the best team aside
from regular Southern League
table-toppers Christchurch
United and Cashmere Technical.
The top two teams at the end
of the Southern League season,
encompassing teams from the
South Island, qualify for the
National League against the best
from across the country.
After missing out last year,
Stanton wants Coastal to be
pushing for that level in 2024.
“In all honesty, our goal this
year is to play National League
and that’s what we’re gearing
ourselves up to do,” he said.
“The quality of players we’re
bringing in probably makes that
statement in itself, the majority
of them have played National
League, or the equivalent of.”
Stanton said Coastal have acquired
Cashmere Tech’s captain
Andrew Storer and Christchurch
United midfielder Mason Stearn
– both of whom featured in last
season’s National League.
The Ferrymead Bays duo of
Alex Macleam and Ryan Stanley
have also joined Coastal for the
season.
Stanton said the team’s preseason
has been ‘disjointed’ so
far, but the team should improve
quickly.
“A lot of players are coming in
from out of town, so that’s made
a little bit of a soft start.
“But pretty much from this
week onwards, everyone’s in
town, we’re getting them all into
Christchurch and getting them
bedded down into the training
regime.”
He said the core group from
last year would be important in
integrating the new players.
“Them seeing the platform that
we had last year, in terms of the
commitment the players are giving
to what we’re doing, will be
huge this year.
“The squad is really excited,
and the club is backing us with
everything we need off the pitch
to try and make that work.”
Stanton said some key preseason
friendlies are already
confirmed to help the team gel
together.
“We’ve got pre-season games
against Burwood, Christchurch
United and Nomads already
booked in, and a couple other
ones that are tentatively booked
in at the moment.”
Coastal Spirit’s Southern
League season will kick off on
March 30.
ON LOCK: Coastal Spirit’s Dominic McGarr (left) and
goalkeeper Ellis Hare-Reid combine to tackle Declan
Tyndall of Cashmere Technical.
PHOTO: MITCHELL COZZONE/DUST MEDIA
Top teams eyeing spots in semi-finals
• By Diane Keenan
BISHOPDALE AND Burnside
Park’s men’s teams have hit
form at the business end of
the premier tennis interclub
competition with both setting
their sights on next month’s
semi-final play-offs.
Burnside Park will play
competition leaders Cashmere
at Cashmere on Saturday while
Bishopdale will be on their home
courts against Elmwood.
Bishopdale last week thumped
Edgeware Waimairi, scoring
maximum points by winning all
matches. Their top player, Will
Schneideman was impressive in
his strong win over Edgeware
Waimairi’s Paddy Ou, a highly
ranked and rated player from
Otago.
Captain Grayson Cullen,
who played college tennis in the
United States, says his team will
go into this week’s match with
their strongest lineup including
fellow college graduates, Schneideman
and Maddison Aubrey,
club coach Gareth Robb and
James Wilson.
Elmwood’s match against
Cashmere last weekend was
rained out after a southerly
storm. Cashmere had won all
three completed matches, including
two long doubles clashes
which featured Elmwood’s
Alistair Hunt, former New
Zealand Davis Cup player, whose
singles against Cashmere’s James
Meredith was abandoned.
Cashmere, the first-round
winners, are making easy work
of the competition with the
team a mix of highly ranked
experienced players and talented
young players, Lucas Evans and
Liam Barrett. There will be some
interesting match-ups against
WINNER: Bishopdale’s Will
Schneideman was impressive
in his win over Edgeware
Waimairi’s Paddy Ou.
Points
Men
Cashmere 41, Burnside
Park 35, Bishopdale 32,
Elmwood 24, Edgeware
Waimairi 12, Te Kura
Hagley 9.
Women
Elmwood 42, Bishopdale
34, Cashmere 34, Te Kura
Hagley 27, Waimairi 12,
Shirley 7.
Burnside Park which includes EJ
Gonzaga who won this week’s
Canterbury Secondary Schools
championship at Wilding Park,
beating Evans in a three-set
thriller.
Burnside Park only lost just
the one match in its game last
weekend against Te Kura Hagley,
with its top player Ben Smith defeating
Burnside’s Finn Emslie-
Robson in three sets.
Te Kura Hagley this week
plays Edgeware Waimairi which
is missing its number one, Nic
Jenkins due to injury.
In the women’s competition
Elmwood continues its
domination with its team led
by Abbey Mason and Louise
Oxnevad in the top singles
slots being too strong for the
opposition. One of its lower
order players, Holly-Jayne Feutz
is also in form winning the
Canterbury Secondary Schools
championship for her school,
Ashburton College, earlier this
week. Elmwood plays Cashmere
on Saturday. Elmwood was too
strong for Waimairi last week
but full marks to Waimairi’s
Sophie Ensor who had a straight
sets win over her higher ranked
Elmwood opponent. Waimairi
this week plays Shirley who
defaulted last week to Bishopdale
who jumped up the table by
taking maximum points.
Bishopdale’ this week plays Te
Kura Hagley whose match last
week against Cashmere was
abandoned due to rain when
they were leading 2-1 with the
teams sharing remaining points.
LIVE ON SENZ RADIO 1260 AM