#MeetTheTeam: Division One Men
This year, we are starting a #MeetTheTeam series. Every month we’ll introduce you to a couple of our teams that take the turf every 2021 Winter weekend to battle it out for the win. This month’s team is the… AISC Division One Men.
Author: Nilesh Patel
Rewinding back the clock to 2020, the AISC D1 mens squad sole focus was to win the D1 grade to put forward a compelling case to Auckland Hockey for the club to field a Premier Reserve side for 2021. The D1 squad were fortunate to have the services of some of the club’s Premier players which went a long way in contributing to us winning the 2020 title.
Moving on to 2021 and wanting to defend that title, the AISC D1 squad knew they would have a challenge on their hands losing key players (with the squad’s blessing) to the Premier Reserve Grade and in some cases players moving up two grades to become regular members in the Premier Division.
The 2021 edition of the AISC D1 squad includes a great mix of experience and youth.
Experienced and integral members of the squad include: Raju Bhana, Sanjay (Zed) Soma, Sandeep (Boots) Patel, Sunil (Fonz) Bhana, Vijay (Dookan) Patel, Amriesh (Undies) Lala, Nilesh (Bman) Patel and the very reliable fill in Suren (Siren) Ranchod.
The next crop of players have been loyal AISC players and are considered senior members of the squad. Milan Ranchod our valuable week to week performing Goalkeeper, Vinay Patel who we are fortunate to have the services of as not so long ago, he was a starting member of the Premier side, Rakesh Kanji who is a very dedicated member of the squad and our very reliable captain and solid week to week performer Sunil Ramji. Although not quite a senior member, Ronak Mistry decided to play another season of D1 hockey and has played a handful of games but has just recently stepped up to now be a regular member of our Premier Reserve team.
The D1 squad is fortunate to have the services of some of the club’s exciting youth talent. Grooming these young talented players for higher honours is a priority for the club and coach, Nilesh Patel has been working hard behind the scenes with youth hockey coordinator Kaushik Patel to continue the pathway into senior mens hockey for our aspiring youngsters.
Malay Patel and Jayman Bhana were fortunate to have experienced D1 hockey in 2020 are now turning out as regulars in the Premier Reserve Grade for 2021, whilst also filling in for D1 when needed.
Our regular youth players for the 2021 season include: Miheer Patel, Aaron Patel, Arjun Pancha and Krishna Mistry.
This season we also welcome some new players to the club. AJ Manduda who previously played on the North Shore transferred to the club and has immediately made an impact with his size and skill up front. Aditya Ashok and Umang Patel are part of a very good crop of Mount Albert Grammar graduates that have committed to AISC and have thrived in D1 hockey. Milan Kanji has been part of the AISC D3 squad for a few years now so the D1 squad are fortunate he decided to step up this year where he has slotted in seamlessly.
The squad is extremely fortunate to be able to secure the services of former long standing Premier Men’s manager Dipak Chimma as manager of the team. Thank you Dee for your continued support and contributions to the team and the club.
So far the D1 squad have had mixed results including a first up 3-1 loss to league leaders Southern, followed by two good wins against Western (3-1) and University B (1-0). the squad were quickly bought back down to earth with a heartbreaking draw against Southern B (1-1) with a goal from a PC after full-time and a tough loss to D1 newcomers Roskill Eden 3-1. Unfortunately, a couple of recent losses to Sommerville A (3-1) and Howick (2-1) have the team sitting at the mid-lower end of the competition ladder but the determination is there for us to do better each week and push for higher honours.
Special mention to Sanjay (Zed) Soma who unfortunately due to required surgery has played his last game for us this year. The squad would like to acknowledge his contributions and services to the team and the club. His dedication and commitment will be sorely missed on the field.
The D1 team plays on Saturday afternoons so come and show your support by checking out the mix of senior/youth talent on show. Find the draw here.
Captain: Sunil Ramji
Coach: Nilesh Patel
Manager: Dipak Chimma