CIS met Polding in the final match, with both teams needing a win in order to make the semi-final, while MacKillop, Hunter and Sydney East all awaited the result to see where they stood on the table.

Both sides showed a steely defence in the low-scoring match, before Polding pulled away in the final quarter to run out winners 23-16.

St Paul’s Gateshead sharp shooter Saffron Shiels was on fire from the line, nailing five from six penalty shots in the final minutes to secure the victory.

St Edward’s girls Mia Kennedy and Marley Pitt are in the Polding team that will now take on Sydney South West in the first semi-final, while MacKillop will take on Hunter in the other, tipping off at 9am today.

The North West girls also had a nailbiter for their first win of the tournament after a tough first day.

The Keighan Roser-coached side got a 53-5 point touch-up from finalists MacKillop early, before bouncing back to edge Barrier out by one point, 22-21 in a great effort.

They will now go on to play South Coast in a play off game today for final positions, while the winners of the two semi-finals will clash to decide the State Championships in the final match of the three-day tournament at 12.30pm.

Following the final a closing ceremony will be held, with awards being handed out and the NSW side to be announced for the National Championships later in the year.

 Meanwhile in Unanderra the North West secondary hockey girls backed up a good first day with a loss and a draw on a tougher day for the girls.

Last year’s champions Hunter proved that they will be thereabouts again with a 3-nil defeat of North West, although the girls did hold a handy North Coast side to a 1-1 draw later on, which will put them in a mid table play-off today.

At Narrabeen the CHS netball side had an even harder day, suffering four losses, to North Coast (39-13), Sydney West (47-12), Sydney East (61-18), and Hunter 36-12.

They will be after a win on the final day today when they play Sydney North, South Coast and Western.