Harrison up for the Challenge

Northland's Samantha Harrison was handed a golden ticket when she was called up to join the Black Sticks 18-strong squad to contest the Champions Challenge in  South Africa next month.
Named to travel to South Africa as an extra 19th player for warm-up matches against the hosts before the Champions Challenge tournament, the 18-year-old was brought into the frame when Canterbury's Stacey Carr was injured during last week's National Hockey League tournament.
"It's pretty exciting - I'm disappointed for Stacey and sad she missed out because she was injured but I'm stoked for myself,"  said Harrison.
"I was stoked to be going as a reserve so it's even better now, especially as I will be going over with Lotte [her older sister, Charlotte Harrison].
"I've missed playing with her."
Samantha Harrison made her Black Sticks debut at Whangarei against Argentina and also played against China in July but was dropped from the 18 who won the Oceania Cup  this month.
Black Sticks coach Mark Hager has retained the same team from the Oceania Cup competition, with the exception of Harrison, who joins her  sister  and fellow Northlanders Anna Thorpe, Ella Gunson and Stacey Michelsen.
A  Year 13 Diocesan School for Girls  student, Harrison chose to play for Auckland in last week's NHL, which she said fell at the right time in terms of preparation for the Black Sticks.
Although  there are a few nerves lurking before  her departure to Cape Town on Thursday with the team, Harrison said she was looking forward to building on her experience, stepping up to play international hockey in South Africa.
Although losing Carr to injury left a big gap in the side, Harrison would bring youth and exuberance to the side, coach Hager said.
"We have only two players with more than 100 caps and now we have lost one [Carr] - that's a huge amount of experience gone, especially at this sort of tournament which is a bit of the unknown for us," he said.
"However, Sam will bring good basic skills and her attacking style will hopefully enhance the group up front."
Central player Emily Naylor would lead the group in terms of experience, with 112 caps at the start of the season.
While the squad have not trained together since the Oceania Cup campaign, Hager said all of the Black Sticks had played at the NHL tournament, so they should be looking sharp.
Three warm-up matches against South Africa will give the world 11th-ranked Kiwis a chance to sort combinations before  the Champions Challenge, where they play seven matches against Azerbaijan, Chile, Italy, Japan, Spain and South Africa.
Korea withdrew from the competition, which is scheduled from October 11-18, but their absence had caused several changes to the format which still needed to be firmed up, Hager said.
The tournament winner will gain entry to next year's Champions Trophy, contested by the top six teams in the world.
Champions Challenge Black Sticks: Kayla Sharland, Emily Naylor, Krystal Forgesson, Kate Saunders, Katie Glynn, Ella Gunson, Beth Jurgeleit, Clarissa Eshuis, Lucy Talbot, Stacey Brannigan, Sam Harrison, Gemma Flynn, Anna Thorpe, Kate Mahon, Charlotte Harrison, Bianca Russell, Stacey Michelsen, Anita Punt.