NZ women meet US in Clareville

WOMEN IN BLACK : Black Sticks Petrea Webster (left), Rose Keddell, Sam Charlton, Kayla Whitelock, Anita Punt and Rhinnon Dennison display the uniform they will be wearing off the turf at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They could all be seen in action at Clareville in October.PHOTO/FILE

HOCKEY New Zealand have confirmed the Black Sticks women's hockey team will face the United States in two tests at Clareville on October 25 and 26.

It will be the first time the Black Sticks have played an international at Hockey Wairarapa's headquarters and, not surprisingly, officials are excited at the opportunity to showcase some of the world's best female players to the Wairarapa sporting fraternity.

"To have the Black Sticks come and play here is fantastic, not only for our current hockey members and fans but also for the wider community ... we know it's going to be a really well attended and successful event," HW executive officer Kelly Govan said, adding the support of Trust House and the district councils had been crucial in the planning process.

The two games at Clareville will be part of a six-match series between the Black Sticks and United States with earlier games scheduled for the TET Multisport Centre at Stratford on October 18 and 19 and the Twin Turfs in Palmerston North on October 21 and 23. Both Clareville matches will start at 2pm.

Hockey New Zealand chief executive Malcolm Harris labelled the United States as a "top quality side" and with the Black Sticks coming off what is hoped to be a successful Commonwealth Games campaign he is confident spectators will be given a true taste of world-class hockey.

"International games held outside the big cities work really well for us, the Black Sticks love the support they get from the community and the strong vocal crowds that attend," Harris said.

HNZ high-performance manager Terry Evans said the Black Sticks squad for the series would be named after the completion of the national hockey league and the six games would give the country's top players some additional test time before they contest the FIH Champions Trophy tournament in Argentina in December.

"From a high-performance perspective the series will allow for a range of players within the wider squad to get some turf time. It isn't just about building up to the Champions Trophy, there's a long-term aim to get the side well prepared for the 2015 Olympic qualifier," Evans said.

Ranked eighth in the world, the United States women were the "bolters" at the FIH World Cup, finishing a credible fourth. The Black Sticks do have a strong record against them, however, winning 3-2 at the London Olympics, beating them at the Four Nations tournament in New Zealand last year and securing a narrow series victory in San Diego this year.