Hockey: Anna Lawrence set for milestone

Black Sticks' forward Anna Lawrence is set to reach a notable milestone with the New Zealand women's hockey team in Whangarei tomorrow.

Lawrence will play her 150th game in the national colours when she steps out against India for the opening game of a four-match series at Kensington Park.

And in doing so she will be just the third women in history to achieve the mammoth appearances milestone.

But the 29-year-old is not about to let the occasion dent her reputation for keeping the focus ahead of the big game.

"It won't be something I'm focusing on, on the day," Lawrence said.

"The focus will be on the team and what I can do to help it. But it will certainly be nice all the same," she said.

The former Cantabrian, now based in Auckland, is looking forward to resuming her international career after missing the Black Sticks' tour of Korea in March.

After a diet of fulltime hockey in the lead up to last year's Olympic Games in Sydney, Lawrence opted out of all hockey for five months.

"From the end of September to the beginning of February I did fitness work but didn't pick up a stick so it was really a big mental break," she said.

The series against India promises to be hard fought with India still smarting after losing the last five-match series to New Zealand 3-2 two years ago.

The Black Sticks squad assembled in Auckland on Friday and arrived in Whangarei yesterday. They will have three training runs ahead of tomorrow afternoon's game.

The Indian side was flew into Auckland yesterday.

The New Zealand team has maintained the core of the team that performed so well in Sydney last year, adding just one new cap, Niniwa Roberts, to the team.

Lawrence returns along with hockey glamour girl Mandy Smith for the first time since that Olympic tournament.

The game will have special significance for the Northland hockey community too with four of the team originally from Whangarei.

Sandy Bennett, Lizzy Igasan, Leisen Jobe and Suzie Pearce all have strong Northland connections.

The team is still coached by Jan Borren, who guided the team so successfully in Sydney.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE