Hockey: Auckland get the Kake - top-four finish the icing

It's been five years since Auckland won the national women's title, four since they made the top four.

New coach Tina Bell-Kake is determined to do something about that.

One of New Zealand's finest players of modern times, Bell-Kake admits there are frustrations being on the coaching side of the fence, but she's relishing the challenge.

"I don't think the power base is in Auckland, but certainly Auckland have been disappointing in the last couple of years. This year we certainly have the team to do well," she said.

Bell-Kake likes the look of a squad which includes three Black Sticks - attacker Krystal Forgesson and defenders Frances Kreft and Lizzie Ryan - plus a core of promising young talent.

Katie Glynn and Lucy Talbot are Junior Black Sticks players. Throw in Keita Miru, whose five-goal bag was the equal best return of any non-penalty corner striker in last year's league, and Bell-Kake likes what she has to work with this season.

And the key?

"You've got to put your goals away, got to have attacking strength. Last year, the players would have been disappointed in their finishing and it's certainly something we've worked on in the last five or six weeks."

Best of the rest? Canterbury, with its plethora of internationals, loom large in any pre-league speculation.

Bell-Kake can see a top four rounded out by defending champions Wellington and North Harbour.

They begin the league against Southern, which they should win, then North Harbour on Sunday at Albany.

'We certainly have the potential to make the top four. That's our aim. Then we'll reassess our goals."

As for Harbour, they'll be anchored by talented defender Lizzy Igasan, and fellow former Black Stick Jaimee Provan is back to lead the attack.

They have plenty of national development squad players and provided they improve their goalscoring rate in pool play, which last season was average, they will be looking to improve on their third-placed finish.