Hockey: Crocked Carr blow for Black Sticks

New Zealand's chances at next month's Champions Challenge tournament in South Africa have been dealt a severe blow with the loss of one of their most experienced players.

Canterbury inside forward Stacy Carr has been ruled out of the October 11-18 tournament with an ACL injury.

Carr, one of only two players in Mark Hager's squad to have played more than 100 games for the Black Sticks, injured her knee during a National League game this week and has been forced to withdraw from the originally-named 19-strong squad.

Hager had already named Junior Black Sticks striker Sam Harrison as an extra player with a view of playing her in warm-up matches. He will not add any other players to the squad.

"It is a real blow as we lose a lot of much-needed experience," said Hager yesterday. "Sam Harrison will come into the frame now and we will look at playing Anita Punt more as an inside forward."

Hager is also waiting to see under what format the tournament will now be played following the late withdrawal of the South Koreans.

"It was scheduled to be played in two pools of eight but it could now be played as a round-robin with the seven remaining teams and then play-offs," said Hager, who has been here this week watching the national league ahead of naming his national squad.

"We plan to name 24 in the national squad and up to eight or 10 in a development group. There could be one or two new faces but that will depend on how they perform. I want to see them under pressure."

Hager has been impressed with the league and points to the number of older [former international] players in contributing to this.

"It has been fantastic to see players like Caryn Paewai, Piki Hamahona, Niniwa Roberts and Suzie Muirhead alongside the younger players."

Men's national coach Shane McLeod said he too has been happy with what he has seen.

"Some of the young players are doing quite well," said McLeod. Asked whether he expected more from the North Harbour side, McLeod said he felt they had not got to grips with the new system they are playing.

Like Hager, McLeod is in the throes of selecting a new national squad.

He is expected to name 24 players next week.

Meanwhile, Hockey NZ chief executive Hilary Poole has confirmed a switch of turfs for November's men's World Cup qualifying tournament in Invercargill.

"The matches will now be played on turf two," said Poole yesterday.

There had been a number concerns expressed about the uneven nature of turf one at the recent Oceania Cup tournament at the same venue.